Pink salmon in Erie tribs

[ryanh]

Saw pictures on facbook of folks catching pink salmon in Erie tribs. Didn't know that this was a thing. While there are about the least desirable sal on I still find this very interesting. Anyone ever target them?

 

[LetortAngler]

I saw a few reports and pics of them in the last couple days to.. From what I read they just showed up in the lake this year?
Some pics on Steel City Anglers FB page.

 

[afishinado]

Here is a thread from a few weeks back with info on Pinks in Erie:

Pinks in Erie

 

[PatrickC]

They are aggressive towards streamers. They are not really palatable once they change color and shape. They are the earliest running of the GL salmon and will be done here pretty quickly. Enjoy them while you can. They are a fun fish to catch.

We caught hundreds of them in AK this summer. It got to the point where we were actually tired of catching them. But they were mixed in with the fish we were targeting and pounding everything we threw at times.

 

[ryanh]

I used to catch them on reserection creek outside of gird wood ak. The true Alaskans let them be but is was thrilled to fight them.

 

[wbranch]

I was on Walnut Creek on Sunday. The creek is pathetically low but I watched a bunch of pinks swimming up through the shallows and into a tail-out of one of the pools. A young fellow caught 4 or 5 in about half an hour in a riffle barely 8" deep. They had not changed color yet but did have a humpback. They were a light silvery color on the belly and had a green cast from the mid line up to the back. They were all between 17" & 20". They didn't impress me at all with their strength to pull or run.

 

[Fredrick]

wbranch wrote:
I was on Walnut Creek on Sunday. The creek is pathetically low but I watched a bunch of pinks swimming up through the shallows and into a tail-out of one of the pools. A young fellow caught 4 or 5 in about half an hour in a riffle barely 8" deep. They had not changed color yet but did have a humpback. They were a light silvery color on the belly and had a green cast from the mid line up to the back. They were all between 17" & 20". They didn't impress me at all with their strength to pull or run.

Do you think that lack of swimming area might have had a impact on the fight ?

 

[FarmerDave]

Yea, even I fight better after exiting the phone booth. ;-)

 

[wbranch]

Do you think that lack of swimming area might have had a impact on the fight ?

Absolutely! I think the flow was 35 cfs.

 

[JackM]

Walnut was a circus, and I know this because I was there.

 

[salmonoid]

I caught a pink maybe 20 years ago on Elk. It was at the first waterfall hole near the mouth. That same year, I also picked up a coho in the lake at Trout Run. I remember a few coho bruisers cruising around; they were in the 38"+ range.

 

[afishinado]

I fished for salmon (Cohos and Kings) in Alaska, and the pinks were like snapper blues nipping at everything in the water during the striper run. We did all we could to keep those pesky little things off our line.

 

[Char_Master]

I've caught three so far this year, all in the lake, best colors pink and purple. Maybe most people don't like them but Pinks and Chums are my favorite of the pacific salmon!

 

[FarmerDave]

salmonoid wrote:
I caught a pink maybe 20 years ago on Elk. It was at the first waterfall hole near the mouth. That same year, I also picked up a coho in the lake at Trout Run. I remember a few coho bruisers cruising around; they were in the 38"+ range.

Are you sure they weren't kings? I didn't think coho got that big.

 

[krott243]

I have seen pinks and coho's caught each year in Erie, there is just a much larger number of pinks being caught this year than years past.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Even year run of fish. I still think that restoring Atlantics is the way to go. GG

 

[Mike]

Krott,
That was the reason why I mentioned Ned pinks in an earlier post. Increased numbers of pinks, possibly substantially so, were expected this fall.

 

[troutbert]

krott243 wrote:
I have seen pinks and coho's caught each year in Erie, there is just a much larger number of pinks being caught this year than years past.

Why are there more pinks now than in the past?

 

[moon1284]

Gg-

Atlantics were native to lower great lakes (Niagara river below the falls and lake ontario). There have been and still are lots of efforts to restore them. Unfortunately, almost all lo tribs are dammed, and have high temps and poor habitat beneath the dams making natural reproduction almost impossible. In addition, at least in lake ontario, they seem to disappear after they are stocked. There are very few reported caught in the lake. I've caught two in the lower niagara 10-15 years ago.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

I've caught Atlantic's in Oak Orchard. I need to check New Yorks stocking and hatchery effort. Your right on the temperature factor. GG