A few things you should know about salmon fishing: 'Pacific salmon' is a generic term that covers ten species.
Chinook, chum, Coho, pink salmon and sockeye are all described as 'Pacific salmon.
' Captain Doug Stein suggests that you pay particular attention to temperature.
Choose to fish when the temperature's between 53 and 55 degrees.
He also suggests that fluorescent red, blue, or yellow spoons and plugs give the best results.
Pacific salmon species like an offering that passes slowly through the fish's field of view.
One technique you might try is a backtrolling the plug.
Let about fifty feet of line, with the plug attached, and then hold it against the current as the plug dives to the bottom and wriggles.
Move the boat slowly downstream into the most likely fish holding area.
Ideally, the plug's action irrigates the fish enough to strike.
Are you a skilled caster, and do you have a 'feel' for a light bight? Try drift fishing.
Cast your bait, or a bait and drift bobber combination, slightly upstream; if you use the combination, attach a small lead weight thirty inches up the line.
Let your lure swing down and across the current.
When the fish stops the moving bait, strike fast and strike hard.
Eggs make great bait for salmon.
Are you looking for Alaska king salmon? Go after king salmon between May and October.
While the fish will average 25 to 35 pounds in weight, they can reach 70 or more.
Trolling, mooching, and jiggling are the methods most likely to get you the results you want; you may even find you hook two at the same time.
If you don't want to look too long, consider obtaining the services of a professional.
State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game statistics suggest that an unguided angler will spend just about 40 hours on the water, before they hook a king salmon, while guided anglers will hook and land a king salmon after only a few hours.