Pink Salmon
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) is the smallest Pacific salmon, with a strict two-year life cycle and a strong hump-back/spawning-color change in males. It enters coastal rivers to spawn, then dies; adults are most common in odd-numbered years in much of its range.
识别要点
- Smallest Pacific salmon, usually under 5 lb with a slender build
- Male spawning fish develop a pronounced hump and hooked jaw
- Tail fin has many large oval black spots on both lobes
栖息地
Anadromous species that lives in the North Pacific and enters cool coastal rivers, estuaries, and lower mainstem reaches to spawn; juveniles migrate quickly to saltwater and adults return primarily to short, low-gradient streams and river mouths.
饵料备注
For sea-run fish, small spoons, pink/white jigs, fly patterns, and herring or shrimp imitations are effective; in rivers, drifted salmon eggs, cured eggs, beads, and yarn can work where legal. In some fisheries they are caught incidentally rather than targeted.
行为
Feeds on zooplankton, small fishes, and crustaceans at sea; adults stop feeding on the spawning run and focus on migration and reproduction. Schools are common offshore and near river mouths, with strong runs concentrated in odd-numbered years in many populations.
注意事项
Spawned fish die after spawning and are poor table fare; harvest only from legal runs and check local regulations and fish advisories. Like other Pacific salmon, they can be affected by parasites in raw fish, so cook thoroughly if uncertain.
钓法备注
Fish tidal mouths, estuary edges, and lower river seams on the incoming run; use light tackle and short, repeated presentations. Drift fishing, float fishing, and casting small flashy lures are productive; match tackle to local run strength and current speed.