Fishing King Salmon

Are you planning to go fishing for salmon? For a novice angler or a seasoned pro there are few fishing excursions that can compare to an Alaska King salmon fishing trip or holiday. There are some tips, strategies and fishing tricks that can make King salmon fishing successful and productive. If you are planning to hire the services of a fishing guide on your fishing expedition, you will do well to chalk out a strategy of your own and depend on the guide to just point you in the proper direction.

There are very few fishing destinations that could be compared to an Alaskan fishing location. It is not easy to hook the Salmon and you will need a few tricks up your sleeve irrespective of your being a seasoned angler or a beginner. With the right knowledge and experienced guidance you will be able to make a big success out of your Fishing trip to Alaska.

There are several species of salmon that you should know about before you go fishing for salmon trips. There are Atlantic and Pacific salmons. Atlantic species are from the Atlantic Ocean, as the name implies. Also, you can find a wide variety of salmon in the various lakes that are in the eastern North America areas. They are the kind of salmon that don’t immigrate as they prefer fresh water than salt water.

The most popular of all salmons are the Chinook or king salmon or spring salmon, black mouth, however you call them, as they are the biggest among the salmon species, King salmon is also known by different kinds of names which are Chinook, Spring, Tule, Tyee and Bluemouth. The king salmon weighs more than 35 pounds considering it is the biggest of the species of salmon. The biggest king salmon was caught using a fish trap this was recorded in 1949 and it happened just outside Peterson, Alaska. It weighed 126 pounds and until now it still holds the record. In the Kenai River in Alaska another large king salmon was caught just by using a reel and a rod it weighed over 97 pounds. Chinook salmon is the state fish of Alaska.

Other types of salmon include the red salmon or sockeye salmon, pink salmon, silver or Coho salmon, chum salmon, and the Atlantic salmon, which are left run wild in the on the Atlantic coast only. Each of the pacific salmon species have different life cycle and each returns to their fresh water spawning grounds at different times. When salmon returns to the rivers where they’re from, they are collectively called run that is, in turn, named after the river.

King salmon can be caught both in fresh and salted water because they spend their life in both environment, king salmon fishing focuses on this environments. The life cycle of king salmon starts from fresh water where they are being hatched, then matures in the salt water when it is migrated and goes back to the fresh water to produce and die. King salmon takes around 2 to 7 years to mature in salt water before they go back to fresh water to produce. This only means that there are a lot of varieties and sizes to choose from when you are in king salmon fishing.

If the king salmon is still in the fresh water they eat plankton and insects especially when they are young if they are during their second year and already in the salted water they eat squid, herring and crustaceans. And if the time comes to produce they go back to the fresh water and feed on flies but there are debates if king salmon are actually eating it or just hitting it because they are excited and irritated.

It is imperative that you have a good deal of knowledge about the game you are going after. An insight into its habits and behavior as well as its habitat will give you an upper hand; else you will find that the game is playing games with you. The King Salmon is no different; it is elusive, has certain eating habits and will put up a big fight if or when it is hooked. So study the Salmon before setting out, you will be better equipped to lure, hook and land your game. Whether you are a novice or a professional fisherman, Alaska king salmon fishing is sure to give the thrill you are looking for! There are certain tips and tricks which, if you adopt, will improve your chances of catching the king salmon (or Chinook).

Remember that in the height of King salmon fishing season there is almost twenty four hours of daylight, so it is not necessary to fish standard hours like other fishing locations. Often just before the minimal dark time and during the very brief dawn period is the best time for fishing from the shore.

Select you lure wisely. Fishing in the deep waters of the ocean has been found to be very effective with pieces of cut herring or artificial herring lures. Once you have set your bait and tackle you should move in the opposite direction of the fish (move towards the fish) at a very slow speed. Solicit the help of a guide to locate the fish if you are not familiar with the fish movements.

The higher the tides the longer the trolling line should be, and trolling speed will typically increase slightly as well. Typically downriggers will also be set at several depths to identify how deep the salmon are feeding, but usually this can only be properly completed by an experienced angler.

There are several different types of lures available for king salmon fishing. Depending on the condition of the water you are going to be fishing in, you must decide on the lure. Some of the best lures are clusters of fish roe, shinny steel spoons, Wiggle warts, pieces of fish and shrimp, tadpoles. Experiment with fishing from a small boat, moving slowly across the mouth of a river or shallow fresh water bodies.

Shore tactics used for Alaska King Salmon fishing are slightly different. The behavior of the lure is important while fishing for King Salmon. Tools like heavier weights and a large spoon are used in order to allow the lure to appear to “bounce” off the bottom. This annoys the King Salmon, and being an aggressive predator fish it will attack the lure and you will then have a fight on your hands if you manage to hook the King.

Due to the fact that salmon always come back to where they hatched, you know when the ideal times are to go fishing for salmon or mostly called fishing season and you know there will always be salmon to catch. This is why many fishermen became fascinated with fishing, whether as hobby, sport or pastime.

Fishing for salmon requires bait. There are various types of baits that you cause in fishing for salmon. There are plugs, worms, lures, and flies in which you can use for fresh water salmon; for salt water, you can go for flies, streamers, crustaceans, and lures.

Fly fishing for salmon will require you to have 12-16 ft. graphite or fiberglass rod, fly reel and line. For bait fishing, you will need a 10 ft. spinning rod and bait caster reel with up to 20 lb. test line. But if you are into fishing for king or Chinook salmon, you will need a boat or a trolling rod. And because Chinook are known to be the biggest and heaviest of its kind, you will 20-40 pound or more test line. Who knows, your simple fishing for salmon trip could land you to catch king salmon?