When out fishing, getting a chinook (king) salmon is such a big deal. It is considered a trophy fish among people who enjoy fishing. A chinook salmon will weigh around 60 pounds on average and have very great power and a very hard to catch. It is not an easy fish to get but using the following tips you will increase your chances of capturing one.
If you are trolling for a chinook salmon, the time and location are very important in determining whether you will catch one or not. Chinook like other salmon species has specific areas where they congregate before moving to the rivers. You can follow the local fishing boards and tackle shops to track their migration progress.
You should pay very close attention to your trolling speed and also be mindful of the direction you are trolling. Salmons naturally try and keep their noses pointed upstream. This enables the salmon to get close to the prey using sight and smell. You should troll to the flow of the tide when possible to take advantage of this. Use a huge lure to attract the chinook. A chinook will more likely follow a lure that looks the prey they feed on.
Use the right hook that will be able to catch the chinook. When trolling for a salmon, look out for the pre-rigged hooks since most are not of high quality. A sharp, high-quality hook will ensure that the chinook will stick if it bites the hook. Read more about Columbia river chinook salmon or find the best Columbia river salmon fishing guide.
A scent plays a big role in attracting the chinook salmon. This includes the scents that attract the salmon and the scent that will not attract the salmon. Do not have scents such as gasoline or grease as it will make the salmon move away, ensure the environment remains clean as well. Give the lures a scent that will attract the chinook salmon.
A chinook salmon is likely to be deep in the waters. Chinook salmons will rarely be found in the suspended water depths. Therefore, you must be willing to keep the downrigger right at the bottom to increase the chances of catching one. Ensure your lure is in the bottom five feet of the water column.
Chinook salmon fishing will take practice and experience. Ask questions and find the right people to work with when you go fishing. Try and test the best lure techniques that work best for you and one that will ensure your success in your trolling. You can read more on this here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fishing-lessons-hook-line-and-sinker_us_59c2a4b0e4b082fd4205bb9e.