and red. Most people use green fol- lowed by blue. The bait can be trolled whole or as a cut plug, although cut plug herring is more common. All things being equal, a good roll is prob- ably the single most important factor in determining whether the bait gets noticed. There are several bait-cutting boxes that ensure the angle is correct, and if you are new to it, the boxes are highly recommended. It used to be that 8.5- foot rods were
standard, but longer, more sensitive rods are showing up. You can even see 10-foot rods in action occasionally. Whatever rod you use, it should be rated for 12- to 25-pounds and have a moderate action. Use that in conjunc- tion with a level wind reel spooled with 25-pound monofilament. On the Columbia, there are two schools of thought for rigging up — with a lead dropper or with a flasher — and strong arguments exist for both. The extra flash can make a difference, but fishing without it can mean fewer tangles and less pull when fighting a fish. Experience should be your only guide here.
For those who use a flasher, you’ll find that most people use a spinning
flasher. They come with bead chain swivels and snaps already attached which you tie directly to your main- line. Before you connect them, use a sliding weight system (similar to that described for back-bouncing), then slide four or five beads over your mainline. The lead line should be between 18 and 24 inches, and you will need between 3 and 6 ounces of lead. To a swivel, run a 24-inch sec- tion of 30-pound monofilament that connects to your flasher. From the flasher, tie a 48-inch herring leader with 3/0 hooks. The most common size bait is green label herring, and that is largely due to the size of the salmon being targeted. There’s a saying that goes some- thing like, “bigger baits, bigger fish.” Considering that most spring Chi- nook run between 10 and 12 pounds, it is not a huge salmon you’re target- ing. It is, however, the best one that swims. And come February, that’s all that counts.
Pat Hoglund is the editor and publisher of Salmon & Steelhead Journal, (salmo-
nandsteelheadjournal.com).
TIDE
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