Originally published in 2018, this guide was fully updated and expanded in 2026 to include new salmon trolling tips.
Trolling with downriggers is an efficient method for catching salmon, and it is remarkably easy to learn. To consistently outfish the fleet, mastering the right salmon trolling tips is what separates average anglers from elite producers on the water. Transitioning to elite salmon fishing comes down to a relentless attention to detail, optimized boat strategies, and focused effort.
This article covers my strategic salmon trolling tips to help you bridge that gap, fine-tune your downrigger setup, and put significantly more fish in your boat. While these insights focus primarily on Chinook salmon downrigger fishing, you can easily apply the same mindset to Coho, salmon mooching, or deep-water jigging.
Prepare Cut-Plug Trolling Rigs on Spare Rods in Advance
On my boat, when I am fishing for Chinook, I run two primary rods—one on each downrigger. Because I carry plenty of spare rods and reels, I installed forward-facing rod holders alongside the cabin. When I am trolling for Chinook salmon, I pre-rig two additional spare rods complete with a reel, strung line, and a fresh cut-plug rig tied up.
I make sure the hooks are razor-sharp every time. After rigging a fresh cut-plug bait on the spare assembly, I drape the hooked herring loosely over the reel handle so it sits completely ready for action. I place these setups in the forward-facing holders out of the way, keeping one spare pre-rigged on each side of the boat.
In the event that I catch weeds, lose my bait, or when the action is fast and furious and a landed salmon is still tangled in the net, I can quickly grab the pre-rigged rod, clip it to the downrigger, and be back fishing in less than 60 seconds. This is a critical advantage because peak salmon bites usually occur during tight, two-hour windows around tide changes. During these hot bite periods, keeping your lines in the water at all times possible gives you an elite advantage.
The Elite Salmon Trolling Gear Checklist
Before putting these salmon trolling tips to work, use this quick checklist to ensure your boat is rigged for maximum efficiency:
- Rods & Reels: Two primary trolling setups plus two identical pre-rigged spares. Ensure your reels are packed with at least 900 feet of premium 30-pound mono, such as Maxima Chameleon Trolling Line, to handle blistering trophy runs.
- Line Capacity: Spooled with at least 900 feet of 30-pound mono.
- Downriggers and Weights: Heavy 15-pound to 20-pound cannonballs used on downriggers manufactured by coastal industry leaders like Scotty Fishing Products to prevent blowback in strong currents.
- Release Clips: High-tension choices from Scotty, or Pro-Troll Release Clips that hold firm against heavy dragging weeds but release cleanly on heavy Chinook strikes.
- Flashers: Salmon trolling flashers attached directly to the downrigger cannonball using a two-foot leader.
- Leaders: Clear fluorocarbon line in 30-pound to 40-pound test strengths.
- Herring Bait: Brined in pure salt or a salt & water solution to toughen the flesh for the perfect roll.
- Bait Rigging: Extremely sharp dual-hook tandem rigs sized for fresh cut-plug herring.
Checking for Weeds: Essential Downrigger Trolling Tips
When I’m salmon trolling with downriggers, I like to check my gear every 15 to 20 minutes. A quick press of the downrigger button will haul the assembly straight to the surface. It only takes about 30 seconds to raise the gear, visually confirm that the line is free of seaweed, and recheck the spin on the bait. You do not even need to unclip the line from the downrigger release to check its roll; simply lift the rod tip enough to bring the herring close to the surface where you can clearly see it spin.
If the lines and the cut-plug herring rig look clean, drop it straight back down to the strike zone, spending no more than one minute total on the inspection. If you find weeds or notice the bait isn’t spinning correctly, this quick check saves you from wasting a half-hour or a full hour on completely unproductive trolling. Clean any weeds off your line immediately. If the cut-plug isn’t rolling right, quickly grab one of your pre-rigged spare rods, clip it onto the downrigger line, and get it right back down to depth.
With a practiced routine, it is entirely possible to complete a full gear check—including swapping out a rod with a fresh, pre-rigged setup—in less than 90 seconds. Think of it like a downrigger olympics and challenge your crew to see who can run the most efficient side of the boat. The extra time your lines spend productively fishing in the water makes a massive difference in the number of fish landed at the end of the day. Implementing these structural salmon trolling tips ensures you aren’t wasting critical time on the water.
Maximizing Efficiency: Salmon Trolling Tips for After the Catch
When you catch a big Chinook, it is an incredible experience. It is nice to slow down, take photographs, and truly enjoy the moment—after all, that is exactly what you are out there to do! But as the captain, you have to run the numbers. If you only have a few hours on the water, and even fewer of those hours land during a peak tide change bite, efficiency matters. If each salmon takes an hour to fight, land, photograph, and reset, you simply will not have enough time in the day to catch more than a handful of fish.
With this in mind, it is best to get your lines back into the water the moment the fish is safely in the boat. Swing the downrigger boom back out, grab your pre-rigged spare rod from the cabin holder, and get right back to salmon trolling depth in about one minute. Once you know your gear is fishing and the next angler has a shot at a fish, you can return your focus to the fun stuff: getting the fish out of the net, taking photos, grabbing the scale, and bleeding the catch.
Once the celebration is over and the fish is on ice, turn your attention back to the rig that caught the fish. Check the sharpness of the hooks, replace the leader if necessary, pre-rig a fresh cut-plug herring, and place that spare rod back in the forward-facing holder so it is completely ready for the next hookup.
Move Offshore When Playing a Chinook
When trolling for Chinook around structure like points and kelp beds, you will likely be sharing the water with a fleet of other boats circling in a predictable pattern. The moment you hook a fish, the best thing you can do for yourself and your fellow anglers is to keep the boat in gear and steer straight offshore toward deeper water.
A big Chinook might initially run toward the beach, but you do not need to chase it right away. A quality salmon fishing reel holds 900 feet of line or more, giving you plenty of room to let the fish run. Generally, you can coax the salmon to turn around, and it will begin following your boat away from the structure.
Moving offshore gives you clear space away from other anglers who will inevitably swoop in to target the apparent hotspot. I prefer to free up the prime zone once I have a fish on so that other boats can have their shot. I have fished in situations where a skipper kept their boat dead in the water right on the sweet spot for 40 minutes while fighting a fish. It is incredibly frustrating for everyone else to watch a peak bite window slip away while blocked out of the prime zone.
Steering clear of the fleet keeps the hotspot open and eliminates the risk of frustrated boaters trolling too close to your angler while trying to squeeze past your lines.
Clean Your Fish on the Boat to Save Fishing Time
If you normally bleed your fish as soon as you catch them, throw them in a fish box, and then spend an hour cleaning your catch back at the dock, you are missing out on prime water time. By cleaning your fish right on the boat while you are out on the ocean, you can spend that extra hour with your trolling gear still fishing deep on the downriggers.
On my boat, I built a massive custom fish-cleaning table that mounts across the transom specifically for this purpose. It has proven to be one of the greatest efficiency upgrades I have ever installed on the vessel. It streamlines processing, keeps the deck spotless, and ensures we have more time on the water hunting for the next bite.
đź”— Related Strategy: See the FishinBC.COM post How to Build Your Own Fish Cleaning Table for more information.
Troll With Only as Many Rods as Your Crew Can Actively Control
Downriggers are easy to use, and it is entirely possible to stack multiple lines on each one to increase the number of lures in the water and cover a wider depth of the water column. However, there are clear pros and cons to trolling with multiple rods, and the captain and crew must ensure they can actively manage the spread.
On my boat, when I am trolling for Chinook salmon, I prefer to run just two rods—one per downrigger—because I can easily control them and stay on top of frequent weed checks. I have also spent plenty of time fishing with four rods, running two stacked lines on each side. While stacking lines can bring great success, it becomes a liability when the crew starts getting tired, or when a lot of kelp and debris is floating in the water.
When anglers tire, weed checks become less frequent, and trolling with fouled gear is not going to catch any fish. As the captain, you need to keep a close eye on your crew, gauge their energy levels, and ensure you are only running the number of rods your team can maintain with elite efficiency.
Target Moderate Tide Swings for Downrigger Trolling Success
Every 14 days, you will face either a full moon or a new moon phase. During these lunar phases, tides hit their highest variance (highest highs and lowest lows), which typically causes the largest amount of drifting seaweed and debris to pull off the shoreline. A storm combined with a strong tidal current tends to rip out kelp and create heavy lines of floating flotsam that make downrigger fishing incredibly frustrating.
Negotiating floating weeds is particularly difficult when you are circling a popular salmon hotspot, like a prominent point or kelp bed, alongside a crowded fleet of other boats. It is always a good idea to consult the lunar calendar before booking a trip. If you have the flexibility, you may want to avoid those massive tidal surges entirely and pick your fishing days to correspond with moderate movements.
On the West Coast, I find that a tide swing of around 10 feet is optimal for stable trolling. Conversely, a tide swing of 20 feet is extreme. I recommend deliberately avoiding anything in the 15-to-20-foot range if you can, simply because the excessive current will make keeping your gear clean a constant battle.
How to Trigger a Trolling Double-Header
I have shared this strategy in my other salmon fishing guides, and it is absolutely worth repeating here because it works. Chinook salmon like to travel together in small schools. When you get a heavy strike on one side of the boat, there is a very high probability that you have just crossed through a prime school and a second or third Chinook is trailing right behind it.
The moment your angler grabs the active rod to fight the fish, keep the boat in gear and leave the second line working. You can rest assured that a hooked Chinook’s natural instinct is to dive and sound straight for the bottom, which minimizes the risk of it tangling into your remaining line.
Leave that second rod down on the downrigger and keep trolling for another 60 to 90 seconds to see if you can trigger a double-header. If the second line doesn’t pop after a minute or two, or if the first angler realizes they are dealing with a true trophy fish, clear the remaining gear quickly. Get the downrigger weights fully raised and out of the way so your angler can safely play the fish and your net man has a perfectly clean shot at the fish.
Your Turn: Put These Salmon Trolling Tips to Action
Putting these hard-earned salmon trolling tips to work on your boat will turn chaotic bites into a highly efficient system. Transitioning from an average day on the water to an elite performance is all about mastering the small details and keeping your gear fishing hard when it matters most.
Now, I want to hear from you! Do you utilize a spare rod system alongside your cabin, or do you have another trick to keep your lines in the water during a hot tide change? If you have any questions about rigging cut-plug herring, choosing downrigger weights, or managing boat strategies during a double-header, drop a comment in the box below and let’s talk shop!
If you found these strategies helpful, please pass this article along to your fishing crew or share it on your favorite angling forums. Let’s get more lines in the water!
Tight Lines! — FishinBC.COM
My husband and I are new to fishing and would like to know how you set up your fishing rod and downrigger for trolling on the BC West coast. Thanks for any advice.