Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus keta.
Common Names: Dog salmon, calico salmon, chub, fall salmon, and keta salmon.
Chum salmon, in the ocean are a metallic greenish-blue with white tips on the pelvic and anal fins and no large black spots on the body. Freshwater-run spawners have dark bars, red coloring on the sides, and may have gray blotches. Males have much large heads and hooked jaws. Female head are more torpedo-like and female body size tends to be smaller in comparison.
Life Cycle: Chum salmon usually spend minimal time in freshwater, generally only to reproduce. During their first spring of life, chum salmon migrate to estuaries to spend several months before heading out to sea. Chum usually spawn in their 3rd, 4th, or 5th year and is the last of the Pacific salmon to return to their natal streams.
Habitat & Ecology: Research indicates that streams, coastal wetlands and estuaries are important habitats for chum salmon. Although rarely remaining in freshwater for extended periods, chum feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects and small crustaceans when they do. Stream quality is critical to the initial survival of the species. Eggs are laid in medium size gravel and need good water flow (to supply oxygen) to survive. Most chum mortality occurs in freshwater as a result of poor environmental conditions, like siltation, gravel disruptions and changes in water temperature. Freshwater habitat changed by poor agricultural and forest practices, irrigation developments, channelization and pollutants often negatively impact chum salmon.Coastal wetlands and estuaries are vital habitat for chum salmon which spend several months in residence before migrating out to sea. The wetlands produce nutrients essential to the estuarine food chain and the copepods, amphipods, and small crustaceans the chum feeds upon. Chum salmon also depend on the wetlands for protection from predators and for the role these wetlands play in maintaining water quality by trapping silt and absorbing chemical pollutants.
Fishing: Chum salmon have grown in popularity with the onset of fly fishing in Alaska. Fly fishermen enjoy the tackle testing head shakes of a chum salmon on the line. Most chums weigh in the 8-15 pound range, but may reach up to 20 pounds in some river systems. Chum are extremely aggressive, especially in freshwater rivers as they approach the spawning season. Chums are very territorial and will strike at nearly anything in their way. Gaudy flies and lures that provide a darting, erratic action are key. Chums react explosively to a flashy object that tends to dart, or jerk within their territorial zone. Some fly fishermen have enticed chum salmon to hit topwater lures, but they are not known for topwater strikes. Chum salmon can also be take on spin gear with small spoons or spinners such as the Blue Fox Vibrax. Although river-run chum salmon are not great table quality fish, their aggressiveness and brute strength offer an excellent sportfishing opportunity and some beautiful photo-ops.
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