Young Chinook salmon feed on terrestrial and aquatic insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans. Older Chinook primarily feed on other fish. Fish (such as whiting and mackerel) and birds eat juvenile Chinook salmon. Marine mammals, such as orcas and sea lions, and sharks eat adult salmon.
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What is the best bait for Chinook salmon?
Salmon eggs are the top choice for bait, although sand shrimp are very popular for chinook salmon. Some anglers like to fish both at the same time.
How do you fish a Chinook salmon?

How do you fish for salmon in a river?

What lures to use for salmon in rivers?
- Spinners. For some anglers, standalone in-line spinners are tops among the best salmon lures for river fishing.
- Winged drift bobber rigs. These are buoyant floats with wings and are a component of drift rigs.
- Casting spoons.
- Flies.
- Wobbling plugs.
- Colors.
What colors do salmon see best?
The colors that show up in the deepest water are greens, blues and blacks. All glow lures glow green. In addition, Ultra Violet colors can be added to your tackle box, as they show up at all depths. While we can’t see UV colors, salmon see them very well.
What time of day is best for salmon fishing?
In general, the magic hours of early morning just before sunrise, and late evening just after sunset are the best for salmon fishing. The phases of the moon come into play, high and low tide, and even low-pressure systems moving in can enhance your opportunity.
What is the best month for salmon fishing?
The fishing season for salmon goes from late April to mid-October. Arguably, peak salmon season is from June to August in which pretty much every popular type of wild salmon is being caught and is available for sale.
What is the best bait to catch salmon?
Minnows are always a good choice, as almost any freshwater fish are attracted to and eat them; just make sure they are lively when you bait the minnows on your hook. Sand shrimp are another option. Sand shrimp usually are the best bait for catching salmon, but they are also the most expensive and hardest to rig.
How do you jig a river for salmon?

Where do salmon rest in rivers?
Salmon will often lie in the tails of pools where the water seems to lift up and gain speed. Salmon will also lie where the water slows down and flattens out after running into a pool from rapids or riffles. junction pools or any pool where a tributary enters the main river is a likely location for salmon to hold.
What depth do salmon swim at?
Mature adult Atlantic salmon have been found to swim within approximately 5 m of the surface during their marine phase, with occasional dives to greater depths (Westerberg 1982, Dรธving et al.
Do spinners work for salmon?
Spinners tend to be most effective for salmon and steelhead where the fish are found in water depths of five feet or less. The stronger the current in a river, stream or creek, the more slowly you’ll need to retrieve.
What size hook do you use for salmon?
Sizes 6 & 4 are a good general size. For Salmon or larger trout use 4 or 2. Size 8 for pressured or finicky trout.
What size lures for salmon?
For salmon, try using the 1/2 ounce or 1/4 ounce lure. This lure comes in solid colors and patterns. Some of the patterns, like brown trout, mimic other types of fish.
What colors are chinook salmon attracted to?
Black: This color is highly significant when tying flies or purchasing lures. An additive bonus with black it can be paired with other popular colors in the UV spectrum to trigger strikes. Royal Blue: A tidewater favorite when paired with chartreuse.
What scents do salmon like?
When anise oil fails to produce, I’ll often switch to shrimp oil. If shrimp oil fails, I’ll try crawfish, tuna or some other scent. Vanilla extract, DMSO, herring oil, rootbeer extract and sugars are all proven salmon-getters.
How do I know what color lure to use?
Dark or Light depending on the weather. Choose lure colours according to weather and water conditions. The general rule for lure color is “bright day, light colors; dark day, dark colours.” On bright, sunny days and in clear water conditions, choose lures that are light in colouur and mimic natural patterns.
Is braided line good for salmon fishing?
We recommend strong 10-15 lb mono or 15-30 lb braided line. You can then tie on a lighter weight fluorocarbon 2-4 foot long leader. For salmon fishing you will want a 7-9 ft. Line weight 15-30 lb medium to heavy action rod.
How does rain affect salmon fishing?
Rain does help wash the chemical “scent” of the watershed downstream, making it easier for returning adult salmon to navigate back to the streams where they were born. Rain also raises the level of rivers, which can help salmon travel into locations that are otherwise inaccessible during other times of the year.
Do salmon bite in dark?
The answer is usually “yes,” but few anglers capitalize on the possibilities. “There’s pretty good evidence that those salmon you fish for at last light and again at first light are actively feeding throughout the night,” Tony Floor says.
Where is most salmon caught?
Alaskan fisheries account for 97% of total landings, bringing in 985,894,408 lbs. Because wild Atlantic salmon is an endangered species, fishing for it is prohibited in most of the world.
Where is the best salmon fishing?
- Lake Ontario, New York. Lake Ontario is a good place to go fishing for salmon, as chinook and coho salmon abound in its waters.
- Kenai River, Alaska. If there’s one place that you should go salmon fishing in the US, it’s Alaska.
- West Branch Penobscot River, Maine.
- Lake Oahe, South Dakota.
What is the largest salmon?
Chinook/King salmon are the largest salmon and get up to 58 inches (1.5 meters) long and 126 pounds (57.2 kg). Pink salmon are the smallest at up to 30 inches (0.8 meters) long and 12 pounds (5.4 kg), although they average 3 to 5 pounds (1.3-2.3 kg).
Will salmon bite on worms?
Worms are big, they stand out in the current, and fish love worms. Salmon learn early in life that a worm drifting through the current is an easy target and a good meal.