Pinks & Squid?

[amayuram]

Do pink salmon feed on the Puget Sound squid when they come into the Sound? Just wondering.

[tfish0788]

[quote name='Mekim' timestamp='1316242940' post='23049']

Do pink salmon feed on the Puget Sound squid when they come into the Sound? Just wondering.

[/quote]



From what I've found it is possible. According to Alaska Fish and Game Squid does make up part of an adult pink salmon's diet.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adf...almon.main

But just my guess - based on what catches the most pinks - it is not likely to make up a significant portion of their diet.

By that I mean most pinks would have more of a crustacean based diet (shrimp, krill, ect...) with colors in the oranges and pinks being the most effective attractors.

Not only that, but the peak of the squid fishing season is after the pinks are ( for the most part ) all in the rivers. So where there is overlap

I have no doubts that some squid are preyed upon by pinks, especially when you consider the number of pinks in the sound.

That being said, if there is one thing I have come to know about pinks over the last few odd year runs it is that they are fairly opportunist feeders.

I have caught pink salmon on nearly everything I could think to throw at a salmon in the salt.

Herring, sand-shrimp,- jigs, spoons, flies in nearly every color, - shiner perch, clam worms, roe, plastic grubs, many other strange experiments me and my younger brother came up with,

and last but not least, a chewed piece of cinnamon gum.

Off the top of my head i don't ever remember seeing any squid in a pink when cleaned, but i have seen squid in the belly of coho, Chinook, and Chum.



On another interesting side note, i have had really good summer squid seasons on even numbered years when incredible numbers of out migrating pink salmon fry attracted squid in shallow to feed.



But really this is just all best educated guess type stuff, take it for what you will.

[Squidman1]

Pinks do feed and overlap on squid. More around the admiralty inlet wben the both come in!

[obryan214]

I have caught pinks while trolling with red and pink hootchies so my guess is they atleast sometimes feed on them. i've only found squid in the bellies of chinook so far though.