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How to CATCH Chinook Part 2 - Staging Salmon - 6 TIPS
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Sep 16, 2024
Are you good at catching chinook salmon? Do you have more success in the ocean compared to targeting kings that are staging to go upriver? There's a HUGE reason for this! A Chinook salmon's metabolism slows down dramatically as they migrate and approach their natal streams, making them MUCH harder to catch. This video is all about how to catch chinook that are staging and SLOWING down metabolically. I give you 6 tips to catch more chinook salmon in these conditions. The catch rate in places like Marine Area 11 in Puget Sound is often 1-2 chinook per 10 anglers, but for some anglers, it's quick limits every time they go out. Why is that? I cover 6 factors that contribute to this kind of consistent success in very challenging fishing conditions. Also, below are links to buy some of the gear I talk about in this video. As an Amazon Associate, we make a small commission if you use these links to buy, even though you pay the same price regardless. Thank you for supporting PNWBestLife! Trolling Rod 1062xh-cg - https://amzn.to/3vrcnOu Trolling Reel: https://amzn.to/4auJzE9 Mooching reel: https://amzn.to/47hxdy4 Downriggers: https://amzn.to/4efSnyT Big conservation net: https://amzn.to/3XlBkVz Pro-troll flasher with fin: https://amzn.to/4dSXrcJ Green Squid: https://amzn.to/4dRQ2dR Green Ace High Fly: https://amzn.to/4d1gwIH Smelly jelly: https://amzn.to/3XEx2di Herring oil: https://amzn.to/4dWrhx0 Puget pounder jigs: https://amzn.to/4cSLVwM
View Video Transcript
0:00
It's a good one
0:04
Last year I made a video about how to catch Chinook salmon that was meant to be part one of a three-part series
0:15
And this video is part two. And it's all about how to catch Chinook that are metabolically slowing down
0:23
Part one was about the important things, fundamental things, chasing metabolically. active Chinook. Once the metasim starts to slow down, things get a lot harder. Why does it slow down
0:36
Well, as they get closer to their natal streams, their bodies start to shut down. A lot of people think
0:42
that only happens when they get in the river, but it actually starts out in the salt water as they
0:47
make their approach. They get more picky about what they're willing to eat. They get more selective
0:51
about the energy they're willing to extend to chase any kind of offering that you're putting down
0:58
You know, when you're out there fishing in the ocean or the straight, maybe even North Puget Sound
1:03
some of these areas where Chinook are actively feeding, if you do enough things right, you're going to get bit
1:09
You can try to match the hatch, you try to fish at the right depth, the right speed
1:14
Like, there's fish around, you're at the right current, right tide, right place, right time
1:20
Like, you're going to get bit. Well, you can do everything right in the South Sound and the Central Sound, and there's some tough, tough fishing
1:28
days. So if you don't have your stuff dialed in, you're just simply not going to get bit
1:33
You're going to see a lot of fish on the fish finder. And it can be get pretty frustrating
1:38
but the bite won't happen. So this video is all about unlocking some of these things
1:43
some of these closely guarded secrets that some folks have about how to do this. And it's
1:52
definitely been a challenge, one of the more challenging saltwater, Chinook fishing
1:58
things that I've, myself, have tried to learn and figure out, and I'm here to share some of what I know about this topic
2:07
Sweet. That's a nice one. Good job. Thank you. You know, a lot of Chinook anglers in the North Puget Sound and the ocean, you know, they kind of think they're great, they're great Chinook fishermen
2:23
They kind of brag about all the Chinook they catch and thinking they're amazing, you know, up there
2:28
there on possession and all this stuff. But it's kind of like a bass fisherman bragging that they caught bass
2:34
Like, right? Like anyone can catch a bass, you know? So it's a little harder when you get down to the central sound, south sound
2:44
to make it happen. So, all right. You're on. No, right, right
2:51
Yeah. Yeah, you're on. I'm going to give you six keys to success that I think will help you out
2:58
with your hook ratio hookup ratio on south central sound metabolically slowing chinook salmon
3:10
first slow down you know a big believer in going fast uh i was fishing uh on port angeles
3:21
you know earlier in the season and i'm going two and a half to three knots plus whatever the currency
3:28
doing and I got you know we're hooking fish left and right and I got some other boats that I'm
3:33
passing and they're like hey you're going a little fast for you know for salmon fishing it's like
3:37
how are you doing how's it go oh we haven't hooked anything yet yeah we've hooked like three or four
3:42
fish already so maybe maybe chill with your your speed advice if you haven't hooked anything yet
3:48
uh maybe the guy who's trolling fast and getting fish you should just uh keep it to yourself
3:53
you know the reality is commercial salmon fishermen They're trolling fast in the ocean covering more ground
4:01
You're oftentimes more effective if you're trolling fast. That is not the case as their metabolism slows down
4:11
And you get closer to the rivers that they're getting ready to spawn up
4:15
They are just not going to go as fast. And so you really do need to slow down
4:20
You want to be in that 2 2 knots plus the current maximum speed to get it done You don want to go too slow or your your flasher will not spin fast enough
4:36
to create the action that you want to trigger a bite. Although there is something that can help you out
4:42
with that dynamic though when you want to troll slow and you don't want your flasher to not spin as much
4:50
particularly when you're fishing with hoochies, which is an important part of the strategy for these
4:56
metabolically slowing down Shook. And that is these flashers with the agitator fin from ProTroll, right
5:04
This is super, super important. That flasher will spin at a slower speed overground
5:12
and that can make the difference and get your hookups when you're going maybe 1.5, 1.8
5:20
And I still like to sit around 2, 2.2 somewhere in there
5:23
but it gives you a little bit more leeway if you're if you're you're trying to go a little slower so
5:31
it'll still it'll still spin quite nicely Let's talk about hoochies
6:01
And really just your terminal offering in general, right? In the summertime, there's usually bigger bait around
6:09
There's bigger herring. A lot of times there's squid around. And, you know, I like to think about bigger bait profiles
6:19
If I'm going to try to convince a Chinook that may not be that hungry to
6:23
go for that one last one last meal, I want a larger profile offering
6:30
You know, I am a huge believer in using spoons, out in the ocean, out in the straight
6:37
places where fish are actively, really actively feeding and they're aggressive. Spoons work really good
6:43
But as we get closer in, I switch over to the Hoochie, the Acey Fly, and I'll actually
6:48
show you how I tie my setup, my terminal setup with the Hoochie and an Acey Fly
6:53
fly inside it for a bigger profile offering. This is also where your plugs come into play as well
7:01
And a plug fisherman would say they'll work anywhere. But, you know, there's a, there's a place in the central Puget Sound where the plug bite is a
7:10
real, real factor. And a lot of it has to do with these, these fish are, they're looking for bigger profile offerings
7:18
And sometimes that's the only way you're going to get bit. One of the issues with trying to use bait, though, is, you know, there's a lot of dogfish around in Pugetown
7:28
So going straight bait while that, if you find a pocket of fish and you're willing to maybe work through some leaders and some bait because of the dogfish, it can be great
7:37
You know, going slow and putting a cut, plug herring in front of the fish, in Elliott Bay or down Marine Area 13, around the mouth of Nisquale
7:45
All of these places, this will work. Drop it down around point defiance
7:50
and you were going to get sought off by a dogfish more than likely
7:55
So there's places where you can do it and it can work great. Same with the whole herring or whole anchovy and a helmet
8:01
Same thing. It's a great option. When there's a lot of dogfish around, it's going to be a bigger challenge
8:09
Let me just show you one of my Hootie Aesai Fly setup
8:14
So I'll show you how to tie it here. But this is about a 32-inch leaf
8:20
B chain swivel on top 40 pound fluorocarbon line. It's important to use at least 40 for the
8:28
stiffness that because that's what is a big part of what's imparting the action, the motion of the
8:34
flasher, the stiffness of the leader, the length of the leader, all that impacts the action
8:39
And you have, you know, a green, glow, gold star hoochie here, or squid. And
8:50
inside that is a green I don think I can remove oh there it goes green spatterback splatterback Ace High Fly Connected to three green beads
9:08
A five-a-hout hook, about four inches, and then another five-hot trailer hook
9:18
So that has been an outstanding setup for me and others. you know look at the profile the flash the profile size on this is is quite significant right so
9:34
this is the kind of stuff we're talking about that that unlocks some of the some of the tougher
9:42
bites in the south and central puget Sound but it's not just about the visual appeal of what
9:47
you're doing you have to consider that again these are Chinook salmon and the funkier they get
9:53
the slower than metabolism gets, the more scent-driven they tend to be
9:59
So, you know, I'll tie that front hook with a bait loop knot, and I'll put a filet, a herring
10:07
fillet in there. I'll sometimes load the cavity at the top of the squid with herring oil
10:17
the more scent and bait that you add to whatever offering you're using
10:24
the more likely you're going to have dogfish issues. But I've not hooked a lot of dogfish on hoochies
10:30
You will hook them, but they're just not as good at, like
10:35
grabbing that hoochie for some reason compared to spoons and bait offerings
10:40
You'll still get bit by them. It's unavoidable. So you're trying to balance that
10:45
But if you're just going for visual stimulation and not scent, you're not going to get bit as much
10:53
And so that, you know, filet inside the bait loop knot on hooties and as high flies is super important
11:00
Smelly jelly, herring oil, these kind of things all, all really important to getting bit in these conditions
11:09
All right. We got to talk about when you actually go fishing
11:13
You know, I see a lot of anglers launching after sunrise to go chase these fish around point defiance
11:26
And look, you'll get fish. If you're doing everything else right, you will still get schnuck
11:33
I know plenty of good anglers who are getting it done launching later in the morning
11:38
That's when they have to go. evening times whatever right there's still you're still going to get you're still going to find
11:47
fish but if you want to maximize your opportunity uh you want to be on the water
11:53
well before sunrise you know 30 minutes before official sunrise you want to be pulling away from
11:59
the dock using your head lamb nav lights all that on your boat like and the nice thing is
12:06
places like point defiance you can start trolling You know, right as you leave the boat launch area, you know, the slag pile, the boathouse
12:19
Owens Beach, you can be on the kicker and right away, you know, trolling for, trolling for Chinook
12:25
And one of the times I went out in, you know, first five minutes, I had two bites and my Chinook for the day
12:34
It can happen that quickly. But, you know, there was other days where in the first hour and a half
12:39
half, two hours, we got a couple fish, and then after that, the bite just stopped. And that was
12:46
that was experience for a lot of folks. Like, like, if you were on the water late, and you didn't get
12:51
it done the first couple hours, when that bite shut off, it was, it was over. And that can be
12:56
really, really challenging. You know, these fish are light sensitive, the further along
13:02
metabolically, they are. And the bite is absolutely the best in low light condition. Another thing to talk
13:09
about is, look, you might find a pile of these fish and you keep trolling past them and nothing
13:16
is triggering a bite, right? You might see them on your, on your fish finder, maybe you're at point
13:21
to find, mouth them in the squally, one of these spots, like, you're seeing them all over
13:25
your finder and you not and you not getting bit Well you might want to do the win in Rome thing here and look at what people are doing around you which a lot of them are going to be dropping jigs on these fish They going to be using you know the Puget Pounder jigs other jigs point Wilson darts whatever
13:46
Like you're going to be dropped, put a little scent on them. It's a little smelly jelly, and they're going to be dropping these jigs
13:52
And especially if you have suspended fish, you've got a line counter, you can drop it right on top of them
13:59
and you can just stick it there right in their face and work it until they bite, right
14:04
As opposed to whizz and buy at two knots or something like that and getting, you know
14:09
a couple seconds of your offering in front of their face. Why not? Why not let it just sit right there until you get bit
14:16
And that's incredibly effective technique in the South Sound, Central Sound, for getting some of these tough to get to bite Chinook to go
14:29
Yeah, it's a little crowded over here. This would not be my cup of tea. All right, last, last topic on this, which is a lot of times these fish are suspended
14:47
You know, the further the fish get towards their, you know, their decision to go up upriver
14:53
the more suspended they tend to get. You will get them on the bottom still, right
14:57
I'm not saying that. Like there will be a mix of fish that are feeding that are suspended
15:02
but don't neglect suspended fish. 40, 50 feet down on the wire, you'd be surprised how many of these fish will be up there
15:11
at maybe more typical coho depths and we'll be willing to bite
15:16
Keep an eye on your fish finder. Maybe if you don't have a ton of boat traffic, let your mainline a little bit further behind the boat
15:26
before you put it in the clip. So it gives you a little bit of time
15:30
to look at the fish finder, look at where the fish are, and come up or come down
15:35
and be willing to adjust to, if you see some nice marks, a lot of times
15:39
you get bit when you're dropping down to where those marks are and boom, comes off the clip
15:44
and it's fish on. So be willing to move your depths around
15:48
Don't just think, you know, fish are on the bottom, be willing to, but also don't just think fish
15:53
are going to be suspended either. You're like, you've got to move around to where you see the fish, on your finder
16:00
You know, 100 feet down and 120, 130 feet of water is good depth, 90 feet down, 70 feet down, right
16:09
These are all good depths to try and play with. But especially really early in the morning, these fish might be up at 35 or 45
16:19
So be willing to, be willing to adjust and, you know, and get it done however you need
16:26
to by being flexible on your depth. All right, you might be wondering what's part three of the series and really I'm just going
16:33
to try to cover everything about fishing in the river for these salmon
16:38
You know, I know a lot of folks who love to catch Chinook salmon and their season ends
16:42
in August, early September when the saltwater and green areas close and that's a shame because
16:48
I can't think of a more fun time outdoors than standing in a river to bear away
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waiters catching big Chinook salmon from from the bank. It's an absolute blast or from a drift boat
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But river fishing for Chinook has got to be, it's got to be on your plan for how you're going
17:12
to spend your time in the fall. There's a lot of rivers all over Washington where you can get it done all over Oregon
17:19
and other places, Northern California. And it's one of my absolute favorite things to do
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I know I've already got a video up there about float fishing for king salmon
17:29
This next one is going to be more, you know, more comprehensive in talking about how to catch
17:39
Chinook in the river. Stay tuned for that. Hopefully I'll have some good content to share later this fall on that topic
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Like this video, subscribe to the channel, punch the notifications button so you know when my next
17:55
videos are released and drop me a comment or question if you've got you looking for clarification
18:01
or more help on these these topics and hope to see you out there on the water
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