When a salmon becomes discolored, has he spawned or not?

[p.t.]

I've been to Tolt River and Green River a few times in the past few weeks. There are lots of pinks that the skin color has already badly discolored. They don't bite any more, so people just get them on their backs. I didn't actually see people keep such fish (another post says there are people do, but I didn't see), but I do see people throw them away on the bank, either to "keep them out of the way" or end their misery early. I don't know but I do see a lot of discolored salmon still keep swimming upstreams, it seems that they haven't done their spawning job yet. If you don't keep them and just let them die on the bank, it hurts the ecosystem, right?

I know one can't keep foul-hooked fish or just throw away a fish no matter what, but my question is simply:

When a salmon got to such stage that his skin color has discolored, has he done his spawning job?

[ingi]

they begin to change color once they get into the freshwater systems, usually if you are still catching them then they have not already spawned but much of the fish caught are hatchery fish so they are still going to be unspawned or getting ready to spawn until they are captured at the hatchery. As for pinks most are in the process of spawning and holding around where they have spawned to protect their eggs/sperm, this is my understanding of your question i hope it helps

[ResQ]

And people catching them and just tossing them on the bank is poaching if they are not punching them on their card and taking them home. Not to mention bad form. The proper thing to do, if its a fish you do not plan on eating, no matter how discolored or "Bootish" it may be, just unhook and release properly.

[Toni]

Some times fish start to change while they are still in the salt.

[p.t.]

Thanks, guys. So the change in coloration has nothing to do with whether they have spawned or not; I guess the same goes for the development of a hump. Thank you.

[Toni]

The more the change, I would think, the more they are degraded. The only way to really know is to take the fish home and check the flesh. At least, that is what I have done and know where the cut off is for smoking.

[Gringo Pescador]

Thanks, guys. So the change in coloration has nothing to do with whether they have spawned or not; I guess the same goes for the development of a hump. Thank you.

True - I have seen pinks with a the beginnings of a hump and and still have sea lice on em..

[natetreat]

You know when they've spawned because they will be really skinny and short through the belly and have no roe. Bucks will shoot leftovers all over you waders, so don't even take 'em from the water. When they start to get moldy, best bet is they're spawned out. Although chromers will get a bit of an infection if they've been hooked in the back or somewhere else and thrown back. Their spawning colors will be a good measure of whether you want to eat them or not. I don't usually. They're fun to catch, but I like red meat.

[salmonator_1228]

Chums also change very quickly. I watched a video that within 24 hours in fresh water they turn different colors faster that any other salmon, and by 48 hours, they are the same color as when they spawn.
here is the link to a photo and the video


http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sea+lice ... 29,r:1,s:0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BassDood]

Salmonator stated it well with chum. I've seen and caught chum in the salt that were colored...not that it means they aren't good table fare. I caught a buck on the Skok today that some would toss back, but when cleaned...it had very bright red flesh.

[natetreat]

I've had the same thing, Chum start to color up before they even get up in the rivers. I took one hen for the roe, and found that the meat was just fine and the eggs were underdeveloped. I don't know why they do that but they do.

[oneshot]

the darker the color or bigger the hump.. the tastier the fish becomes at your local grocery