White Springs

[spring fever]

I fish kitty coleman and Campbell river area and I have only caught1 red spring this year. All the rest have been white including the 98 cm monster last night at CR. I don't ask this lightly . I fished Bates in the 70"s and I don't recall seeing a white spring. Any thoughts

 

[Prawn Star]

I've been told they are Columbia river fish. I caught a hog yesterday in 40ft and it is snow white.

 

[seahorse]

I caught a white slightly marbled spring at C&B off the northern end of Hornby 2 weeks ago, I think I’m liking the taste and texture more and more. Apparently years ago the commercial guys would get a $1 per lb more for the white springs over the red springs

 

[Bugs]

They are fish that are genetically Harrison River stock. This includes hatchery runs based this stock of fish including Chilliwack and Capilano. For these stocks more than half of individuals are white. Harrison/Chilliwack is a big proportion of our local fishery. White springs are vanishingly rare in other stocks that make up a big proportion of our summer fishery (Puntledge Qualicum/Cowichan). There are very very few Columbia origin Chinook caught inside the Strait. I am unsure if there are white fleshed Columbia stocks.

 

[scott craven]

We seem to get the whites off Victoria/Oak Bay end of August till mid September.
Prior to that it's usually 90% reds.

 

[scott craven]

Apparently years ago the commercial guys would get a $1 per lb more for the white springs over the red springs

I think you may have this backwards?
Commercially, White springs were actually considered throwaway fish up until recent years

 

[onefish]

When I trolled we always got exactly $1/lb for white springs and whatever the market price was for red springs. Depending on the buyer, many marbled would go into the white bin. Red springs have always had much more value.

 

[Rain City]

I think you may have this backwards?
Commercially, White springs were actually considered throwaway fish up until recent years

I think there was an attempt at jazzing them up just like Spot "Prawns". They called them Ivory Springs and sold them for more at the retail level. This conversation has been beaten to death but I think the consensus is that winter whites are delicious. Stinky gross disgusting pig late Harrison whites are smelly and gross and don't deserve a place at my table. Did I say they smell bad too?

 

[SpringVelocity]

I don't understand the hate on for white springs. That's great save for me....

Pissed I didn't get one this year.

Back to your post that's good your getting them. The Harrison was really struggling. Expect to see a good return this year. There were quite a few off south island so I heard.

 

[Doug]

On an average year, We land 5 white springs. This year on the boat I'm fishing on we have landed 17. Since Aug 15, all most all have been marbled meat color.
Also this year, up until yesterday we had yet to get a clipped spring but yesterday got a 83 white and 81 red. Last year I submitted 12 heads for people fishing with us.

Here is what the marble spring fillets have been looking like.

I send most of my white springs into Finest at Sea for getting candy smoked.

 

[Aquaholic]

I fish kitty coleman and Campbell river area and I have only caught1 red spring this year. All the rest have been white including the 98 cm monster last night at CR. I don't ask this lightly . I fished Bates in the 70"s and I don't recall seeing a white spring. Any thoughts

Plenty of whites at Sand Heads and T10. A red is often a celebration. The “ivory king” comment rings true. My WA friends talk about them and the high fishmonger prices.

From T10 on Monday, no hint of marbling here:

 

[CBsqrd]

We had a couple whites on the Central Coast this year which we've never encountered before. Also quite a few hatchery springs up there which is also uncommon.

Most likely it's due to the lower Fraser (Harrison/Vedder) and Capilano stocks are having a good return this year. As per @Bugs, they make up a much greater portion of those stocks than other runs.

100% agree with @Rain City, this topic has been beaten to death. Whether they are white are red is irrelevant to how they are as table fare. It's mentioned above (and I posted this yesterday in the Vancouver Reports), but whites caught in winter or well away from the river are perfectly fine eating. But once they get off the river they are already well on they way to their spawning phase, as table fare they decline significantly. They also have much lower fat content since they don't have to travel as far (similar to chums in that respect).

By the same logic, the lower Fraser stocks that are reds are also not great table fare when caught off the Fraser, which I've found to be true.

 

[Scorpiofisher]

They are fish that are genetically Harrison River stock. This includes hatchery runs based this stock of fish including Chilliwack and Capilano. For these stocks more than half of individuals are white. Harrison/Chilliwack is a big proportion of our local fishery. White springs are vanishingly rare in other stocks that make up a big proportion of our summer fishery (Puntledge Qualicum/Cowichan). There are very very few Columbia origin Chinook caught inside the Strait. I am unsure if there are white fleshed Columbia stocks.

^^^ Well said bugs. If memory serves me right, the Chehalis hatchery didn't open until 1982 which is likely why fewer white springs were caught in the 1970's as Spring Fever noted. I remember the early 90's fishing in Comox and guys hated white springs....which I never understood.

 

[Shano]

I can say for sure that the whites sure do make awesome lox!

 

[Sir Reel]

We have caught 3 whites so far this year.
A few things I noticed about them. They smell fishy as soon as you get them in the boat and they are slimy like a halibut.
I think pound for pound they fight harder than a red salmon.
They do smoked really well as seem to be much oilier than a red.
We fished Toba Inlet in June and the Chinook there had flesh like a sockeye. Beautiful fish.

 

[wolf]

They called them Ivory Springs and sold them for more at the retail level.

AND some new york chef years ago said it was the best fish to eat and then it went crazy.... I think I have caught about about 14 of them this year off sooke 3 in one day . I got 2 up in knight inlet for myself , and im pretty excited about it as I love that fish!!!!
I also LOVE the marketing re copper river with the rolling out of the red carpet

 

[Tips Up]

Smokem if you got em!

 

[IronNoggin]

Apparently years ago the commercial guys would get a $1 per lb more for the white springs over the red springs

Absolutely NOT!
We got pennies in comparison for what we got for the reds.

Catch the whites offshore, you''ll likely agree they are much better than the reds.
Catch them in the river, your dog will turn up his nose.

Cheers

 

[Alex_c]

I honestly can’t really tell the difference for ocean-caught fish, unless the white is a total boot. I’ve given a lot of white fillets away to friends and family and they all rave about how great the quality is. I should do a blind taste test and see for sure though, would be a fun experiment.

 

[Deepaaaar]

I caught a near-white in Sooke this past winter and it was the tastiest salmon I've ever had. Ate all of it as sashimi and it had a hint of citrus. So dang good.