If you're fishing for salmon, you're probably not playing the catch-and-release game. You're probably interested in getting some of that deep red fish flesh grilled and on your plate next to a helping of potato salad and corn on the cob.

Is your mouth watering?

So, given that you are most likley looking to pull in some salmon for food, let's get down to business. Tips for fishing for salmon depend entirely on where you are fishing and the stage that the salmon run is in. We'll first focus on location, then move on to the stage of the run.

LOCATION

Not everyone can fish on the Kenai River or off the Aleutian Chain, but the principles are pretty much the same.

If you are fishing for salmon in a river, you have a few options. You can fish from a boat as you float down the river, which is called trolling by a lot of people. You can also fish from a boat that's tied to the bank of a river. If you've got some good chest waders, you can also fish from a river bank.

*Floating and fishing: When floating a river and fishing at the same time, there are a few basics to keep in mind, as well as a few expert tips. First off, you need to make sure you have a nice amount of weight on your line. For weight, you have plenty of options, including lead sinker coils that you can cut to certain lengths and both lead and lead-free sinker weights. You'll find that sinker weights work better than the flexible lead coil when floating.

The sinker weights work better when you are floating because they won't catch on river rocks nearly as often as the lead coil will. So get a nicely rounded sinker weight of several ounces for your line if you plan to float and fish.

Next, when floating, you need to make the distance between the sinker on your line and your fly/hook apparatus longer. This is because you will be moving and the water will be tugging at the hook a little more actively, thus, you will want a little more play so that your hook doesn't just drag on the bottom of the river. You have plenty of options for how to set up your line with its sinker and hook. See these images to get an idea for how this might look.

If you're a purist, you can simply tie the sinker into the line coming directly off your rod. This is easily done. If you do this, tie it about three feet up from the end of the fishing line. With your weight on, go ahead and attach your hook/fly set up.

This leads us to what type of fly or spinner you want to use when floating and fishing. Keep in mind that some areas actually have laws that dictate the type of fly/spinner you can use. If you learn that using a flashy spinner is okay where you will be fishing, use one. It seems to catch the fish's eye better, particularly when you are letting your line drag along the deep middle of the river.

Finally, when fishing and floating, it can be harder to keep the sinker on the river bed. You need to stay alert and be ready to adjust the length of your line. Do this because you will have far more success in catching that prize silver or red, or even king!, when you are in control of the depth of your hook. So let your line trail out behind the boat and let out enough slack until you feel the sinker hit the river bed. Now hold your pole down at a slight angle with one hand and pull out a couple more feet of line with the other. Hold that extra line carefully, feeling the vibrations in the line as the sinker bounces along the bottom of the river.

Let that slack out or pull it in as needed to keep the sinker where it belongs: sliding along the rocky bottom of the river. Now, as you float along, you are ready to feel any nibbles that come along. We will cover what to do to set your hook and pull a fish in later.

*Fishing from the bank

Fishing from the river bank is significantly different from floating and fishing, but the principles are the same. You need to have a weight adequate to hit the river bottom quickly and still slide along the bottom with the current. You can use less weight in this case, and using the lead coil works fine as well.

Most important is that you always make sure you feel the sinker sliding along the bottom of the river. You'll need to choose your spot carefully, because it is quite common to find submerged trees and branches nearer the bank of the river. These will snag your hook or weight and sometimes will just not let go!

When casting from the bank, obviously you need to be careful of bystanders and overhanging branches. Try to cast the hook out at least twenty feet. The river's current will move your hook down and closer into the bank. You will also keep the hook moving by either reeling the hook slowly in or by gently guiding the hook in and following normal fly-fishing procedures.

*Deep sea fishing

You can catch salmon in the open ocean. The trick is two-fold: know where the salmon gather before they head to the mouths of local rivers and use the right equipment. Both of these depend on what specific area you are fishing in, but it is good to remember that when deep sea fishing, you usually use a stronger line, you need much heavier weight, and you will be working with far longer lengths of line.

STAGE OF THE RUN

There are only a few things to keep in mind regarding the stage of the salmon run. First, if you are fishing late in the run, there may be plenty of fish in the river, but they really might not be interested in eating or investigating your shiny fly. You'll find that fat, red, spawning salmon are lazy and often not curious enough to go for your fly. That's fine: they don't taste very good and if you do hook one, it's far too easy to pull it in.

So remember that the early in the run you fish, the stronger and more active the fish will be. Silvers will put a spectacular fight, and the sight of a silver hooked snugly on your line and breaking high above the water, its scales glinting like a quicksilver rainbow in the bright sun, can't be matched. Make sure you have strong line, don't tighten your tension too much or the line will break, and be ready for a great battle.

REELING IN YOUR FISH

Much of the time we spend fishing is time best spent on meditation, conversation or enjoying the beauty of where we are. However, occasionally we actually hook a fish. Getting that fish home is a challenge sometimes.

When you feel a nibble, don't immediately jerk your pole up; instead, give the fish a second to nibble again; the fish will probably try to swallow the hook this time. When you feel that second bite, jerk your pole up to set the hook. Don't go crazy, you just need to pull up a bit. If you did it right, your hook will set and now you just need to pull that fish in.

Now, most of the time you will be catching fish who will not want to be caught. They will fight like mad. Good times! Adjust your line's tension so the fish can swim around and get tired. Don't make it too loose or your fish will go nuts and make a mess of your line. Don't make it too tight or the line will break.

The main issue with reeling the fish in is that using the handle to wind up your line is not how you bring the fish to you. You bring the fish your way by pulling firmly and steadily up on your pole. Then lower the pole and take up the slack.

If you are standing on a river bank, it's useful to move carefully back to dry ground so that you can have firm footing for your battle. If you have a colleague with you, ask them to grab your net and corral the fish when you've got it closer to the bank. If you are in a boat, have your colleague corral the fish when you get it close to the hull of the craft.

Lastly, don't kill your fish when you've got it caught. Just string a line through its mouth and gills, then tie the other end of the line to something firm that will allow the fish to stay in the water. This keeps your fish fresh.

Learn more about this author, Jared Garrett.
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