How to Use Salmon Fishing Lures

Anglers take salmon on a variety of fishing lures, chief among them spoons, spinners, jigs and especially flies. Taking salmon with a lure is the mark of a skilled angler. Almost anyone can catch salmon with a few salmon eggs, but it takes a seasoned angler to pull a mighty chinook from a river with a few pieces of thread wrapped around a hook.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Rod and reel spooled with 12-15 pound line
Fishing tackle, including lures and flies
Fly fishing rod and reel

Step 1

Troll spoons and spinners behind a boat on salmon lakes and the ocean. Let the lure follow the current during retrieval to mimic a baitfish. You can also use a depth finder and divers -- specially shaped plugs designed to swim deep when trolled -- to get down to the fish.

Step 2

Go bottomfishing for salmon with jigs, casting these lures into pools and eddies where salmon search for a meal on the bottom in calm water.

Step 3

Try driftfishing with small surface plugs cast upriver from the banks, letting the lure flow past your position while you keep the rod tip pointed at your line. Keep the line taut and retrieve as necessary so you can feel the strike.

Step 4

Cast dry flies onto the surface of a lake or areas of slow moving water, such as pools with exposed rock formations on a river. If a salmon does not rise to the lure within a minute, retrieve the line and cast again.

Step 5

Use smaller lures in the spring and larger lures in the fall. Salmon will grow as the season progresses and will be looking for a bigger meal during the fall months. Use a seine to catch a few baitfish in the shallows so you can gauge their size and choose lures to match.

Article Written By James Clark

James Clark began his career in 1985. He has written about electronics, appliance repair and outdoor topics for a variety of publications and websites. He has more than four years of experience in appliance and electrical repairs. Clark holds a bachelor's degree in political science.

Editor's Pick

Backcountry Camping Tips

You've already tried car and RV camping. You've camped at commercial campsites that had a convenient restroom and water supply. Now, you want to explore the road less traveled. Backcountry camping, also known as primitive camping, is a wonderful way to explore the remote...
More Backcountry Camping...
Popular Article

Beach Camping Near Pismo Beach, California

Pismo State Beach, California, has many attractions and activities including camping, swimming, hiking and wildlife viewing. Birdwatching is one of the primary activities in the area. The park also has the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the natio...
More Beach Camping...
Featured Video

Common Sense Hiking Tips

The first and most fundamental thing is never hike alone. There are too many situations, especially as an unexperienced hiker, where you may find yourself without anyone to help you. So the buddy system works and applies very much in hiking.
More Camping Basics...