by Gregg Fakkema, August 26, 2014

My name is Gregg… and I’m a Chinook-a-holic. Like many anglers that have felt the power of these drag peeling beasts, I am addicted. One simply cannot explain the feeling that you get when you have a Chinook on the end of your line. Fishing for these “Kings” of the sea can be simple and complex all at the same time. I have received many inquiries regarding what, when, where and how to fish for these amazing fish. Many anglers are quite secretive about their techniques, but this write up is to help inform those that are new or simply need a refresher course into fishing for Chinook salmon. This is intended for those looking to fish South Puget Sound, but many of the ideas and techniques can be extrapolated to other areas.

-Equipment

I will begin with the equipment that I prefer to use, but feel free to experiment on your own because many different types and ratings of equipment can be used. Let's start with one of the most important things that you will need, and that is a rod and reel combination. I have used quite a few different types of rods in the past but have found that I like something around 8'-9' with a line rating in the 10-30 pound range. The rod that I have been using lately is well suited for blackmouth and summer kings as well. The rod is an Okuma Classic Pro GLT downrigger rod that is 8' long and has a rating of 10-20 pounds. This particular rod is relatively inexpensive at around $40-$50. The Okuma rod is a little stouter than some of the more expensive rods out there, but it does a great job for many different species. Remember that if you spend more money, you will get a much more sensitive and higher quality rod.

The next part of the equation is going to be the reel. This is where the majority of your money should be spent. The reel is going to be doing a lot of work. Make sure you spend the money to get a reel that is capable of handling constant abuse. Much of the fishing for kings is going to happen on or near the bottom, so your reel will have to hold up to constant dropping and reeling up from 120' or more. An angry king is also capable of destroying a reel with a low quality drag. Run after run from a 15 pound beast is going to make the drag on a cheap reel crap out rather quickly. All of this is going to take a toll on your reel. Save yourself some heartache and cough up the money for something decent now. I have a couple 200 series Okuma Classic Pro XT (shown above) reels that have been okay for the price (around $40-$50). If you have the extra money, my favorite reel by far has been my 200 series Shimano Calcutta D (shown right). The drag is butter smooth and it fits so well in my hand. The price tag will get you at around $325, but it should last forever.

You will need to consider what size reel is going to fit the fishing you plan on doing. I would recommend something in the 200 or 300 series range (should be able to hold 200-300 yards of 15-20 pound test). Line size and type will be an important part of your reel decision, but more on that in a minute. A good first reel for any salt water trolling set up is the Penn 320 GT (pictured below). They last forever and are still made with decent quality. My only complaint with the few GT’s that I own is their size, just a little too big for my liking. My favorite reel is in the 200 series range. The only problem is that these smaller reels don't hold as much line, and thus you either have to go to a smaller diameter line (like 12-15 pound test mono, or a braid). If you plan on spending $75-$150, you should be able to get a decent reel.

As I mentioned earlier, you will have to decide on the type and diameter of line that you will want to use. When I first started fishing the salt, I strictly used mono filament. As I used it more and more, I didn’t like the stretch at depths and I decided that I wanted to give braid a shot. Braid has little to no stretch, so you will eliminate almost all the belly in your line. This means that you can see every little tap or bump to your offering and be hooked up directly to the fish. Mono has a tendency to stretch and belly out which means that some of those taps or bumps will go unnoticed. Another benefit to braid is that it has a smaller diameter than your standard mono. A smaller diameter means that you can put more capacity on a smaller reel. I absolutely love the feel of my 200 series reel lined with braid. The reel fits better in my hand, is much lighter than the Penn GT and actually holds about the same amount of line.

If braid is what you choose, I would say the heavier, the better. I use 65 pound test green Power Pro. The reason for the heavy test is so that you can grab the line without it cutting into your fingers, and it is also easier to untangle from a rats nest should you get one. The other reason for the heavier test is that is has less of a tendency to dig in on itself and cause problems. Now, I know some of you are thinking... Braid doesn't stretch, so won’t a fish just pull and rip the hook out of its mouth? The answer is to use a mono or fluorocarbon top shot on the end of the braid. I use 50' or so of 30 pound test Maxima Fluorocarbon or Maxima Ultragreen attached via a uni to uni knot. This top shot not only allows for stretch, but also hides the line from your downrigger clip to your offering.

If you decide to go with mono, I would stick to the 15-25 pound test range. I would lean a little more toward the heavier test (20 or 25 pound test) because I feel like 15 pound test is just too light and stretchy. For mono, I am a huge Maxima fan and use nothing but Maxima Ultragreen. The Ultragreen is tough and just so happens to be the perfect color to match the murky green waters of the Puget Sound.

Now that we have the rod, reel and line taken care of, it's time to look at downriggers. There are many ways to troll without downriggers, but they simply aren't as effective (not going to talk about jigging, mooching, etc). Downriggers are the best way to get your offering in front of the fish at depth. I will start by saying that electric downriggers are almost a must for fishing Puget Sound. Manual downriggers will work, but there are a few disadvantages for manual downriggers compared to electric. Most trolling is going to be done deep and you will most likely need a 12-15 pound downrigger ball to fish effectively. Dragging a 12-15 pound downrigger ball up from the bottom can be an arm wrenching task. Now think that you will be bringing that ball up multiple times an hour. Let's just say that it gets old....quick. I have actually found that I was less likely to check my bait or see if my lure was clean (no jelly fish, seaweed, etc) when I had a manual downrigger. It seemed like a lot of work and I was more hesitant to drag it up. Another factor that makes electric downriggers more appealing is the fact that many are automatic. This really comes into play when you get a fish on. It is important that if there is a fish on that you get that downrigger line out of the water and clear from any running fish. With a manual rigger, this is just not very easy and almost requires a second person on the boat. With electric riggers on the other hand, all it takes is the push of a button, and back to fighting the fish.

Another consideration you will want to make is going to be the type of line that you use on the downrigger. The choices are steel cable or braided downrigger lines. The braid has less "blowback" (the amount of force put onto the downrigger line due to breaking the surface tension of the water), but more on that in a minute. The braid will also never kink and is much easier to work with when it comes to termination. Cable on the other hand is somewhat difficult to work with at times. The cable is much more susceptible to kinks, and when this happens, the kink will never come out. You either deal with the kink or cut that section of cable off. Cable also gets "line memory" and will occasionally want to loop or jump off of the downrigger spool. Lastly, if you want to terminate the cable, you will usually need some special tools and parts in order to do so. Braid on the other hand is much easier to terminate (if you know how to tie a knot at least) and can be cut with a knife or scissors. I prefer braided downrigger lines, but there are many out there that stick with the cable. Some choose cable because that’s what they know, and others use the cable because of the electrical properties that arise (see Scotty black box or Cannon bottom tracking).

The next piece of equipment that you will need is going to be a fish or depth finder. Much like the other equipment, the more money you spend, the better quality you will get. A simple depth finder (only tells you the depth of the water) will get you by in a pinch, but you will want something that shows as much detail as possible. There are many different models and features out there and many different price points. I have a Humminbird 898ci that has almost all the bells and whistles I could want. It was pricey ($1300) but well worth the price tag. If at all possible, try to get a unit that has a “fish finder” and a GPS. The fish finder will show depth, bait, fish and structure. These are all important pieces of information that you can use to help make decisions on how you want to fish. The GPS feature (if equipped) will help you to tell your speed (over ground) and help you to mark spots where you found fish, bait, or even where you left your crab pots. GPS is also essential if fog should roll in and you can’t tell which way is north, south, etc. Another nice feature of the higher end fish finders is that they have GPS with contour maps. These can be extremely helpful if you want to follow a specific contour line for longer distances. On a side note, if you have a smart phone, there are many apps out there that are capable of showing speeds, distances and contour lines. One of the better ones that I have found is the Navionics App. It was $9.99 when I downloaded it and was EXTREMELY helpful to find contour lines in unknown areas and speeds over ground when my last fish finder/GPS unit broke.

-Planning

It should be noted that some of the most important aspects of your fishing trip should be taken care of well before you hit the water. Establish a plan based on the tides, location, weather, previous reports and proximity. A quick look at the weather forecast should be first on the list. Make sure that the craft that you plan to take out is capable of the forecasted weather. Remember, the weather can change on the sound in an instant. The next step would be to figure out the tides. When will the high and low slacks occur? How big will the tide swing be? Do any of the slacks coincide with early morning or late evening? I try to answer all of these questions before going out because they will help you to establish a game plan of where you want to be and when.

If you plan on doing any research on tides and weather for your planning, I recommend using the following sites:

Weather.com (for hourly weather/wind reports)

Dairiki.org (for tide information)



If you do any research on fishing salmon in the salt, you will find that you should “fish the tides”. The best times to fish are going to be 1 hour before, during and 1 hour after any tide change (high or low slack tides). If these times happen to coincide with the sunrise or sunset, you should try to have your lines in the water (notice the high slack tide that occurs around sunrise on the above image). Take all of this information about tides and light to help make a plan for where and how you want to fish. Proper prior planning is essential if you really want to catch fish. Sure, you can get lucky and lay into a fish here and there if you don’t plan, but planning your trips out will help to put you on fish consistently.

If at all possible, try to have contingency plans for almost everything. Nothing will ruin a day on the water faster than losing a downrigger ball and not having a backup on board. This is one of the reasons that I tend to carry a backup for almost everything that I use. I carry at least 1 extra downrigger ball, extra downrigger clips, tackle (swivels, hooks etc), leader/line, a rod/reel combo as well as some jigging gear. You never know what is going to happen out there and it never hurts to have a plan if something terrible should happen.

Along with a backup plan for fishing gear, you should also make sure that you have all the required safety equipment for worst case scenarios. Life jackets, flares, a horn/whistle, lights,oars and a fire extinguisher are just a few of the items that you should have on board. These things are required by the coast guard for vessels over 16 feet, but there is a reason why these items are mandatory. If you are out on the sound, Fish and Wildlife, Sheriffs and the Coast Guard will stop you occasionally and perform safety checks to make sure that you have this gear. They will also be looking for a boater’s education card (for almost anyone at the helm of a vessel, there are a few exceptions). Occasionally, they will ask you certain questions to make sure that you know what you are doing, and when you should do it. Aside from the mandatory items, I also try to carry some extras on board such as a first aid kit, warm dry clothing, rain gear, sun-screen, a propane heater in the winter, snacks and water just to name a few.

-Technique

There are many different considerations that must be made regarding the technique(s) that you wish to employ. What species are you targeting (blackmouth, migrating kings)? What structure are you planning to fish (shelf, point, bay)? What are the tides doing in relation to that structure (tidal rips, eddies)? What are the conditions (sunny, cloudy, clear water, murky water)? What is the run timing in your area (are kings running, resident blackmouth, silvers)?

Let’s start with the first consideration. Species selection is going to come down to run timing and information from other anglers. My experience tells me (for the south sound at least) that migrating kings will be caught from mid-June into early September. Any other time of the year my target is going to be resident chinook salmon (AKA blackmouth). Many of the techniques used for blackmouth and migrating chinook are going to be the same, but there are some subtle differences. The first and probably the most important is depth.

Blackmouth relate to structure much more so than migrating fish, and thus blackmouth are usually within 10 feet of the bottom. Their diet consists mostly of herring, squid, and sand lance (AKA needle or candle fish). Candlefish or needlefish live on or near the bottom, and so do the blackmouth. Migrating fish are feeding as well, but they tend to chase herring/squid and stay a little higher in the water column. For example, while trolling for blackmouth, I try to find the 120' contour and get that downrigger ball as close to the bottom as possible. For me "blackmouth mode" means that I am within 10 feet of the bottom at all times. This means dragging the ball on the bottom occasionally. If you don’t hit the bottom with your ball every once in a while then you are not trolling low enough. My usual “blackmouth technique” involves getting up to trolling speed and dropping the downrigger ball until it hits the bottom. I might bring the ball up a foot or two, but most times I simply let the blowback kick in. Depending on the depth and speed, the blowback alone should bring the ball perfectly into that 10 feet off the bottom mark.

"King mode" on the other hand means that I am fishing higher in the water column. For "king mode" I will usually try to find water that is 60' to 200’ deep (I usually prefer 100' to 160') and stay around 20'-60' off of the bottom. For example, my last migrating king came at 100' on the downrigger in 140' of water. Just remember that kings are very sensitive to light and will not get too close to the surface, so try and stay deeper than 40'-60' from the surface. This is especially true when the sun is bright and overhead. If it is cloudy and overcast, the fish may move up in the water column. If it is sunny and bright, the fish may go down. If you are marking bait and fish arches, then the fish will most likely stay right there. The one exception to this is early morning or late evening when the sun is lower in the sky. During these periods, it is not uncommon for migrating fish to be caught in the top 60' of water.

The next consideration you will want to think about is structure. Fish love structure. Find structure and you will probably find bait and fish. Points, sudden drops or shelves, bays and underwater humps are all great examples of structure. Points are usually the easiest structure to identify and they almost always hold fish. The problem is that they can also be one of the most difficult structures to fish. The depth contours are usually inconsistent around points, but the point will usually look similar above water as it does under water. The biggest consideration you must take into account when fishing points is the direction of the tide. Study the point and decide which side of the point the bait is being pushed. There are a few different theories regarding points and bait, but I will try to keep it simple. On one side of the point, bait is being pushed against a wall. The bait that is not held against that wall will flow around the point and into the eddy. The wall side of the point and the eddy are both likely to hold fish. I prefer the eddy side of the point, but don't hesitate to hit both sides. I try and go deep and hug "the wall" on the one side, and then a little shallower on the eddy side. My theory is that the bait is pushed tight against the bottom on the wall side (troll hugging bottom) and then spreads as it hits the lighter currents of the eddy (troll higher).

Another consideration that you may want to make is that some points or features fish better on incoming or outgoing tides. For example, many anglers will hit Point Defiance on the outgoing tide and then run over to Point Dalco on the incoming. On an incoming tide, Point Defiance will simply not have much of an eddy due to the channel and strong currents under the bridge. On an outgoing tide though, a large eddy will form just east/northeast of the point. Take the time to study bathylogical and other maps to understand how the currents will affect the structure. You will find that some points and features will provide better fishing during certain tides/currents and not so great fishing during others.

If you come away with nothing else from this article, you should know this:

TROLL ANY DIRECTION YOU WANT, AS LONG AS IT IS WITH THE TIDE!!

You can troll with the tide, perpendicular to the tide etc. DON’T EVER TROLL AGAINST THE TIDE! Fish will almost always face into the current and they will have a much better chance at seeing your offering coming at them than coming from behind them. Also, trolling with the tide lets you cover much more ground than if you are going against the tide. Trolling against the tide could leave you in one spot for hours. Think of it as a treadmill. If the treadmill is going 2 mph and you run against the treadmill at 2 mph, then you stay in the same spot. Now, if you were to go 2 mph in the same direction as the treadmill, then the speeds will be additive and you are going to be traveling 4 mph relative to the ground. If you mark bait or fish, then you can go against the tide for brief periods of time to circle around, but don’t buck the tide for any longer than you have to. You will be much more productive going with the tide than against it.

The most important part of the equation is going to be how and what you see. Always remember to fish structure. Always be on the lookout for bait. Always know your tides and how that relates to current. Always consider how the structure and current are affecting the bait in the area. Always try to troll with the tide. With enough practice, you will almost always be able to find the bait and fish, just by knowing how the water and structure are interacting.

-Tackle

I only have two words when it comes to tackle for fishing Puget Sound… Silver Horde. There are many tackle manufacturers out there that make decent stuff, but it’s hard to beat anything by Silver Horde for quality and price. Not only do they make some of the best quality tackle in a wide variety of styles and colors, but they are a local company that sponsors many local derbies and events. Almost everything in my tackle boxes is Silver Horde, and I have no problem giving them a shameless advertisement. When you see how well their tackle works, I believe that your tackle box will be mostly comprised of Silver Horde as well.

While fishing for kings, it should be noted that visible colors (not including the UV spectrum) are almost a non-issue. Most colors in the visible spectrum turn to gray below 60'. I won’t get too deep into why, but red and yellow turn gray in the top 40' of water, blue turns to gray between 40'-60' and green is the last color to drop off the spectrum below 60'. What does this mean to us? Colors are not nearly as important as the difference in shade, or contrast, on our lures. UV and glow colors are a different story all together though. UV and glow colors look relatively the same at all depths, as long as there is at least some available light. Moral of the story, look for UV or glow lures/flashers anytime you plan on fishing deeper than 60' (which should be almost always).

There are thousands, if not millions, of different lure and flasher colors and combinations out there. Spoons, hootchies/squids, plugs and bait can all be productive. If I had to choose only one type of lure to use, I would choose spoons. Almost nothing beats a tight spinning cut plugged herring, but I don’t like all the hassle that comes with using real bait. Herring works best when brined/cured/dyed, cut plugged and rigged on a mooching style leader. The problem is that it is expensive, takes constant maintenance (spinning correctly? mushroomed or mushy? Etc), and you have to keep it cold. Spoons and other artificial lures are much easier to use and tend to be more consistent. Here are a couple of my favorites…

-Kingfisher Spoons

These spoons come in different colors, finishes and sizes. I have a large selection for different times of the year and conditions. When blackmouth are the target, smaller spoons like the kingfisher lite in 3”, 3.5” and 4” are the norm, although I usually lean toward the smaller sizes. Almost any color combination will work, but I like cop car, cookies and cream, or any combo that has a good contrast of light and dark colors enhanced with UV and/or glow. Most blackmouth fishing will occur on the bottom and UV/glow finishes are a must. When migrating kings are the target, a larger profile like the 4” or 5” might be necessary, but many of the same colors will work. Sometimes the best is the simplest, chrome with mylar flash for imitating herring.

-Coho Killer Spoons

Just like the Kingfishers, there are many different colors and finishes. There is only one size of Coho Killer, so that takes a little of the confusion out of it. Coho killers have a very erratic fluttering action which makes them very attractive to chinook. I have found that Coho killers will work best when fishing for blackmouth in the winter months as they closely mimic candlefish. Blackmouth will feed almost primarily on candlefish and trolling these lures near the bottom will almost always produce. Check the action of the lure next to the boat before dropping. Sometimes you will find that accentuating the bends on these spoons will give a much more erratic action. Coho killers will also work for migrating kings, so don’t hesitate to throw one out there.

-Hootchies and Needlefish

Not my first choice of lure, but they definitely have their place. Hootchies come in a variety of sizes and colors, from micro, to mini to full size. They all can and will work when the time is right. Hootchies tend to have a larger diameter and imitate squid. Needlefish on the other hand have a slightly thinner profile and imitate candlefish. I prefer to fish hootchies a little higher in the water column for migrating chinook. Needlefish on the other hand are more preferred for fishing the bottom for blackmouth. The key to both of these is to use a heavier leader to impart more action to the lure. I prefer to use a shorter (30-38 inches) leader made from 40 pound test fluorocarbon. For extra flash, sometimes I will put a twinkle or mylar skirt in the hootchie.

-Plugs

I tend to use plugs primarily for migrating kings. Most plugs will come in 4”, 5” and 6” sizes, although there are some in between sizes and much larger available. The problem with plugs is that they are larger than most feed in the sound and don’t imitate the available bait very well. The strength of the plugs is that they catch bigger fish. Also, when dogfish or other by catch are abundant, plugs seem to keep the unwanted off. Rig the plug on a decent sized leader (4-8 feet) and without a flasher or dodger.

-Bait

You’ll hear it quite often, match the hatch or imitate the bait. Well, you can’t imitate the bait much better than using the bait itself. For blackmouth, most use the smallest herring that they can find (usually orange or red label). For migrating chinook, most use a larger size (usually green or blue label). Most will cut plug the herring but a herring helmet will work too. After you choose how you want to impart your action, hook the herring onto a double hooked mooching leader and you are almost set. Since the herring will have a spin or action of its own, a longer (4-6 foot) leader will suffice. On a side note, if you don’t want to deal with “real” bait, Brad’s Cut Plugs are a great alternative. They always have a tight spin, and have a little scent pad inside so that you can give it whatever scent you like.

-Flashers

There are a large variety of flashers and dodgers out there. My go to flasher would have to be an 11 inch flasher in green. I prefer something with UV and/or glow. Hot Spot and Pro-Troll make some great flashers in a variety of sizes, colors and finishes. When fishing water deeper than 60 feet, I like 11 inch flashers because they provide the most flash and noise. This is important while fishing deeper because the water clarity and available light will make it harder for the fish to see your offering. The larger flashers are best in these situations. For shallower depths where there is more light, a smaller flasher or dodger will suffice. This is where the 8 inch flashers can come in handy because you don’t need as much noise or flash. The smaller flashers don’t have as much resistance, which means that you get to enjoy the fight of the fish and not the flasher.

-Scent

I always use scent to give my lure a little more attraction. Not only will the scent attract fish and make your lure smell like real bait, but it will help to cover any human or unwanted scent that may be on the lure. It is important to note that the scent will cover and cancel out any UV coating on the lure, so don’t apply directly to the lure in this case. I usually just dip the hook into a thicker scent such as smelly jelly. Most scents will work, but I prefer to use Herring Salt, Shrimp Salt or Anchovy scents. They make UV versions of the scents, but if using scent on the hook, I prefer not to use the UV because it will make the hook stand out to the fish.

-Other tackle considerations

Most of the hooks that come on the store bought lures are good for the first time you use them. As always (per WDFW regulations), make sure that you pinch the barbs on all your hooks. The hooks that come with most of the tackle are not made of stainless steel and should be replaced after the first use. I like to use Mustad 9510 stainless 3/0 siwash hooks on all my spoons. If you are using a larger spoon like a 4” or 5” kingfisher or sonic edge, I would recommend using a slightly larger Mustad 9510 stainless 4/0 hook. You should also sharpen your hooks after you catch a fish or about once a trip. Many will install a swivel in between the spoon and hook to prevent the fish from getting any leverage to spit the hook.

-Organization

Try to keep all your tackle organized and clean. After every trip out, you should use normal dish soap such as Lemon Joy to clean your tackle to rid it of any leftover scents, human or otherwise. I have separate, clear tackle boxes for each species. For blackmouth, I have a box that has all of my smaller spoons and plugs. For migrating kings, I have a separate box for larger tackle. The tackle (hooks, swivels, etc) has its own tackle box as well. Hootchies can be pre-tied on leaders and kept on a leader roll for easy access and installation. I also have an organizer pouch for all my flashers, one for larger 11 inch flashers and another for smaller 8 inch flashers. Keeping things cleaned and organized will help you to find and choose the correct tackle for the situation.

-Action

The action of the flasher and lure combo are also very important. You want your lure to have some action, but not too erratic. I usually try to make my flasher impart action to the lure so that it (lure) turns in a 2-3 inch circle. In order to get your desired action, you will need to experiment with different leader lengths, materials and flasher sizes. I usually start with a 40"-60” section of 30-40 pound test fluorocarbon and see what the lure looks like next to the boat while going at my desired trolling speed. Do you feel like there is too much action? Use a longer leader or a lighter pound test. Not enough action? Shorten the leader or use a heavier test. Some lures such as spoons and cut plug herring already have enough action without the use of short or heavy leaders and many prefer a longer leader (maybe 4'-6'). It is all about personal preference as I have seen all kinds of rigs catch fish. It may take some experimenting to get it right, but know that it is all trial and error until you build your confidence.

-Catching Fish

Now you have launched your boat, motored to where you want to fish and you are ready to begin. What now? If I have a certain area that I am trying to fish, I almost always move so that I am a little distance away from that spot. For example, if there is an outgoing tide and I want to fish Point Robinson, I will usually start well south of the point (trolling with the outgoing tide means trolling in a northerly direction). This extra distance helps you to prepare everything you will need before you hit the “sweet spot”. It will take a little bit of time to tie on your tackle, bait or scent your offering, check the action on your rig, get your drop back, find your contour line, adjust your speed, drop your lines and start fishing. Setting everything up well before you hit your “sweet spot” will ensure that you will have everything prepared and offerings in the zone when you get there.

Everything is now ready and fishing, what’s next? Well, you will want to keep your eyes on your fish finder (depth, speed, contour lines, fish marks, bait etc), your rod, and other boats/obstructions. If you mark bait or fish, you may want to consider raising or lowering your downriggers to the depth that you made the marks. Be wary because you don’t want to chase every mark that you see. If you notice a consistent trend like bait and fish always seem to be at 100 feet on the finder, then yes, move to 100 feet on your downrigger. Don’t go chasing if you mark a fish at 120 feet, then 80 feet, then 100 feet. If I see a number of marks at different depths, I will usually go with my gut and stay around one depth. Using the previous example (120’, 80’, 100’), I would probably try to stay around the 100 foot mark.

Trolling speed is also going to be an important factor that gets you onto fish. The exact speed that you are traveling is going to be relative. How are you (or your fish finder) measuring the speed? Is it speed over ground? Is it water speed? Does it take into account how fast the tide/current is traveling? Remember the treadmill example? If you are fighting the tide, your water speed could be 2 mph but your speed over ground would be 0 mph. If you are going with the tide, your water speed could be 2 mph but your speed over ground would be 4 mph. There are a few different factors that go into exactly what speed you are traveling, but I can tell you that the numbers that your fish finder are displaying are really not that important. The best way to determine your speed is going to be by looking at your downrigger line. The amount of blowback on your downrigger line is going to tell you almost everything that you need to know. Most would agree that the amount of blowback on your downrigger line is going to tell you how fast you are going relative to the water and current.

Consider it this way. Say you are in a lake with absolutely zero current. If you drop your downrigger ball down, the downrigger line should be straight up and down (perpendicular to the water). We would consider this line angle as 0 degrees. Looking at the line, we would see that it looks something like this ( I ). If you put the motor into gear, the water will cause resistance on the line and ball. This will cause “blow back” and the line will start to move toward the rear of the boat. The faster you go, the more blow back you will get, and the line will move closer to the rear of the boat. A downrigger line moving through the water at a decent speed will approach the 45 degree mark and look something like this ( / ). The maximum amount of blowback that you could possibly have would be 90 degrees which would look like this ( - ). A 90 degree blowback on your downrigger line is theoretically impossible, but you get the idea.

The idea of blowback directly corresponds to how fast you are going. The slower you are going, the less blowback. The faster you are going, more blowback. All blowback is caused by the amount of friction or resistance that the water is putting on the line. It is a slightly debated idea, but there is a “sweet spot” of blowback that will be the perfect speed for chinook. I always try to get around 25-40 degrees of blowback (depending on tide, current etc) and 30-35 degrees is best.
25-40 DEGREES OF BLOWBACK WILL PUT YOU AT THE RIGHT SPEED TO GET YOUR FLASHER TURNING AT THE PERFECT SPEED (about 1 rotation per second, 60 rpms). If you absolutely have to go by what your fish finder or GPS are telling you, this should translate to roughly 2-2.5 mph. It is also important to remember that the amount of blowback that you get is going to directly correspond to the size of your downrigger ball. I use 12 pound balls and this is where I get my 25-40 degrees of blowback. The angle is going to be less if you are using a 15 pound ball and more if you are using a 10 pound ball. I also use pancake weights, so regular round balls are also going to make a difference if you use them. It looks something like this (Yellow line on right picture):

It should also be noted that more blowback means that your offering will be raised in the water column. For example, with zero blowback, your ball will be at the depth that is displayed on the downrigger. With 45 degrees of blowback, your ball will be raised in the water column by up to 40%-50%. So, with this much blowback, your downrigger could read 100 feet, but your ball would actually be at 60-70 feet. The best way to gauge the actual depth of your downrigger ball is to know how deep the water is and drop the ball to the bottom. As an example, if you are in 100 feet of water moving at trolling speed, drop the ball until it hits and look at the downrigger. Chances are your downrigger will read 120-140 feet. If you do this at enough variety of depths and speeds, you should have a good idea of the depth of your ball.

Once you have found the right downrigger line angle and blowback, you will have found the right speed for trolling. Now that you have chosen your lure, depth and speed, you should be well on your way to catching fish. The last thing that you want to do to entice the bite is going to involve boat control.

Don’t troll in a straight line, at a constant speed. Nothing looks more unnatural to a fish than a lure that goes in a straight line at a constant speed. Fish and bait are always moving at different speeds and directions. The best way to give your offering that wounded or distressed look is going to be altering your direction and speed. One way to accomplish this is to speed up and slow down every once in a while. When you speed up, the blowback angle will increase, making your offering move up in the water column. Alternatively, when you slow down, the blowback angle will decrease and make the offering move down in the water column. If you speed up and slow down, your offering will go up and down in the water column. Another way to accomplish this is to troll in an S patter (a slight turn left, then a slight turn right, then a slight turn left again). Trolling in an S pattern is another way to speed up and slow down those offerings. When you turn left, the outside or right rod will have to cover more ground and will thus speed up (and rise in the water column). During this same left turn, the left rod will slow down and drop in the water column. Doing these S turns makes the offering(s) speed up, slow down and move up or down in the water column. These erratic speeds and motions help to mimic wounded or distressed bait.

So now your offering is in the zone and you are trolling using the previously listed techniques. What’s next you might ask? When the rod starts to bounce, you have a FISH ON! The most important thing that you as an angler can do when you have a fish on is to keep calm. It’s easy to get very excited when you finally get that fish, but your chances of getting that fish to the boat are much greater if you don’t get excited and keep your wits about you. Now that your emotions are under control, the next part of the equation is going to be the drag setting on your reel. You want the fish to be able to run if it wants to. A tight drag will rip the hooks out the mouth of the fish. If the drag is set too loose, the fish will run and run and will take forever to get to the boat. Finding the perfect medium for your drag setting will take some time and practice, but you will get it. Just remember that it is better to be slightly loose on the drag than slightly tight.

After your drag settings are perfect, the battle is on. Enjoy the fight as much as possible and keep your wits. One of the most important aspects of fighting these beasts is going to be constant tension on the line. DON’T EVER LET THE LINE GO LIMP! When the line goes limp, the fish WILL throw the hook. If the fish wants to run, let it run. When the fish stops running you will want to reel like crazy to keep that tension on. This is where that drag setting is crucial. If you have your drag set correctly, you should be able to reel when the fish is running and not affect it. When you reel while the fish is running, you will keep that tension on should the fish stop and turn around. The battle will continue like this for a bit (drag peeling run, it stops, you gain ground, drag peeling run etc).

When you get the fish to the boat, you will want to have the net ready. If you have someone with you, make sure that the person with the net is closest to the fish. If at all possible, try to turn the boat slightly. For example, if the fish was caught on the left side downrigger, try to turn the boat slightly left. This will slow the fish (and the resistance of the water) and give you or your partner a better chance at getting it in the net. When the fish sees the boat, it will almost undoubtedly make another run or two. It is important to keep calm and keep that tension on. It may take more than one attempt to get the fish in the net, but if you have kept your wits, you will get it in the net.

Awesome, now you have the fish in the net! It is still important to keep calm (even though you will probably be shaking and pumped full of adrenaline). The first thing you will want to do is keep the net over the side of the boat. DO NOT BRING THE NET INSIDE THE BOAT YET (per WDFW regulations). With the net and fish still over the side of the boat, you will want to identify the species that you have caught. Is it a Chinook, Coho, Pink, etc? Here is something that may help:

If you have determined that the fish is a Chinook, the next thing that you will want to look at is its adipose fin. If the fish does not have an adipose fin, then it is a hatchery fish. The last step of the process is to measure its length. If the fish that you have caught is a Chinook without an adipose fin and over 22 inches, then congratulations because you have just caught a legal to keep Chinook salmon. With all that has just happened, DON’T FORGET TO MARK YOUR CATCH CARD!

After you have finished celebrating the fact that you have just caught a fish, the next step will be to bonk, bleed and put the fish on ice. Using a fish bat, I will give one quick and firm tap to the top of the head of the fish to subdue it. You are not trying to hit a homerun here, just enough to render the fish unconscious. After this I usually attach a small piece of rope through the mouth and out the gills and tie a knot. Next I tie the other end of the rope to the boat so that the fish won’t be dropped should it give one more flop. Now that the fish is secured, I hold the fish over the side of the boat and take a knife or scissors below the gill plate and cut straight down to the bottom of the neck. I usually will place the fish in the water while it is bleeding out, but keep a close eye on it. It will only take a minute for a seal to smell the blood in the water and come looking for a meal. After the fish has been bled for a minute or two, it is time to put the fish on ice.

-Finishing Touches

Now that you have your first fish, you are well on your way to becoming an accomplished chinook angler. If you haven’t caught any fish yet, don’t give up. It will take time on the water, practice and experience to learn what you need in order to consistently put fish in the box. You won’t always catch fish while out there, but every trip should yield a new piece of knowledge to help you solve the puzzle that is chinook fishing. I fish Puget Sound almost year round and I will readily admit that I have much to learn. Almost every trip out I discover something new or learn a new technique.

Time on the water is the only way to really perfect your craft. Hopefully this article will at least give you a stepping stone to help you make the leap into the great fishery that is Puget Sound Chinook. Who knows, it may only be a matter of time before you are a resident expert in the fishery and giving me advice. See you guys on the water!

Gregg Fakkema