Ten Tips For November Salmon

It is early November, and the October rains have kept the coastal rivers swollen just enough to entice the bulk of the fall salmon run into swimming upriver. In western Oregon, the forecast for late season salmon is good, providing you can get a day off.

That is TIP # 1:
Go during the week!
The only thing to say here is beat the weekend crowds. You still have to get up early, but no weekend warrior types to play hopscotch with over fishing holes.

TIP #2:
Fish "Holding Water."
What this means is, fish any spot that will cause fish to pause, even if momentarily. A small riffle, a large rapid, these are spots that fish will pause and catch their breath.

TIP #3:
Fish with 20 pound test.
Yeah, fifty pound chinook, if ya know what I mean.

TIP #4:
Good eggs. Enough said.

TIP #5:
Depending on riverflow and recent rain, fish as high up on the river as possible. Keep in mind, a reasonable place to catch bright fish. November is not the time to be forty miles upriver.

TIP #6:
Fish efficiently.
Stay busy, keep after it...

TIP #7:
Pre-tied Leaders.
I tie about twenty leaders the night before. This helps save time on the river. Drift fishing with a sinker and leader is terminal. Having those leaders gets you back in the water fast. That means more fish.

TIP #8:
Sharp Hooks.
I cannot stress this enough. Salmon have a thick cartilage to penetrate, and having ultra-sharp, sticky hooks, only increases your chances of landing a salmon. This point, no pun intended, increases as salmon get larger. Hooking a forty-pound fish, for example, means you better set a super-sharp hook or that fish will disappear like yesterday's sunshine.

TIP #9:
Spinners.
A large Blue Fox, or a heavy purple bodied homemade spinner, can cover a lot of water and will antagonize fish. The instinct to strike is too much. Flutter spinners through classic holes, or fish a fast retrieve through channels.

TIP # 10:
Keep an eye out for Chanterelle Mushrooms. These yellow-orange edibles are ultra-tasty stuffed in the belly of a Chinook, topped with lemon, butter, and ranch. Serve with a cold beer.

THANK-YOU FOR NOT LITTERING!