Getting set up for bar fishing.

The size of Chinook salmon will vary from stock to stock; the average size is between 18 -25 lbs with good number of fish in the 25 to 35 lb range. Be aware that there are "monster fish" huge Chinook that could be as large as 100 lbs but this would be more the exception to the rule, any over 50 lbs is a fish you might want to call a trophy, or at very least one of your personal bests in fishing.

The most popular method used for catching Chinook salmon is bar fishing. Bar fishing is quite easy and very relaxing. Find yourself a nice gravel or sand bar, for comfort bring a portable chair, an umbrella for rain or shade from the hot sun and cooler with some lunch and beverages and your set.

You will obviously need a, rod, reel, weights and lures. Also you will need a very handy tool called a “rod holder”. (A piece of PCV Pipe attached to a piece of angle iron.)

A supply of heavy lead 4 to 12 oz is usually good.

Rod Holder (A piece of PCV Pipe attached to a piece of angle iron.)

A bell to let you know you have a fish on. Chances are you won’t keep your eyes on your rod all the time.

An assortment of Spin N Glows

A mallet hammer to pound in your stake, believe me this is the best investment you will ever make when it comes to pounding those stakes in the rock bed of a riverbank.

And a chair, yes it may be a long wait for that fish.

Equipment used for bar fishing consists of a medium to medium heavy rod, 10 to 12 ft with a line rating of 12-30 lbs capable of casting up to 20 oz of lead.

There are two types of rods primarily used, a large spin cast /surf rod or heavy bait cast rod. Some of the more common spin cast rods are the Shimano 12 ft surf rods and the 11 to 13 ft Shakespeare Ugly stick.

The rigging most anglers use is very simple, here is an idea that with save you money on lead, and keep your spin n glo from tangling with your lead and mainline.

Please remember lead left in a river is a bad thing, it’s poisonous, so making every effort not to lose lead is a good thing.

As illustrated in the photo, run 2 lines to your lead from the 3 way swivel, each line is approximately 50% of the breaking lb test of your mainline. Almost 100% of the time one of those lines will break at some point in a day, allowing you to replace it before losing your lead. Note 2 other items, rubber tubing and a metal clip on the lead. All of this is intended to allow harsh bottom bouncing for a 10 ounce piece of lead. The tubing is there because the lead will slam into your lead line, this protects it.

Every hour or so check the knots on both ends of the lead line.

Also attach to the three way is a leader of 36 to 40 inches with a # 2, #0, or #00 spin n glo. This rigging is effective almost all areas, although anglers may make some slight changes to the bar rig and most prefer to use cured salmon roe with or without a spin n glo.

Many of the local tackle stores will sell these bar rigs already made up and ready to use.

Spin n glo's

Like many fisheries in British Columbia, local anglers will develop methods that best suite the conditions of that particular area. Over the years certain color patterns have been developed that produce the best results. Color patterns used in Region 6 depends on the targeted species, over the years I have found that one color will out produce another, time and time again. Water clarity does play a role but not as much as you would think. Only when visibility is at it's poorest I change over to darker colors.

Tips and Tricks

Over the years when water clarity was at it's poorest, anglers would try making small changes to the spin n glo's to increase their chances. Some anglers swear by the changes, others aren't really sure, the way I look at it, if it doesn't decrease the chances then what the heck, why not?

Spin n glo's come with 2 styles of wings, Mylar and rubber, Mylar being the more popular of the two. When the spin n glo is placed in the water, the pressure from the water turns the wings creating turbulence and vibration. Most anglers feel it's the vibration combined with the color that attracts the aggressive hits from migrating salmon. There are two tricks that I have learned that increase the turbulence and vibration of the spin n glo. The first one is placing a hole in one of the wings with a hole punch. This trick is used to put the spin n glo off balance, creating more vibration. The second trick is to drill the hole larger and on a slight angle that runs through the center of spin n glo. Once again, this puts the lure off balance creating more turbulence or vibration.

Weights

Today, there are 2 styles of weights used for bar fishing in Region 6, the pyramid and the wedge. Both are made from lead but have a slightly different shape which best suite a particular type of river bottom. I prefer wedge weights for gravel bottoms and pyramid for a sand bottom. The wedge weights seem to bounce the river bottom less leaving the corners squarer longer, making for a better hold.

The amount of lead used is directly related to depth and the current; this is where having the appropriate equipment comes into play. If anglers around you are using 18 to 20 oz of lead, then you must use the same amount of lead to keep from tangling up the lines. If you were to use 12 oz in this situation your lead would not hold and would walk down the river tangling with other anglers. Once you've cast the lure out into the river, just set your rod into a rod holder and wait. The heavier the weight the faster of current it will hold in.

Tips and tricks

Most of the popular bars fished for Chinook will have what I call a travel lane. Local anglers will know how far out to cast at various water levels to find the travel lane of migrating fish. In order to hold your lure in these travel lanes you will need to know how much weight to use. If you use too much your lure will hold too far out, if you use too light of weight your lure will bounce through the travel lane holding too close in. Always check too see what other anglers are using for weight and how far they are casting. If your on a bar without other anglers, change your casting distance and weight every couple of hours until you hit a fish, then take note on the water level, current rate, amount of weight and how far you cast.

Rod holders

Rod holder's come in many shapes & sizes, I've found the better ones are usually made by the angler himself or by someone they know who has access to cheap material and a welding machine. The only real requirement is that the rod holder shaft be long enough to spike into the gravel a couple of feet and still have enough shaft to keep the rod clear above the water. I prefer a 4 ft shaft with a 1 ft tube to hold the rod. If you don't have access to a welding machine, take a piece of 4 or 5 ft angle iron, attach 1 ½ inch pvc tubing with either bolts or clamps and your set.

Bells

Many anglers attach a cowbell to the rod so that when a fish hits the bell rings. It can drive you nuts trying to watch your rod tip all day not to mention the sore neck. Attaching a bell will allow you some freedom to move around the area while still being aware if a fish grabs your lure. One word of caution, it is considered taboo or even rude to ring your bell. When you're handling the bell, place a finger into the bell to stop the ringing. The only time your bell should ring is when a fish is doing the ringing.

TIGHT LINES

Thanks for taking the time to read this; I could have been out fishing instead of writing this. Remember bring your smile to the river, be friendly, and it will always pay off. May you all experience tight fishing lines, and the thrill of landing a big Chinook.