Jerkbaits?

[Shaun Solomon]

OK. Noob-y content warning. Tune out now if this produces copious bile.

Anyone fishing jerkbaits aka ripbaits aka minnow plugs for salmon? Plug-cut herring being the odds-on favorite of trollers in tidewater, clearly the salmon will snap at a baitfish. Something like a bigger size Pointer minnow in American Shad is a pretty fair herring imitation, much better than any other popular plugs like Wiggle Warts or Flatfish/Quickfish. Yet I absolutely never see reference to salmon fishing with them. Hmmm...

What about swimbaits? Again, pretty much dead-nuts for imitating baitfish. Again, no mentions.

SS

 

[jamisonace]

I troll kwikfish so I don't see why not.

 

[C_Run]

Lipped plugs are used for salmon in northern Europe. Probably just not caught on here.

 

[Camo]

It's all in the presentation!
And I'm not one to preach about abstinence on using the variety, sizes and colors of jewellery we have been casting at these critters to get their attention.
It also seems to me that we can easily get bogged down into the rituals of tying on the latest rage when a piece of worm would do. I'm also starting to believe that being on the water at the right time is more important then having sprays or live bait.
Saying all that...Ya just can't beat a slow moving Kwikfish after a rain.

 

[Shaun Solomon]

I'm really starting to cotton to the idea that timing is everything with this fishery.

One interesting observation I have made with the salmon fishing is that presentations don't seem to "go out of style" as quickly as they do with, say, bass or walleye presentations. Maybe the fact that the salmon have come home to die has something to do with that. They probably don't get caught more than once.

SS

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Jerkbaits work for coho in tidewater. Don't jerk just cast and reel in as fast as you can.