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Sockeye Salmon
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Oncorhynchus nerka |
| Environment: | Lake, River, Stream, Inshore |
| Ideal Temp: | 51-58°F (11-14°C) |
| Technique: | Casting, Fly, Jigging, Trolling |
| Lure Type: | Flies, Jigs, Spoons, Topwater |
| World Record: | 6.88 kg (15 lb 3 oz) - Kenai River, Alaska, USA |
| Other Names: | sockeye, red salmon, blueback salmon, kokanee |
Sockeye salmon is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it. This species is a Pacific salmon that is primarily red in hue during spawning. They can be up to 84 cm in length and weigh anywhere from 2.3 to 7 kg. Juveniles remain in freshwater until they are ready to migrate to the ocean, over distances of up to 1,600 km. Their diet consists primarily of zooplankton. Sockeye salmon are semelparous, dying after they spawn. Some populations, referred to as kokanee, do not migrate to the ocean and live their entire lives in freshwater.
Sockeye salmon is the third most common Pacific salmon species, after pink and chum salmon. Oncorhynchus comes from the Greek '-ychos' meaning nail, and 'rhyngchos' meaning snout. nerka is the Russian name for the anadromous form. The name "sockeye" is an anglicization of suk-kegh (sθə́qəy̓), its name in Halkomelem, the language of the indigenous people along the lower reaches of the Fraser River (one of British Columbia's many native Coast Salish languages). Suk-kegh means "red fish".
The sockeye salmon is sometimes called red or blueback salmon, due to its color. Sockeye are blue tinged with silver in color while living in the ocean. When they return to spawning grounds, their bodies become red and their heads turn green. Sockeye can be anywhere from 60 to 84 centimeters in length and weigh from 2.3 to 7 kg. Two distinguishing features are their long, serrated gill rakers that range from 30 to 40 in number, and their lack of a spot on their tail or back.
Latest Sockeye Salmon Fishing Reports and Spots
It doesn’t make much sense to spend all that effort to figure out the perfect sockeye rig and the perfect presentation if you’re going to lose (
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There’s definitely something strangely satisfying about tuning up your gear tying dozens of setups in advance and being meticulous about every (
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5 Alaska Salmon Species targeted in July 2023 — King Salmon Chum Salmon Sockeye Salmon Coho Salmon Pink Salmon July provides the best opportun (
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Now that we’ve discussed the basic rigging options for gear types hook choices knots to use and sinker options – it’s time to put it all togeth (
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Knots can be an intimidating part of fishing and so many new anglers assume that you need to know dozens of different knots in order to be succ (
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Attaching some weight to your leader seems like a super simple task to accomplish but when it comes to sockeye fishing there are certain method (
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As we continue our sockeye salmon fishing series it makes a lot of sense to talk about the different options you have when it comes to hooks. M (
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Sockeye fishing on the Kenai River may look like an extremely simple act to the untrained eye but the more time you spend on the famed gravel b (
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