Northwest Fishing Reports

We as fisherpeople know the lowly Chum as "Chum,Dog Salmon,Doggies".In the restaurant and commercial world they use more appetizing names such as "Alaskan Keta Salmon" "Silver-brites" or just "Local Native Salmon"..In my opinion Chums are like the low end of taste and pleasent texture world.I dont usually even smoke them.If the fish is caught in the salt and eaten within 6 hours on ice its ok at best.It really dosent even make good crab bait because after freezing them they crumble and fall apart in the trap(even with a bait cage).So how does Racfish eat his Chum. My favorite method is frying it.I use a combo of flour and cornmeal with seasoning.Get a frying skillet with good Canola oil nice and hot. Roll the fish in the mixture and some like a egg wash after the flouring.And fry it up. For some reason thats how I like my Doggies. My grandmother (Bless her soul) Made Chums that way so for me its how we managed Chum Season.

If you want a nice white sauce to go with this is we make a Spanish/Greek recipe thats made with egg, flour,lemon juice,and a liul water.Chicken stock instead of water is also good.

Rac, some people will eat anything they drag off the bottom and claim it was the best tasting fish in the world. Yes chum may be bland tasting but a fresh chum (not with tan meat) is still higher quality protein than most of the half dead and half rotten, but don't know it yet, fish that folks drag home. Every year I keep a few chum that I catch in saltwater that are many miles from their spawning stream that are still silver colored, not red/green/brown/snaggle toothed. Even in prime condition they are blander tasting than kings or silvers. About on par with fresh salt caught pinks. I too like them fried. Egg wash, roll boneless. skinless pieces in a mix of Panko, white bread crumbs, and shredded coconut, cooked in Canola oil. Served with a fresh chunked mango, red onion, jalapeno, with a splash of lime juice, salsa topper. When my kids were young, their favorite salmon dish was fresh chum that was charcoal grill barbecued on foil, with a lot of alder or apple smoke, topped with a mix of brown sugar, butter, and crushed chopped garlic. It was bland, sweet, and perfect for the kids.

My fishing partner bought up a bunch of brights from the fish market for $1.99 a pound the other day and did a big batch in the smoker using a brown sugar dry brine and heavy black pepper before smoking. They came out very delicious!

If youre gonna buy fish like that ,that are net caught,go under the 1st ave st bridge and get them alive for 1.00 -2.00 a pound.Then you might even get chum eggs which are better then no eggs. I'm gonna go camp infront of Matts place begging for eggs. I know hes got about 100 lbs worth. You were and prolly still are just makin a killin on catching. Im Soooooooooo jealos.

A local sushi chef told me the best tasting salmon roe (ikura) is from chum. It's a shame that so much roe goes to waste... considering ikura goes for about $30/lb retail.

Chum eggs are decent bait too. While in New york a few weeks ago I went to a Japanese dinner party. They had Chinook and Chum eggs set up like a raw caviar. I did not enjoy the eggs popping in my mouth.It was way to fishy tasting for me.The texture just wasnt to my liking.

Got into a mess of Chums from Saturday, took home 1. I was able to have my family taste test a batch of smoked Ho's and Dogs, no one could really tell the difference. My honey was able to of course and said the Chum was a bit oilier, but was gobbled with smiles.

Jens with a bottle of Crown Royal even a ratfish tastes delicious. Hehehe

racfish wrote:Jens with a bottle of Crown Royal even a ratfish tastes delicious. Hehehe

LOL [lol] [lol]

racfish wrote:Jens with a bottle of Crown Royal even a ratfish tastes delicious. Hehehe

Hmmm, maybe that is part of Jens's secret egg cure?:-$

I was thinking of trying some nice white zinfandel for my eggs. Lots of sulfites in wine

I love smoked chum. And its not an oily fish at all Jens. If I can find the oil contents on fish again Ill show ya. Kings have the most oil content if I remember right. But I dont really like to smoke coho, Id rather eat it. And Kings I like smoked or table fare. Really though not as good smoked to me as chum. Pinks and chum really are my favorite done up in a smoker. The other fish are just too damn good to not eat up. Unless ya have a king season like I did. 140lbs worth almost, I was able to smoke a few and still have some good dinners.

flinginpooh wrote:I love smoked chum. And its not an oily fish at all Jens. If I can find the oil contents on fish again Ill show ya. Kings have the most oil content if I remember right. But I dont really like to smoke coho, Id rather eat it. And Kings I like smoked or table fare. Really though not as good smoked to me as chum. Pinks and chum really are my favorite done up in a smoker. The other fish are just too damn good to not eat up. Unless ya have a king season like I did. 140lbs worth almost, I was able to smoke a few and still have some good dinners.

You're right, Keta has low oil content, now whoever told me they have high oil content...

I did have a King season like you did, but my fish weren't as Silver in color as yours.

I found something on it. But I know Ill still see people claiming its the high oil content. I wish it had the high oil content. It would be awesome table fare fish then.

The oil level in the flesh of the salmon varies from species to species, but the location from which the fish is harvested also has an affect on the quality. Certain rivers contain stocks of salmon that are very high quality.
Types of Salmon - Pacific Salmon
Pacific salmon is a term that can be used for any one of five species of salmon, all found in the Pacific Ocean. These salmon include chinook, sockeye, coho, pink and chum salmon.


Chinook Salmon
Chinooks are also commonly called King salmon, probably because of the large size they can attain. Kings of nearly 100 pounds have been taken by fisherman, and fish of 20 to 30 pounds are common. This salmon contains the highest oil content of all the Pacific salmons, and the flesh is rich tasting and buttery, and delicate in texture. The flesh is deep red in color.


Sockeye Salmon
These are also known as red salmon and bluebacks. This fish also has a high content of oil, and a rich flavor. Many of these fish are exported to Japan. The sockeye also has flesh that's deep red in color, and is somewhat firmer in texture than the Chinook.


Coho Salmon
Cohos have an oil content that is lower than Kings and sockeyes, but it's still a rich tasting fish. The flesh can be from pale orange to dark red in color, and medium firm in texture. Cohos are commonly called Silvers.


Pink Salmon
This is the most abundant of the Pacific salmons. The flesh generally contains a low oil content, and is light pink in color. The flavor is not as rich as the more oily salmons. Other names for this fish are humpbacks, or humpies. Pink salmon is usually found in canned form, and is fairly inexpensive.


Chum Salmon
Chums are known by several different names...Keta salmon and silverbrite salmon are two. These fish have large teeth and a speckled appearance, which is the reason for two more common names. Dog salmon and calico salmon. The flesh of this fish is usually very low in oil content, pale in color, and of a coarse and firm texture.


Types of Salmon - Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon are found wild in the Atlantic ocean, and can be found on the eastern coast of North America and in Europe. This fish is farmed extensively, and has an oily flesh that's mild in flavor.

Types of salmon that are low in oil content are usually lower in price. When these fish are marinated or seasoned with herbs and spices, they can be good eating. Knowing a little about the different types of salmon will help you choose the best cooking method when grilling or smoking.

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