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Alaska King Salmon Fishing Tips

from: Kyle Besser

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 for king salmon fishing Alaska, strategies and fishing tricks that can make Alaska king salmon fishing successful and productive, even if you aren't planning on hiring a Alaska king salmon fishing guide or taking an Alaska king salmon charter to find the best Alaska king salmon fishing locations.

It is important to know the behavior of the salmon species that you are going after, and Alaska king salmon fishing is no different. In the spring and fall king salmon move closer into the shore, out of the deep water. Keep in mind the water conditions, temperature and clarity or cloudiness of the water as this will have a big impact on lure selection and bait choices.

In addition, the following Alaska king salmon fishing tips may be of help. Incorporating a few or all of these Alaska king salmon fishing tips and ideas will definitely improve your chances of catching the king salmon, also known as the Chinook in British Columbia and some of northern Washington State.

1. Remember that in the height of the Alaskan king salmon fishing season there is almost 24 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.

2. In deeper ocean fishing king salmon it is typical to use cut herring or herring attractors as bait. Use a slow trolling speed against the movement of the fish. Fish finders can be extremely beneficial if you are not familiar with the natural movement of the fish.

3. 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 fishing king salmon.

4. There are many different types of lures that can be used for fishing king salmon, largely depending on the water conditions and type of fishing king salmon. Popular lures include bait egg clusters, t-spoons, Wiggle Warts, Kwikfish, flatfish, spinners and tadpolys using a smaller boat set on a low trolling speed across the mouth of rivers and shallow bars.

5. Shore tactics for Alaska king salmon fishing are slightly different with heavier weights and a large spoon to allow the lure to appear to "bounce" off the bottom. This behavior of the lure will both attract and irritate the salmon, likely resulting in a hit on the lure.

6. Although an Alaska salmon fishing guide or Alaska salmon fishing charter adds a bit more cost to an Alaskan salmon fishing trip, an Alaska salmon fishing guide or Alaska salmon fishing charter is usually recommended, at least for your first Alaska fishing king salmon visit. Once you become familiar with the area and the Alaska fishing king salmon techniques used, you will be more ready to strike out on your own.