Alaska is renowned for its wild salmon. The flavor of Alaskan salmon depends upon fat content and the environment in which it matured. Alaska’s pure waters and the abundance of natural food give Alaska salmon unparalleled flavor.
Although salmon are caught in Alaska’s spotless waters year-long, fishing season in port and southcentral Alaska actually heats up in late May, when the cherished king salmon returns home to spawn in the area’s glacier-fed, freshwater streams.
The remaining four varieties of Pacific salmon-sockeye, coho, buddy and pink-are also found in the general area.
Many anglers are now attempting to catch what’s known as a “grand slam”-all five species of salmon. Some say a simple way to remember which kind is which is to match them up with the fingers on your hand.
• Thumb-Chum salmon ( Dog ). The best fishing for this fish is mid-July to late August. Chum salmon have a firm texture, tempting orange-pink color and delicate flavor that makes it an ideal fish for smoking. The average weight is 8 pounds and they can grow to be twenty-five to 27 inches long.
• Pointer finger-Sockeye salmon (Red). Most available late May to early June or mid-July, sockeye salmon are the 2nd most abundant Alaskan salmon species. This species turns from a silvery color to a bright red body and green head as they start the journey upriver to spawn. Their average weight is 6 pounds and they can grow to virtually three feet in length.
• Middle finger-King salmon (Chinook). The best fishing for king salmon is mid-June to mid- July. The biggest species of salmon in Alaska, they are valued for their color, high oil content, firm texture and tender taste. Average weight is approximately 20 pounds and length goes from thirty to forty inches.
&8226 ; Ring finger-Silver salmon (Coho). With its orange-red flesh, firm texture and fragile flavour, cohos are extremely well-liked among neighbors. The best fishing for them is in early August to mid-September. Cohos are the second biggest of the species, with average weights of 12 pounds, and range between twenty-five to 35 inches in length.
• Pinky finger-Pink salmon ( Humpy ). At the height of their run, millions of pinks swim up the freshwater streams and streams to spawning grounds. Pinks are the smallest and most usual of the species and average about two to three pounds. The best fishing for pinks happens in mid-July to late August.
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Tags: alaska salmon, fishing, salmon
