I’d estimate, conservatively, I’ve listened to 40 seminars on spring chinook fishing in the lower Columbia and Willamette rivers in the past three decades. I have notes from more than 30 presentations in a special “Spring Chinook’’ notebook in my home office.
Sunday will be the season-opener for me. All these years have taught me to have patience until the last week of March, then fish every day I can squeeze in until the season ends.
In preparation for another spring salmon season, I went through the notebook Tuesday and reviewed pages and pages of notes. Every guide or angling expert has their own spin.
But here are five suggestions that most experts agreed on, and seemed worth sharing:
1. Whole herring — Granted, the spin of a properly plug-cut herring is a thing of beauty. Headless herring catch more spring chinook in the lower Columbia River than any other offering.
But getting that perfect spin is not always easy, especially for newcomers. Something as simple as a not-sharp knife blade can effect the roll. Even well-cut herring, after smacking on the river bottom for a while, lose that good spin.
Here’s an alternative: Use a whole herring, and rig it Old Harbor-style.
Take a wooden barbecue skewer and insert it into the anal vent of the herring at about a 45-degree angle. Aim for the dorsal fin. The bend the herring and push the skewer until you can feel it in the head of the bait.
Using pliers or scissors, snip off the skewer flush to the herring’s body.
Take your top hook and insert it under the lower jaw and out through the hard spot between the eyes. Allow the trailing hook to dangle.
Bending the bait before you push the skewer through is the key. Put the rigged bait in the water and watch it spin.
2. Fish the tide changes — Spring chinook bite best at tide changes, according to Buzz Ramsey, brands manager for Yakima Bait Co.
“Fish bite best during a tide change and the outgoing tide,’’ Ramsey said at a Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show seminar. “Early in the ebb tide is the best tide of the day. That’s a big time to be there.’’
When the tide is flooding, spring chinook will come up to within 12 to 15 feet of the surface, he said. When the tide is ebbing, it’s best to fish the bottom.
“Change your tactics depending on what the tide is doing,’’ he added.
Other tips included: trolling in a zigzag pattern when the current is slack; fish in shallow water if the Columbia is high and turbid, excessive boat traffic will push fish to depths of 40 to 50 feet.
3. Cleanliness — Serious anglers know that cleanliness counts in fishing, especially spring chinook fishing.
The old, non-ultra Lemon Joy is a favorite for washing just about everything in the boat. If you can’t find non-ultra Lemon Joy, then use the ultra version and water it down in a spray bottle. By all means, wash your Kwikfish, MagLips, Super Baits and Killer Fish before putting them away.
Steelhead guides on the Olympic Peninsula are known to clean their plugs with regular Crest toothpaste. Some rub a bit on the lure before putting it in the river and let the friction of the water wash it off.
Carry a little bucket in your boat for lure washing. Also, clean the handles of your rods, especially cork handles. And when was the last time you washed the towels in the boat?
Hardware stores carry nitrile gloves in various thicknesses and hand sizes. They are a great improvement over the one-size-fits-all gloves at drug stores.
4. Which bait at what water temperature?
Well, there’s plenty of room for debate here. When the water is in the 40s, herring generally work best. Temperatures in the 50s are prime for Kwikfish, MagLips, KillerFish. In water above 55 degrees, try spinners or prawns.
5. Patience please
Leave your rod in the holder and do not grab it once it starts bouncing. This is particularly true when using herring. One school of thought is salmon grind up a herring in their mouth so it cannot escape. So don’t pull the bait out of a chinook’s mouth. This is also a good rule of thumb for sardine-wrapped lures.
It’s OK to let the rod load up, for the tip to be almost in the river, or in the river. Too patient is much preferable to too quick.
