Salt Water Fishing Tips
TROLLING FOR SALMON
Tolling for kings I like to have a 1.8 – 2.0 knot speed. I like to use Hotspot flashers and hoochies (imitation squid) or spoons. One of my favorite hoochies is the green splatter back, the Seahawk (green & blue) purple haze with a white glow flasher is also productive. I do use a lot of others but these are my favorites.
I also will match my hoochies and flashers in colors. I like a 42” leader from flasher to hoochy and use 40# Maxima ultra green for the whip you get off the heavy leader. For spoons I like Coyote’s and the colors I like are green and silver, purple magoo and just silver with prison tape.
Trolling for silvers I will speed up a little up to 3 knots and will shorten the leader length to 18” I do use a lot of the same gear.
Winter Black mouth kings speed 1.8 – 2 knots and the 42” leader. I will use hotspot flashers and Coho killer spoons. These fish are usually on the bottom so I will virtually bounce my downrigger ball off the bottom. This keeps you down and also stirs up the sand for attraction.
All of the above trolling off down riggers I try to have my cables up to a 45 degree angle. This will keep me close to the speeds l like. Also find the bait and you will find the fish.
MOOCHING FOR SALMON
Depending on the drift and wind I like to use as light of sinker weight as possible. There are times I will have to go to 8 ounces but I try to use 4’s and 6’s most of the time. I do use hole and cut plug haring but I do like a tight spin on my bait.
If there is no current of wind I will idle my kicker in gear to get a little line angle this will keep the tangle’s at a minimum.