Northwest Fishing Reports

this is my gear and I want to catch some salmon...What can I use to catch one?

Good luck.Me I would definetly go a little higher with your line.What kind of salmon are we talking?Kings,Cohos,Chum.For all of the above I would go with atleast 20# test.That at minimum.I'm not saying landing a king on 6# wont ever happen but if your river fishing and that bad boy takes off downstream it might just be day over.Upgrade your line.The pole I use a stout 6ft 6in medium action pole,and twenty pound test and I do fine.

Pinks? Yea 6lb is fine. I'd bump up to over 10, 8-12 would be good for summer run steelies, Coho could also be landed on it, Kings would be a tough bet to land with 6lb test and a trout rod.

There are tons of variables when fishing for salmon in the rivers, but as a general rule of thumb if targeting larger fish like kings, silvers and chum I would go with a 7-9ft rod medium to heavy action with 10-15lb test. At most times I use a medium action 8'6'' custom baitcast rod with a Quantum PT series reel filled with 10lb. test with normally an 8lb leader for drift fishing. For bobber fishing I use my light action 10' noodle rod with either 6lb or 8lb test depending on the conditions. For higher river flows when I am either plunking or drift fishing I use a medium heavy 8'6'' rod with 17lb test.

You really don't need to go to at least 20lb test in order to control your fish, you just have to use your head while playing it and know your surroundings. I mean lets face it the odds of hooking a king over 30 lbs in washington aren't the greatest anymore because most of the fish are hatchery, stunted, and fight like crap compaired to a wild fish. I am not saying that you will not ever hook into a fish this large, I am just saying that odds are against most anymore. I suggest going lighter than 20lb test because you will notice a drastic increase in the amount of hookups that you have, sure you may loose a few of these fish because you are using a bit lighter line but the fun is the fight of the fish, not dragging the fish in with "fishing rope".

If a trout pole is all you have, I would at the least re-line the reel with 10lb-15lb braided line. That way your not sacrificing line footage on the small reel. Learn how to finger drag your spool when the fish runs. Use a mono leader just in case the salmon is to big of a brute so you don't loose all your line in the river. Also spot out a good section of river that your able to sprint a hundred yards down stream or up stream because you will need that to land a salmon on your pole! Oh one more thing....If you do manage to land a few salmon...you might want to invest in a new pole and reel for next season because there's a good chance your current rig will not last this season.
Good luck!

thanx for all the info..I have always been a light line kinda guy, I am out of my league!! but fishin is better than bein at work!! still won't hurt to try and I still want to try..

Chin_nook wrote:If a trout pole is all you have, I would at the least re-line the reel with 10lb-15lb braided line. That way your not sacrificing line footage on the small reel. Learn how to finger drag your spool when the fish runs. Use a mono leader just in case the salmon is to big of a brute so you don't loose all your line in the river. Also spot out a good section of river that your able to sprint a hundred yards down stream or up stream because you will need that to land a salmon on your pole! Oh one more thing....If you do manage to land a few salmon...you might want to invest in a new pole and reel for next season because there's a good chance your current rig will not last this season.
Good luck!

Yep, braided line is the way to go. 20lb braid has a diameter of .007" -- which is about the same as 6lb mono, so it will still cast easy and you can get lots of it on your reel. Be sure to use a mono backing to keep it from slipping on the spool. I would also rig it up with a 12lb mono leader. Trilene sensation or Trilene XT would be perfect. Use an albright knot since the diameters will be very different.

Braid has another advantage over mono when you're river fishing -- it floats so it's easier to "mend". This is especially helpful if your using a jig & bobber rig.

(The way to combat drag is by “mending” your line; that is, counteracting the effects of drag-causing currents by moving the line after it's on the water.)

jens wrote: but fishin is better than bein at work!!

No doubt. I wish fishn was my work.

jens wrote:still won't hurt to try and I still want to try..

Do it man. It's definitely the way to test your angling skills. If you can catch a 20lb+ fish on 6lb. test, you are the man. And my hat will be off to you.





fishnislife

after talking to several sources, w/o waders, and all the salmon gear...and I really don't want to be THAT guy walking and wading in shorts.....guess will have to go back to the drawing board...I have caught some Pinks w/4 pound test on my trout pole..Like I said earlier, Salmon fishing is out of my league..thank you all for your advice!!

Jens, there are plenty of opportunities to catch larger salmon species with out wading. Bankers catch just as many fish as do guys wading hip deep. It's all about hitting the right run (run=lane fish navigate). Look at it more of a challenge but don't get discouraged because your under gunned. Believe this or not but it's not the rod that catches fish, it's the person holding it that does. Off course unless you use bait that is.

Come to the Dark Side Luke!

got a small king on 6 pound test the other day. going after steelhead on a nw river, with my new reel that joes spooled with 6 pound before i bought it(didnt have time to respool). that was a fun fight, get out and do it, who knows.

I use an 8'6" Ugly stik, an older Shimano FX series spinning reel for Salmon in the rivers down here. For line I use either Spiderline XXX 12lbs.test or Maxima Ultragreen 12 lbs. I never use any line over 12 lbs. I have landed Silvers with a 6'6" ugly stik with 8 lbs test. With water conditions low and clear you want to run the least visible line you can.

jens wrote:after talking to several sources, w/o waders, and all the salmon gear...and I really don't want to be THAT guy walking and wading in shorts.....guess will have to go back to the drawing board...I have caught some Pinks w/4 pound test on my trout pole..Like I said earlier, Salmon fishing is out of my league..thank you all for your advice!!

I don't have waders and I don't wear shorts. I don't wade. Last year I caught a steelhead in the carbon and then watched guys wade right where I caught it. In fact several times I knew there were fish where the guy was standing. Can't catch them that way, legally. Anyway, all that to say, you don't have to wade.

I hooked a 12 pound silver with a 7 foot pole last year. In fact I caught my biggest salmon with that 7 foot pole. 19.5 pounds.

I think you could fish a Carbon size river with a 6 foot pole. If you know how to play a fish you would have an awesome time!!!

Thanx Toni, I have a buddy that fishes the Carbon all the time and said I have a good chance there of catching some nice ones there.