#24 Fall Salmon Habits

Presentation for Salmon in the last several months of their life. Click on photo to read article.

By Capt. Jim Hirt In previous article we covered lure presentation on clear days. Now let us switch gears and discuss location and presentation for Salmon in the last several months of their life. I will just group them together and call them spawners. For the fisherman in our area this includes Coho and Chinook. On or about the third week in July to the end of our season and beyond these fish are looking for a place to drop their eggs. The active feeding time of their life is coming to an end. The good news is they will still hit lures on what I call a reflex reaction. As the spawners start their quest for the perfect spot they will move from where you would normally look for them on baitfish. The end of July and early August fish the 55 to 70 degree water in depths of 100 feet or more. As the season progresses they start to move closer to natal-release sites. The four-year-old kings definitely like color. I like spoons or attractors and flies in green, orange, chartreuse, red and silver. As we get into August most of these fish will be suspended in the 60 degrees or warmer water. In the month of August I look for the biggest kings in 60 to 90 feet of water. The lure action changes everyday experiment with size, speed and color. One day the fish like flashers or dodgers the next its spoons. September the fish start to go up the river. Look for them in 50 to 40 feet of water, in the harbor gaps and mouths of the rivers. Dreamweaver 90002s plugs out preformed J-plugs four to one again this season for big kings. Try them all season long you won't be disappointed. When these fish get into the harbor there are three lures I run. Magnum silver or glow in the dark Vulcan spoons, Dreamweaver plugs and Magnum Nestor Wobblers made by Badgertackle.com. I just discovered the Nestor Wobbler this year and they caught fish on days when all other lures failed to produce. Good Luck Captain Jim. Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.