Chum salmon
Know your fish
Chum salmon
Also calleddog salmon, keta
Oncorhynchus keta
Typical size:55–80 cm, 3–8 kg
- No black spots on back or tail
- Purple-green vertical bars (calico) along the sides, strong in fall
- Narrow tail base; white tips on the anal and pelvic fins
Looks like: Sockeye also has no spots but is smaller, with a more pointed head and no bars.
0255075100125150
cm
OK to keep
- Minimum 30 cm; 4/day inside waters
- Non-retention in Areas 23 and 24
Must release
- Under 30 cm
- Dark, bar-marked fish close to the river mouth are poor eating; many anglers release them
Best months
October, November
Fishing licences across Canada
Rig to tie
- 1Bobber stop and bead Set depth so the jig rides 30 cm off bottom
- 2Float Slip float, 20–30 g
- 3Weight Pencil lead or split shot to balance the float
- 4Swivel Size 6 barrel swivel
- 5Leader 15 lb mono, 60–90 cm
- 6Jig 1/4–3/8 oz marabou jig, chartreuse, green or purple (pink for coho)
How to tie and fish it
Tie it:Stop, bead, float, weight, swivel, leader, jig, in that order. Barbless hook.
Fish it:Cast onto the drop-off on the flood and let it drift with the current. When the float goes down, sweep sideways. Chum hold just off the river mouth in the hour before high water.