What Depth Do You Troll For Salmon?

If you’re using multiple downriggers, try them out at depths from 15 feet to 40 feet. Troll at 2 to 3 miles per hour. Once you start getting bites a certain depth, switch them all to that depth. Once the salmon run season starts (Late August through October), we move our coho salmon inshore to bays and river inlets.

What depth do salmon swim at?

Although salmon will take a fly better in shallow to moderate water (2-8 ft.) versus deep pools (10 ft. +), they become more difficult to catch each passing day if they are not moving up river due to low water conditions.

At what speed should you troll for salmon?

Two mph is a good trolling speed for coho salmon, but a speed of 1.5 mph is a better speed for chinook salmon, and you will be fishing even deeper at the lower velocity.

What depth do king salmon live?

There’s also a good chance that your lines will tangle and make for a bad afternoon. Chinook salmon can be found as deep as 150 feet in the summer months in the Great Lakes, which includes Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

How far behind the boat should I troll?

Every boat is different and you should make your boat your own study. Proper distance for most boats will be anywhere from 20 feet to 150 feet behind your boat. Whether you have inboard diesel or outboard gas engines, your power dictates the distance you troll your baits and lures.

How do you calculate troll depth?

Consider the following example: If you’re trolling a tandem rig tied with two five-ounce bucktails (5 x 2 = 10), and you let out 100 feet of line (double 50, so multiply by two again), according to the Rule it will run at about 20 feet below the surface (5 x 2 = 10 x 2 = 20).

What line do you troll for salmon?

For larger fish, like Chinook salmon, use 20-25 pound line. For smaller fish, like pink salmon, use 10-15 pound line.

What kind of lures do salmon like?

6 Best Salmon Lures for River Fishing

1. Spinners. For some anglers, standalone in-line spinners are tops among the best salmon lures for river fishing.
2. Winged drift bobber rigs. These are buoyant floats with wings and are a component of drift rigs.
3. Casting spoons.
4. Flies.
5. Wobbling plugs.
6. Colors.

How much line do you need behind a downrigger ball?

For trout, you’ll want to run your offering from 50 to 200 feet behind the downrigger weight depending on the depth you are fishing. The deeper you fish the shorter your line can be. When kokanee and kings are the target you can shorten your lines considerably.

How big is an Alaskan king salmon?

Chinook/King salmon are the largest salmon and get up to 58 inches (1.5 meters) long and 126 pounds (57.2 kg). Pink salmon are the smallest at up to 30 inches (0.8 meters) long and 12 pounds (5.4 kg), although they average 3 to 5 pounds (1.3-2.3 kg).

How deep are salmon in the Puget Sound?

In open water, chinook are going to be found were there is abundant bait. They can be anywhere from in the top 20′ of water to down on the bottom at depths of 200′ or deeper. Usually they will move deeper during the day as the sun gets brighter. A good starting depth for open water is between 40′ and 80′.

How deep are king salmon in Lake Michigan?

Once the water warms up in July and August King Salmon will become the targeted species. They can be found anywhere from 10 feet of water to 200 feet of water depending on the water temp and wind.

What speed should you troll at?

So, what is the best trolling speed? The best trolling speed depends on several factors including the type of fish, water conditions and lure choice. In general, trolling speeds between 1.5 and 2.5 mph, as measured by GPS, are a good starting place for most species like walleye, trout and salmon.

What is the best line for trolling?

Monofilament
Monofilament is the best line choice for trolling in most situations, but there are times when low stretch lines have the edge. Because low stretch lines are super thin, they enable trolling lures like crankbaits to pick up significantly more depth compared to monofilament lines of the same break strength.

How do you control crankbait depth?

Move your crankbait too slow or too fast and it’ll run too shallow. The bill has to bite into the water at the correct angle for the lure to run as deep as possible. The length of your cast is the next thing that affects running depth. A longer cast will let the bait get down deeper.

How deep will spoons troll?

SHALLOW TO MEDIUM – With the addition of a keel sinker 4 to 6 feet up the line from the spoon, shallow to medium depths can be trolled effectively. Sinker weights, depending upon the depth desired, usually run from 1 to 8 ounces with main line testing from 12 to 30 pounds.

Can you troll a little Cleo?

Like most spoons, the Little Cleo is effective for trolling — pulling the lure behind a boat at low speed — to locate fish in open water.

What color line is best for salmon fishing?

One tester used 65-pound-test in yellow for a multitude of salmon-fishing techniques. Another tester reported using 65- and 80-pound-test, in the color coastal blue, and said it is tough, casts very well, packs on the reel nicely, doesn’t stretch and doesn’t tip wrap when casting.

Do you need a leader for salmon?

Salmon isn’t leader shy, but I don’t like the idea of any fish seeing my fly line too many times. Therefore I use leaders from 12 to 17 feet. In normal situation when I’m swinging the fly downstream, I think that 12 to 15 feet is quite enough. Especially with the clear floating shooting head from Vision.

What kind of rod do you use for salmon fishing?

Rod length – 9’6″ allows you to mend line in both float and drift fishing applications which are the most popular techniques for salmon fishing in rivers. 10’6″ is ideal for float fishing, but 9’6″ will work in many conditions and is more optimal for drift fishing.