Winter Blackmouth Hot!!

[Pat Anderson]

Spill it, Marty...you know we'll get it out of you sooner or later, remember, I know where you live!!!

[starcrafttom]

Most black mouth are hatchery fish that are kept in pens in the sound area. My club and others run these pens. the psa sno-king has a pen in edmonds, the everett club has a pen at the everett docks in front of the restaurants. Some of these clubs also raise coho. All these clubs are looking for folks to feed the smolts one day a week. Now the big guys in the north end , baby island, are not really black mouth. They are kings coming back from the ocean to the hatchery at tulalip bay. the big fish in the san juans last month are kings heading back to the fraser river.

[chromer]

Thanks very much Tom, very enlightening So, at maturity do these fishes head for a local river for spawning instincts? Or do they mill around in front Edmonds and Everett?

[Jon - CLou]

I've heard several different opinions on the difference between a blackmouth and a springer. I'm starting to believe no one in Port Angeles really knows. Geez, you ask the question and people start to mumble and back pedal.

Now, in Port Angeles there called blackmouth this time of year. When you fish 12 miles north (Sooke, Victoria) they call em' springers. I've never heard the word blackmouth at all when listening to the Canadian fisherman.

Can anyone clarify???

Jon

[Robbi]

Here is a link http://www.wisnersinc.com/Fishing%20Info/PS_Blackmouth_history.htm
that explains it in a way that I have always thought to be true. But, who knows?

The pen raised and late released silvers that do not leave Puget Sound (which means more correctly that they don't go into the ocean) are called resident silvers. Why chinook are not called resident chinook instead of blackmouth is a good question. I think that it has to do with very old terminology that goes back to the 20's and 30's. My father referred to immature chinook as blackmouth. These fish predated the hatchery late release fish and I think that the name blackmouth was used to refer to them. My guess is that the name "blackmouth" has since been used to describe all immature chinook.

I think that the blackmouth enhancement program which is a Washington State program may explain why those in BC may use different terms to describe the same fish.

Robbi

[Captain Downriggin]

Maybe I can clarify a little bit for you...

The name blackmouth is nothing more than a nickname that has been given to the fish from Puget Sound anglers- simply becasue of the lining of the gums and tongue. The name will carry from California to Alaska.

The Canadians refer their fish to Springers because of the spring stock returning to the rivers in the local area.

The name is no different than calling Chum- dog salmon or a large Chinook a Tyee.

The only way to identify a blackmouth from an adult is by cutting the fish open. If there is an egg skein or milt sack it would be classified as an adult fish or Chinook. If there is niether, the fish would be classified as an immature chinook or juvenile chinook- aptly nicknamed a blackmouth.

Since a high majority of our returning fish are of fall stock, one could easliy identy a springer when cleaned... if there are eggs or a milt sack in April, May or early June, you have caught a springer!

Hope this helps.

[chromer]

We closed down Area 9 today. Caught about 10 shakers, and one that "may" have been legal. We tossed everything back. Even picked up 3 flounder jigging later in the afternnon.