Sockeye salmon, also known as red salmon due to their bright red coloring when spawning, are a popular game fish for anglers in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. But there is an ongoing debate among fishermen about whether sockeye salmon actually bite lures and baits. The answer is complicated, as sockeye have unique feeding behaviors that make them more difficult to catch by conventional fishing methods.
Sockeye Salmon Feeding Habits
Sockeye salmon feed primarily on plankton and small crustaceans during their time in the ocean They do not rely on chasing and eating baitfish like some other salmon species This means that sockeye are not as instinctively attracted to flashy spinning lures and bait meant to mimic injured baitfish, Their main food source in the ocean does not make them aggressive strikers on artificial lures,
However when sockeye enter freshwater rivers and streams on their spawning migrations they will opportunistically feed on smaller fish, insects, and other food sources. During this time, they can be tempted to strike at flies and lures out of a minor predatory instinct. But this reactionary bite is minimal compared to other salmon species.
Do Sockeye Salmon Bite?
The simple answer is yes, sockeye salmon can and do bite, but not frequently or aggressively. Local knowledge and specialized techniques are needed to catch sockeye, compared to salmon species like king and silver salmon which strike lures readily.
Sockeye lack a strong chase and kill instinct that makes other salmon species aggressively take baits and lures. Their unique feeding ecology in the ocean and evolutionary traits make them reluctant strikers on artificial presentations. Experienced sockeye anglers agree that they do not have much of a reactionary bite, if any.
How to Catch Sockeye Salmon
While sockeye have a weak bite instinct, they can still be caught by salmon fishermen in certain situations. The most effective and popular techniques include:
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Flossing – This involves drifting a heavy monofilament leader and hook through pods of migrating sockeye. The leader briefly fouls in the mouth of the fish, and the hook sets as the line is retrieved.
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Casting Flies – When sockeye enter rivers, they can sometimes be enticed to strike woolly buggers, streamers, and other fly patterns that imitate baitfish. This allows a temporary hookset.
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Trolling Flies – Trolling diving flies behind flashers at very slow speeds can trigger a minor instinctive strike from migrating sockeye. Works best when trolled directly in front of their migration route.
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Bobber Fishing – Suspending bait like roe or shrimp under a float in migration lanes can sometimes induce sockeye to bite, but delicately. The bobber allows a visual strike indicator.
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Backbouncing – Similar to flossing, allowing flies or bait to sink and bounce downstream into migrating fish. The tension on the line often results in temporary foul hooking.
So while sockeye salmon do exhibit some biting activity, it is very limited compared to other salmon. Specialized techniques allow temporarily hooking the fish as they migrate upstream to spawn. But their unique feeding ecology makes them challenging adversaries for even seasoned anglers. Their rarity as a game fish is what makes landing a sockeye so rewarding.
Fishing Status Overfishing status is unknown, but management measures are in place for sockeye salmon.
Sockeye salmon. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
U.S. wild-caught sockeye salmon is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
NOAA Fisheries works in cooperation with federal, state, tribal, and Canadian officials to manage these commercial, recreational, and tribal harvest of salmon and steelhead in ocean and inland waters of the West Coast and Alaska. To learn more about management of these fisheries, visit our West Coast and Alaska fisheries management pages.
However, some sockeye salmon are also protected under the Endangered Species Act. Learn more about protected sockeye salmon.
- Sockeye is one of the smaller species of Pacific salmon, measuring 1.5 to 2.5 feet in length and weighing 4 to 15 pounds.
- Kokanee (non-anadromous sockeye) rarely exceed 1.2 feet in length.
- Sea-going sockeye salmon have iridescent silver flanks, a white belly, and a metallic green-blue top, giving them their “blueback” name.
- Some fine black speckling may occur on the back, but the large spots typical of other Pacific salmon are absent. There are no spots on the fins, including the tail.
- As sockeye salmon return to their freshwater spawning grounds, their heads turn green and their bodies turn bright red, hence their other common name in Alaska is “red” salmon.
- Spawning males develop a humped back and hooked jaws filled with tiny, visible teeth.
- Most sockeye salmon are anadromous—they hatch in freshwater streams and rivers or lakes and generally rear in freshwater lakes for 1 to 3 years, after which they reach the smolt stage and migrate to the ocean to feed and grow.
- They typically mature and return to fresh water after 2 to 3 years at sea, but some return earlier or stay at sea longer, between 4 and 5 years.
- Sockeye salmon that return earlier are almost always males and are called “jacks.”
- They typically spawn in the summer or fall.
- Females select spawning sites, dig nests (redds) with their tails, and deposit eggs (between 2,000 and 4,500) in the redds.
- Males swim over the redds and fertilize the eggs.
- Females cover their eggs with gravel using their tails.
- The eggs hatch during the winter, and the newly hatched salmon (alevins) remain in the gravel, living off the material stored in their yolk sacs until early spring.
- They then emerge as fry and spend 1 to 3 years in fresh water before reaching the smolt stage and migrating out to the ocean, usually in the spring.
- All sockeye salmon die within a few weeks after spawning.
- They sexually mature around the age of 5, which means their lifespan is about 5 years, although some live longer. Age 4 is more common in the Pacific Northwest.
- While in fresh water, juvenile sockeye salmon feed mainly on zooplankton (tiny floating animals), amphipods (small, shrimp-like crustaceans), and insects.
- In the ocean, sockeye salmon continue to feed on zooplankton but also eat larval and small adult fishes and occasionally squid.
- Fish (including other salmon) and birds feed on juvenile salmon.
- Sharks, lampreys, and marine mammals prey on adult salmon in the ocean. Bears, eagles, and occasionally wolves feed on sockeye salmon in fresh water.
- After salmon spawn and die, salmon carcasses are a valuable source of energy and nutrients to the river ecosystem. Carcasses have been shown to improve newly hatched salmon growth and survival by contributing nitrogen and phosphorous compounds to streams.
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Actinopterygii | Order | Salmoniformes | Family | Salmonidae | Genus | Oncorhynchus | Species | nerka |
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Sockeye Salmon Research in Alaska
Our work to forecast salmon harvests, assess the impact of commercial fisheries on salmon, and evaluate how salmon populations respond to environmental changes enable us to estimate abundance and trends for sockeye salmon in Alaska.
Kenai river Alaska Sockeye Salmon fishing rigging up for Beginners! How to catch more fish!
FAQ
Are sockeye salmon aggressive?
Sockeye Salmon are not aggressive biters in freshwater but this great sport fish can still be caught in the mouth and provide the fisherman with a hard …
Why do sockeye not bite hooks?
Rather, they seem to feed primarily on zooplankton and crustaceans and thus do not develop a chase and kill mentality. Thus, unlike the other salmon, they are not irritated by flashy green, orange, and silver lures. Many experienced red fisherman insist that these fish bite rarely, if at all.
Do sockeye salmon have sharp teeth?
Male sockeyes develop a hooked upper jaw, with small but sharp teeth. They also develop a dorsal hump. This humpback grows as they reach maturity. Studies have shown that females tend to select males with larger humps to fertilize their eggs.