Waves crash and you can hear fish breaking the surface as the sun slowly creeps up from the east. Anglers are standing shoulder to shoulder to get in on the action, chasing that same bite. As the angler next to you hooks up, he’s yelling for others to get out of the way as he works down the breakwall to land a big king salmon.
The spoon you’re working gets slammed and your reel starts peeling drag. After bobbing and weaving around everyone, you get him up on the rocks and it’s a beauty. You might think I’m describing a surfcaster’s dream, catching striped bass on a seawall, but in reality it’s sweet water and it’s just as fun!
JUST BEFORE THE RUN
Many people already know how incredible the king salmon run can be. Anglers travel far and wide to tangle with these incredibly hard-fighting fish as they charge up rivers. But many anglers don’t know that before the salmon swim up tributaries to spawn, there’s a short window where they stage just along the shore of the big lakes where they spend their summers which can be magical. A window where kings are still willing to bite before they develop lockjaw during the spawn and you can land big fish on lures. Shore-bound anglers can catch them from breakwalls, piers, or the open beach. And the boats can take a break from deep trolling to catch them in the shallows on light tackle.
These big chrome beasts start thinking about moving inshore to the mouths of the spawning creeks around Labor Day. The first cool nights drop the water temperature a few degrees and lakes begin their fall turnover. When all the lake’s water mixes together, it eliminates the stratification of water temps that occurs during the summer, and gives the signal to start the spawning run. But not all of the fish spawn at once, so don’t be surprised to find staging kings well into the beginning of November. Your best bet is to look for them just outside the river and creeks the will eventually run up. Time it right, and it can be some of the most exciting fishing of the year.
TACKLE FIT FOR A KING
When it comes to chasing staging kings, you almost have to think about it like surfcasting for striped bass on an open beach. You need long rods, large spinning reels and big, obnoxious lures to really catch their attention.
You want something in that 8′ 6” to 10’ 6” range with an 8-15 pound test line rating that can handle lure weights up to 3/4 ounce for long casting distance. Many anglers prefer the Fenwick HMX or St. Croix Avid series of salmon/steelhead rods. Reels in the 3000 to 4000 size range paired with 20-pound test braid are the go to for all of the casters from a pier or breakwall. A 35-size Pflueger President spinning reel paired with 20-pound test Power Pro are two confident options for handling hard-fighting kings.
Remember to always give yourself about a 6 to 10 foot section of 15-20 pound fluorocarbon leader to give the no-stretch braid some give and a better chance for landing the fish.
LURES FOR STAGING KINGS
For jigging salmon vertically at the mouths of tributaries, you want a rod that’s a little shorter. A 7-foot medium-action spinning rod with a fast tip would suffice just fine to turn the head of a big king. I personally like to look for a medium-action saltwater spinning rod. They have a more solid back bone than a standard freshwater rod, can hold more weight and absorb the fight of these big fish. A 7-foot Star Rods Stellar Lite rod in medium action is my go-to.
When it comes to baits, you’re looking for something that’s going to give off a vibration. Spoons are the main go-to. Larger sized Acme Little Cleos, Krocodile spoons in the 3/4 ounce sizes are what most guys are throwing either from shore or from a boat. Bright colored Blue Fox Vibrax inline spinners in size 6 are a great choice as well. Remember, the bite can come at any time. All it takes is the right cast to get it in front of their face to make them chomp down.
Vertical jigging at the mouths of tributaries can be productive in the earlier stages of the run. Large blade baits like a 3/4 ounce Fish Sense Binsky, freestyle jigs like the Daiwa Saltiga SK Jigs, or even jigs like the Hogy Epoxy models can all be stellar. The biggest thing is using something bright and over the top in color to really trigger them to bite and catch their attention.
WHEN TO GO
The best piece of advice I can give is watch the weather the day of or after a big blow. That can push salmon right along the shoreline, making them easier to catch. Rain, wind and big storms are the biggest factors that can turn a good day of salmon fishing into a great one.
In the end, it’s all about staying persistent to get a big one to strike. Put in the time and effort so you can be battling a mean, violent and aggressive king this fall. It’s a ton of fun!
