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[llBLll]

Hi Everyone, today was my first time trying to catch a Pink Salmon, I have always been fishing trout at lakes previously so not much experience here. I happened to caught two pink salmons and noticed that the flesh is pale and dull white in color and the texture is on the mushy side compared to the store bought salmon. Once cooked, the texture became firm and there wasn't any fishy or off taste. Is this normal?

I wanted to include some photos but not sure how lol

[Phronesis]

Totally normal and better than the store ones anytime. Flesh being mushy before cooking is just how you preserve it after catching, that is, not being on ice.

[milo]

Totally normal and better than the store ones anytime. Flesh being mushy before cooking is just how you preserve it after catching, that is, not being on ice.

What he said.

I'd like to add that pink salmon is one of the best tasting fish as long as it's eaten fresh (not previously frozen), because, unlike other salmon, it doesn't take the freezing process kindly. For that reason alone, it's unsuitable for sashimi (sashimi must be made from previously frozen fish for safety reasons).
If you were fishing the Fraser, keeping the fish in the water upon catching it would have pretty much "precooked" the fish a bit - hence the mushy texture. The best practice is to put the fish in a cooler right upon catching it.

[SuperBobby]

What he said.

I'd like to add that pink salmon is one of the best tasting fish as long as it's eaten fresh (not previously frozen)

I have found in my years of fishing for salmon that the people who say this are people who struggle to catch sockeye, coho, or red spring.
There is no dinner choice ever where I'm going to cook up in any fashion a pink salmon over the other 3 if I have the choice.

[bigblockfox]

Pink salmon change very quickly once they hit freshwater. Ocean caught pinks make good table fare. Ones caught at sand heads are hit and miss as they stage waiting for desirable tides. If they are not dime bright I send them back. Chances of hitting cleaner ones lessen the further up the fraser you go. Very similar to chum salmon.

[RalphH]

I agree that Sockeye Red Spring and coho are probably the best to my taste. Some people find them too strong and prefer blander or lighter flavored fish. Pinks are like that and worth keeping. You can add a little flavor with sauce etc. True the flavor become less pleasant as they color up but with a little judgment still worth it if there is a chance to pick. Makes me miss the old days when the escapements were 15 to 20 million and I could hook 40 to 50 pinks in 4 or 5 hours (roughly every 1 or 2 casts I would have a fish on)  so there are lots of specimens to choose from. I have taken silver or silvery fish in the Harrison, Vedder and the Fraser around and above Agassiz.

[milo]

I have found in my years of fishing for salmon that the people who say this are people who struggle to catch sockeye, coho, or red spring.
There is no dinner choice ever where I'm going to cook up in any fashion a pink salmon over the other 3 if I have the choice.

Certainly no problem for me to catch any and all salmon species,LOL! Just had a fresh pink caught on the Squamish for dinner Monday night and as usual, it didn't disappoint.
Like I said, a silver fresh pink is one of the best tasting FISH (did you even notice I didn't say "one of the best tasting salmon"), and it is a real treat when prepared the same day or day after it was caught. Certainly, it's a nice change after all the ocean caught coho, chinook and halibut that call my deep freezer ''home''.

[Phronesis]

Certainly no problem for me to catch any and all salmon species,LOL! Just had a fresh pink caught on the Squamish for dinner Monday night and as usual, it didn't disappoint.
Like I said, a silver fresh pink is one of the best tasting FISH (did you even notice I didn't say "one of the best tasting salmon"), and it is a real treat when prepared the same day or day after it was caught. Certainly, it's a nice change after all the ocean caught coho, chinook and halibut that call my deep freezer ''home''.

I just cooked pink salmon that I caught a week ago (it went straight to cooler then freezer after cleaning) in tamarind curry, the distinct pink salmon taste didn't exist at all, it was really good. I noticed that the distinct taste is only when you bake or grill with minimal spices - for which other species like sockeye are good. Most people who call them dog food are just ignorant of the wide variety of culinary possibilities.

Salmon isnt just good for smoking and baking, they also make fantastic south asian or south east asian dishes (especially the ones that includes coconut milk)