Tule vs. URB Identification experts get in here!
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768 Posts
Very large adipose fin
Green-gray hue especially when in the river (rarely chrome when in the river)
built like a football (short and very round)
Yes and they smell musty-moldy. But even URB's smell musty sometimes
My $0.02 worth
Gary
Green-gray hue especially when in the river (rarely chrome when in the river)
built like a football (short and very round)
Yes and they smell musty-moldy. But even URB's smell musty sometimes
My $0.02 worth
Gary
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312 Posts
Stumpy and wide in shape, huge adipose, and often a gold hue to the color of the fish; are usually what I look for when spotting a Tule. 
I caught a nice Chinook at the B-10 line last year that kind of looked like a tule but didn't have the big adipose. Bonked it, meat was a deep orange, ate it and it was delicious, my guess a Lewis River fall nook.
BC
I caught a nice Chinook at the B-10 line last year that kind of looked like a tule but didn't have the big adipose. Bonked it, meat was a deep orange, ate it and it was delicious, my guess a Lewis River fall nook.
BC
And often quite large, which adds to the disappointment when you finally pump the big pig up to the surface only to see it's a bronzey Tule behemoth.
Most we've caught have been well over 20#'s.
You don't have to keep 'em (and I'd advise against it, especially with 1-chinook limits) so at least the fight is free!
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3,257 Posts
Early in the season and low on the CR it can sometimes be hard to tell. For brighter Tule stocks you may encounter this works well.
Tule:
1) Body shape is compressed and squat.
2) Heavy spotting of the tail often spots encompass the entire tail from the upper lobe to the lower lobe.
3) Big thick caudal peduncle (the area just in front of the tail where you would hold the fish for the blood picture shot).
4) Heavy spotting on the back often with individual spots in groups of linked threes givin the appearance of big spots from a distance.
URB:
1) Body shape elongate.
2) Light tail spotting often with spots only on the upper and lower lobes. Sometimes virtually no spots on the tail.
3) Few and small spots along the back.
4) Caudal peduncle slim and elongate.
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Tule:
1) Body shape is compressed and squat.
2) Heavy spotting of the tail often spots encompass the entire tail from the upper lobe to the lower lobe.
3) Big thick caudal peduncle (the area just in front of the tail where you would hold the fish for the blood picture shot).
4) Heavy spotting on the back often with individual spots in groups of linked threes givin the appearance of big spots from a distance.
URB:
1) Body shape elongate.
2) Light tail spotting often with spots only on the upper and lower lobes. Sometimes virtually no spots on the tail.
3) Few and small spots along the back.
4) Caudal peduncle slim and elongate.
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5,192 Posts
Don't be fooled by "bright" fall fish. Some of the chromers are pale meated nasty tasting fish and some of the tules are as red meated as they come. An old gillnetter taught us that years ago when he was caught with a load of "tules" in a closed area. He went to the buyer with us to make sure the state didn't get the lower price for light meated fish. 70 % of them were deep red and fetched several dollars a pound versus 30 cents a pound.
We put one in the boat last year at Rainier that was bright with just a tinge of color on the fins. My companion was happy with the fish and it cut deep red. A little youngster of a fish checker started going off about EWWWW Tuleee! I pulled him aside and showed him how the fish cut. "Gosh I've never seen one like that!" He was lucky to have kept his job after I told his supervisor about the episode.
So if you don't want a tule on your boat, fine. Just don't tell me what I can have on mine and we will all be happy. I watched several well known guides at Buoy 10 bring in limits of "tules" for their clients at Sturgeon Pauls. All the cutters said was "nice fish". No nasty comments. That's the way it should be.
We put one in the boat last year at Rainier that was bright with just a tinge of color on the fins. My companion was happy with the fish and it cut deep red. A little youngster of a fish checker started going off about EWWWW Tuleee! I pulled him aside and showed him how the fish cut. "Gosh I've never seen one like that!" He was lucky to have kept his job after I told his supervisor about the episode.
So if you don't want a tule on your boat, fine. Just don't tell me what I can have on mine and we will all be happy. I watched several well known guides at Buoy 10 bring in limits of "tules" for their clients at Sturgeon Pauls. All the cutters said was "nice fish". No nasty comments. That's the way it should be.
ID
Not an expert, but after 25 years of lower river fall fishing I have to agree with All of the Above, plus they can tend to have that coppertone look. Those skanky bad boy Tules are shakers.
With a one fish limit it's "Up River Bright or Chicken Tonight".
Not an expert, but after 25 years of lower river fall fishing I have to agree with All of the Above, plus they can tend to have that coppertone look. Those skanky bad boy Tules are shakers.
With a one fish limit it's "Up River Bright or Chicken Tonight".
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3,470 Posts
In the PDX area most, if not all have a bronze color to them, that's very obvious when you get your first look at them.
I call 'em Goldfish.
Mark
I call 'em Goldfish.
Mark
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1,002 Posts
another good trick is to look at the top of the mouth,, theres a small triangel<sp?>,, if its red or orange it should be good to go,, if it very light in color TULE,, i got that from a comi. up in AK,, he used this trick alot,,
rw
rw
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18,694 Posts
So whaddaya think? Reasonably bright fish, right? On-the-water poll amongst several boats witnessing the netshot all said that fish was one for the box, so over the gunnel she came. The proof was at the cutting table...
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Keep scrolling
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PSEUDO-CHROME HEN TULE!
I'll never make that mistake again.
This is the culinary prize you are after, folks. Nice bright "true chrome" URB buck!
You're really taking your chances when you bonk one of those bronze bruisers...
but as tules go, every once in a while you hit the jackpot... BIG TIME!
I've heard it's sometimes better to be lucky than good...
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Wow thats a facinating way of filleting a fish.... Id love to know more about THAT. !
:bigshock:
:bigshock:
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2,561 Posts
Here's a side by side comparison.
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eyeFISH, how long have you been fishing the NW? I have seen a lot of your posts and I am going DARN that is some good stuff. You must be a fish eating fool and there is nothing wrong wiht that! Thanks
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Thanks Doc on the cutting lesson. Didn't catch it the first time around. Always enjoy your contributions on ifish and STS. Nice family. Do you ever get time to practice medicine?
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:yeahthat:You're really taking your chances when you bonk one of those bronze bruisers...
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but as tules go, every once in a while you hit the jackpot... BIG TIME!
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The LCR Fall Chinook Tule stock is just that a stock. It is not a meat color, although, more often than not you end up with pale meat.
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