Oregon Chinook Fishing

Question
I like to fish for salmon in Oregon. I fish two rivers, the Alsea for winter run and the South Santiam, near Waterloo, for summer run. In the Alsea I used salmon eggs, a corkie, and a little bit of yarn, all on the same rig. And that worked, because I caught two salmon like that. Then I came to the Santiam and saw two guys hook salmon with just a corkie and wool, will that work better then my rig with salmon eggs?

Answer
Ahhhh, great question, and a common one.

First off, if they were fishing with big corkies, and long leaders, I would be suspect of snagging, but if this isn't the case, here are some ideas to ponder...

Salmon undergo a change when they enter fresh water, their biology changes and they stop eating. All their energy is focused on one goal, spawning. This isn't to say that salmon in fresh water wont feed, but certainly not to the extent that they do in salt water, and the further along they get toward spawning, the less they eat.

The salmon you are catching in the Alsea are fresh from the salt, only a few miles from the ocean. These fish will be bright colored, and good eating. They also have a tendency to eat, because they still have some life left to live. On the other hand, Salmon in the Santiam have been out of the salt long enough, that they are ready to spawn. They are dark, and generally aren't as good table fare as fresh (from the salt) fish.  

Another variable that triggers salmon to stop eating when they enter "spawning mode" is temperature. I am sure the Alsea is colder and the Santiam (although I don't know much about either)

A good example of what I mean is this...

In the Columbia, fishing herring is generally considered the best bet until the water reaches 52 degrees, at which point bright spinners become more productive.  Salmon will attack the spinner out of aggression, not for food value.

Another thing to keep in mind is the weight of the eggs. in the fast moving Alsea, the rig might get more "air time" while in the Santiam, those eggs might weigh too much and sink into the rocks where the fish cant see them maybe just using a small amount of eggs and a bigger corkie would work in the Santiam.

I would also consider stopping at a good sporting goods store and asking someone to help set you up with the right rigging to properly bobber fish those eggs. Bobber fishing with eggs in the coastal rivers has proven more effective in the last few years, it's become the latest fad, and I strongly believe in it. I have started doing it in the tributaries of the Columbia with great results.

As for the Santiam, I haven't fished it before, but I would think that small blue fox spinners would be effective, but don't pass up a chance to lob a great big hunk of eggs in a deep hole in the middle of a sunny day to see what's hiding.

Good luck, and if you need help on the Santiam or Alsea, let me know, I know of some people that fish both, who would be glad to hook up and show you a few things.   

Kelly Johnson
www.NWFamilyFishing.com