This beautiful lineup of kings clearly shows 4 URB's and ONE lonely tule.

The first thing that SCREAMS tule is the dense heavy spotting. Compare how the URB's have such a sparse spot pattern.

The next-most obvious feature is the overall body shape. Tules tend to be short for girth. That tule is as big or bigger around than the other four fish, yet it is clearly shorter than the rest. Just look at how long and lean those lovely URB's are compared to that stumpy ol' tule. Think Virginia Slims vs thick ol' stogy cigar.

The other body shape thing to notice is the head. Tule's have disproportionately large heads for their overall length... esp when they are males. Look how the head on the tule is every bit as big as the other 4 fish, yet its body length is considerably shorter.

 

This beautiful lineup of kings clearly shows 4 URB's and ONE lonely tule.

The first thing that SCREAMS tule is the dense heavy spotting. Compare how the URB's have such a sparse spot pattern.

The next-most obvious feature is the overall body shape. Tules tend to be short for girth. That tule is as big or bigger around that the other four fish, yet it is clearly shorter than the rest. Just look at how long and lean those lovely URB's are compared to that stumpy ol' tule. Think Virginia Slims vs thick ol' stogy cigar.

The other body shape thing to notice is the head. Tule's have disproportionately large heads for their overall length... esp when they are males. Look how the head on the tule is every bit as big as the other 4 fish, yet its body length is considerably shorter.

Virginia Slims verses.........

LOL! Good one!

 

Do you use tail spotting as an indicator? It seems to me Tules have extensive tail spotting throughout the tail. URBs more so on the top portion. You can see a little of the tail spotting in the above picture.

 

A back full of big ol' irregular black spots and a tail densely peppered with small round spots is exceedingly likely to be a tule... unless of course it's missing its left ventral fin.

 

 

This ain't no tule....

 

A lot of the tules I've seen have larger anal fins and (if not clipped) adipose. Is this just a particular strain of them (I'm from SW WA) or something you'll find on all tules? I admit I don't even know if there are different strains of tule.

 

I'll add something for discussion which I haven't heard clarified.

I understand the spots, body shape, etc used to identify Tules. While that may accurately describe the lesser-table-fair Tules, does it also describe other lower or mid river stocks which are decent for the grill?

As in, all Tules look like "X", but not all salmon that look like "X" are Tules?

 

How far up the river do these fish go?

Do any make it over the dam?

 

Tules are from below McNary and URB's are from above.

There are also Bonneville Pool Tules, sure would like to see some pictures and how to ID any of the sub species.

 

That photo makes me think the one second from the right is also a Tule. Yea, the purple backed beauty. Large anal fin, stumpy body. Unlike the one on the left, this one will eat like an URB. Bonk!!!

 

When I look at the anal fin I look to see if it is triangle shaped and attached all the way to the tip of the taper. A squared off anal fin is a sign of a Tule to me. The second from the right in that photo does have a larger anal fin but based off the shape I, personally, wouldn't consider that feature of that specific fish to point towards Tule. :shrug: That's something I hope to learn from this thread.

 

The question I have is if Tules are soooo Bad why are our hacheries raising them and what are they good for.

 

What's a tule and urb?

They look like Chinooks to me.

 

Lots of answers to how far up do they go and why are they being raised:
http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/salmon_steelhead/lower_columbia_river_chinook_salmon_tules.html

http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/fishery_management/salmon_steelhead/report-tule-slam-fnl-060110.pdf

We drove by Spring Creek Hatchery one day. A friend looked over and said "You never see someone fishing out there. I wonder if it's closed or something." I google Spring Creek Hatchery and find, "Spring Creek Hatchery releases 10.5 million Tule Fall Chinook smolts." Aha. That's why.

 

That's probably one reason... but actually no one does because it's closed with in a 1/4 mile of it's fish ladder entrance.

 

For the sake of education-

there is a strain of hatch fish that has heavier than URB spotting (Sometimes as heavy as tules).

I think they are made mid river (Drano hatchery???).

Often, they are gray in color- Not brown.

The first couple I caught made me look twice (I am color blind. Gray/brown to me is just shades of darker than chrome/white belly).

 

Thanks for the info very helpful. I now know what a Tules look like.

 

One area I have a lot of trouble with is when a tule is really bright. The fish on the far right is really bright but has the spotting of a tule (with large irregular spots it's just the fish is so bright they are harder to see) and the head that has a more dished out nose that makes me think more tule. The one on the left is a ridiculously obvious tule and the middle three to me obvious the other way.

 

Here's one my son caught a bunch of years ago.
We released it so don't know meat color.
Is this a bright Tule or just a bright, maybe mid-river??

ff

 

FF
IMO it's not a tule. Yes big adipose, and larger spots... but too clean and white of a belly and anal fin area to be a tule.

Either way awesome fish! Very well done!:applause:

 

I don't know if this helps. But here's some tule pictures to help identify them.

Here's a double on hatchery kings we landed in the estuary last month. One's a perfect URB... and the other is a tule.

Some tules you can even id under the water way before they come with in net range. Short, stocky, olive color, big headed and usually ticked off.

I'm guessing this one was a tule.... WAS.

The larger bucks normally have some heavy shoulders on them.

Here's a twist... below is a cowlitz spinger from this spring that cut white. Have a feeling it was in the system a while.

 

Wow GREAT side by side comparison shot. That helps a lot MB!

I don't know if this helps. But here's some tule pictures to help identify them.

Here's a double on hatchery kings we landed in the estuary last month. One's a perfect URB... and the other is a tule.

Is this a Tule?

If you compare your fish to the above side by side comparison it makes it pretty easy to classify that one as a Tule. Olive green back, lots of big splotchy spots on the back.

 

Caught and released my first tule ever today! Y'all are right, they DO stink.

 

No this is Tule......

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

Harder to tell for jacks?
I've never seen dark/olive colored jacks near Bonneville.
Below is 22" jack caught near Bonneville in mid Sept
It cut light pink.
No smell or slime, about as clean as bright summer steels (as far as fishes go that is)
However the spot density on the back and tail may indicate tule jack?
Whats the verdict?

 

Harder to tell for jacks?
I've never seen dark/olive colored jacks near Bonneville.
Below is 22" jack caught near Bonneville in mid Sept
It cut light pink.
No smell or slime, about as clean as bright summer steels (as far as fishes go that is)
However the spot density on the back and tail may indicate tule jack?
Whats the verdict?

Not positive, but could this be a Pink? The large spots, so far down the body make me think Pink....

 

Again, all great photos of obvious tule kings. It is my assumption the kings in the Cowlitz this time of year (not at the mouth) are tule kings. We get extremely bright fish in the Cowlitz that don't look nearly that obvious. I don't think it is as obvious to tell the bright tules (especially hens) from an URB as people that only fish the Columbia, ocean and estuary assume.

 

No need to assume - the fall Chinook in the Cowlitz River are a tule stock.

 

Could just be the perspective as it's angled up out of the water onto the bank, towards the camera, but the upper body girth (back to belly) and head seem disproportionately large relative to the hind/tail... URBs are a little slimmer missile/torpedo shape

 

Looks like an every day URB Jack to me. Jacks can be goofy looking. Like when a puppy is growing up and one day the head looks huge and the next his head is proportionate and the feet are huge.... Poor little bugger... haha

 

Here's a picture I took last year of a Tule and a URB side by side.

 

Is this a Tule?

 

Yup.