Red Chinook versus White

[capt hook]

I come from a very long line of west coast commercial trollers.
When i was a kid standing at the cleaning trough it was a rare thing 1 outta 100 to get a white Chinook.
For yrs i,ve been wondering why the HUGE increase in their numbers.
I got the answer from a new biologist in dfo , seems years back some high ranking dfo scientist did a paper and published it saying that Whites had a better survival rating and thus should be the genetic stock to use in future hatcheries.
Nobody seemed to challenge that brain and now we have the biggest runs of whites on the Pacific.
Commercial harvestors dont want the stuff as the buyers pay nothing for them.
Sporties (myself included) also hate these smelly freaks of nature.
If anyone is involved in hatchery work , dont let old DFO BS , non fact science convince you that your hatchery should introduce whites.
I would like to see a strong petition to west coast deputy minister urging the culling out of these things and promotion of RED Springs.
Great BIG Reds !!!

 

[scott craven]

Funny that, seems there are lots of people that actually prefer the whites.

 

[captmike]

I had a retail fish shop in Steveston years ago and had many customers specifically order a number of white spring in Mar, Apr ,May. Those early season white spring are great eating. I've caught whites at the Cap that should have been released.

 

[capt hook]

I had a retail fish market also , and we too had a FEW that would ask for it.....and those that actually catch a nice big white chinook and bbq it are not going to say it tasted like crap , they gonna go , hmmmm yummmmy ...
Just saying , most people in world expect salmon to be RED and it does taste much better in my opinion.
The smelly Cap whites are a perfect example of needing a cull. fun to catch but hard to eat , compared to a nice bold RED.

 

[sammyslabber]

just loaded up the smoker with pearly whites & a redish spring...will report back, you're welcome at the taste test...as long as you bring "LOTS COLD BEER"...

 

[capt hook]

only if its a slow cold smoke
sounds good

 

[fogged in]

Count me as one of those with strange taste buds as I much prefer White Springs.
I have several friends (not all) who have also found whites to their liking.
Many people have a tendency toward red...the redder the better.
Even the pinkish red springs taste better to me.
Sockeye are very red and I find them very dry!!
AND I have found white springs often put up a better fight than reds.
Many times when my spring fights hard and goes deep, I correctly predict it will be a white (again, not always)

 

[Rum Buddies]

most chefs can't even tell chicken and pork apart if blind folded - you telling me you can tell white and red spring salmon apart?

Sure you eat with your eyes and to many the red is more appealing, but that's a visual thing. Any fish caught at a river mouth is going to be crap, white or red.

 

[sammyslabber]

only if its a slow cold smoke
sounds good

nope hot smoke; added a little extra salt to my recipe...goes perfect with lots of BEER...
btw love whites - great smokers & canners.

 

[Cuba Libre]

This is one of the most ridiculous trolls i have seen on this site... Anyway-- its been hashed over before:
http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/showthread.php?25080-Red-vs-White-spring&highlight=white+springs


and its your idea of an April Fools joke-- it missed the mark by a mile

 

[fogged in]

This is one of the most ridiculous trolls i have seen on this site... Anyway-- its been hashed over before:
http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/showthread.php?25080-Red-vs-White-spring&highlight=white+springs


and its your idea of an April Fools joke-- it missed the mark by a mile

April Fools Jokes and Trolls I don't see anything funny here and are you calling someone a Troll...thought that was a no no.
Maybe this has been hashed around before, but it is a legitimate subject, don't you think?
Am I missing something

 

[Peahead]

The smelly Cap whites are a perfect example of needing a cull. fun to catch but hard to eat , compared to a nice bold RED.

I suppose this could turn into a Hatchery good? or bad? thread so I won't go there. I will say though that I understand the low commercial value of whites's must be an aggravation for commie's but then I think that could be the industry's failure in marketing whites well and convincing the public that whites are good ... just different. Special actually.
As far as chinook cull's go, I was hoping you were joking .....lets talk about seal cull's before we kill off all those white runs ! As far as the Cap goes, the mature whites in late sept/Oct there ,are late ... did I say late ? so obviously fish that are almost done and already have had the taste of fresh water/ only a couple miles from their final destination hence certainly not prize quality. A huge part of the white/red meat issue is IMHO mostly public perception of what colour flesh they feel they should be seeing . A huge part of enjoying food is sight. My blind taste tests for others didn't prove fully that either white or red was better, infact white had the edge (until another test where they were not blinded and then red won)
Comparing an immature red with an immature white is a toss up for me - depends when and from where. Best lox I ever got done was some whites from Gulf Islands which were fish that I suspect were heading to Washington state somewhere. Best red, hands down, a sweet Peahead!! .

 

[jeffywestcoast]

I only kept 9 springs in area 17 last year , of that 7 of them were whites.. I miss the Reds too, but the white springs I caught were some of the best tasting salmon I have ever eaten..i would rather have a tasty white spring then no spring I know that much

 

[ComfortZone]

AND I have found white springs often put up a better fight than reds.
Many times when my spring fights hard and goes deep, I correctly predict it will be a white (again, not always)

funny you say this, I swear I can feel the difference as well, I find whites make longer runs toward the boat (struggle to reel fast enough), then strait down..hard.

me personally my favorite meat is marbled, cant say I prefer white over red, depends on my mood...but I notice a taste difference

 

[fishin_magician]

Well, one thing about Cap Whites, they are hatchery clones and they are half dead when they show up. The run is augmented by a net pen program sponsored by volunteers and the BCSFG Association. Their efforts go a long ways to keeping the local Charter/Sports Chinook fishery going into mid October...with a late September-early October peak.

True, years ago white Chinooks were relatively rare. Whites tend to be a bit more hardy from a biological perspective...as well as later returning based in the genetics. I'd love it if the Cap used Qualicum reds instead.

I know many of my guests were asking for an explanation as to what exactly they were catching and why they were white....and they would more appreciative if they weren't stinking too...or turning black 2 minutes after I clubbed them.

 

[capt hook]

i,m kinda thinking same thing.... but i know the jokes on him...
he looks like a fool on april first , hahahahahaha !!!

April Fools Jokes and Trolls I don't see anything funny here and are you calling someone a Troll...thought that was a no no.
Maybe this has been hashed around before, but it is a legitimate subject, don't you think?
Am I missing something

 

[capt hook]

I suppose this could turn into a Hatchery good? or bad? thread so I won't go there. I will say though that I understand the low commercial value of whites's must be an aggravation for commie's but then I think that could be the industry's failure in marketing whites well and convincing the public that whites are good ... just different. Special actually.
As far as chinook cull's go, I was hoping you were joking .....lets talk about seal cull's before we kill off all those white runs ! As far as the Cap goes, the mature whites in late sept/Oct there ,are late ... did I say late ? so obviously fish that are almost done and already have had the taste of fresh water/ only a couple miles from their final destination hence certainly not prize quality. A huge part of the white/red meat issue is IMHO mostly public perception of what colour flesh they feel they should be seeing . A huge part of enjoying food is sight. My blind taste tests for others didn't prove fully that either white or red was better, infact white had the edge (until another test where they were not blinded and then red won)
Comparing an immature red with an immature white is a toss up for me - depends when and from where. Best lox I ever got done was some whites from Gulf Islands which were fish that I suspect were heading to Washington state somewhere. Best red, hands down, a sweet Peahead!! .

yes your right on some points.... when i commie trolled of course we tried to brainwash to public and market them to get a better price.
even in my store we tried , most commies would always promo the whites and he would eat the whites because he would sell the reds. as a kid i was fed cod and potatatoes because my dad says we cant afford to eat salmon , lol and he sold it all. needless to say i hate lingcod.
back to cull and hatchery , yes i agree that we need seal cull first and am not suggesting a total wipeout cull of whites , but for DFO and hatchery's to find a strong genetic strain of large reds . it would be good for all of us.
tourists want a red flesh fish to catch or buy. however i see the brainwashing has worked on a few of you

 

[Seafever]

Hey Jeffy .....must be karma or something....some people attract whites ,some marbled and others attract reds.......

In my entire time fishing around here I've never caught a white yet...or a marbled.....they are always totally red.....(Chinooks).

 

[Fisher_dude]

White springs make some of the best sashimi if you know how to prepare it right.

 

[nooky]

Here's a good read on the topic,

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/20/dining/the-catch-of-the-moment-white-salmon.html