Sockeye salmon, also known as red salmon, are a popular game fish that anglers love targeting in the Columbia River. Known for their bright red flesh, sockeye salmon make for a delicious meal. Their willingness to bite also makes them an exciting fish to catch.
If you want to try your hand at catching sockeye salmon in the Columbia River, then follow these tips:
Use the Right Tackle
Having the proper rod, reel, line, and terminal tackle is key to hooking sockeye salmon. Here is the gear you need
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Rod A medium-heavy power, fast action rod in the 8 to 10 foot range The extra length helps with casting distance and controlling hard fighting fish.
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Reel: A quality reel with a smooth drag like a Shimano Tekota or Penn Battle II. Match the reel to the rod’s power and make sure it can hold 200+ yards of line.
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Line: Spool up with 15 to 20 lb monofilament or fluorocarbon line. The low visibility and abrasion resistance is ideal.
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Leaders/Tippet: Attach a 2-3 ft fluorocarbon leader in the 15-20 lb range. For added stealth, use a 15 lb fluorocarbon tippet.
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Terminal Tackle: Sockeye salmon love bright colors. Use dodgers, flashers, and spoons in red, chartreuse, pink, orange, and purple.
Time It Right
Sockeye salmon migrate up the Columbia from June through August. However, the peak time is mid-June through July. Focus your efforts during this prime window to maximize your chances.
The best fishing is early morning and late evening when sockeye are most active. But you can catch them throughout the day.
Locate Fish
The key to catching sockeye salmon is finding where they are holding. Target these prime spots:
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Deep pools and channels from 15-35 ft deep
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Current seams and breaks
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Underwater humps and drop-offs
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Near tributary mouths
Watch your fish finder closely for signs of fish. Sockeye often hunker close to the bottom.
Dial in Your Trolling Speed
Sockeye prefer slower speeds from 1-2.5 mph. Use your kicker motor or row slowly back and forth across productive areas.
Run diving plugs, dodgers with spin-n-glos, or flashers with hoochies directly off downriggers. Cover depths from 15 to 35 feet.
Set the Hook
Sockeye salmon have soft mouths so light biters. When you feel a slight tap or change in pressure, quickly sweep your rod sideways to set the hook. Avoid aggressively jerking up.
After the hookset, keep your rod low and play the fish using your reel’s drag. Sockeye make blistering runs and like to jump. Play them slow and steady.
Use Good Handling Practices
Once landed, use a rubber net to avoid removing the protective slime layer. Handle salmon carefully and minimize time out of water.
Consider keeping only what you’ll eat that day and releasing the rest to fight another day.
Conclusion
With the right tackle, timing, and techniques, you can get in on the exciting sockeye salmon fishing in the Columbia River. Persistence and patience are key as some days they bite better than others. But hooking into these hard fighting fish is worth the effort.
Follow these tips and with a little practice, you’ll soon be reeling in shiny sockeye salmon on the Columbia and enjoying delicious salmon fillets. Tight lines!
Use the correct gear to target sockeye
Light action rods that are long, such as noodle rods or lightweight steelhead rods will help you land more fish. The Mack’s Lure Double D Dodger (in 5.8 or 7.6) trailing a Cha Cha Sockeye Squidder or Smile Blade Sockeye Pro is hard to beat. Mack’s Lure does extensive testing on sockeye gear for this fishery, specifically. If you use a dropper weight, make sure you use a three foot buffer between your slider and the dodger to allow the dodger to work properly.
Target the shadowed water when fishing for sockeye
Once the sun hits the water you will notice a distinctive shadow near the shoreline. The fish will move into the shadows and you will need to move there. A “bite” will occur as the sun hits the water and it will seem that for about a half an hour just about everyone will be fighting a fish. Then, however, it all goes dead in a matter of an instant. In reality, the fish just moved to stay out of the sunlight.
How To CATCH Columbia River SOCKEYE Salmon (BANK FISHING!)
FAQ
Where to catch sockeye on the Columbia River?
Sockeye salmon enter the Columbia river in June and head up the river on their migration to spawn generally they are arriving in the upper Columbia first week in July. We target these fish bellow wells dam, and the Brewster pool where they tent to stack up.
What is the best bait for sockeye salmon?
Scent and bait will help you land more sockeye
This is a must as it will cause hesitant fish to bite. Use Pro-Cure shrimp, krill or kokanee Super Gels liberally on your gear. Also, tip the front hook with a cured coonstripe shrimp or just the tail if the shrimp size is too large.
How to fish for sockeye in the river?
Simply put, the fish swim upriver tight to the bottom with their mouths opening and closing. The trick is to find the right type of water, and to present the lure where the leader is at mouth level. When done properly, the sockeye will bump into the leader and attempt to move away and get the leader out of its mouth.
What is the best bait for salmon in the Columbia River?
Salmon eggs are the top choice for bait, although sand shrimp are very popular for chinook salmon. Some anglers like to fish both at the same time.