Twelve Rules for Effective Salmon Fishing

Rule #1
Prepare your tackle and boat before going on the water. Rods should be rigged and hootchies, flies and other lures attached and ready. Boat batteries should be fully charged and, if possible, gas the boat the day before.

Rule #2
Pay close attention to the tides. The best tides have a 3 to 7 foot change. Small tidal exchange areas are the best fishing. With big tide and wind the baitfish hide in the relative calm of kelp beds or very deep in the water.

Rule #3
Fish hard during the peak times, one-hour before-through-after tide change. Dont be tying lures, changing areas or eating lunch during peak time. In the summer, early in the morning or late in the evening are peak times.

Rule #4
Use all the information you can get. Examples are: boat house information, maps and charts, electronics, etc. Watch for birds especially in the winter. The Rhinoceros Auklet will almost always be on top of bait. Other birds in the area will be Seagulls, Common Marine and Ancient Murrelets.

Rule #5
Fish with or across the tide flow, never against it. Salmon face into the tide flow and have a better look at your lure as its coming towards them.

Rule #6
Stay in the area you catch fish or see fish caught.

Rule #7
Dont fish only where there are other fishermen (i.e. famous hot spots). Salmon are around bottom structures or bait. Its better to fish by yourself for ten salmon on a reef, than to fish for two hundred salmon along with 4,000 other anglers.

Rule #8
Explore but learn to fish three areas extremely well then expand your areas by one new area per year.

Rule #9
Use a lure that has sight, sound and smell. Use any color, as long as it is green. The colors that show up the deepest water are greens, blues and blacks. All glow lures glow green. In addition, the new Ultra Violet colors can be added to your tackle box, as they show up at all depths. While we can't see UV colors, salmon see them very well. Use flashers or rattle plugs to create sound. Add scent to your lure, such as Smelly Jelly or other products.

Rule #10
USE COLORS! In the top fifty feet of water use any color. Below fifty feet try blue, green, purple, UV and glow lures. The exception to the rule; use white plugs for mature summer Kings. In Puget Sound, plankton absorb the colors of reds, yellows and oranges. By the time these colors reach 50 feet, they have pretty much turned gray and disappeared from the sight spectrum of the salmon. Two species of salmon do see reds, yellows and oranges better. These are Humpies and Sockeye.

Rule #11
When using bait check your bait every 15 minutes. Remember, you only have three hours of premium fishing time. If using lures, be aware of any change in rod tip action and check lure every thirty minutes or if youve bumped the bottom.

Rule #12
Sharpen your hooks and keep them sharp!

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