Catching Salmon In The Pacific
Fishing sports are growing in popularity and one of the most prized fishes is the salmon. There are many varieties and each fisherman has his or her favorite. The granddaddy of Pacific salmon is the Chinook. It can weigh in at up to 100 pounds and grow to 40 inches in length. Chinook make up only about one percent of the annual salmon harvest.

The Sockeye, from Alaska, is the most valuable of all salmon. It grows to 24 inches in length and weighs between six and nine pounds. It makes up 25 to 30 percent of Alaska's commercial fishing. During spawning season, the males turn a beautiful red, and therefore are often called "red" salmon.

The Coho salmon is the third most valuable and important salmon in the industry. The Coho is also known as "silvers" because of their silvery sheen. These salmon are popular in seafood markets and are often sold whole to consumers. They are great for canning and for smoking. The Coho averages about 29 inches and weights approximately 9 pounds.

Chum salmon aren't as good to eat as the other varieties. Consumers tend to avoid buying them when they see the pale yellow meat. Therefore they aren't considered that valuable to the industry. Their average weight is 8 pounds and they can be as long as 30 inches.

The least valuable of Pacific salmon is the Pink salmon. This is also the smallest of the salmon, weighing 4 pounds and averaging about 22 inches long. Even though the Pink salmon is the least valuable of all the salmon it is found in the most abundance. Pink salmon are used mostly for canning and not for eating fresh over the coals.

There are many charters along the northern Pacific coast that are very popular among sport fishermen. If you are an avid fisherman you may want to think about

chartering a boat to take you to the finest salmon places along the coast. Many of these charters also offer whale watching tours which is a great way for you to combine your vacation with a bit of sightseeing. Take your time finding the right charter for you as there are many different packages that you can choose from, including one day excursions to week long trips. You will want to join a charter that doesn’t have too many people booked with it, since the smaller the group is the better your salmon trip will be.

Choose carefully and you can enjoy some great - and some great tasting fish!

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