The Chinook, or King Salmon as it is known because of its size, is truly the "King" of the salmon family. Once limited to the Pacific Northwest, the King was first planted in the Great Lakes in 1887. These initial plantings were not to establish the salmon as a food source or to support sport fishing but to limit the impact of alewives on natural forage. However, once established the King became and continues to be the most sought after trophy in the Great Lakes, from Lake Superior to Lake Ontario, spanning the entire eastern half of the United States.

The King Salmon is truly a beast to behold. An impressively athletic build connected to a huge head and mouth combine to produce a fierce fighting and eating machine. These characteristics provide everything an angler needs to catch these apex predators of the open water.

King’s are most often targeted in the vast expanses of the Great Lakes sometimes over 100 feet of water or more where they make a living following schools of baitfish. However, this all changes as summer wanes. Each fall, King Salmon flock to the harbors that shelter the streams and small rivers from which the Salmon were planted, and this is where our story really begins.

Act I - Fish or cut bait!

When the waters of the Great Lakes begin to cool, wolf packs of Kings journey toward and then stage outside the harbors connected to spawning rivers. This phenomenon brings the salmon well within the reach of any angler. Bank fishing is as popular as it is effective during the fall "run." While rarely busy, this fall run causes bank-bound anglers to line up on harbor break-walls like seagulls ready to pounce on the salmon as they arrive. Around riffles, dams and other would-be obstructions, the Salmon can frequently be seen fighting their way upstream. At this time, there are many tried and tested techniques for hooking up with the "King." Using spawn sacks for bait is perhaps the most popular but not always the most effective as these fish key on baitfish for their next meal. This means playing to the veracious nature of these Salmon and feeding them meat - and nothing says "meat" like the perfect baitfish imitator - Lucky Craft.

Act II - To boat or not to boat; that is the question.

Salmon target alewives and smelt in large balls in these harbors. Both baitfish have silver colorations with variations of blue and green backs. Take advantage of the clear waters of the Great Lakes by using colors that "match the hatch." Flat CB D-20s or Flash Minnow 110s in MS MJ Herring or MS American Shad are absolutely the best finishes in the world to meet this challenge. Both these lures cast exceptionally well and that is important to the bank angler as it allows for covering water with long casts, increasing the odds that a mighty King will grab on. Long casts combined with life-like finishes consistently take giant Salmon from Wisconsin to New York each year, and many without a boat. A word to the wise - don’t forget to bring a long handled net. Hooking up with a King is one thing, coaxing them to the bank once hooked is another matter. These guys do not relinquish their kingdoms easily. Long drawn-out battles with searing runs are the norm, and a long handle on your net is worth its weight in a King’s ransom when finally you are successful in getting them close. These long handles are also commonly required to reach the water level from the sometimes lofty break-walls.

Act III - "My kingdom for a boat..."

Tactics for boaters do not vary widely from those used by bank-bound anglers. The major difference is employing trolling tactics and covering the water column effectively.
A keen eye on your electronics will instantly tell you where to run your lures. Large balls of baitfish are readily recognizable as are the "streaks" of Salmon exploding through them. Most of these harbors are shallow, less than 30 feet. This eliminates the need for fancy trolling gear like down-riggers. Stick to flat lining with Snap Weights in the 1-to 2-ounce variety. Dive planners can be helpful in covering water by establishing consistent running depths as well as presenting your lure off to one side or the other. These small planning divers are inexpensive and effective. In these shallow waters, King Salmon are notorious for squirting out the sides of your trolling pass as they are easily spooked by the boat. Side planner boards are especially effective in presenting your Lucky Craft lures off to the side as much as 100 feet. Employing tactics that present your Flat CB D-20 or Flash Minnow 110 off to the side of the boat will readily take these "slash-and-blast" feeders. Conventional tactics are to let out 25 feet of line, attach a 1-to 2-ounce Snap Weight and then let out 30 to 50 feet of line to get your lure to the 10-to 20-foot zone. Do not dwell on bottom depths at this time. In the fall when Kings are around spawning streams and rivers, they are commonly in the top half of the water column. Focus your efforts in the top 20 feet of water and hang on. Anyone with something that floats can catch giant Kings at this time of the year. From Jon boats to bass boats, fall produces the best small-craft salmon fishing ever.

Act IV - Chinook "Waterloo"

While catching these denizens of the deep can be relatively easy in the fall, it remains relative. That is to say catching and landing the "King" is never easy. Built for amazing speed and power, hooking on to this matriarch of the Great Lakes is more similar to snagging a passing bus than a fish. Lighter gear produces more strikes but dramatically reduces successful landings of these salmon. A quality monofilament or fluorocarbon like Lucky Craft’s Iron Athlete in the 16-to 20-pound class is nearly mandatory if you hope to corner the "King" in your net. Bone-jarring hits frequently end the battle before it begins. Long, limber rods help but be sure to set reel drags loose enough to absorb the shock of the strike yet have the tension to drive the hook securely into the beast. Be ready for scorching runs that can exceed 100 yards in mere seconds. Also have no illusions; Chinook or Kings love fresh air and can go from bottom to five feet in the air in milliseconds. During the battle, Kings can jump over and over, sometimes more than five times in one minute. All these characteristics produce one of the finest battles you will ever experience in fresh water.

Epilogue - "Long Live the King; the King is Dead."

The battle begins with an explosion of blue water and at the strike, the giant King jumps in defiance. The run that follows spools line from your reel without effort and, for a time, without stopping. Finally, the salmon pauses seemingly to question what would have the audacity to interfere with it. As quickly as the first run ends a new run begins, slow and powerful at first, gaining speed until it becomes a question of who has who. Screaming runs are interrupted by leaps. Finally changing tactics, the big King heads for deep water without regard to your rod or reel drag. At some point, the angler senses he may actually stop this run and in doing so have a chance of touching the King. Battles like this are commonplace in the Salmon world often lasting 20 minutes or more with a final stab of the net capturing the most powerful predator in fresh water.

If you have ever considered Salmon fishing, try it now. With harbors teaming with schools of these magnificent Salmon, you cannot be in a better position to land one of these giants everyday in the fall.