Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: CohoJake on September 28, 2016, 06:41:13 PM

Title: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: CohoJake on September 28, 2016, 06:41:13 PM
I am just one angler, so I am curious if other people feel like they have encountered a ridiculous amount of jack chinook this year.  I fished the Cascade river (tributary of the Skagit in Washington) in July and caught 4 jacks, no adults (this was toward the end of peak season on this river).  I fished the Samish river in Washington and caught one adult, but most of the fish I saw caught by other anglers were jacks.  Now on the Vedder/Chilliwack my father and I have landed 6 jack chinook to 3 adult springs (the adults finally showed up this past weekend).  Are other anglers seeing similar ratios this year?  Does anyone remember a year that saw similar numbers of chinook jacks?  Interestingly, the coho jack ratio seems much more normal - maybe 1 jack to 6 adults, but I have a limited sample size.

Does anyone have any idea what it all means?  I saw quite a few jack springs last year as well, but not this many.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: Rodney on September 28, 2016, 07:23:49 PM
The high abundance of jacks is one indication of a possibly better return for the following run.

Results from one angler are not enough to conclude that there is a high abundance of jacks however. That can only be determined from a larger sample of anglers.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: CohoJake on September 28, 2016, 07:30:51 PM
Yep, so I am looking for that larger sampler of anglers.  Anyone? 
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: Johnny Canuck on September 28, 2016, 08:04:54 PM
A reason that it may seem as though there is more jacks is because they are very aggressive biters.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: trootn on September 28, 2016, 08:10:34 PM
I think I caught over 150 13 inch coho jacks from the cheakamus last year, they were everywhere and hitting everything that could fit in their mouts.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: mikeyman on September 28, 2016, 08:31:46 PM
Caught a lot of jacks at the fraser mouth this year...more then i can remember prev years.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: BCfisherman97 on September 28, 2016, 08:41:36 PM
Lots and lots of jack coho on the Cheak this last year I can attest to that.
I opened one up actually and it had white flesh? Anyone ever see that?

I have over 20 adult chinook on the Vedder and one 1 jack thus far this season.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: Rieber on September 28, 2016, 08:56:58 PM
Simple answer; the jacks make it through the 4" nets - the adults don't.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: wallygator24 on September 28, 2016, 09:54:45 PM
Amen to that.  So true.  I fished the Nooksack river in the U.S. today.  I counted a total of sixteen nets within a quarter mile stretch of river as we dodged the mine field of nets in the drift boat.  I caught a nice jack though, and it had net marks.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: fishmonk on September 29, 2016, 08:31:31 AM
4 Jacks, 1 Adult (Springs) thus far in 2 trips. 3 Coho. My buddy has 4 Jacks and 1 coho. Way more Jacks than I remember.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: milo on September 29, 2016, 09:48:36 AM
If you don't want to catch jack springs, switch to artificials. Jack springs don't care for them much.
Then it will be coho and adult springs only (and chum, when they come in) depending on what you put at the end of the line and the water you fish.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: EZ_Rolling on September 29, 2016, 10:27:11 AM
I was out last Saturday and hit several spots on the lower river, I was very surprised that other than one chum the only fish I saw being kept were jack springs at least 7 in the area I was in and not 1 coho.
Title: Re: So Many Jack Springs . . .
Post by: Rieber on September 29, 2016, 06:41:32 PM
If you don't want to catch jack springs, switch to artificials. Jack springs don't care for them much.
Then it will be coho and adult springs only (and chum, when they come in) depending on what you put at the end of the line and the water you fish.

You got that right. Those Spring jacks are little roe piggies. And now I can't recall ever catching one on the fly but have caught several drifting little wool ties. Hmmm...