World-Class Salmon Fishing — Ocean and River
The annual salmon run in the Pacific Northwest is a wonder of nature as fish begin in the Pacific Ocean and traverse hundreds of miles inland to spawn. It’s something that has captivated people for eons and provided a primary food source, and it's now something that modern anglers look forward to each year. Among those who follow these runs closely each season is Capt. John Keizer of Salt Patrol.
Keizer guides clients as they target a variety of saltwater species, from bottom fish like lingcod and halibut to pelagic tuna, as well as the various salmon species. During the summer months, before the salmon migrate into the Columbia River and other locations, the action can be intense, and the fish will be the freshest that they will be all year before they begin their long journey to spawn.
Following the Migration
Salmon species like Chinook (kings) and coho (silvers) begin their journey in the ocean before dispersing to their spawning areas. It’s a prime time for anglers to capitalize on the fish movements and follow the bite along the way.
“The majority of the salmon run in Washington comes back to the Columbia River,” Keizer began. “A lot of the early fish will be coming down the coast and maybe going to Oregon and California, but as we get into July, the Columbia River fish start showing up. We’ve had a really good stock of fish the last few years, with really healthy-looking fish because the ocean conditions have been so good and there is a lot of bait for them.”
If there is one drawback to the Pacific Northwest salmon fishery, it’s that it varies from year to year due to fish run sizes and catch quotas enacted by wildlife agencies. That’s why it’s important to take full advantage of the seasons, and fortunately, they have been good in recent years.
“Some years, the seasons are a lot longer, and sometimes, they are very short,” he said. “You just never know, but it’s usually very good fishing when it’s open. I’ll typically stay in the ocean until they close it, then fish the river on days you can’t get out in the ocean or when the season is closed.”
The Deep Salmon Bite
Starting well offshore, Keizer and others spend a lot of time fishing the depths with downriggers in search of the freshest salmon you will find anywhere. This is where the journey begins for many salmon as they feed up in anticipation of a lot of swimming to spawn.
“These fish are beautiful and really chrome, even though they are not matured all the way yet, but they’re still big,” he said. “They’ll start to gain weight as they go up the Columbia, but the fish in the deep water are really sought-after, because it’s the highest end of the market quality. It’s a short window when they are out there; you’ve got about four weeks, but it’s a special fishery.”
Fishing depths up to 400 feet while being 15 miles offshore, the downrigger is the only way to go. Knowing where to start is all about the baitfish. “You’re looking for whales and porpoises, birds diving, and that sort of thing,” he said. “We also rely on our Lowrance DownScan to look for suspended bait balls, and if you see salmon swimming in it, you know to turn around. Each day the depth is a little different, but around 200 feet deep has been the hot number lately.”
Keizer and crew will fish 11-inch lighted flashers with soft-plastic salmon hoochies, using Pro-Cure Shrimp Super Gel scent, on 15- to 18-pound downriggers. From there, they’ll employ a Prolite Salt Patrol 10'6" Salmon Downrigger Rod with Penn Fathom reel spooled with 50 lb Seaguar Smackdown Stealth Gray braid.
“We run 50 lb on there and will fill it up and do a top-shot of 50 lb Seaguar Blue Label fluorocarbon leader, around 20 yards of it,” he said. “The stiffness of the Blue Label is great and allows the flashers to work a lot better when you are trying to show them something that deep. We prefer a Smackdown mainline because it has low drag in the water because it’s so thin, and since it has no stretch, you can tell right away if you get a ‘shaker’ on, which is a small fish that grabs the bait and doesn’t release the downrigger. With braid, you can tell right away, and you’d never even see it with monofilament.”
Salmon on the Beach
Another of Keizer’s ocean salmon approaches is done much closer to shore, trolling along the beaches and intercepting fish as they head to the river. This is a bite that will keep anglers on their toes, as it can change drastically from day to day, with the fish constantly on the move while they wait for the right tides to make their next move.
“This is the bite that we will chase as the fish start to push up the river,” he said. “It’s similar to how they fish the rivers, trolling with 360-degree rotating flashers and Yakima Bait Spin-N-Fish with two Gamakatsu Big River bait hooks with plastic hoochies. We’ll fish them on a Prolite Salmon Trolling Rod 10'6", a Penn Fathom reel, and 50 lb Seaguar Smackdown braid.”
From the Smackdown mainline, there will be a one-pound sliding lead ball, a swivel, and a 12- to 15-inch “leash” of 50 lb Seaguar STS fluorocarbon that attaches to the 360-degree flasher. From the other end of the flasher is another leader of STS fluorocarbon. Keizer goes with this leader material for several reasons, namely the strength and abrasion resistance.
“It’s very abrasion resistant, and that makes a big difference when you are with people who don’t fish all the time and fish get into crab pots and other stuff. It just seems to hold up better,” he said. “While it’s tough, it’s also not super stiff and still a little flexible. It’s also very strong, so you can grab a hold of it and pull a fish in the boat if you need to.”
The salmon fishery in the Pacific Northwest is world-famous and offers anglers many opportunities, as the fish begin in the ocean and make their way along the Columbia River across the length of Washington State. For those who prefer getting in on the action early, the saltwater bite is the way to go, and it heats up every summer as the salmon species begin their marathon on their way to the annual spawn.
Seaguar Smackdown braid is available in high-visibility Flash Green and low-visibility Stealth Gray. It is available in 150- and 300-yard spools in sizes ranging from 10 to 65 lb test.
Seaguar Blue Label fluorocarbon leader is available in 25, 50, and 100-yard spools in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80 lb test.
Seaguar STS Salmon fluorocarbon leader is available in 100-yard spools in 20, 25, 30, 40, and 50 lb test.