Record Pink Salmon Caught in Washington State

[fishbear]

Guys,

Check this out.   :o

http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/recordpink01.jpg

http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/recordpink02.jpg

Biggest I ever saw was 5 lbs.  

[bass109]

nice fish 8-)

[Redlinerobert]

What a freaky looking fish.   Looks like something that should be swimming in the Amazon...

[fourbizz]

I guess they call them humpies for a reason!

as for me, all I could see was an Emperor Penguin

[David P]

Lmao, that really does look like a penguin.

[Jake.]

Wow. Wierd looking fish.  

[Redlinerobert]

Reminds me of Marty Feldman.   ;D

[T-rig]

That's a big humpback salmon. What a freak of nature!

[bpm2000]

yea its crazy how much they change once they get into spawning mode.

[baboosicbass08]

That very well may be the spawn of satan

[Vyron]

wow crazy looks

[FivePoundBluegill]

Very strange fish. I want to catch one

[FivePoundBluegill]

Here is the news story that goes with the pictures...

Arlington angler reels in record-breaking pink salmon

OLYMPIA Adam Stewart, a 19-year-old angler from Arlington, has set a new state record for the largest pink salmon caught in state waters, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed today.

Stewart caught the 15.4-pound salmon Oct. 11 on the lower Stillaguamish River in Snohomish County, and immediately had its weight certified at a grocery store in Arlington.

The fish was 31 inches long, with a girth of 24.75 inches, said Don Rothaus, a WDFW fish biologist. In certifying the catch, Rothaus noted the huge hump on its back, characteristic of male pink salmon returning to spawn.

At first, I thought I had a coho on the line, said Stewart, a metal and glass cutter, who was fishing with spinning gear and 10-pound test line. Then that huge hump caught the current broadside and just starting peeling line off my rod.

I didn't really know what I had until I got it to the beach, he said.

The previous state record was a 14.86-pound pink salmon caught in the Skykomish River in 2001. That fish currently holds the world record as determined by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), which also may put Stewart's pink salmon in line for that title.

I know Adam has been in touch with the IGFA, said Keith Underwood, WDFW gamefish records coordinator.

While Stewart's 15.4-pound fish claimed the state record for a pink salmon caught in freshwater, an 11.56-pound fish caught off Possession Point in 2001 still holds the state title for the largest pink salmon caught in saltwater.

Pink salmon, which generally weigh three to five pounds, are the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon. Also known as humpies, most pink salmon return to Washington waters in odd-numbered years. Nearly 3.3 million pink salmon are expected to return to rivers and stream in the Puget Sound area this year.

[Tokyo Tony]

That's one of the ugliest fish I've ever seen.  Would have loved to catch him though  :

[bass109]

never caught that species of salmo before :'(

[fishbear]

I have caught my share of them, however, they do not keep well.  You either have to can or smoke them, they do not last if you just freeze them.  However, if you smoke em, then put the fish in a blender with some horseradish, mayo and lemon juice, and spices, it makes one killer sandwich spread  :

They love to use that hump and the current and fight like a much bigger fish.