When to Fish For Salmon

• Salmon migrate upriver to spawn in both autumn and spring. It's impossible to tell ahead of time when they'll start up; you can check with local bait shops, websites and other fishers. The closer you are to the ocean, the sooner they'll reach you. There are spots along the river where salmon are known to bite--these are usually a deep channel or hole below some rapids.
  
  

Where to Find Salmon

• You can fish for salmon on both coasts of the U.S., British Columbia and Alaska. In California, they run up the northern rivers. Salmon even run through the rivers and into Idaho.
  
  

Equipment

• You'll need a salmon/ steelhead fishing pole with heavy fishing line, such as 15 or 20 pound test line. Otherwise, your pole or line could snap when a salmon bites. Remember to take a large net, too, so you can get the fish out of the water without the hook slipping.
  
  

Technique

• Many people cast upstream and drift their bait down the current. You need to wear salmon out before trying to reel them in. These big fish can easily break a line or tangle it in the river rocks, which means you'll need to set your drag so they can take out the line.
  
  

Bait

• A great bait for catching salmon is salmon eggs. You can also buy "corkies," which are small balls that look like eggs, or flies.