To be more successful at salmon fishing, you must know some of the basic stuff about the fish. Knowing the most common facts about it will help you understand what’s the best way of fishing for this fish in particular.
To help you in this quest, we’ve gathered some salmon fishing tips and tricks. Learn more about salmon and the best ways of fishing for this prevalent and healthy fish.
About Salmon
Many people don’t know, but salmon is a name used for a few fish species. We use it to refer to many fishes of the Salmonidae family. However, don’t confuse them with trout, as they are members of the family too.
Salmon is one of the most popular fish, and is often consumed as a normal diet for many people. It’s especially popular among people consuming healthy diets because they are both healthy and tasty.
What’s interesting about salmon is that it lives in both fresh and salt water. They are anadromous, which means salmon hatches eggs in freshwater and then travel to saltwater. In saltwater, salmon grows and lives only to return to freshwater to spawn.
Another interesting fact is that salmon fish returns to the same freshwater spot where they hatched from their eggs.
You can find this fish at Pacific and Atlantic oceans within the Great Lakes of North America. It’s important to note that this fish is a huge part of the aquaculture industry.
The salmo genus for salmon has only one species that’s the Atlantic salmon. The Oncorhynchus genus has six species called chum, chinook, coho, sockeye, pink, and masu salmon.
5 Salmon Tips and Tricks
There are certain things you can do to be more successful when fishing for salmon. Sometimes it’s just enough to know a thing or two about a fish in order to catch it. However, in this case, you need to know a few solid tricks and techniques if you hope to catch salmon successfully.
Keep Hooks Sharp
Salmon fish has a thick jaw that’s a little harder to pierce through. You don’t need a hook of any special kind but make sure that whatever hook you have is sharp enough. This will make the process much easier, and you’ll have less fish fall off your hook at any point.
Fish During Overcast
Salmons don’t really like bright light, so fishing during overcast is always a better idea. Plus, dusk and dawn also give optimal light for salmon. You can try to catch salmon on sunny and bright days, but it’s unlikely because they’re less active and probably deeper in the water.
Best Baits
There are many options for live bait when fishing for salmon, but roe (eggs) are the most successful. You can buy this or harvest your own if you like. Some people use cut bait that’s a strip of fish like smelt or herring. You can also use a “spoon” that’s a thin, artificial lure that moves much like actual fish. Another popular choice is the Flashtrap spinners, as well.
Utilize Drift Fishing
One of the most popular and common methods for salmon fishing is drift fishing. It’s useful if you’re fishing in freshwater. What you do is cast your bait upstream and let it drift down over an area you think salmon fish are. This method creates a more natural bait for salmon, and they have a tendancy to follow it.
Utilize color
With this, it’s important that you choose only the right colors. Some colors disappear at the deeper water, and red, orange and yellow grays out. This means fish can’t see those colors at all. If you’re going deeper than 50 feet, it’s best you use blue, purple, green, glow or UV lures. These are visible in the dark and fish can easily spot them.
Stamp and Permits
In the US you need a special stamp and permit to catch, and even keep salmon fish. All of that along with your fishing license, of course. This is important because it prevents you from getting penalized with a large fine. Plus, the cost of this permit and stamp is used for salmon conservation programs and stockings.
Final Thoughts
This is pretty much a great starting point in order to successfully fish for salmon. If you stick to these tricks and tips, you’ll have less of a hard time, and will be catching salmon in no time.
It’s really like fishing for any other type of fish, with slight chances regarding the bait and the best time. Don’t forget to get a license to fish for salmon because otherwise, it’s illegal. By paying for the stamp and permit, you support conservation programs, too.
Follow these few steps, and we’re sure your salmon fishing experience will be much more successful and enjoyable.
