Look out salmon!

They're in trouble now.  I've got a secret weapon!

Actually, I have no idea if this will bring success.  It's a heavy casting spoon, the type of which I've not used since I was a teenager, many many years ago.  I was thinking that I could troll this without weight or a flasher when the water is clear.  It certainly looks like a little herring.  Has anyone here had any luck doing that?  I had great luck with the Luhr Jenson trolling spoons last fall, but they need weight to keep em down.

Take it for what it's worth, but i've trolled (and cast) weighted spoons - lil' cleos, KO wobblers, and the like b/w 1/4oz and 1oz - for salmon, steelhead and brown trout in lake michigan with good success.

Haha yeah, don't forget the eppinger daredevle!

Yeah, we'll see how I do.  Looking for more options to avoid bait.  I'm always trying out new things that I think a fish would hit.  But then again, I'm not a fish.

Look for trawl surveys in your area or maybe you just know what they are feeding on. 

Here in Alaska, we get herring, eulachon, and sandlances.  All different sizes and body shapes and colors.  Definitely helps to match the hatch per say.

My go to salmon trolling lure is the silver horde coho killers to imitate the sandlances.  Out fishes bait on many occasions.  If you are trolling the super light flutter type spoons seem to have better action when trolled.  But for casting and jigging, they aren't worth a dang.  Good luck!

If you are fishing for salmon which are hanging out on the bottom, and want to use a downrigger, here is a suggestion based on my experience in downrigger trolling for lake trout which are hanging out on the bottom: use lures which float, and which run fairly level behind your downrigger weight.  This will allow you to run your downrigger weight quite close to the bottom, and to present your lure quite close to the fish.  If your kayak slows up, or you turn left or right and your lure slows up, a floating lure will tend to rise up away from the bottom, but a sinking lure will tend to fall down and snag on the bottom.

All good suggestions, thanks!  One application I'm thinking about is when I'm on the open ocean and see a bait ball, or birds dropping down 50-100 feet away.  It seems like I'm always late to the party if I try to troll over to the spot.  I'll bring a spinning rod and huck this lure over to where I see the action and maybe get lucky that way.  At least I'll have fun trying! 

All good suggestions, thanks!  One application I'm thinking about is when I'm on the open ocean and see a bait ball, or birds dropping down 50-100 feet away.  It seems like I'm always late to the party if I try to troll over to the spot.  I'll bring a spinning rod and huck this lure over to where I see the action and maybe get lucky that way.  At least I'll have fun trying!

Perfect application for this spoon!  Don't forget to change the hook out for a single barbless.  I like the Gammi Big River Hooks for this.

-Mark-

Thanks Mark!  Hey if I'm offshore do I still need to go barbless?  And why a single? 

Thanks Mark!  Hey if I'm offshore do I still need to go barbless?  And why a single?

Yes, if you're targeting salmon in the ocean, you need to be using barbless hooks.  Single barbless hooks with an offset point work better than barbless trebles.  The other points of a treble that aren't set into the jaw of the salmon can generate leverage to pry the set point out. 

Yup, what Rawky said.

-Mark-

Thanks!  Geez, I need to keep up with the regs.  Page 93 of the regs requires single point barbless in the open ocean. So trebles aren't even an option there.

Thanks!  Geez, I need to keep up with the regs.  Page 93 of the regs requires single point barbless in the open ocean. So trebles aren't even an option there.

Get out there while you can!
There is talk about changing the regs next year to only retention of fish with two clipped fins and hook requirements to 1/0 or smaller only, one barbless hook only and it can't be sharpened!
They are making the rules absurd!

Thanks!  Geez, I need to keep up with the regs.  Page 93 of the regs requires single point barbless in the open ocean. So trebles aren't even an option there.

it can't be sharpened!

Dear lord...can you put bait on it or attach it to a string so you at least have a chance at pulling in a fish?  I thought Alaska was bad.....

Thanks!  Geez, I need to keep up with the regs.  Page 93 of the regs requires single point barbless in the open ocean. So trebles aren't even an option there.

it can't be sharpened!

Dear lord...can you put bait on it or attach it to a string so you at least have a chance at pulling in a fish?  I thought Alaska was bad.....

String is allowed but no more than 12" and it must be biodegradable.