Puget Sound Pinks - 2023

[witty1]

So we are at another odd year... which means HUMPYS!
In 2023... we have been inundated with ~4 million pink salmon. AND THE MAIN SCHOOL ISNT EVEN HERE YET!!!
Last Saturday... first 4 casts yielded 3 fish. Done in 5 minutes. 
Last Sunday... 10 casts --> 1 fish. After I got a good sized pink I switched to targeting coho... put on a coho killer and bam... pink salmon. Decided to change things up a bit... Lets troll a big bass lure to try to keep the humpys off (6 in jerkbait)... bam... 3 more pink salmon. 

Couldn't get my coho and got bored unhooking (and potentially killing) humpys unnecessarily. So I called it a day. Was on the water for 1 hour, over 10 pink salmon hooked, 8 released.

Anyhoo... the catching is amazing this year.

[witty1]

Heres some of the fruits of my labor so far...
freezer getting full... got to save room for the coho.

[alantani]

very nice.  our salmon season is completely shut down.  guys are catching them on rockcod gear and releasing them. 

[Crab Pot]

very nice.  our salmon season is completely shut down.  guys are catching them on rockcod gear and releasing them. 

And I'm sure over half died...

Nice haul witty1.

Looks like you know what your doing around a smoker!


 

[witty1]

Thanks! A lot of batches of pinks and silvers over the years...

Only (2) silvers so far this year. I've stopped targeting pinks all-together as my freezer is pretty full... and I don't get to unload it until family comes over to grab their share.

[pointbob]

i find the flesh of pinks way too soft and unappetizing. i'd rather have chum to be honest. did smoking help with the softness?

[witty1]

i find the flesh of pinks way too soft and unappetizing. i'd rather have chum to be honest. did smoking help with the softness?

Yes, I cold smoke for a few hours and then slowly ramp up the heat to about 200-220F. Keep it at that temp to pull more of the moisture out. You get a much firmer end product.


Did ok last night. Got kind of depressed watching everyone around me limit on pinks in 10-30min... but stood my ground and finally got my 2nd hatchery silver after 2 hrs. (i was targeting silvers... no pink lures for me)

[Keta]

i find the flesh of pinks way too soft and unappetizing. i'd rather have chum to be honest. did smoking help with the softness?

Yup, chum when properly taken care of when caught are good eating.
The best way to prepare humpy is to cut them into large chunks and put them in a crab or prawn pot.

[Hardy Boy]

I keep the odd one for a fresh meal on the grill. They do smoke up OK especially if they are larger ones. I have made candy with them in the past. Are they as good eating as other salmon  , maybe not,but bleed and keep cool and you have decent eating fish.

[Keta]

I do agree if it is the first salmon of the season, properly handled and cooked that day they are not bad. 
However, if one has sockeye they are not impressive.
We called humpies "sea slugs" when I lived in Alaska and they were pests at times.

[pointbob]

i find the flesh of pinks way too soft and unappetizing. i'd rather have chum to be honest. did smoking help with the softness?

The best way to prepare humpy is to cut them in large chunks and put them in a crab or prawn pot.

LOL

[Bryan Young]

Oh yum. Love them pinks with tan lines. 🤣

[Catching Nemo]

The Cardinal 4 reel is getting a workout

[witty1]

The Cardinal 4 reel is getting a workout

Fishing the rivers??
If so, those still look pretty bright.

[Catching Nemo]

The Cardinal 4 reel is getting a workout

Fishing the rivers??
If so, those still look pretty bright.

yes, river fish