Pink salmon (humpy)

Smallest Pacific salmon: silver with LARGE oval black spots on the back and on both lobes of the tail, and very small scales. Spawning males grow a big hump on the back.

Most are around 20 in (50.5 cm).

Up to about 30 in (76 cm) long and 15 lb (7 kg). Source: FishBase

At sea, young ones eat copepods and small drifting tunicates, then switch to small crustaceans like krill and to fishes as they grow.

It lives in the open ocean and coastal streams, and runs up rivers with moderate to fast current and gravel bottoms to spawn. Young fish head downstream right away and stay near shore a few months before going to sea.

Found from Alaska, British Columbia and Oregon & Washington.

Short coastal rivers and streams all around Alaska and British Columbia, and Puget Sound. Many rivers get huge runs every other year: even years in most of Alaska, odd years in Puget Sound.

From the surface down to 820 ft (250 m).

20–150 ft trolling offshore, following the bait; shallower in bays and river mouths.

Ocean fishing in summer; river mouths and rivers from late summer through fall. Seasons are short and set every year.

First light is best.

In river mouths and estuaries, the incoming tide brings fresh fish in.

Calm seas offshore; cool, overcast days inshore.

Rarely needed; small pieces of herring or shrimp in saltwater.

Pink lures, really: pink spoons, pink spinners, pink buzz bombs, pink flies and small pink hoochies.

8½–10½ ft salmon (mooching) rod with a level-wind or mooching reel; downriggers or divers to get deep.

Barbless 2/0–5/0 hooks where required; herring rigs, hoochies and spinners.

20–30 lb mono.

20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 4–6 ft behind a flasher.

Cast small spoons and spinners from the beach or a dock as the schools move in, or swing pink flies in the river. Kids catch them by the dozen.

Keep pinks caught in or near saltwater. Once they turn dark and humped in the river, the meat gets soft — let those spawn.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Good eating when fresh.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Light, mild pink meat with little fat. Best fresh from the salt: grill it, make salmon patties, or smoke or can it.

River bars can be deadly — check the bar report and Coast Guard restrictions before crossing.

Usually generous limits, but some rivers close to protect other runs — check the area rules. Everyone 18 and older needs an Alaska sport fishing license (residents and nonresidents), and king salmon need a separate king salmon stamp. Rules are set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (adfg.alaska.gov) and change by river and by emergency order during the season — check before you go.

Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.