fishing tackle

What type of salmon and bottom fishing tackle do I need? I have mooching gear and a bunch of darts for jigging?

You need EVERYTHING! 

Are you asking about rods, reels, and terminal gear? 

What types of baits, jigs, size of jig heads etc? What types of rigs Carolina, Texas? What's good for what types of fish? What brands of bait, size and types? I'm looking for the basics so I can atleast get started on a direction.  Thanks in advance!

 I'm not a good example as I have a float tube, pontoon boat, whaler, and a kayak. I've got gear for every US and Canadian fishery plus most other places around the world. My biggest problem is narrowing down what I take for each trip.

here's a link or 2  that should help:

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,1424.0.html
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,134.0.html

Just do a search on SALMON TACKLE, GEAR FOR SALMON, etc etc

What type of salmon and bottom fishing tackle do I need? I have mooching gear and a bunch of darts for jigging?

You're well on your way then.  Concentrate on learning to fish your existing gear successfully.   Many a fish has been caught on that gear.

-Allen

I really don't want to screw around with herring.  What's a good lure or three to put on the downrigger?

I want to get into using soft baits for bottom fishing. Like curly tails. Do you have to use these with jig heads? What kind, color, size?

What about drop shot rigs?  I've used them from shore for surf perch with gulp shrimp. Has anyone tried bottom fishing from a yak with it?

  You're gonna get a lot of variety in this thread, I bet!!

My choice top 3 for trolling, herring in a Rhys Davis or E-chip teaser head excepted---

1.  small "cone" flasher, 5-6 foot 50# leader to a 4inch Coyote or Silver Horde spoon, your choice of colors but I like Army Truck, and green/glo.

2.  No flasher and a big spoon, about 5-6 inches, I like the 1/2 and 1/2 nickel/brass, but Apex makes a great blu/white 6" UV spoon. Use a BB swivel---a good one!.

3.  One of the new Brad's Superbait cut plugs, fantastic flash and action, it has a flip-open cavity with  a sponge liner for your favorite scent. Comes rigged with long 40#
     leader and a crummy instant rusting chrome hook, use a 92553 stainless Mustad 5/0 or 6/0.  I'll be using that in the Strait this week.

    I am not listing flasher and rubber squid (hoochie), as there's too much drag with a regular 11" rotating flasher.  But that's what catches most kings in my PB....2nd would be the
herring in a teaser head, Rob and I took 2 fish over 30# with that setup, and one at 29# in 2008 with a mini glo  b-2 squid behind Army Truck flasher. 

What types of baits, jigs, size of jig heads etc? What types of rigs Carolina, Texas? What's good for what types of fish? What brands of bait, size and types? I'm looking for the basics so I can atleast get started on a direction.  Thanks in advance!

Texas and Carolina rigs are used primarily for freshwater bass fishing, not really for salmon or saltwater bottom fish. 

Where are you located (state, region)?  The regulations for different rigs and seasons vary greatly depending on where you are wanting to fish.  For bottom fishing I'd say pick up some 2-4oz leadhead jigs and some 6" grubs or scampis.  You can also do fairly well with pipe jigs too.

What about drop shot rigs?  I've used them from shore for surf perch with gulp shrimp. Has anyone tried bottom fishing from a yak with it?

I don't know about salmon, but for rockfish, lings and cabezon, this would work well. Just use dropper loops instead of the drop-shot setup to make it easier.  In Oregon you can use 3 hooks at a time in the ocean.  A great setup to use for this is two dropper loops with shrimp flies or something similar on them and the bottom weight is just a 3 or 4 oz. jig.

I really don't want to screw around with herring.  What's a good lure or three to put on the downrigger?

Keeping it simple ... 5.0 Coyote in Cop Car.  Let it out like 50-70 feet before clipping it into the DR.

-Allen

I'm from Spanaway, WA. But, I'm willing to drive to fish. Im planning on trying out the salmon tournament next month. But I want to put some practice in.

I don't get out Salmon fishing very often, PB mostly.
 Butt, for the rockfish, I like using the soft swimbaits with leadheads.
 My "go to" color for the shallower water I usually fish in, 50' or less,  is a brown glitter bait 3"-4".
 For the deeper fish I like to use a black top/purple haze bottom swimbait 6"-7"
 I will be trying out some different color combos soon, as I was recently with some friends out of Trinidad who showed me how to pour my own.