There are many different techniques we use to find and catch Salmon and Steelhead I will briefly cover a few here. If you have questions about a technique or would like more information please don't hesitate to shoot me an email or give me a shout. Boondogging or Free Drifting: This is when we position the boat at the top of a hole and begin to let the boat drift down stream. I then have the clients cast there offerings at a 45* angle upstream from the boat. All of the rods are running the same pound test line and the exact same amount of lead or weight. This is a very important part of making the baits all drift down stream at the same speed I use just enough weight to have the offering just tick the bottom every few feet to let you know you are in the zone. This is a very important part of making the baits all drift down stream at the same speed. I try to have all of the clients cast different lengths as to cover the most water possible. At any given time with the right amount of visibility you can cover a swath of water nearly 20' wide. The reason the 45* angle is so important is that it pulls all the belly out of the line letting the fisherman feel the bite much easier. This is a fantastic way to take a rookie who has never caught a steelhead and teach them the proper technique to feel how a steelhead bites. As a fish picks up the bait the hook will usually slide right into the corner of the mouth and as the fish swims away the client will set the hook and bam fish on!!! It is my job to run the kicker motor at the correct speed to keep all of the lines at this correct angle. Float Fishing: There are many different ways you can use floats to present different offerings to Salmon and Steelhead. You can present bait ( Row, Shrimp, Prawns etc) Jigs, Rubber worms, Flies, Yarn etc. The variations are only limited by your imagination. There are also many a floats on the market that can be used in different situations one of my favorites are the Canadian Dink floats. There are many different situations that I will use floats to present a bait. One of my favorite is in huge boulder gardens where drift fishing will result in a loss of your gear nearly every cast. Another is when the water is running so slow that you can't get a drift using traditional drift gear. These are places that Steelhead and Salmon are noted for holding in while making there migration upriver. Another time I use floats is when we are fishing out of the drift boat and want to cover a seam or a section of holding water over and over again. I will anchor the boat at the top of a hole, let the floats out and let the reel free spool allowing the float and bait to drift freely through the section of water we are trying to cover. There is no doubt when you get a bite with the floats. The float goes under, set the hook and drive it home. One of the many tricks to float fishing is learning how to read the float so that you are making the correct presentation to the fish. You want your float to be standing as straight up as possible. If the float is leaning down stream the offering is bouncing on the bottom, if the float is leaning up stream you have slowed the float down by not allowing it to float freely enough down stream. There are many ways to rig the float and different baits. If you would like to know more book a trip and we will teach you in person or give me a shout and we can go over more then. Spoon and Spinner fishing: This is one of my all time favorite ways to catch Steelhead and Salmon. At any given time this can be a way to catch fish when other methods are not producing the wanted results. I use many different types, colors and sizes of spoons and spinners. My favorite spoon has to be the Little Cleo style of spoon. Another name brand we use are Mor-Tac or Pen Tac. This style of spoon allows you to get the spoon to fall to the bottom more quickly than a wider body spoon. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is they make a cast and begin to reel immediately. Spoons and spinners are designed to come up as pressure is applied to them. As we all know Salmon and Steelhead are bottom lovers. When using spoons and spinners I try to make my cast either straight out or slightly down stream. Immediately mend your line above where you casted. This will allow the spoon to begin to fall to the bottom with out too much belly in the line. You may need to do this a few times through out the drift. Now let the spoon or spinner fall until you feel it hit the bottom. Then begin to reel very slowly just enough to keep you from bouncing the spoon or spinner on the bottom all the time. As the Spoon begins to work you will be able to see your line and rod tip pulsate. This is when you know you are fishing the spoon in the proper manner. Plug Fishing: Plugs come in many shapes, sizes and colors but can be a top producer on any given day. Plugs will usually create a ferocious strike from the fish. Most of the time there is no doubt when you get bit. Plug fishing is one of my favorite ways to entice Mr. Chinook salmon into a fight you won't forget. I use K-14, K-15 and K-16 quick fish for this technique. As with any method there are numerous ways to rig these lures to fish under many different conditions. One constant that rings true is I always use a bait wrap on the lure. I use a sardine wrap tied to the bottom of the plug using a very thin nylon thread. This is like candy to Mr. Chinook. One thing to remember as the fish begins to bite is don't set the hook immediately. Granted this takes nerves of steel, but one must the let fish eat the plug. The general rule of thumb is either three take downs or when the tip of the rod is in the water. After this test of your patience lift the rod out of the holder and firmly lift straight up and drive the hooks home. Don't use a sharp jerk. Just slow firm and definite. Steelhead can also be enticed to hit a plug. This is a method we use over and over again from our drift boats. We use smaller plugs for this technique. Again there are many different shapes, sizes and colors to choose from. Tadpolly's, Hot Shots, Wiggle Warts are a few of my favorites. As far as colors go, match the plug selection to the water conditions you are fishing. One thing that I do add to my plugs is a scent of some sort. There are many different pastes, jells and oils you can use. My all time favorite is the Mikes shrimp sent. This is used as an attractant along with a cover sent to mask our human odors. One other thing is to keep your hooks razor sharp. One of the most important keys to fishing plugs is to make sure that all of the lines are let out the same distance. This builds a wall of plugs that the fish can't get away from. The fish may see one and move away then all of a sudden there is another plug sooner or later the fish gets irritated enough and bam fish on!!!!! Happy Fishing to all and keep the rod tip up and a tight line.