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How To
Troll For Salmon WHY FISH BITE --
Rule #1. The most important fundamental, if you want to catch
salmon, is the action of your bait or lure. If you have good rolling and
erratic action, you will have a much better chance of catching salmon.
When a salmon hits your bait or lure he is looking for dinner. If your
bait looks like a wounded struggling baitfish you have a much better
chance of getting the salmon's attention.
Salmon have three sensing mechanism they use to find their prey. They
are sight, smell and lateral line response (sound). If you are trolling
and your lure passes within a few feet of a salmon and he sees it, you
will probably catch him. The problem is that in the ocean and most other
bodies of water the salmon can't see more than a few feet. This gets
worse as you go deeper. If you are relying on sight alone, you probably
won't bring home many salmon.
The second sense is smell. Salmon have an extremely sharp sense of
smell, but if you are trolling a bait forty feet down and the salmon is
at fifty five feet he will never smell the scent trail left by your bait
unless he gets right behind it.
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photo by Bud' Fishing Guide Service |
The third sensing mechanism is the one you want
working for you. Down a salmon's side and on his head and back there are
tiny hair-like projections called cupula. Each of these has a nerve cell
at the end. These cells are used to pick up vibrations in the water. It
is just like when you can feel the loud music when a teen-ager drives by
with his radio on. If a salmon is swimming thirty feet down and a school
of baitfish swims across the surface above him, he knows exactly what's
going on. His lateral line cells pick up the vibrations made by the
wiggling tails of the baitfish. He doesn't see them or smell them but he
knows exactly where they are. If some of them are wounded and swimming
erratically he knows he has his next meal. This is the mechanism you
want to take advantage of. If your lure is putting out erratic
vibrations twenty or thirty feet from a salmon you can pull him like a
magnet. He will follow the vibration like a radar beam and attack your
bait. This is why we say action on your bait or lure is the most
important strategy you can use.
Lures like the Crocodile, the Apex put out the erratic powerful
vibrations that will get you salmon. A trolled cut-plug herring creates
the the same vibrations. When using the imitation squid lures, they will
rely on the flasher for this vibrations. Whenever you put a bait or lure
in the water you should carefully check its action. If it is not rolling
or shaking, don't let it down. Sometimes the bait needs adjusting or a
hook is lodged at a funny angle. Another possibility is that your boat
trolling speed is not right for the lure you are using. Sometimes all
you need to do is speed up.
SIGHT, SMELL, SOUND, -- These are the three main attractants in
fishing, I repeat myself here, from the above, but it is important.
Sight is any attraction of the flasher, plus the lure itself.
Smell will be the use of natural bait or scent.
Sound is created by the Flasher, and the lure itself, these create a
erratic vibrations that may convey to fish that
their buddies are attacking baitfish.
For optimum results, all of these should compliment each other.
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photo by Bud' Fishing Guide Service |
RODS -- The rods used for downrigger
fishing are of a special design. They need to be a stiff enough lower
section, yet have a lighter tip section so that they can be cranked down
to just before the release is tripped. In use, the rod is arched
greatly. What this does is place a lot of strain on the line & the rod,
with a minimal amount of slack from the release to the rod. When you let
the line out off the downrigger & stop the ball, you probably will then
have to reel in slightly to take out all the slack in your line. I have
found that if I pull the line back in at this point with one hand & reel
with the other, I can "feel it" better. I want the slack taken
completely out & the release pulled up to just before it releases. If
you trip it off occasionally you are getting it about right. When the
fish hits, the rod snaps up, setting the hook.
If you use a lighter rod you do not get this automatic hook setting
action. Longer "noodle" rods are also not considered desirable here for
the same reason. This is not to say they can not be used, but if you do,
you will have to be ever watchful & as soon as a hit is detected, reel
in as fast as possible to take up the slack & get into the fish.
ROD ANGLE -- Set the rods at about a 45 degree angle rearward to
achieve the desired effect described above. If your rod is pointing
rearward more, it CAN NOT achieve any of this automatic hook setting
action. The rod seems to work best if mounted pointing to the rear
instead of to the side, however this will depend on where on your boat
you have the downrigger mounted, & the DR rod holder you are using.
The Canadians seem to want to use the 10 1/2' mooching rod as an
all-around rod. This is not an ideal trolling rod by any means,
especially if it is placed 90 degrees to the boat as an extension of the
downrigger arm. They then also want to run the flasher 60' + behind the
clip. What this does is, there is so much belly in the fish line & the
long "noodle rod", that if you get a hit, this limp rod does not set the
hook and it may not even trip the clip. Your only hope is to, as SOON as
the rod tip twitches, grab the rod & REEL FAST. If you come in empty,
well, then you missed the fish. On the other hand if when you get all
the slack reeled in & something is wriggling on the other end, you
lucked out.
REELS -- The main concern is to have a reel with a good smooth
drag. If you have one that is old & or not maintained that has a drag
that is erratic that will allow the line to be only stripped off in
spurts, this is an invitation to loose a GOOD fish. The smaller fish
will probably not be a problem, but a larger fish, when running, will
not have the same constant strain applied. This then may allow it to
stop at the "hard spot". Next run will be starting with more strain, &
possibly break off or pull the hooks out.
Most commonly used reels will be the star drag, level wind reel. You do
not really need a large capacity reel, since you are in a boat & do have
the ability to chase the fish if need be. However it is very seldom that
more than 100 yards of line is really needed. An Ambassedeur 5500, Penn
310 GTI, Shimano Triton 200G, or Shimano Calcutta are some of the
preferred ones.
If you use a reel capable of holding 250 yards of 20# or so of line, you
can use it one year, & the next year swap ends of the line on the spool
for fresh line on the normally used section (top) for the next season.
LINE -- Here is where you will get as many different ideas as
there is line out there. The normally used type is monofilament. The
suggestion is to find one brand that you are comfortable with & stay
with it. You however need a line that is abrasion resistant enough to
not be effected by repeated use of the downrigger release clip. You also
need a line heavy enough to pull the flasher & rest of the gear. Some
will use 15# line for the smaller winter Blackmouth, & go up a notch to
20# when the fish get larger during the summer & fall. If you are ocean
fishing, the old standby is 25# monofilament.
KNOTS -- In any fishing the knot is a very important factor, most
all of the older style knots are not that effective on the new spectra
type lines. Therefore it is recommended you consider using the simple
little tool called "Knots for All", it is a 5" plastic tool that
facilitates & makes knots on the new line possible. This simple tool was
designed by fishing guide Joe Little. He has tested a 15# spectra that
with common knots broke at the 15#, but using this tool & his knot, it
broke at 34#.
When tying leaders, the safest way to tie the leader onto the hook is to
wrap it left handed, this places the leader around the solid part of the
eye, and not laying on the cut end of the eye that in against the shank.
With GOOD hooks it will make no difference, but many times if you get a
lost fish due to a cut line at the hook, you will find that the leader
was pulled into this sharp cut off end of the eye.
At times you will want a cut plug to only have the front hook in the
bait, with the back hook trailing, with this you then need to tie your
leaders appropriately.
SWIVELS -- The most common swivels used for saltwater fishing
will be the barrel, bead chain and ball bearing swivel. Each one has
it's place. However when trolling, it is suggested that you get the best
available. If you want to test the efficiency of different swivels, a
simple thing is to take about 12-15" of dacron line, tie both ends to
the upper end of a swivel. Then tie a mono dropper to the bottom of the
swivel and then about 5 or 6" to a 2 ounce cannonball weight. The upper
looped dacron will make it easy to hang onto. Now spin the weight. Time
the difference between each swivel before the spinning stops. You will
also be amazed at the differences in bead chain, barrel, cheap ball
bearing swivels & the better Sappo brand.
DODGERS & FLASHERS -- The big difference between dodgers &
flashers is the way they run in the water when being trolled. Dodgers
are usually rounded on the ends and slightly cupped both ends, they
wobble back & forth, or have a swaying side-to-side action. Dodgers are
not generally not as effective below about 60’, because color is
filtered out at that depth & they do not make noise as an attractor.
The flasher develops a full 360 degree rotation. As a general rule
flashers work better at a slightly faster speed that dodgers do.
Flashers have to rotate, they also create noise, -- go fast enough to
achieve this action. The old Abe 'n Al is one of the better known
flasher. The Canadian Hot Spot flasher seems to be the one most
fishermen use now. The large size, the 11" Glo Green seems to be the
preferred color for Puget Sound, while the 11" Red seems to be preferred
color by the locals in Canada's Barkley Sound. Charge the Glo versions
with a camera flash.
FISH FLASH -- This is a relatively new attractor, & is made by
Big Al's Tackle Co. It is a plastic triangle with the rear widest wings
bent so the flasher rotates. They are made in 3 sizes, Small ( 6" ),
Medium ( 8") & Large (11"). These have proven themselves for many types
of fishing, both saltwater & freshwater. The one thing about them there
is very little drag, since they spin on their axis. They are available
in many different metallic reflective colors, the more popular seem to
be chrome, red, lime green or blue plaid.
What these were first found to be very good for locally, was Chinook
fishing in estuary waters in the fall where the water is not as clear as
you may like. When using them it may be advisable to add a Sappo ball
bearing swivel to your mainline, in addition to the original supplied
swivels of the Flash to help eliminate tine twisting. These units can
also be connected about 12" behind a diver. We have tried them attached
directly to a diver, but when that close, the disturbance of the diver
effects the spin of the Fish Flash. When using this diver set-up, I use
only a 36"- 48" leader for normal salt water fishing. For estuary
fishing in off-colored water a leader length of 18" - 24" has proven a
fish getter. If using them by themselves as trolling, without a diver or
downrigger, you may want to also add a rudder keel between the mainline
& the Flash.
The small units have proven themselves on landlocked Kokanee.
NO ATTRACTORS FOR COHO -- If you are trolling in an area that you
are reasonably sure there are Coho, a simple method may help get
multiple hook-ups. When you have located a school of Coho, abandon your
flasher, etc. Simply use a 4-6oz. sinker and a mooching leader,. If you
are running more rods than you want on the downrigger, run say one each
on your downrigger & simply troll the others. For the ones on your
downrigger, snap your release on the mainline as close to the sinker as
you can get it. Now when you get a hit, pop off the releases, pull the
wire up, & kick your motor into neutral & you are very quickly mooching,
hopefully in the school of fish. Many times this is more effective than
trolling thru the school.
Also, at this time, if the frenzy is on, do not get real excited in
bringing in all the fish to the net before you rebait & get the bait
back in the water, as the thrashing fish seem to attract others to the
area.
Another method somewhat akin to the above, is to run the 6' mooching
leader behind a rudder. Snap the main line into your downrigger release
with 80-90' of line behind the release. Now by watching the fishfinder,
if you can see the downrigger ball on the finder, & then when you see a
fish arch above or below the ball, raise or lower the ball to match the
fishes depth. Your bait will have enough time to move to the depth you
have set the ball by the time you have trolled to where you saw the
fish.
SNUBBERS -- Since the requirement of barbless hooks, it has been
apparent that many fish are hooked, but come off before being brought to
the boat. One way to help eliminate this is to place a 18" rubber
snubber between the mainline end and the flasher. This will help
maintain a more constant tension on the fish, and possibly help prevent
the hook from pulling out.
MATCH THE HATCH -- If using a squid or spoon, try to use a size &
color of the baitfish in the area on that particular day. As soon as you
catch a fish, cut it open & examine the stomach contents. This will give
you a clue as to what bait is in the area.
As Tom Nelson says about artificial bait, "any color as long as it is
green". And if you fish below about 30', it is best to use a GLO version
of spoon or squid. Tom also suggests a blue/green/cream glo squid with a
large green spin-glo on the line in front of it 20"- 32" behind a Hot
Spot flasher. This system has also proven itself behind a diver.
SCENT -- Use scent on all artificial baits, herring. anchovy,
scrimp, seem to be the best. Put Power Bait & /or scent into a squid
body.
When using scent, try not to get it on the mainline at the location of
the downrigger release, this makes for more premature
tripped releases. One other approach is when using a snubber, punch a
couple small holes in the rear, & inject the hollow tubing with scent,
this then acts as a reservoir & slowly releases the scent over a longer
period of time.
While on the subject of scent, many people excrete a enzyme that fish
find repugnant. There is quite a bit of evidence that L-lysine from
human hands repels fish. People have different levels of this amino acid
in their bodies, which is excreted onto their hands, and it is easily
transferred to lures and bait. To be on the safe side, before you start
to fish, wash your hands with a fishing type soap, or dishwashing soap,
dry them, & then place a small amount of herring oil on them, rubbing it
into your skin. Pat your hands dry with a towel, without wiping it off.
This will help set things up for a possible catching experience, as
there is a difference between fishing & catching.
LINE RELEASES -- When using downriggers you will have to use some
sort of line releases. There are about as many different types of these
as you can imagine, you will have to pick one with the proper tension
for the fish being targeted, as a light one for trout will not hold the
salmon flasher. The most common use spring tensioned pads to hold the
line, for a lighter trip off you set the line farther out in the
gripping pad area. When going thru weeds, the weeds sometimes foul the
release, not allowing it to trip. It is recommended that if you find
weeds in the area to pull the gear more often to clean it. The new
Scotty release is designed to divert weeds off of it better than most.
When using the new spectra lines, some spring padded type releases do
not really hold the line well, or cause abrasion & can break the line
off. The best release found for these are the Pro Release, which uses a
pivoting arm that snaps into adjustable rubber notches. The one thing to
remember here is that be careful when winding the line on the arm so
that it does not overlap, & thereby not releasing when tripped. This one
does have one disadvantage, in that since the line is wound around the
pin with the trailing part farther out on this piveted pin, that if you
try to manually trip it, sometimes it is hard to trip.
On all releases it has been found best to use one that has a heavy mono
attached to the large snap that has enough length so that you can snap
it onto the wire & without having to lean out over the boat's gunnel to
attach the release to the fishing line. This will also allow you to
attach it on the line more precisely each time. The most common length
seems to be about 48".
The one possible drawback for using a heavier release setting is that
possibly a undersize fish will not trip the release as reliably. You
will have to balance the release setting to the actual amount of drag
encountered by your gear. It seems best to use a setting that when you
wind down the rod's line, to create the rod arch after achieving your
depth, that occasionally you will have it trip off without a fish. This
will be apparent within seconds after getting it set.
Another thing to remember is that if you are stacking 2 lines on one
wire, that they both will have to be set to a slightly higher trip
tension, so that you don't have to be constantly bringing the wire up &
reattaching the release if one trips off prematurely.
HOW FAR BACK?-- This is sometimes called DROP BACK, & is in
reference to how far back do you let the flasher go before snapping the
release onto the line. It will depend on the water clarity, the fish
targeted, the visibility of your line, etc, etc,. Some fishermen run the
gear back 40', while others go back 10'. Remember however, that the
farther back you go, the less setting power the rod has when the release
is tripped. I seem to have settled on about 15' for most saltwater
salmon fishing. Some of these lengths are what is required to allow the
attractor to operate properly. Also if you are relying on a "Black Box",
your electrical charge on the wire decreases as you go farther back.
Here are Tom Nelson's recommended lengths.
Large Metal Flashers ---- 6 to 10' Large Plastic Flashers ---- 8
to 15'
Small Metal Flashers ---- 8 to 12' Small Plastic Flashers ---- 10 to 20'
DOWNRIGGER WEIGHTS -- Most weights, (balls) used for salmon
fishing will be from 10 to 15#, with 12# being the most common. If you
use the heavier weight you can get deeper with less blow back, & have
less chance of tine tangle between the rigging on both sides. Also the
plus here is it helps keep the wire more straight in the water &
lessening the chance of a tangle around the prop. Some electric units
are not strong enough to pull a 15# ball.
Ideally the ball should be painted or plastic covered to help with the
conducting of electricity in a polarity problem. If the ball is not
coated, then the next best thing is to use a ball connector of some type
on the end of the wire that is made of a non-conductive material,
(nylon, plastic, leather etc.). Scotty & Silver Horde make these. This
will beak the conductivity to the wire.
BLOW BACK -- The speed will make a difference here, usually you
want your downrigger line angle to be about 45 degrees no matter what
actual speed you are traveling. This equates to 143' of line out to
reach 100' of water depth. If you are out farther than this angle, you
can not reach the depth you intend to. The problem comes in if you are
trying to reach say 200', the wire angle would equal 286', but your line
drag may increase this length even more. You will have a belly in your
fish line from where it enters the water to your release clip so much
that the rod action will not set the hook like it is supposed to do if
fishing shallower. And if the line is straight up & down, you are not
moving at all. Most downrigger wire is only 250' long.
TROLL WITH THE CURRENT -- The fish will be swimming into the
current, if you troll with the current, the fish will see it coming,
instead of it sneaking up behind them, & you will also cover more water.
Otherwise you may only be sitting in the same position with water
passing under you.
TROLLING SPEED -- The most important thing is to have your
flasher & bait working properly, as they were designed to do. The old
story is troll slow for Chinook & fast for Coho. That may have been so
with the lures & gear of that day, but now things are slightly changed.
Take a look at the commercial troller, many times he will be doing 6
mph. The knowledgeable fishermen currently say most fishermen now troll
to slow.
PULLING IN YOU LINE -- If you have to pull your line in to change
gear or a missed hit, don't try to trip it off the clip with the rod.
Raise it by bringing up the downrigger wire. The reason is threefold.
First, this is probably the most likely way to break a rod. Second, some
clips do not trip as easily from the rod side as compared to from the
lure side. And third, if the lure is even somewhat working, it may catch
a fish on the upward trip.
DOWNRIGGER WIRE AROUND THE PROP-- Needless to say this is to be
avoided if at all possible. For those of you who use the main motor for
trolling at times, I recommend the "Sting Ray" type stabilizer fin that
is attached to the cavitation plate. Your boat / engine may not need
it's advertised usage, but let me tell you, these fins sure make
something for you to lay on & hang onto while someone else hangs onto
your feet while you unwind the wire off the prop. Especially when you
are 15 miles out in the Pacific Ocean & it is rather choppy. You may say
it won't happen to me, but if you fish with downriggers enough the odds
are against you. Also carry a spare spool of wire, crimpers, sleeves &
an extra weights.
WATER TEMPERATURE -- Fish will try to stay in a water temperature
that they find comfortable to them. This may explain why some fish stay
nearer the bottom than others, because the water will be warmer on the
upper layers.
This may be way more important on the estuary Chinook salmon fishing
like Buoy 10. Usually at the time the season opens here there has been
no rains for a couple of months & the river's water temperature may be
72 degrees. With the water this warm as compared to 56-58 degree of the
ocean water the fish have just come from, the fish will move in & out
with the tide. The estuary's water temperature will be between 56 & 65
degrees depending on the tide, because of the mix of ocean water to the
warmer river water. However the bulk of the fish seem to not stay in the
lower river. The ones that do, will try to locate a hole that will have
cooler water.
You may have heard that the fish lay off the mouths of the rivers
waiting for fresh water of a rain, yes, this may be true, but I think it
also could be that the new rainwater is also cooler.
If there is no rain, then when the fish have matured to the point that
they have to go upriver, they do not stay in any one location for any
period of time, just let me go back home.
One thing you may consider is to get a fish thermometer and occasionally
attach it to your trolling cannonball. This will read temperature at
where you are fishing. Otherwise the temperature taken off your
depth-finder sensor will only read the water surface temperature.
SEAWEED -- Seaweed can get enough on the line to foul the swivels
& therefore create twisted gear. If troubled with seaweed or grass on
your line, adding a golf tee on the mainline as your uppermost gear,
will help divert most weeds off. The tapered small portion of this golf
tee seems to allow the weeds to be passed off, where a knot at a swivel
seems to stop & hold the weeds.
LEADERS & HOOK SIZE --
Terminal leaders, 20#, 2/0 - 3/0 solids for cut plugging for early
Blackmouth, Feb- July
Terminal leaders, 20#, 3/0 - 4/0 solids for cut plugging for later
Blackmouth & Chinook
Terminal leaders, 20#, 3/0 - 4/0 slips when using frozen bait in bonnet
Terminal leaders, 25# / 40#, 4/0 - 5/0 solids, tied close, for large
bait in Estuary use (large Chinook)
Terminal leaders, 40# / 70#, 5/0 - 5/0 or even 6/0 -6/0 solids, tied
close for use with squid behind flashers
Tie terminal leaders 2 lengths,
(1) 36", rolled onto pipe insulation for faster attaching (you will use
more of this size & it saves leader)
(2) 72 " " " " " " " (you usually will find these as the std.
commercially tied)
Primary leader 36" with black swivels, for behind sinker or attracter,
make up the desired OAL with terminal leader
LEADER LENGTHS FOR REGULAR TROLLING, (Estuary rig) bait 36" - 72"
" " " MOOCHING (Most Saltwater) bait 72"
While we are on this subject, it has been found that it may be best to
not tie your leaders on limp monofilament. The reason seems to be that
with the spinning action of the bait, even if you use swivels between
the sinker or attracter, that the limp leader just doesn't have the
ability to resist the twisting action of the bait up the line to where
the swivel can do it's job.
USE HEAVIER LEADERS FOR SQUID BEHIND FLASHERS -- USE 40-70# TEST
LEADER FOR TYING SQUIDS, HOOCHIES & FLIES. These lures, having no built
in action need the motion of the flasher to impart an action to the
bait. This heavier leader being stiffer, imparts the action of the
flasher to the lure. Whereas a lighter limper leader will allow the bait
to follow the flow, with minimal action.
Some will advocate the use of the newer almost invisible Florocarbon
line & leaders, it has been a practice of some to use this type of
leader material for all leaders behind flashers. This larger material
being harder to see in the water also has the benefit of being less
susceptible to abrasion & being nicked by the fish's teeth, which in
turn lasts longer between leader changes. This material is not cheap
however, and is rather hard to find. If you find it, only purchase
"Leader" material, as the abrasion factor is different than for the
line. Using this leader may be beneficial if you are fishing in the top
50' of the water column, but it my contention that if you constantly
troll below that depth, you are simply paying more for your leaders as
compared to standard monofilament.
USE DIFFERENT LEADER LENGTHS FOR DIFFERENT BAIT & TARGETED FISH
-- The following dimensions regulate the rate of spin on the bait, -
short = faster, longer = slower. For those of you who insist on 2
different speeds for trolling for both Chinook & Coho, you can do it
from the same boat at one constant speed, by regulating the leader
lengths. It is not solely the boat speed, but the action the bait has
that entices the fish to hit, and this can be controlled mostly by
leader lengths behind the flasher.
Measure distances from the rear of the flasher to the rear of the squid
Best to use the most invisible 20# leader possible when using bait
Large Hot Spot Flashers (11") Squid Chinook (Adult) 40"- 46" Med.
troll 2.5 - 3 mph
Coho 30" - 36" fast troll 3.5 - 5 mph
Blackmouth 30" - 36"
Mini-B2 30"
Grand Slam BT 28" - 31"
Bait All 47" - 55"
APEX 3" Chinook / Coho 49"
APEX 4.5" Chinook / Coho 72"
Mini Hot Spot Flashers (8") Squid Chinook (Adult) 26" - 31"
Coho 20" - 24"
Blackmouth 20" - 24"
Sockeye 18" - 22" slow troll
(White) " pink Pinks 16" slow troll 1.5 mph
Bait All 32" - 36"
Large Metal Flashers Squid Chinook (Adult) 30" - 37"
Coho 27" - 31"
Blackmouth 27" - 31"
Bait All 44" - 50"
Small Metal Flashers Squid Chinook (Adult) 20" - 27"
Coho 17" - 23"
Blackmouth 17" - 23"
Bait All 30" - 34"
size 0/0 bare red 2/0 hooks Sockeye 9" dead slow 70 Degree Line Angle
pink mini squid Sockeye 12" dead slow " " "
Fish Flash (large/med.) Bait Coho 22" - 24" (use Sappo swivels)
medium large orange spin-glo Coho 24" - 36" (use Sappo swivels)
large Bait Chinook 18" in tidewater
Divers / Mini Hot Spot Squid Chinook 32"
Coho 24"
Bait Chinook / Coho 36"
LURES -- On most metal lures, there is one thing you can do to up
your boating percentage. Many will come with a triple hook attached.
Remove it and replace it with a single Siwash hook as described below.
Also, if it does come with a Siwash, take the hook off & install a #5
stainless split ring & a #4 barrel swivel between the lure & the hook.
The situation you are eliminating is, when fighting the fish, the fish
will more than likely roll numerous times. In doing so this fish uses
the leverage of the solidly attached hook to the lure to pull the hook
out.
On others metal lures like the thin Silver Horde "Coho Killer", if after
catching a fish, you might want to check the lure's action before you
let the gear down again. These lures are thin & narrow to imitate
candlefish. They are an excellent lure for intended purposes, however
they can get straightened out. On the same light, if a new one is not
performing, you can put more of a bend in it to achieve more action.
APEX (order of preference) #1=Chrome, #2= Mother of Pearl, #3=
Green/White, #4=Black/White by itself or with a flasher.
PLUGS (old style commercial) preferred color - some form of
white. No flasher, 75’ behind Down Rigger release clip.
Fisher Joe’s, Narrows Deceptor plug the original fiberglas cut
plug herring is too heavy to run off a Hot Spot, but works OK, 36" – 72"
behind a Fish Flash. The newer plastic injected versions in the 5" size
may work off a Hot Spot.
Mini-B2 & squid -- use 40-70# leader 5/0 or 6/0 hooks tied so front rear
bend is even with rear eye with hooks Pointing opposite, use plastic
straws on leader above hooks, as spacer in squid. Adjust this spacer so
that both hooks hang behind the rear of the squid. Salmon seem to be
"short strikers" & this gets more hook-ups. You may want to cram front
body of squid with power bait or scent. When using the Glo versions,
charge them with a camera flash.
2 LURES ON ONE LINE -- If you look on Scotty's webpage,
www.scottyusa.com they show how to run 2 lures off one rod line using a
downrigger. Basically you attach the lure like you normally do, but then
let it down about another 15 ft or so, attach another release clip,
(this one should be short from the wire to the release). Pull slack so
there will be a belly in your line when in motion, snap another lure
onto your rod's line between these release. This 2nd lure (preferably a
spoon, etc. and on a shorter leader to help avoid tangles) will find
it's way to the center of the belly & ride there. You will now have to
be alert, and when pulling the ball, to not put a electric downrigger on
automatic & forget to stop it short & remove the top release. You will
also have to use extra care when netting a fish caught on the top lure.
This principle can also be used in mooching or diver trolling fishing,
if you make the 2nd leader short (20") and attach it to a swivel placed
in the line about 40" above the lines terminal end.
THE HOOK -- Buy the best hooks you can afford. It makes little
sense to pay a small fortune for a boat and then scrimp a few bucks on
the one thing that is the most important of all.
Rule #2. Sharp Hooks. This seems like an obvious thing but most
fishermen ignore it. Very few salmon hooks are sharp enough even brand
new. The Scotty Pro team worked eight years filming salmon hitting baits
and lures in the ocean. They learned that the salmon come after your
bait time and time again. The average salmon misses or just grazes the
bait at least two times before he hits solid enough to get hooked. They
observed one salmon hitting a bait twenty two times before he got hooked
on the twenty third try. If your hooks are sticky sharp you have a much
better chance of that hook digging in as a salmon hits and slashes at
the bait.
You will find fishermen swear by as many different brands of hooks as is
out there on the market. They will all catch fish, some seem to be
better than others. The important thing is to keep them SHARP . I test
the hooks tip by scratching my thumbnail, if it digs in it is sharp, if
it slides across, sharpen it. Carry a hook file or emery stone and
sharpen those hooks on every trip. Recheck them occasionally. You will
definitely be rewarded with more salmon in the fish box.
Some fishermen will alter rear bait hook's tip when pulled behind
flasher by bending the point outward slightly, (will get more hook ups)
MATCH THE HOOK TO THE BAIT SIZE --
When using bait, you should generally match your hook size to the
herring size for best results.
HERRING SIZE PACKAGE LABEL COLOR HOOK SIZE
3-4" Orange label 1/0 - 2/0
4-5" Red label 2/0 - 3/0
5-6" Green label 3/0 - 4/0
7-8" Blue label 4/0 - 5/0
8-9" Purple label 5/0 - 6/0
9-14" Black label (horse herring) 5/0 - 6/0
CUTTING & HOOKING BAIT -- When cut-plugging a herring, you should
wet your hands, cutting board, herring etc. This will promote the non
removal of scales off the bait. The more scales you leave intact on the
bait the better the bait will perform for you. In cutting the bait, if
you do not use a cutting guide, use the 45/45 degree rule. Then remove
the entrals. One modification is to also cut a 90 degree Vee notch at
the rear of the body cavity. This generates longer bait life by not
tearing the cut angle & allows the water to flow out this hole, creating
bubbles. A modified West Port hook up is good. This is hooking the upper
hook thru the belly cavity & up thru the backbone & out in the center of
the back. The other hook is passed thru the belly cavity & out the short
side belly, then just allowed to dangle back by the tail.
TO TOUGHEN YOUR BAIT -- To toughen herring or anchovy bait, soak
in 1 cup rock salt to 1 quart water, to form a salt brine, bait should
be soaked in this overnight, however even a few hours helps. It can be
kept in a refrigerator for a a month or so, if for longer freeze it in
the brine. The brine being a strong salt solution will not freeze. You
however may want to make a wooden floater lid on your container to keep
the bait submerged.
Formula #1 put blue & or green food coloring in brine to replace color
on a dead fish
Formula #2 add powdered milk into the brine, this sets the scales
SINKER DROPPER LENGTH, REGULAR TROLLING Estuary (Shallow water)
(15’) 12"
" " " " " " (Deeper water) (35’+) 24"
This rig consists of a sturgeon sinker slider unit on the mainline.
Attach a lighter dropper to the slider for the cannon ball sinker.
Attach a Fish Flash to the mainline, with the bait tied to the Flash.
Use a large Fish Flash as the water is usually not clear.
Here is surely a time to slide a golf tee on the mainlines uppermost
section above the sinker slider to keep off the weeds.
SINKERS for MOOCHING -- Since the barbless hook requirement, the
old tied in line kidney sinker should be abandoned, because it can be
used as leverage for the salmon to throw the hook. It is suggested that
it be replaced be the Metzler slider bar type sinker, or the simple
sturgeon sinker slider on the mainline and then attach the round cannon
ball sinker to this slider snap. The round ball is cheaper & has less
resistance so therefore a lighter sinker will get you down just as deep.
Another good thing to do when using the slider, is that the cheap snaps
usually used on these sliders will bend if you get the sinker hung up.
Or you can use a lighter short 6" leader as a dropper, thereby breaking
the dropper and saving your other gear.
WASHINGTON 2 OUNCE LIMIT -- To fish deeper if in a Washington
State 2 oz weight restriction areas, if you are using standard gear,
switch to a 20# spectra type line. This is usually equal in diameter to
6# mono for size & will create less drag. The word is that using this
gear, watching the tide change & back-troll. Buy using this method, 150'
depths can be achieved with a 2 oz weight. Or use the super-line and a
diver that weighs less than the 2 oz. Doel Fins & Luhr Jensen Jet Divers
are 2 that do comply, and can get down to about 50 ft. Rig the Jet
Divers on an 18" dropper off the end of the mainline 3 way swivel. Then
off the 3-way swivel go with 40" to 50" of leader to a small Hot Spot
Flasher or Fish Flash, then 20" to 24" leader to a squid or herring for
Coho, or 26" to 31" for Chinook.
POLARITY -- Commercial trollers have for years known that some
boats will out-fish others, this can sometimes be traced to electrical
current in the downrigger wire. If you remember your chemistry from high
school, when you place 2 dissimilar objects (stainless wire & zinc anode
or a aluminum boat) in a conductive solution (salt water) you create an
electrical charge. Scotty makes a "Black Box" that can be adjusted to
give the desired electrical charge to your wire. Different types of fish
react to different electrical charges. If you have any doubts, you can
simply check your wire with a volt/amp meter. It should have a voltage
of + .5 to +.7 from your ground to the downrigger wire. If it is outside
this range either way, it will benefit you to consider doing something
to correct the problem. If the voltage is low, you can add zincs to your
motor/trim tabs, etc. If it is high, then it is suggested you check
things out & ground everything metal that is in the water. One thing
most overlooked would be your trim tabs.
PROTECTING YOUR GEAR -- The saltwater environment is something
that will ruin more gear than anything else. Many fishermen don't
properly take care of the rods, reels, flashers, or spoons. The result
is when they want to use them next year, many are ruined or badly in
need of TLC. One method commonly used by knowledgeable persons is to, as
soon as you get off the water, or at least before you leave the boat for
the night, spray the gear with "Salt Away". This solution will remove
the salt. Next you want to lightly wash the same gear with plain water.
Let it dry, and then spry it with a corrosion blocker. Two that are
effective & economical are made by CRC. They come in aerosol cans & are
CRC "3-36" & CRC "Engine Stor". Another would be LPS-1. This stuff is a
light spray metal protector & will help immensely on rod guides, reels,
swivels & spoons.
RULE #3, GO BACK & REREAD RULE #1
the specific
information above was compiled by LeeRoy Wisner. Much of the above
information has been gleaned from many sources, and 50 years of personal
salmon fishing, with special thanks to John Keizer, Tom Nelson, Tom
Pollack & Dick Pool.
The above information was
used with the permission LeeRoy Wisner
of
www.pugetsoundanglers.org
LeeRoy Wisner had posted several EXTREMELY informative articles on the
Puget Sound Anglers website and we strongly recommend visiting that
website or click here
to email him directly. As an editor's note I must say that in my
lifetime of searching every available resource I have never come across
so many helpful and informative articles as those written by LeeRoy
Wisner. Thanks again and hats to LeeRoy for giving us permission
to post these articles so that you can learn more about fishing and
hopefully you catch more fish! |
