Chinook: How to Increase Your Catch Rate

I have learned a few little tips and tricks to help you become successful on the Columbia River for your chinook salmon. To begin, let's talk Brad's Super Baits.

A True Believer in Brad's Super Baits

Brad's Super Baits are one of the top lures used on the entire Columbia River system for catching spring, summer, and fall chinook. I started fishing with Brad's Super Baits about 4 or 5 years ago and my catch rate went way up. I started catching a lot more fish with a lot more takedowns. The first time I used Brad's Super Baits was above Priest Rapids Dam for fall run chinook, within the first 30 seconds it was in the water, I had a nice chinook on. For the rest of the day we couldn't keep them off. My father and I landed six huge adult chinook and lost a handful. In the end, we did go home with a cooler full! My father and I have never filled both limits of chinook. From there on out, I was a true believer in super baits!

Baits for Summer and Fall Run Chinook

Your rig set up: when rigging up your Super Bait. you'll want to have a flasher out in front of it. I love the 11" ProTroll flashers with the agitator fin, that way you can troll a slower speed and still keep your flasher rotating. ProTroll 11" flashers are the sister to a super bait. This set up is well known on the Columbia River system and is one of the best combos to use to catch chinook salmon. It is a very popular set up. Another new flasher has hit the market. It's called the Leo Flasher and it's finally being sold in stores. This is a new killer combo on the water. I have been running both ProTrolls and Leo Flashers and have had good success with both set ups. Your leader length from your flasher to your super bait should be anywhere from 36"- 48." There are many styles of doing a hook set up on your Super Bait. I have had good success with hook to land ratio, when using 2 5/0 Gamakatsu Big River hooks trailing off the back of the Super Bait. I love this sickle style of hook. It seems to hold onto the fish better. Your fishing pole should be 8'6" or longer in a medium or a medium heavy action. I run 20 lb. Maxima Ultragreen for my main line and my leaders for my Super Baits are 30 lb.: 40 lb. test in Maxima Ultragreen. These chinook have some wicked sharp teeth so, you'll want to use a heavier leader for your Super Baits. This way they don't cut you off.

Best Time of Day

A general rule of thumb is: early morning is always best for chinook fishing or, any type of fishing that is. I usually try to be on the water a half hour to 45 minutes before sunrise. Fish till the bite has turned off, which can be till noon or earlier. However, if you're optimistic and want to grind it all day, you could get on a good afternoon bite and pick up a lot of fish. If you're right on top of a school of fish, at times, it can be like a dinner bell went off and the bite is on!

Best Colors to Use

There are two styles of Brad's Super Baits: the original, and the cut plug. These come in more colors than I can count. Starting out as a beginner, you'll want to start out with a green or a red Super Bait. My favorite patterns of super bait are the Mountain Dew, Seahawk, Twisted Sister, Hot Tamale, Hot Lava, and the Rotten Banana. Where I'm fishing at, is mostly in the Brewster pool in Brewster, Washington. Usually 8 out of 10 times, I'm running the cut plug Super Bait. And, usually, one of my three rods will have a spin series Super Bait on it. It's a new product out from Money Maker. It is an original Super Bait, with a fin cut in the nose of the super bait to make it spin even faster. Those are some good color choices to start out with. Remember, be creative and tape up your super baits with reflective UV tape or, come up with your own secret Super Bait.

Bait and Scent

The nice thing about these Brad's Super Baits is that they have a hallow cavity. You can stuff them full of whatever bait you can think of! The most popular bait for a Super Bait is canned tuna fish in oil. Drain out the oil from your tuna fish just like how mom used to do for your tuna sandwich. I always use tuna fish in my Super Baits. I have had real success with it. You can also do chopped herring or sardines to stuff in your Super Bait as well. The options are endless. The key to stuffing your Super Baits is to not over pack the Super Bait. You should just have enough bait to close the Super Bait up, with no gaps in between. Again, be creative and mix up your own tuna brine to give it that extra kick. I like to add a lot of sea salt to my tuna fish. I'll add a tablespoon or two of scent as well. For example, if there is a good garlic bite (chinook salmon love garlic), I'll add a tablespoon of Garlic Super Dipping Sauce to every one to two cans of tuna fish. When you have stuffed your Super Bait with your tuna fish, it's time to add on the scent. My favorite line of scents are Super Dipping Sauce. I get them in 8 oz. bottles with the wide mouth opening. I will then dip my whole Super Bait into the sauce. I let it soak for a second of two and then toss it into the water. My favorite Super Dipping Sauces for chinook are; the Salmon flavor, Herring, Garlic, and Krill. Another great line of scents to use are, the Pro Cure scents. Pro Cure scents are well known for catching chinook. If you decide to go with Pro Cure scents; use the Bloody Tuna Oil, Garlic Bloody Tuna, Anise Bloody Tuna, Salmon Slammer, Sardine Oil, and Herring Oil.

Cleaning Your Gear

After you are done fishing for the day, it's time to wash all of your baits. You'll want to get yourself a bottle of Lemon Joy, a scrub brush, and a toothbrush. It is really important to wash all of your gear, because salmon can smell parts per million. Salmon can easily smell your rotten bait from the day before. This can be a seriously huge turn off for fish and you will not catch as many. Once you're done fishing, wash your entire flasher off and use your toothbrush to clean out your Super Baits. -Don't forget to get all of the tuna fish and scent you used that day off of your baits. Over time, if you don't wash your baits and flashers, they will become very sticky and messy and just plain won't work, period. So, be sure to wash everything after you are done. You will thank yourself for it, when all your gear is clean and ready to go for the next day of fishing.

I hope these little tips and tricks help you become successful on the Columbia River for your chinook salmon! Until next time, I hope you have tight lines and hopefully see you out there on the water!