Mystery Fish Contest #2 Result
Answer: Chinook Salmon
The mystery fish species in our January 2012 mystery fish species contest is chinook salmon, a chinook jack to be more specific. Because we are only lookin for a common name, we also accepted king salmon, spring salmon.
Key features of this fish are the small spots along its back and the top and bottom portions of its tail. These spotting patterns are typical characteristics of a chinook salmon. A coho salmon normally only has spots at the top portion of its tail. Because this chinook salmon is particular small, under 60cm, some may mistakenly identify it as a pink salmon because the spots look relatively large. Pink salmon's spotting patterns are in fact quite different. The spots are usually oval in shape and spots can be found across its tail.
Another feature that can be found on a chinook salmon is the black gum inside its mouth, which is just visible in this photograph.
As mentioned earlier, this is a chinook jack, which is a male that returns to its natal stream one or two years earlier than others from the same run. Because it spent less time in the ocean, its body size never reached the average size of an adult chinook salmon.
Out of 367 entries, 303 contest participants (83%) submitted the correct answer. The three most common incorrect answers are pink salmon (21 entries), coho salmon (19 entries) and Atlantic salmon (11 entries).
The winner of this contest is Brian Yip, who will receive a spool of 220 yards 8lb test Maxima Ultragreen line and four packs of DNE Fishing Hooks in size 2, 1, 1/0 and 2/0.