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GET BACK TO BASICS FOR TROPHY CHINOOK
Ten tips to help you catch more big Kings!
By: Greg
Brush
As I prepared to push my boat off the riverbank,
a small, weathered drift boat slid in next to me,
and I couldn't help but notice the grinning men
inside. Delaying my departure momentarily, my
intuition was confirmed as the obviously successful
fishermen reached into the tattered, old fishbox
and, one by one, slid out three huge Chinook! While
temporarily stunned by their impressive catch, I
managed to quickly, and with somewhat low- profile,
cast a glance to their stored gear. Sure enough,
the same lure graced each rod. Aha! The secret
weapon!
I tore through my swollen tackle box like a man
possessed, finally locating a plug identical in
every aspect. Carefully attaching it to my heavy
mono leader, a newfound confidence flooded my
entire body, as I now knew that this would be a
special day. Little did I know the memory would be
of a lesson in humility.
Later that afternoon, as I solemnly beached my
boat, nary a salmon on board, I scrutinized the
day's events. Where had I gone wrong? How could I
have missed? After all, I had the secret
weapon!
This roller coaster of emotions, finally ending
in frustration and disappointment, remains vivid in
my memory, despite taking place nearly twenty years
ago. As a full-time professional fishing guide
specializing in trophy Chinook, I now consider that
day a huge success, even though I returned home
empty handed. The cardinal rule of King Salmon
fishing was slammed home with such force that I
will never forget it: there are NO secret weapons
and successful trophy Chinook fishing is a game of
many details! Master the basics, pay attention to
every particular while avoiding shortcuts, fish
hard, and success will eventually come your
way!
USE GOOD GEAR
While trophy Kings can be caught on inexpensive
or light gear, I consider quality tackle of
med-heavy weight an investment in success. Buy the
best equipment you can afford, inspect and maintain
it routinely, and rest assured that you can handle
the biggest and baddest salmon that swims!
Sensitive, but stout, 8 _-9' graphite rods are
recommended, and a quality reel with a super-smooth
drag is an absolute must. Premium line and terminal
tackle are of utmost importance. Anything less will
eventually cost you a trophy.
TUNE EVERYTHING
Watch the top Chinook guides closely and you
will soon notice a vital but subtle detail. They
routinely check, adjust and tune every lure to
ensure that it spins, rolls or wobbles enticingly
enough to trigger a strike from the most finicky of
Kings. Adjust the eye screw on Kwikfish or Flatfish
until the plug runs true, wobbling evenly from side
to side. Unfortunately, most plugs are now
mass-produced, and sometimes finding one that will
'tune-up' means trying several. If you resist the
temptation to declare a plug "good enough," and
spend the time to find a true runner, I guarantee
you will hook more big Chinook. Likewise, good
saltwater trollers cut and check the spin on their
herring each time they let their bait out. Spinner
fishermen should adjust the shaft on every spinner,
especially after landing a fish, making sure it
spins smoothly with the slowest of retrieves.
Extremists even tune jet planers, ensuring they
dive deep and stay down where they need to be at
all times, on or next to the bottom.
KEEP YOUR BAIT FRESH
It goes without saying that Chinook have a very
sophisticated sense of smell, and it's my belief
that the quality of your bait is one of the biggest
factors in the number of strikes generated
throughout your fishing day. When Chinook numbers
are low or the fish get finicky, I find myself
putting on new roe or re-wrapping my plugs with
fresh sardine wraps even more frequently. It's all
about scent! As a general rule, the tougher the
fishing, the more bait I go through. My thinking is
this: when my lure finally does bump a big salmon
on the nose, I want to be sure that he can't say
no! Many times my clients and I have fished through
a hole with no action, re-baited and made another
pass, only to have a rod immediately bury with a
vicious strike from a trophy Chinook!
SHARP HOOKS MEAN MORE TROPHY CHINOOK
Fact: big Kings have tough, bony jaws. Fact:
large size 4/0, 5/0 and even 6/0 hooks are made of
thick, heavy gauge steel. These two points
illustrate the need to use premium quality hooks of
the utmost sharpness, ensuring deep, solidly hooked
fish on every strike. This is the single most
important factor in improving your 'bite to
hook-up' ratio. Wise Chinook anglers routinely
inspect and sharpen their hooks throughout the day,
confident that they will 'hook up' when Mr. Big
finally takes their bait. Bottom line, find a
professional salmon fisherman without a hook file,
and you have found a poor guide!
DON'T SET THE HOOK TOO SOON
Remember, this is the king of all salmon, and
power is his middle name. With the possible
exception of stacked up Chinook in low, slow water,
the strike will be anything but subtle. Resist the
temptation to immediately grab the rod. Instead,
wait for the rod to go all the way down, stay down,
and pump-then set the hook hard only once. Ten
times as many Chinook are missed from an early
hook-set than a late one!
FIGHT A BIG KING AGGRESIVELY
Truly big salmon are not about fast runs and
wild acrobatics. They possess brute strength and
incredible stamina, necessitating heavy pressure to
exhaust them. Once you hook your 'fish of a
lifetime,' your initial reaction will be one of
awe, and you may find yourself 'tip-toeing' along,
afraid to take the role of the aggressor. Have
faith in your equipment, set the pace, and fight
the fish hard until your King lies on his/her side,
completely exhausted. Try to use steady pressure
throughout the battle: when you rest-the fish
rests!
STICK WITH PROVEN PERFORMERS
Don't be afraid to try new methods or gear, but
don't get caught up in constantly trying something
new. Be flexible and willing to adapt, but keep it
within reason. Changing lures every ten minutes
will ultimately leave you confused and unable to
pattern the fish, not to mention the time wasted
with your bait out of the water. It has been my
experience that when fishing gets tough, returning
to your favorite lure is your best bet. Confidence
can be your number one weapon, and nothing will
boost it faster than fishing your "old
faithful!"
DON'T TRY TO FISH EVERY HOLE
A common "rookie" mistake among new power- boat
guides in our area is trying to fish every bit of
water. They start up high in the river, run down to
fish the tide, and then back up to fish the upper
section when the tide fails to produce big numbers
of new salmon. Ultimately, they cut their chances
considerably by spending nearly half of their day
with their baits out of the water! Better to do
your research the night before, have a game plan
and stick to it. Don't be afraid to deviate from
this plan if and when conditions necessitate it,
but resist the temptation of always looking for
"the honey hole." Keep your baits wet, and you will
eventually be able to shout "fish on!"
WATCH EVERYONE-NOTICE EVERYTHING
Fishing is supposed to be fun and relaxing, but
that shouldn't mean being oblivious to your
surroundings. The wise Chinook fisherman pays
attention and absorbs every detail, from water
clarity to fishing pressure to tidal exchanges.
Likewise, we can all learn something new each day
from every angler on the water, whether it is a
guide or private angler. There are simply too many
pieces to the puzzle to master King fishing, and
only a fool claims to know it all!
NEVER GIVE UP
This is the rule of all rules! Big Chinook are
notorious for turning on and turning off the bite.
Put your time in and don't wave the white flag
until your boat is on the trailer. I can't count
the number of Chinook my clients and I have hooked
out of sheer persistence, refusing to give up on
the slowest of days! Remember, if you pay attention
to the details and fish hard and long enough, you
will eventually be rewarded with the trophy Chinook
of your dreams. Sure, luck is a factor in all
fishing- but you make your own luck, right?
LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG
DIFFERENCE!
Specific Chinook techniques are seldom as easy
as they look. For example, a skilled back-bouncer
makes this technique look easy when, in fact, this
is one of the most difficult of all methods to
master. Take note of seemingly minor details such
as how high of lift and how long of pause in order
to duplicate the successful anglers method exactly.
Trolling and back-trolling, generally not
considered complex techniques, also possess subtle
details that can make or break your success. For
instance, boat speed, rod angle, and the amount of
line let out are all major factors when trolling.
Unless you possess the patience of Job and nerves
of steel, put the rod in a rod holder. Not only
will a "still" rod generate more strikes, but you
will be less likely to set the hook early,
ultimately increasing the number of trophy Chinook
you catch.
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