Salmon fishing is a popular angling pursuit in many parts of North America, especially the Pacific Northwest. As salmon return from the ocean and migrate upriver to their spawning grounds, they become tempting targets for anglers looking to catch these iconic fish. However, there are important ethical considerations when fishing for salmon that are about to spawn or are already spawning on redds. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover effective and responsible techniques for targeting spawning salmon.
Understanding the Salmon Spawning Process
Before discussing fishing methods, it’s important to understand the different stages of the salmon spawning process.
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Salmon stop feeding once they enter freshwater prior to spawning. They rely on stored energy reserves for the strenuous spawning migration.
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Salmon gather near gravel beds before spawning activity begins Males and females will pair up in preparation for spawning
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The female salmon use their tails to dig nests in the gravel, called redds where they will deposit their eggs.
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The female lays the eggs in the redd while the male fertilizes them. The female then buries the eggs under a layer of gravel, which protects the eggs and allows water flow for oxygen.
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Spawning salmon, especially the males, will aggressively guard and defend their redds against predators and competitor salmon that may try to disturb the nest.
Avoid Disturbing Active Salmon Spawning Beds
When salmon are in the midst of spawning on an active redd, take precautions to avoid disturbing them:
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Identify redds by their light-colored gravel mounds. Avoid walking or fishing directly on top of spawning beds as this can crush salmon eggs.
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If you hook a salmon over its redd, land the fish quickly and release it without removing it from the water. Limit taking photos.
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Consider avoiding heavily used spawning areas during peak activity to minimize disturbance.
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Educate other anglers on how to avoid damaging sensitive spawning habitat.
Target Pre-Spawn and Post-Spawn Salmon
The most ethical approach is to target salmon before they start building redds or after they have completed spawning.
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In the pre-spawn stage, salmon are still aggressively feeding and less vulnerable to capture.
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Post-spawn salmon also resume feeding once spawning is done.
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For pre-spawn salmon, use streamers and hardware like Kwikfish plugs to trigger reaction bites from aggressive fish.
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Make quickly landing and carefully releasing post-spawn fish a priority. Limit number kept if regulations allow.
Take Advantage of Spawning Behaviors
When salmon are on or near redds, their spawning instincts can be used to catch fish legally and ethically:
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Spawning salmon will strike at egg imitations, streamers, and lures that intrude near their redds.
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Guarding male salmon are more likely to aggressively take flies and lures. Target them instead of females.
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Use heavier tippet and play fish quickly to avoid exhausting spawning salmon.
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Consider breaking off on snags versus fighting fish to exhaustion near redds.
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Downsize hooks to avoid excessive injury to fish.
Follow Strict Ethical Angling Practices
When targeting spawning salmon, following ethical practices should be the top priority:
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Always minimize disturbance and harm to spawning fish over catching.
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Use small hooks, play/land fish quickly, limit photos, and properly revive fish before release.
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Strictly limit harvest and do not keep spawning salmon unless major surplus exists.
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Avoid speculative “targeting” of salmon actively spawning on redds.
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Thoroughly educate yourself on local regulations for spawning river sections.
Fishing for spawning salmon can be rewarding but must be conducted in an ethical manner. Learning to identify spawning stages and avoiding disturbance of active redds and heavily spawned-out fish are crucial. With preparation and care, the spawning months provide selective anglers with amazing opportunities to encounter salmon. By following best practices, spawning salmon can be sustainably targeted without damaging future populations and ruining the unique fisheries they support.
Key Things to Remember
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Understand the salmon spawning process and stages.
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Do not disturb active spawning redds.
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Target pre-spawn and post-spawn salmon.
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Take advantage of spawning behaviors ethically.
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Follow strict catch-and-release best practices.
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Prioritize sustainability over catching fish.
How to Fish for Salmon
Deciding how to fish for salmon, or which techniques you should use, will depend on whether you are fishing from land or on a boat. Since this is a general overview of salmon fishing for beginners, you can start with either drift fishing or trolling. Once you get more experience by learning how to fish for different types of salmon, you can work on more specialized techniques.
Where to Fish for Salmon
When learning about the best places to fish for salmon, it’s important to understand that salmon are born in freshwater rivers and streams, but then migrate to the ocean where they spend most of their adult lives.
In preparation for spawning, salmon will return to the freshwater rivers and streams where they were born. This period of time is often referred to as the “salmon run.” Depending on the species of salmon, the salmon run takes place at different times in different states.
One of the most important salmon run fishing tips is to consider these migratory routes and time your trip accordingly. Now that you know to focus on migratory routes and fish during the run, next you can decide which salmon fishing techniques you want to use.
Catching Huge Pre-Spawn Salmon Tip!
FAQ
Can you eat a salmon after it spawns?
Still good to eat! Yep, lots of folks in Bristol Bay eat them. Penny Salant yum! I believe they are called “red salmon” because even when they are at their freshest (sliver in color) their meat is still a kind of reddish pink, besides turning red on the outside in the season during spawning.
What is the best bait for salmon run?
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. Marabou jigs (Photo 10) can be used instead of bait and can be especially effective on pink salmon, or other salmon when the water is very low and clear.
Can you catch salmon after spawning?
- Fishes in general, including salmon, do not taste good after spawning , mainly because they do not have much fat.
- Not all fish will die after spawning, though wild salmons die, mainly from exhaustion and not feeding. To eat them after death is your personal preference.
Can you fish for salmon when spawning?
If spawning fish were always off limits then you would never be able to fish for salmon or steelhead or sea-run trout of any kind. Some argue that fishing during the spawn has less of an impact on a fishery than fishing during the high temps and low waters of late summer.
How do salmon spawn?
Remove gravels from streambeds – spawning salmon scoop out a hollow, called a redd, in the gravel of a streambed to deposit their eggs. Introduce other material into streams such as human waste, garbage, wood/burned debris or any manmade substances.
How do you catch salmon in a river?
There are many salmon fishing river techniques that use weight to target salmon such as drift fishing, plunking, bottom bouncing and they are all good options depending on the situation.
How do you catch Atlantic salmon?
The Atlantic salmon is economically the most important fish species, and up to 45,000 daily fishing licenses are sold to tourists annually. Today, salmon are caught by several methods, such as “weirs,” stationary gill nets, drift nets, and rod and line (both from the shore and from boats).