Trolling for Spring Chinook Tactics

[SteelieSlammer]

I have been primarily confined to bank fishing my entire life but I know how my parents old boat here. Since the launch at willamette park is only about 10 minute from my house i want to pull out a lot of fish this season. Last season I made maybe a dozen trips under the sellwood bridge with no luck. We used herring, prawns and quick fish just like other people. I would like to improve my success rate this season and need a few pointers since this type of fishing is new to me.

I followed the other boats and noticed that people seamed to fishing in around 20 to 45 feet of water. I always tried to keep my bait near the bottom. When using hearing they were cut plug and had a good spin. I didn't wrap my kwick fish but did use scent. I always used lead weights but did notice a lot of people using divers and flashers. Am i missing something other than a fish in my cooler? Also last season i did my fishing near the end of the season so that also could have affected my success rate.

[CATCH AND EAT]

I trolled for the first time last year for springers. I've always done the sit on a hook deal before but wanted something different. With some sage advice from i-fishers that have it dialed in we caught a good number of fish.

I was told that the fish are usually suspended around the 18' of water mark (springers). Use that as your benchmark to start with and vary you depth a bit up or down. Pay attention to the indications on your depthfinder as to where the fish are cruising at.

Cut plug herring worked best for me in the blue label size. The green also did well for me too. Just depends on water clarity I guess. I did get a few on whole herring to using the green label. We did catch fish 60ft of water by just having our presentation down in the 18' sector.

The chartruse small fishflash worked great last year with a 4-5 leader behind it and a herring. Watch some guides using bouy 10 gear also and they put the hammer to the fish too. Little more hardware than I want to drag but heck it works.

As my friend suggested to me last year try this. 4 ounces of weight and 14 pulls from reel to your first guide while trolling down river. Or even up river during slack tides. When the river starts pulling you will want to step up the weight to 6 or 8 oz and vary your pulls accordingly.

Try fishing away from the sellwood crowd. Go down river a bit like Omsi or the Portland Harbor. Not a crowded and the same amount of fish. Don't be afraid to try deeper water areas using this tactic.

Hope this helps you like it did me.

[Mark Vickers]

Use your fishfinder to locate the fish (and their depth), and then keep your gear either right with them or slightly above them.

I use double deep six divers, 00 dodgers, and k14-15 kwikfish and just troll very slowly through my favorite spots. I usually try to time my forays with slower river currents (tides) as trolling with a strong flow either makes me go nowhere or I go too fast.

[Pickles]

I didn't believe it until I witnessed it myself, but fish flash is only about half as efective as a KONEZONE. That's right get yourself the small willamette sized chartruese KONEZONE .

[Short Hop]

Can you say Lemon Joy. It just works. Wash everything over and over. I dont think Im the only one who has had success with this either.

[Silver Hilton]

C&E had some good advice there, with the 18 feet zone. I try for 15 feet, myself, and if the water is murky, I go up to 10-12 feet.

I like to use a pink lady diver, rather than weight. The reason for this is that the diver is more consistent in reaching and holding a depth. The Pink Lady seems to go down about one foot for every two feet of line you run out. So, if you put out 15 two foot pulls, you should be about 15 feet deep. I only use these in areas where the bottom is significantly below the bait. If the bottom is near, I use a sinker and a dropper, so that I can avoid losing the diver.

I like whole herring, green or blue label. I usually use a dodger as well, to make some noise.

After this, it's a just a matter of putting in the time.

[FishinMission]

It's O.K. Bernie... you can say I told you the 4 oz.- 14 pull thing.

But I like whole herring(Red or Green Label)...catch salmon all over the place...going uphill, downhill, sideways, and every which way but loose.

Saw fish caught on the stinkiest, nastiest herring you could imagine...it didn't matter, as long as they were dancin' the Dance 'O Death.

Mark

[rileyusmc]

Our best way to troll is 12 oz of lead,double rig with cut plug herring on the bottom and a silver alvin on top,8-14 pulls down,and troll anywhere from 1.5-2 mph! we call it speed trolling.
I know it sounds wrong but last year we got about 40 fish to the boat and the year before that probably more.If you fished sellwood at all last year you saw my "little yellow bathtub"out there.
And when you get a fish on there is NO little soft bite, The rod usally buries in the rod holder and VERY few misses or lost hook-ups

[fishonksm]

Last year I picked up one of Buzz Ramsey’s technical fact sheets for using prawn spinners. I bought the one in the hand out and some prawns then the next day headed for the lower Willie. I varied my depth starting at 18 pulls, then 12 pulls, and finally to 15 pulls. Well in about 5 hrs of fishing I had 2 fish in 3hrs. Not to bad for first time with the prawn spinners.

[5-Cents]

Troll down hill (with the current)!

Dont get me wrong trolling against the current works but you can cover 10X the water, and there by 10X the fish by going with the current [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

True story....

Last year was the first year I relly got into trolling and I did not have a lot of confidence until summer. During those months we worked the Wheeler area quite a bit. All the locals there troll down then back up no matter what the current is doing. We would only troll down hill at the end of the run we would pull the trolling motor up and use the big motors to run to the top and troll back down again (XTC showed me this he loves to troll). Two passes fishing 3 rods we got 5 Chinook. Pretty soon everyone was doing this, even the local boys!

Trolling with the current you cover a lot more water placing your bait in front of a lot more fish plus the fish can see your bait coming toward them forcing the fish into a split second decision to either hit the bait or let it get away!

[elkman]

tolling K14-15 kwikfish, and mag warts...that usually does the trick for us. then if all else fails...go to bait! bouncin shrimp works like gang busters as well.good luck yall!

[Sturgeon 42]

In my boat I have a Downrigger at 18 ft. Diver out at 35 pulls and 8 oz. lead at 12 1/2 pulls all with double rigs 3 ft. apart with herring on bottom and your favorite spinner on top..... :grin: :grin: :grin:

[Beefcake]

Silver Hilton or FM- How do you rig whole herring for the "dance of death"? FM2 helped me hone my plug-cut rig, but I have seen whole herring produce too. Do you have to use one of those nose clip things, or do you just run the front hook on your mooching rig through the nose? Or do you rig the herring tail-first? Any special angle for the lead hook? Thanks for any help.

[ 01-28-2004, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Beefcake ]

[Tacklebuster]

Pearl [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

True Ifish form

[k9jeff]

I like prawns, with or without a spinner. The water conditions need to be right for them. I like the green spinners in off color and red/pink in clear water. Make that prawn dance like you would a herring.

[pearl]

Pearls Rules for Effective Salmon Fishing and Trolling......


Prepare your tackle and boat before going on the water. Rods should be rigged with mooching rigs, plug clips and other lures attached and ready. Be ready to fish when you hit the water. I see to many people still tying tackle to rods and reels 45 minutes into the morning in the mean time salmon are being landed. Boat batteries should be fully charged and, if possible, gas the boat the day before. Keep the inside of your boat organized. Bad things happen when you go to net a fish and the net gets hung up on a bunch of junk lying around the inside of your boat

Pay close attention to the tides. Contrary to what you might think, tides affect the river up to the Oregon City Falls on the Willamette and to Beacon Rock on the Columbia.

Fish hard during the peak times, one-hour before-through-after tide change. Don’t be tying gear, changing areas or eating lunch during peak time. In the spring, early in the morning or late in the evening are often productive times.

Use all the information you can get. There is a lot of information on ifish. Separate the good from the bad by trial and error. STS and Luhr Jensen tech sheets provide good info as well. Watch what other fisherman are having success with that day.

Locate fish with a quality fish finder. Just because your fishing a 15’ shelf it doesn’t mean that fish will be on the bottom. They could be coming through at 8’ depending on water temp, clarity, tide etc.

Troll with or across the tide flow, never against it. Salmon face into the tide flow and have a better look at your lure as its coming towards them.

Stay in the area you catch fish or see fish caught.

Don’t fish only where there are other fishermen (i.e. famous hot spots). Salmon are on the move and hot spots can change daily. Its better to fish by yourself for ten salmon in an eddy or on a shelf, than to fish for two hundred salmon along with 4,000 other anglers.


Explore but learn to fish three areas extremely well then expand your areas by one new area per year.


Use bait / lure that has sight, sound and smell. Use any color, as long as it is green. Use flashers or rattle plugs to create sound. Add scent to your lure, such as Smelly Jelly or other products.

USE COLORS! The top thirty feet of water. Flashers, spinner blades, plugs, etc. have color. Below fifty feet try blue, green, purple and glow lures..


When using bait check your bait every 15 minutes. Remember, you only have three hours of premium fishing time. If using lures, be aware of any change in rod tip action and check lure every thirty minutes or if youve bumped the bottom.

Sharpen your hooks and keep them sharp!

Spring salmon are a challenge to catch. Keep a positive outlook, be able to adapt, make the most of your time on the water and put your hours in.

Good Luck!!!

[SKP]

pearl,

Wow, what fantastic information!
[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] :grin:
Kind of reminds me of reading a book recently about bobber (float) fishing for steelhead and all the great tactics.

I've not caught a springer on my boat yet, but plan on it this spring! I don't have it dialed in yet, but that information should dial it in closer to the catch for me.

SKP :grin: