Salmon Fishing Tips
Dan Farrell
I have had the pleasure of fishing for salmon in Alaska. It was a
thrilling experience!
To see 3 feet long Silver's in a stream surrounded by 10,000+
foot mountains is something you dream about.
If you have fished for salmon anywhere and they are spawning you
know they aren't all that easy to catch as they aren't feeding
only intent on
running up stream to their spawning spot. So it takes some
patience and good timing as well as knowing where and when they
are running.
But for any fisherman, this is one of the ultimate experiences!
Here are a few salmon fishing tips:
Your First Pole: The most important piece of equipment is a
fishing pole of course! The best place to purchase a pole is at a
real pro shop or bait and tackle shop.
Pro shops usually have a generous return policy. If you get a
pole that is not comfortable for you, too stiff or too flexible,
too long or too short, they will generally exchange it for a pole
that will work better for you.
Bottom line, they want your return business for other things like
bait and tackle.
The Place: The best place to fish for salmon is in the river when
they come up to spawn. The local pro shop should be happy to
provide you with the best times for fishing salmon.
Salmon spawn at different times and come up the rivers at
different intervals throughout the season. So, planning is
important if you want to
actually fish when the salmon are spawning. You can get a lot of
good information with a subscription to Alaska magazine or do a
search online for the location you are interested in.
The Boat: Best case scenario is to have a flat bottom river boat,
but those are expensive. It may not be a good idea to take a
regular "V" hull lake boat into the river because the depths can
be too shallow and unpredictable.
Another wonderful way to experience your first salmon trip is by
hiring a guide. You'll learn more from the guide then on your
own. It can be pricey, but it's worth it. Alaska guides generally
charge $200/day per person.
No boat? No worries. Fishing from shore is a wonderful way to
experience this fantastic hobby as well. Get some waders and
watch out for the slippery rocks!
The Bait: Ask the Pro's at the pro shop what works best in your
area or the area you are going to fish. They will most likely
suggest salmon eggs. They are cured in many different ways and
everyone has their favorite.
You may wonder why you would want to use salmon eggs. It's very
simply really. After salmon spawn, the parent fish stay around
the nest to protect the eggs from predators like trout.
The currents will also carry the eggs away. When this happens the
parent fish gently pick the eggs in their mouth and bring them
back to the nest.
So, when you dangle salmon eggs in the water after the salmon
have spawned, they will see the eggs and assume that some have
floated out of the nest. When they go to retrieve them, they get
hooked!
The Catch: Take along an ice chest filled with ice to keep your
catch fresh. You may want to have a couple of five gallon buckets
as well. One bucket for cleaning your catch. Another bucket to
keep the ready-to-eat gutted and cleaned salmon in.
If you clean it before you take it home, you avoid the smelly
bloody mess in your kitchen. Many rivers in Alaska, Kenai,
Russian, Montana, Bird...have fish cleaning facilities.
A third bucket could be used to save salmon eggs gutted from a
female. You can save the egg sack and cure it later. You can
learn more about how to cure the eggs, or roe, online or talk to
someone in your local pro shop for suggestions.
The Filleting: You can cut your fish in two ways, steaks or
fillets. Salmon steaks are the easiest way to cut them up.
Filleting takes a little more practice. You will
probably mangle the first few you try to fillet. Don't let that
bother you. All those little mangled pieces can be smoked and
turned into a salmon dip.
Mmm good!
The Cooking: There are many ways to cook salmon. Pan fry, BBQ,
roasted or even smoked. If you do decide to smoke your salmon
pieces, be sure not to over dry them.
Here's a simple recipe for salmon dip.
One cup smoked salmon Two 8 oz packages of cream cheese Half cup
chopped onion Salt, pepper, garlic, to taste
Now it's time to stop reading about it and go out there and catch
some salmon!
Dan Farrell is the owner of
http://www.thebest-fishing.com where
you can read more articles on all types of fishing, fishing
equipment, fish lodging and fishing destinations.
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Index of All Hunting & Fishing Articles
Index of All Sports Articles
