Tips for Fall Salmon Fishing
By Mike Gass, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC
October offers some of the best salmon fishing of the year in many coastal rivers of the Lower Mainland. Although pink salmon fishing is beginning to wind down with the majority of fish on or near their spawning grounds, this is far from the end of the salmon fishing season. Anglers can now turn their efforts to coho, chinook (spring), and chum salmon which begin entering the rivers in late September and run through November. One of the most exciting aspects of fall salmon fishing is the potential to catch multiple species in one day. Coho are known to be great tasting and for their acrobatic fights. Chinook can reach massive proportions with catches over 15kg not being uncommon. While chum are pound for pound the hardest fighting salmon species.
The most productive methods of catching coho, chinook, and chum salmon in rivers is float fishing or drift fishing. Here is a list of gear and tackle you will need to successfully float fish:
- Rod: 9’ to 12’medium action rod rated for 8 to 20lb line
- Reel: Levelwind or centerpin
- Mainline: 15lb test monofilament
- Floats: 10 to 25 grams in plastic, foam, or balsa wood
- Weight: Pencil lead, split shot, or sliding weights on mainline above swivel
- Leader: 6 to 12lb test fluorocarbon or monofilament
- Hooks: Size 4 to 1/0 octopus hooks
- Bait/Lures: Cured roe, Colorado blades, jigs, wool
When float fishing, it is very important to properly balance your float with enough weight so that only the top ½ inch of float is above the water. This will help improve detection of subtle strikes. This can be particularly important when targeting coho which can be soft biters. Using sliding weights also gives you added sensitivity and strike detection.
Anglers can have success float fishing for salmon any time of day however typically low light conditions either early in the morning or late afternoon produce the most fish. Chinook and chum are generally found in larger, deeper runs and pools, driving the coho into long tailouts, smaller riffles, and backwaters. Without question cured roe attached to your hook with a bait loop is one of the top producing baits for coho and chinook. When fishing roe or other bait you want to let your presentation freely drift down the river. Colorado blades, jigs, and small wool ties can also be very effective for all species of pacific salmon. With Colorado blades you want to increase the tension slightly by pulling back on your line to give the blade more action against the current.
After you decided what bait to use, the next consideration is how deep you should be fishing. Fish too shallow and you run the risk of drifting over fish without them seeing your offering. Fish too deep and you will get hung up frequently and run the risk of foul hooking fish. Adjust the distance from your float to your weight so are fishing 1 to 2 feet off the bottom. This will depend on the water you are fishing so it may take a few casts and trial and error to get the float adjustment right. Another mistake new anglers make is using too long of a leader. Having your leader length set at about 18 inches will keep your bait down in the zone where the fish can see it.
Coho in particular seem to spend a lot of time in slack water and are found in many backwaters and slow moving sloughs connected to the Lower Fraser. This can be an exciting way to explore new water and get away from the crowds. These fish are best targeted casting and retrieving medium sized spinners or spoons ranging from 3/8 to 3/4oz. No float or added weight is required for this type of fishing. My go to coho lures are a #45 Gibbs Koho spoon in silver with blue or green scale, gold with orange, or copper, as well as silver #3 Blue Fox spinners. Fly fishing is also extremely effective in these slow or still water situations. You will want at least a 6 weight fly rod (heavier if you anticipate hooking chum) and an intermediate sinking line or a floating line with a long leader and a weighted fly. Small flies are usually the ticket. One of the most productive coho flies is an olive crystal flash Woolly Bugger, tied with a weighted gold bead head on a size 8 nymph hook.
Some of the best salmon fishing rivers in the Lower Mainland include the Chilliwack/Vedder, Chehalis, Harrison, Norrish/Nicomen, Squamish, and Capilano River.
Please remember that if you are targeting salmon in freshwater and plan to retain your catch, you require a Non-Tidal Salmon Conservation Surcharge Stamp in addition to your Freshwater Fishing Licence. Also, freshwater salmon fishing regulations vary from river to river and from year to year. So be sure to check the in-season openings/closures prior to heading out on the water.
Originally published here.