7 minute read
SALMON TROLLING TIPS
MAKE YOUR FIELD TROLLING TERRIFIC 36O-DEGREE FLASHER SETUP CAN SCORE YOUR BOAT PLENTY OF SALMON
BY SCOTT HAUGEN
Trolling for salmon – kings and coho – is nothing new. However, as with most approaches relating to catching these cagey fish, fine-tuning your gear can pay big dividends.
I’ve been fortunate to fish with many folks over the decades. Recently I went out with Pro Escobedo of VIP Outdoors (vipoutdoors.com). I’ve been trying to connect with Pro for a few years, and when the stars finally aligned, I was regretting not having fished with him sooner.
I could write an entire feature on what a class-act Pro is – how he greets fellow anglers at the dock when fishing and in the aisles of sport shows. But instead, I’ll focus on a trolling setup he shared with me. It’s one that’s been working for him for a few years now – and is one that more and more fellow anglers are turning to.
“TROLLING WITH 360-DEGREE FLASHERS is nothing new; it’s been around for years,” Pro says. “What’s changed is how we’ve downsized and streamlined the terminal gear in an effort to create more action and catch more fish.”
The setup is simple, and the more you study it and fish it, the more you buy into why it works. Threaded onto 50- to 60-pound braided mainline is a 10mm bead, followed by a Line Lock Slider. In itself, the slider is ingenious and one that’s designed and made by VIP Outdoors. It not only holds your sinker, it butts up against your bead chain swivel and stops the transfer of line twist.
One of the components of today’s popular form of 360-degree trolling for salmon is a downsized spinner, which oers optimized action, something this coho couldn’t resist. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
FIELD
A visit to a famed New York City restaurant inspired Tiany Haugen to create a salmon-infused scallion pancake recipe. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
A PROTEIN-POWERED PANCAKE
BY TIFFANY HAUGEN
If you’re looking for something to do with a little leftover or canned salmon – and you like salmon patties – give salmon pancakes a try. After visiting the famous Dim Sum Palace in New York City, I had to find a way to get salmon into the scallion pancakes, and this is it.
The biggest hurdle of this recipe is accepting the fact a pancake can be savory. A quick study of world cuisine reveals just about every country has some kind of savory pancake – with limitless flavor combinations.
With all types of flours, methods and prep times, savory pancakes can be easy or complicated to make. This is one of the easiest savory pancakes I’ve ever made, so it’s a great one to start with.
Depending on the flavor you are going for, smoked salmon can be substituted for cooked or canned salmon; just omit the salt in the pancake batter.
2 cups cooked, flaked salmon 1 cup chopped scallions 2 cups white flour 1¾ cups water ¼ cup toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon granulated garlic ½ teaspoon salt Olive or coconut oil for frying Chili sauce, optional
Remove any bones from the salmon. In a medium bowl, mix flour, garlic and salt until thoroughly combined. Whisk in water and sesame oil until no lumps remain. Fold in flaked salmon and scallions. Heat about a teaspoon of oil on a griddle or large skillet on medium-high heat.
Pour about a half-cup of batter for each pancake, spreading it to an even thickness on the griddle or in the pan. Cook one or two minutes until golden brown on each side. Garnish with additional chopped scallions or chives and chili sauce if desired.
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood, and other titles, visit tiffanyhaugen .com.
ALASKA
ANCHORAGE
Anchorage Yamaha Suzuki Marine
FAIRBANKS
Northern Power Sports
FIELD
The other end of the bead chain is snapped into a duolock snap, which clips onto a titanium bumper that VIP Outdoors also makes. Titanium is strong, thin and doesn’t twist or knot up. These bumpers come in different lengths.
The other end of the bumper is snapped to your 360-degree rotating flasher. Pro prefers Pro-Troll 11-inch flashers in silver and has done well on the Shortbus Silver Bullet, also in 11 inches. At the other end of the flasher is a 28-inch leader tipped with a VIP 3.5 custom-painted spinner blade.
“I like a Colorado-style blade, as the blade lays flatter, which is great when targeting fish at specific depths, especially if trolling in river mouths,” says Pro.
When trolling in the ocean, bigger and more active blades are effective. Brightly colored blades are ideal in ocean conditions, with darker blades working well the further up a river you go.
As for sinkers, an 8-ounce option is as light as Pro goes when trolling in water up to 15 feet deep. In deeper water, 16- to 20-ounce sinkers are used. As Pro puts it, the amount of weight in conjunction with the 360-degree rotating flasher, bumper, short leader – and an overall short streamlined set-up – along with trolling speed and tidal current flow, is what optimizes the alluring action of the
Downsized terminal tackle such as these 3.5 VIP custom spinners, behind a big 360-degree rotating flasher, like the Pro-Trolls in the background, is a winning combo. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
The 360-degree setup, as described in the article, is simple yet specialized in order to maximize spinner movement. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
smaller spinner.
“A small lightweight spinner reacts more quickly to the rotating flasher than a larger spinner, and inline flashers simply don’t produce the amount of movement that drive salmon crazy,” Pro adds.
WITH SO MUCH WATER to fish this time of year in Alaska – from oceans to bays to rivers – and in so many regions, anglers will eventually be forced to give up trolling and go to other methods.
Wrapping plugs with baitfish and back-trolling them in rivers is highly effective this time of year. Of course, it’s hard to beat inserting a fresh cluster of cured eggs onto the hook, topping it with a Spin-N-Glo and back-bouncing your way into big salmon.
If pursuing coho later this summer, don’t overlook the effectiveness of casting lures. Casting anything pink is the choice of many silver salmon anglers, with chartreuse also being a much-liked color. Personally, I love silver/pink spinners tipped with a pink squid skirt. The Yakima Bait Flash-Glo Casting Squid Spinner is my all-time favorite.
With summer salmon season upon us, consider extending your trolling approach. While it’s hard for many of us to try new things, trolling with a 360-degree flasher is worth investing some time in, as catch rates are soaring for those who’ve figured it out. ASJ
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen's popular Bank Fishing For Steelhead & Salmon and other how-to books, including cookbooks, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.
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