Best day of fishing this year.

Nice Nooks! Catching salmon is such a rush!!

 Bottom fishing is fun but it just doesn't quite butter my biscuit like salmon fishing. Salmon is my favorite fish too. The hours and hours of trolling and the back pain and frustration all disappear in that moment when you're fighting that fish. It makes it all worth the effort. I still get frustrated, I had a hell of a weekend. I didn't feel like writing up a report though and I'm not even going to enter my upgrade for AOTY. I went 2 for 5 this last weekend and it was hard earned!
I know you love fishing light tackle and I think salmon fishing on light gear would be a dream for you. I can understand wanting to wait until you have pedal power...I could see it being annoying otherwise. I like to troll with my rod in my hand and paddling just doesn't make that possible.

Nice fish! Man everyone is catching salmon... it's just not my thing but I'm starting to get tempted. Way to go!

Salmon pile on ketapatterns salmon quote!!!lol. Isn't keta the Latin species designation for chum salmon?

My mindset is much like Keta's with the sole exception of king salmon.  There I'm more of a crazy troll for days to get that one strike like ling.  I'm not quite sure why that is.

For years I fished in river kings with a 12 ft noodle rod with 12lbs test. Love the feeling of a long soft action rod for some reason.   My next goal is to convert some light flyrods and reels to super light downrigger trolling setups for more fun....but probably not for kings. Too many hours between strikes and too many other ways to lose a fish than a broken equipment. 65lbs braid mainline, minimum 40lbs flourocarbon leaders!!!  On the Kenai river on a PB we step it up to 60 to 100lbs leaders.

Ling, you troll with the rod in your hand???  Doesn't that wear you out?  Ah, you are probably one of those young guys!  When using big planers or sinkers. 11inch flasher, and herring....it's hard to hold on to for any length of time.


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My personal pages...I'm not a guide.

I have to troll with the rod in my hand. I have lost every fish that has tried to bite while it was in the holder. I use a large flasher, not sure the length but I use 4oz of weight sometimes 6oz. It doesn't get tiring at all...I think the back pain from my seat and the buckles on my pfd digging in my ribs occupies the pain receptors.

Nice fish! Man everyone is catching salmon... it's just not my thing but I'm starting to get tempted. Way to go!

Salmon pile on ketapatterns salmon quote!!!lol. Isn't keta the Latin species designation for chum salmon?

Touche! I chose that name for a different and weird reason, but good point!

I have to troll with the rod in my hand. I have lost every fish that has tried to bite while it was in the holder. I use a large flasher, not sure the length but I use 4oz of weight sometimes 6oz. It doesn't get tiring at all...I think the back pain from my seat and the buckles on my pfd digging in my ribs occupies the pain receptors.

Hmmm...I know guides who make fisherman put the rod in the holder unless the client insists. They claim better hook up ratios by setting the hook with the boat. I've tried both and I tend to agree with the guides though it's not definitive.  I set the hook by pedaling as hard as I can for a few seconds to set the hook. Of course it doesn't do anything really to hold rod if you are using a downrigger.

   I will say I prefer mooching much more because I like to feel the strikes.  But overall, trolling has been more effective for me simply because I can cover more water.


AlaskaKayakFisher.com
Guidesak.blogspot.com
My personal pages...I'm not a guide.

I have to troll with the rod in my hand. I have lost every fish that has tried to bite while it was in the holder. I use a large flasher, not sure the length but I use 4oz of weight sometimes 6oz. It doesn't get tiring at all...I think the back pain from my seat and the buckles on my pfd digging in my ribs occupies the pain receptors.

Hmmm...I know guides who make fisherman put the rod in the holder unless the client insists. They claim better hook up ratios by setting the hook with the boat. I've tried both and I tend to agree with the guides though it's not definitive.  I set the hook by pedaling as hard as I can for a few seconds to set the hook. Of course it doesn't do anything really to hold rod if you are using a downrigger.

   I will say I prefer mooching much more because I like to feel the strikes.  But overall, trolling has been more effective for me simply because I can cover more water.


AlaskaKayakFisher.com
Guidesak.blogspot.com
My personal pages...I'm not a guide.

Kardinal is right about the pedaling it does help with setting. Ling are you using a large rod holder?

I'm using a Ram Tube that I turn down and angle forward. The ram ball is solid enough to hold up against a take down. I just prefer to feel the bite. I have enough discipline to not yard the rod when I feel the strike. I'll slow down a bit if the fish doesn't take the bait on the initial strike and I wait till I get more tugs. Then I put pressure on the rod and pedal faster. I'm basically using the boat to set the hook but I'm the rod holder.
My theory is that I'm more in tune to the fish instead of being distracted by birds flying by and fish jumping rather than watching my rod for a strike.