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[gumboots]

 Interesting !!!  Over time we have fished for springs in the Fraser . Now can you tell wether the  BIG spring you are about to slide up on the beach or netting it to the boat is a RED or WHITE flesh before retaining it  . some people don't like  White spings ..and wish to release them ..... IF SO , HOW ??  Besides looking behind the gill plate .. Do they look different in appearance ,are the spot markings different ,do they smell different Or do you pray that it's big and a red  and Bonk it   .....SORRY  you just got a white flesh one    .... Can you tell  ?? would like some serious feedback ??

[gumboots]

 C ' mon all you  SPRING fisherpeople out there , any positive feedback ... some say you can tell ...... Can you ??

[Fish Assassin]

Seriously no. Some people claim by looking at the gill plates they can tell whether it's a white or red.  The people I've talked to including some commercial fishermen says no.  Take your chance !

[gumboots]

 Do I really want totake a risk or chance by looking behind the gill plate and have the fish flop and Whoops it's starting to bleed ...it's a keeper now  !! any other ways ??

[pinkwool]

At this time whites are as good or even better tasting then reds in Fraser when eaten freshly cooked. If you take whites from the Vedder in the fall, the taste can't compare to reds then. Don't even try to freeze them.

[The_Roe_Man]

Listen to pink wool.  These fraser springs are different then those fall vedder whites.  

[Last Cast]

Great topic, gumboots!  I'd love to know, too!  Unfortunately, there's no easy answer (aside from the obvious, of course!).  I'm with Fish Assassin on this one ... when you decide to bonk a Spring, you're really flipping a coin .  Case in point, yesterday my buddy and I were fishing the Upper Fraser and I was fortunate enough to land a 36.2 lb (digital scale!) Red Spring.  It was a beauty .  A couple guys show up and say a fish that size has got to be a White.  I give them that "how do you know for sure" look and one of the guys takes a close look at the gill plate and now swears its a White for sure.  His buddy seconds it.  When my son's cleaning it and yells out "Its a red!", one of them says its got to be a "marble" then.  If you're reading this guys, don't be so quick to judge .  This one was definately a Red!  There really is know way of knowing for sure.  Here's a funny one, though.  My buddy lands a 12.2 lb Spring just before we're ready to pack up.  Its absolutely chrome.  We both figure it was a Red.  Nope; a White.  There's no pattern to figure out.  Its strictly chance.  Having said this, I think the White's have a bit stronger odor.  Personally, I still prefer the Reds over the Whites.  Must be in my genes .

How's a guy to post a pic on here anyways?  I've got a nice Spring to show off !!!

Last Cast

[SP123]

If the fish are more mature it is quite easy to identify reds and whites. All you need to do is look at their skin. Red spring's skin turns red and white spring's skin turns black or brown. But when the fish are fresh is impossble to tell. I have heard of looking inside the gill, but this should not be advised if you are going to release the fish. The time of year you are fishing may be some what of a indicator. In the early summer, the fish are mostly red and in the late summer and fall the fish are generally white. But maybe I'm wrong as my dad caught a white on the weekend

[Dynamite kid]

I kill em no matter what color they are.It's all Sturgeon bait anyways,and they don't care what color it is .

[Dynamite kid]

Seriously,probably the best way to tell is by smell,the whites are much more stinky .

[DaN ThE MaN]

A springs a spring red or white tastes the same to me!!

[gumboots]

 I , totally agree with you LAST CAST !! and on your submission , so true  !! All good points taken and also FISH ASSS"N  's comment . Time of the year  ( early ) is usually a good indicator for majority to be Reds with the ODD exception  by SP 123 . and I agree with all other replies about a much stronger odour from a white spr. , even in the Fraser .thanks guys  ..... do the whites have a more pronounced pointy nose than the blunt nosed Reds ?? ( females I mean... )  also is their a slight tinge of pink at the base of the anal and ventral fins on a red  ??

[chris gadsden]

I have caught a few whites at this time of year and even earlier and I have no easy answer to your question.

All I know I find these as nice as eating as the reds at this time of year so do not worry at all.

My dad when they caught a white in the ocean during the winter they were said he liked them better. Why I donot know.  

A lot of the market value of reds over whites is because of the colour aspect of it as the red apparently looks better. To me at this time of year does not matter as they all are very tasty on the barby.

Of the 6 springs I have retained  this year from 5 to 11 pounds they all have been reds. Mostly likley the next one I get and it will be bar fishing will be a white over 20. I am looking forward to it no matter what its colour happens to be. It will be one of Natures miracles anyway.

[Last Cast]

Finally figured out how to post photos!  Here's a (proud) pic from Sunday's outing:



What a fight this fish gave me.  Almost spooled me three times!  If it wasn't for the courteous guys on a nearby anchored boat, I would have lost it on their anchor!!!  Thanks, guys!!!  gumboots, check out the nose.  Its blunt, almost round!  Not positive, but I think this feature might just set the Reds apart!  I BBQ'd (cedar plank-style with lemon-dill sauce ... hmmm, hmmm good!) a nice size fillet that evening for five of us.  My family and friends are still raving about the great taste ...

Last Cast

[FishOn]

Nice Fish!!!