One of the key factors in choosing saltwater salmon fishing lures is to stick to the bright and luminescent colors rather than sticking to the colors that the shad or baitfish normally display. Since saltwater fishing is typically done by using a trolling method, salmon fishing lures should dance and shimmer in the water, attracting the hungry fish to strike quickly on the bait and securely take the hook. The less brilliantly colored lures are great for fishing in fresh water and are often excellent for freshwater salmon fishing, but the saltwater salmon fishing lures need to be colorful.
Using when using the trolling method and saltwater salmon fishing lures bait is also used. Bait can be minnows, worms, plastic worms or live worms, eggs or maggot larva. The choice of bait will largely depend on what the fish are hitting on as well as what is available at bait shops in the area. If you are fishing a new location spend some time talking to bait shop owners to find out what is ideal for the fish and the water conditions.
Some of the most commonly used salmon fishing lures include spoons, and the brighter the better. Silver or gold spoons with patterns or diagonal lines of bright blue, white, lime green, flame orange, brilliant yellow or even pink and bright purple work well. Avoid spoons with black, brown or other dark colors, stick to the highly visible colors. Spoons may either have a treble hook off the back of the spoon or they can have a single hook, often the size of the spoon combined with the type of bait that is to be used for trolling determines the best type of hook.
Plugs are also popular salmon fishing lures for saltwater. Plugs are short or long tubular looking plastic or wood lures that generally resemble the shape of a baitfish. Typically there will be an exaggerated eye painted on the front of the plug and a single or series of two single or treble hooks attached to the belly. Often the treble hook is the second hook in the series allowing the fishing to be hooked with the single hook and then the treble hook is also set, providing security in keeping the salmon on the line. Plugs have been traditional salmon fishing lures for many generations and there are antique plug displays in many fishing museums and sports and wildlife exhibitions around the United States and Canada.
There are also bait rigs used on the West Coast of Canada and the United States that combine a spinner blade, beaded body for vibration and reflection in the water then a single hook followed by a treble bait hook. Typically herring, worms, shrimp or anchovies are then baited on the treble hook for a complete presentation for the salmon. These salmon fishing lures are gaining increasing popularity in large fresh water bodies of water as well.
