Yeah, yeah, yeah …. I know. I wrote about coho and king salmon fishing in the rivers some time ago. So what?

Here’s what. I wrote that rain brings both salmon species moving up the rivers. Colder temperatures lower the water temperature, and rain that falls through cold air, also turns river water colder. That is what is happening now.

It’s a pretty elementary thing. That cold water, and slightly higher water levels, triggers salmon to move upstream to spawn.

Sometimes they will scoot 10 miles upstream, and sometimes they stop at the first deep hole, and sometimes they hit extremely well as soon as they reach a deep hole. There are times when they do not.

Salmon fishing over many years

I’ve fished river salmon since the first run in 1967, and have learned over 42 years that there is a lot I still don’t know about these game fish. What I do know is the cold rains in mid- to late-September cause salmon to move, and once they start moving, they are receptive to hitting.

Not always, though. Sometime nothing triggers a strike. These fish are not feeding but they will occasionally grab bait, flies or lures.

One thing stands out about Chinook salmon in Lake Michigan tributaries. Once they hit, and are fairly hooked in the mouth, they peel off on downstream runs that are difficult to stop. Anglers who remain rooted in one spot with a throbbing rod and a fish 100 yards downstream will seldom land that fish.

Salmon fishing can be a foot-race

The only way to keep pace with these fish is to stay with them. Years ago during my lengthy guiding career, I told my anglers: If you want to land these large fish, it’s necessary to follow them. Some fishermen would do it, and beach a big king. Others didn’t think it was necessary or didn’t want to work that hard, and they would seldom land a salmon.

It’s tough work whipping up on a fresh-run Chinook salmon from Lake Michigan. Their mint-silver scales may have faded a bit since entering the river, but they are a real handful.

Holes and runs are where most of these fish will be found before they move up onto spawning gravel, and as often as not, the water will have a generous amount of debris. One thing is certain: if the bait or the lure isn’t near bottom it’s not going to hook fish.

Here’s how

A gob of raw eggs still in the skein, and a bit smaller than a golf ball will work wonders when drifted downstream under a bobber. Attach a small splitshot a foot above the bait and add more splitshot until the bobber stands straight up and down when drifting with the current. Keep adjusting the bobber depth until it drags on bottom, and then shorten up about two inches.

Cast across the river and far enough upstream so the spawn will be skimming bottom through the hole or run. Sometimes small salmon or trout will peck at the bait, but when a big king or coho decides to latch on, the bobber gets sucked under.

There is nothing delicate about this fishery. Slam the hook home, and jab it home again, and hang on. If the fish comes up and jumps, try to pull him sideways. The fish will slam back into the river and may run 10 yards or 50 yards before stopping. My advice to anglers always was to stay as close to the salmon as possible.

Keep the hooked fish off-balance

If he tries to go to the right, pull from the left side. If it tries to swim to the left, pull hard from the right. Get right in tight to the fish, and often they will jump, splashing water all over the angler. I had one 30-pound king 25 years ago jump from five feet away, slam into my chest and it knocked me over in waist-deep water. That was my wake-up call.

It was quite a sight, me going downstream, trying to swim for shallower water one-handed so I could get my feet under me while the salmon ripped off on another downstream run. It was one of those you-had-to-have-been-there moments, but feel free to use your imagination.

Spinners work very well in deeper holes. Cast across and slightly upstream, allow the spinner to sink on a tight line, and reel just fast enough to make the spinner turn over.

Kings that hit spawn under a bobber don’t hit very hard. Chinook salmon that slam a No. 2, 3 or 4 Mepps Aglia spinner, can hurt your rod-holding wrist. These strikes are about as subtle as a train wreck.

The time to be out there is now. It’s 50 degrees at Traverse City and raining right now. It rained some yesterday and last night. The water will be rising up, and so will the coho and king salmon.

Meet them halfway on a river of your choice. The run doesn’t last forever, and catching saknib soon after they enter the river will provide anglers with a fight they will long remember.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors