How to CATCH Chinook Salmon - Part 1 - Actively Feeding King Salmon

Ocean summer salmon season is one of the most incredible times to be on the water angling for big bright chinook (king) salmon. This video is all about how to fish for and catch these prized salmon in the areas where they consistently actively feed.
In Washington State that means Marine Areas 1-4, but also 5,6, 7 and yes even 9 and 10, these chinook are still gorging themselves as the push into the Puget Sound.
Sometimes, folks can make it so complicated, when you just gotta get a few basic things down. Yes, there are a lot of details that really optimizes a trip and sometimes spells the difference between success and failure, but this video attempts to simplify all of that while showing non stop footage of chinook bites, fights and "in the net's"!
This will be the first of a 3 part series. The next one will focus on those "funkier chinook" that don't bite as consistently as the actively feeding salmon do.
Don't forget to visit these popular salmon fishing how-to pages on the blog:
pnwbestlife.com/downrigger-fishing-for-salmon
pnwbestlife.com/puget-sound-salmon-fishing
Don't forget to like and subscribe and drop your questions in the comments section as I typically answer everything.

[@djmilhaus]

Caught my first salmon without using a guide in large part because of your very educational videos. Hope to get out a few more times in August and keep improving. Thanks for sharing so much with us!

[@PNWBestLife]

Wow, thank you for sharing, that just made my day! Go get em!

[@rayz671]

Flasher release definitely helped my landing ratio. Ive tried simon magnetic and GDF adjustable. I prefer the GDF release. Started adding barrel swivel to my spoons or a trailer hook. I constantly pedal to keep tension on the fish now too. I feel it tires them out faster. Of course drag has to be set enough for them to run a bit as i continue forward motion.

[@PNWBestLife]

Yup! On the same journey my man!

[@howardgrenon2359]

Thx for all the good information! New to saltwater fishing here on Vancouver island. Excited to get started. Keep up the awesome work my friend. 👍🏽

[@PNWBestLife]

Thank you! Wow, you're in a great spot to do some saltwater fishing!

[@kashfiqbal]

If you made a paid course to learn salmon angling it would be well worth the money. Your content is up there with the stuff from Johns Sporting Goods and Addicted Anglers

[@PNWBestLife]

Thank you sir, you are too kind! I love to give it away as well!

[@gunslinger227]

Great video! Just got back from Neah Bay and got 2 nice Chinook yesterday. Was expecting more chinook with our crew but I believe July is kinda slow up there. Keep up the great videos!

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks! Did you guys fish in close or deeper waters?

[@gunslinger227]

@@PNWBestLife tried both and everywhere. Caught the Chinook though in 50-100 feet of water following coast line from Neah bay start to Seiku. 2 bites and 2 chinook 0 loss. They were mainly catching the Chinook at “Swifsure” I think is what it’s called up there past Tatoosh near Canada waters. Didn’t test the waters due to lack of research prior. Plus it’s 25 miles off shore. Plan to head to the bubble this week.

[@PNWBestLife]

That’s cool! Yeah the 70-90 ft line can be really good, but sometimes you gotta find em deeper as well like 250 ft line

[@PNWBestLife]

For anyone trying to order merch, on pnwbestlife.com/shop I was having problems with the guest checkout... It should work now!

[@hooks4nooks]

When you reel in the rods that don't have fish on them, I like to stow those rods right away, get them out of the water and away from the landing zone. But great video. Thank you. Saw you did at the end. 👍

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks! Yeah, always a good idea to get crap out of the way!

[@deej9367]

In front of the Seiku caves, we motor mooched cut plug herring for many years. Works good

[@PNWBestLife]

Nice! Yeah, I even have a video of my crew doing that on my channel, it does work great

[@deej9367]

@@PNWBestLife Cool. I'll check it out

[@cdnsk12]

Get your frigging down riggers out of the way to net the fish!. Most down riggers have a release mechanism that allows you to swing the riggers to the aft of your boat. Clear all the spare rods out of the way. Now you have a clear deck to net the fish.

[@PNWBestLife]

Yeah, that’s a good tip, thanks!

[@MrKeithSz]

Watching from Canada and really enjoying your videos, keep up the awesome work! Could you post links to the gear in the video like the flasher release etc it would be greatly appreciated.

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks man! For sure! Let me find them all and post them. Here's the flasher release though: www.coldwaterstrong.com/product-page/360-flasher-release-system

[@MrKeithSz]

@@PNWBestLife much appreciated! I didn't know there was such a thing as a flasher release brilliant idea!

[@PNWBestLife]

As much as I am talking up not losing fish, it’s so much more fun to fight the fish not the flasher!

[@leeodell2982]

Did you happen to see something swim in front of the two people fishing , It comes from the right side 3 to 4 feet from the boat , starts at 5.00 minutes in

[@PNWBestLife]

Oh wow, you're right! I'm gonna have to watch the original footage to see if I can zoom in on it and see what it is...I never noticed that!

[@rjwright1494]

On your spoons. Cut that bottom welded ring off. Go direct to spoon with split ring. Go to 5/0 siwash hooks. Owner is my fav brand. Will outperform those big river hooks.

[@PNWBestLife]

Interesting! I like the idea of replacing that other ring, you’re right it’s unnecessary. I’m curious, what’s special about the owner hook’s compared to Gami’s?

[@rjwright1494]

Sharper and a huge throat along that shank.

[@PNWBestLife]

Nice, will have to give it a try

[@ten2neg1]

Thanks for the informations that you have been providing, its a large help and reduice the confusions. I was wondering that if you could do a video on neting a fish by yourself, if that is possible in your limited amount of time. Thanks

[@PNWBestLife]

Like from a boat or bank?

[@ten2neg1]

@@PNWBestLife boat

[@PNWBestLife]

I don’t usually go out by myself, but I can try to get some footage as a short!

[@ten2neg1]

@@PNWBestLife Thanks, I thought I would ask because I fish by myself and still havent caught a king and with other salmon and fish I just swing them into the boat. Dont troubel yourself just thought I would ask because you are very informative. Thanks again and keep up the good work and I really enjoy your video

[@ten2neg1]

@@PNWBestLife PS if possible like to see more on area 9 and 10 and the last one you did on ara 10 was great, I wish I had it few years ago would have made my learning curve MUCH smoother. Thanks

[@larrythomas7423]

I'm in Bremerton, do you charter? Take me out on your boat. I have gear.

[@PNWBestLife]

Sorry man, I don’t charter!

[@Brasso26]

now I just need a saltworthy boat 😂

[@PNWBestLife]

You can actually get away fishing several of these areas in a small boat. Sekiu is probably the most classic small boat ocean salmon fishery

[@Brasso26]

@@PNWBestLife reading that got me linked to your article! that's exciting. I love your videos and write ups. I only have a 12 ft tin boat so am pretty cautious about taking it out on the salt, especially since I've never done it before. but I'll read the article and may go for it.

[@PNWBestLife]

Did you find the one about marine weather safety? There are a few places you can safely go if you plan correctly. You will often see kayakers out there too.

[@Brasso26]

@@PNWBestLife I have not! found it now, thanks. let me take a good look!

[@glennhaag1064]

"PromoSM" 💥

[@sov19871987]

Pound per pound coho will beat kings, taste wise sockeye will beat kings, still fun to catch

[@PNWBestLife]

I think that some people have that opinion because king is so easy to overcook. Properly cooked king has no comparison 😎

[@cdnsk12]

Yeah ... large coho can be really acrobatic. Once my elderly Dad hooked a big Coho in the Broken Group off Poet Nook, near Bamfield BC. There was a huge 3m swell. The approx 15lb coho was jumping 8' & lifting 50m of line out of the water. My Dad wasn't much of a fisherman. He was using my big steelhead rod casting with a Buzz Bomb. I couldn't take the rod from Dad, as I couldn't leave the tiller. I had to run my big OB, just to avoid swamping the boat in the very rough water & adjacent islands. Dad fought the fish for about 15 minutes, then he was exhausted. Eventually the fish threw the hook. It was an amazing experience. Too bad the swells were so big, as they came directly off the open Pacific Ocean.

[@PNWBestLife]

Wow, that’s an epic story, thanks for sharing!