Columbia River Salmon Fishing Guides

Even though  the bite never seems to take off early the line fills quickly and late comers are out of luck as most lines will be boat to boat. As a safety precaution do not under any circumstances anchor your boat in the navigation lanes. This is not only illegal but foolhardy as well. If you arrive late you need to anchor away from the lines that are already formed and leave room so you can drop off and fight a fish should you need to.

Tackle tips and what to bring: this fishing technique is as simple as it gets. First off I recommend a 7ft or longer rod with a sensitive tip and some backbone as these fish can exceed 60 lbs. I would pair it with a high quality baitcasting reel loaded with premium 20lb test. A good drag is essential on the reel you choose. Now run your line to a 3 way swivel. Attach a light lead line off the bottom end and run 4-8 oz. Of lead preferably a ball depending on the strength of the current. You need to run about 41/2 to 5 feet of line on your lead dropper. Off the other end of the 3 way tie about 4-5 feet of leader and attach a Clancy, Alvin or 10 spot Wobbler. I would not use less than 15lb test though. The rest is fairly simple. Sink your rig below the boat and then back bounce the rig out behind the boat until you get about a 45 degree angle on your line, then check your drag and simply put your rod into the rod holder and wait. Strikes are obvious and violent with no one wondering if that was a fish or not. My personal favorite is the Alvin Wobblers, they come in a variety of colors and seem to outfish the others most of the time, although I have caught Chinook on the others as well. On overcast days id use a rainbow pattern or something colorful on bright sunny days id stick with chromes and chrome/purple combos.

Thanks to TODD DIELMAN'S FISHING GUIDE SERVICE for this great Columbia River Sturgeon fishing photo.

Very important tips: no that we have covered the basics let me impart some knowledge as to how you separate yourselves from the pack. First off change your hooks....most of these lures come packaged with a single silwash hook. The first thing I would do is remove the single hook and replace it with a high quality lightweight treble and a heavier snap ring. I have seen lots of guys loose fish or miss hook up due to the single hooks. There are some people who will tell you the treble does weird things to the action of the lure but I have had no ill affects from this and land more fish. Next important thing is to pay attention to the water flow. If the current speeds up Woblers like Alvins work excellent, but if you loose the current you need to switch to a lighter lure or relocate you boat. Stream flows tend to come and go during the day with the best bites corresponding with increased stream flow. Next lets talk about " tuning your lures " almost everyone I have seen fishing out there ignores this and it is absolutely critical. You can take a Wobler out of the package and tie it on and chuck it in the river and you will probably catch a fish or two on occasion, but....by simply tuning your lure and ensuring it has the optimal " swim " to it for the current you are fishing  you will outfish the guy next to you who may be using the exact same lure. Ideally you want the Wobler to do a side to side swim. Picture a half pipe and you do not want that Wobler to exceed the 180 of the half pipe. If you are doing barrel rolls or barely moving then you are not fishing....period. Make sure you check your lures in the water before you back bounce out behind the boat for the right swim. Don't be afraid to custom paint your lures and experiment as well. I had one lure that caught several fish last season that was enhanced with some lure paint.

 Notes about the Columbia river: be alert to boat traffic, especially barges. If they are blowing their horn it means you are in their way and need to get out post haste. Be cautious of river flows especially when anchoring your boat. You will need a quality anchor system and someone to show you how to safely anchor in this river if you have never done this before.

 Final thoughts: have fun. This is a great opportunity to catch some truly trophy size Chinook. Most of these fish are nickel bright and average is in the high 20's with generous amounts of fish over 30 lbs. Last season we put 3 in the boat over 40 lbs with the largest a monster slab of exactly 56 lbs!!!!! 

hope this helps someone out. Thanks David A Ericcsen

Columbia River Sturgeon lists Sturgeon fishing information on the Columbia River.
Ilwaco fishing charters has listings of the best fishing charters in Ilwaco.
Buoy 10 fishing guides can give you the best fishing guides and charters at Buoy 10 and the Buoy 10 organization of fishing guides.
Idaho fishing guides lists fishing information and the best fishing guides in Idaho.