Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3820 Sept 13-27 | Page 13

HOW TO...
VOL.38 • ISS. 20
Sept 13-27, 2019
11
Sac River Salmon Knowledge
<

Norcal anglers
are looking forward to an
excellent river salmon
season. Salmon scores
have been ramping up, so
now is the time to gear up
for success. This massive
30 plus pounder crushed a
sardine wrapped Flatfish.
>

Spinners are the No.1 offering
for anlgers trolling for kings in the Delta
and throughout the lower valley section
of the Sacramento River. Yakima
Bait’s Bob Toman Spinners have
undergone many years of research
and development. They offer just the
right thump and vibration to create
aggressive strikes from kings. Powder
coated UV finishes, and special brass
alloys insure the spinners will maintain
their luster and effectiveness over the
long haul.
<
Here we see a couple sardine
wrapped Flatfish. Note how the
sardine fillet is split to fit around the
lure’s hooks and then attached using
Magic Thread. It takes a little practice
to correctly wrap Flatfish. Check the
plugs action before dropping it down to
the bottom. If the plug wiggles well and
tracks straight you’ve done the wrap
properly. Adding a little dab of crawfish
meat or white prawn meat makes the wrap even more deadly.
>
If you think the situation
calls for a rotating bait,
traditional plug cut herring are
a great option. You can dye
herring various colors or run
them in their natural state.
Herring can be trolled without
adding flashers.
presents
Trolling Notes For Sacramento River Kings
S
acramento River salmon trollers
are as excited as grade schoolers
counting down the days to summer
vacation and with good reason. The
salmon fishing outside the Golden Gate
is as good as it has been in
many years and those fish
will be surging through the
Delta and up the Sacramento
River in a matter weeks.
Once the run starts Delta
and Sac Valley trollers
should enjoy good action
right through the end of the
season on December 16.
This being the case this is a
perfect time for rank and file
anglers to bone up on Delta
and Valley trolling tactics.
Up river, say from Chico
north and in much of the
Feather, river salmon fishing
is a specialized sport that requires jet boats
and the ability to back troll and drift roe
in very specific areas. This fishing is best
left to the guides and super knowledgeable
salmon junkies that have jet boats and the
ability to navigate shallows and rapids
without getting into trouble.
For the average angler with a standard
boat and basic gear, the section of the
Sacramento River from say Rio Vista all
the way up through the Capital City north
to Colusa is much more user friendly.
The water is deep throughout out this
huge expanse of river and as a result
anglers don’t have to worry about navi-
gating rapids and gravel bars, leaving
them to concentrate on catching fish!
Okay, let’s gear up, hit the water and
fill a smoker or two with yummy salmon
fillets. Salmon are big hard fighting fish
with a relatively soft mouth. For this
reason a fairly long 7 to 8 foot rod with
a somewhat soft sensitive tip is a good
choice. Such a rod tip plays a duel role.
On one hand it cushions the fight of the
salmon, keeping them from ripping out
hooks, but it also allows you to monitor
the function of the lure to ensure that it
is working properly and hasn’t picked up
debris.
The rod should be topped with a quality
level wind baitcaster spooled with braid.
Line counters are preferred but
you can get by without that
function.
Does this rig sound like the
set up you use for Delta striper
trolling? Well yes, because
striper and salmon trolling rigs
are pretty much the same beast,
with the only distinction being
the end tackle you arm them
with.
On the business end of your
rig everything runs off a three
way system. To start rigging
take your main line and attach
it to a three way swivel. On the
lower eye of that swivel attach
a 14 inch dropper made of 10 or 12 pound
mono and tip it with a snap. That’s where
your sinker, usually in the 2 to 6 ounce
range will attach. To the remaining eye of
the three way attach a 4 to 5 foot 25 pound
test mono leader tipped with a quality lock
snap for attaching lures.
When it comes to lures, there are
basically three offerings that work well
in California rivers, spinners, plugs and
rolling baits.
For day in day out success and versa-
tility, spinners are probably the No. 1 lure.
Now as anyone that has targeted them
knows, salmon can be fickle once they hit
freshwater and the lure you present them
has to be just right in terms of the sound it
emits and it’s color pattern. There are a lot
of salmon spinners on the market, but for
me few are as effective as the Bob Toman
Spinners from Yakima Bait. Bob Toman is
one of the most successful salmon guides
on the Pacific Coast and he invested years
in refining his trademark spinners. The key
is Toman’s “thumper blade” that has just
the right pitch to draw aggression strikes
from king salmon. I’ve personally seen
FISH SNIFFER
HOW – TO
by Cal Kellogg
CONTINUED ON PG 13