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Step 1
Determine where you'll fish. Salmon exist in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the Great Lakes and many other lakes and rivers throughout northern North America, Europe and Asia. Chinook salmon, the largest and most prized salmon, are native to Alaska, which is the most popular destination for salmon fishers.
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Step 2
Find where and on which rivers you will fish. Fishermen who travel to Alaska for the purpose of fishing often employ a guide who can show them the best spots. Others plan their own way.
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Step 3
Plan your fishing excursion during the spawning season, when the salmon are making their journey from the ocean upstream to reproduce. This is when they are most plentiful and easiest to catch. Most salmon spawn in spring and early summer.
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Step 4
Locate your exact spot on the river where you will fish. The best spots are either directly below a riffle, along an uninterrupted stretch of river, or directly above a riffle in the pool at the upstream side. Which location is best depends on the method of fishing you employ.
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Step 5
To fish below a riffle, cast upstream (almost to the riffle), and let your lure float downriver with the current, dragging intermittently on the bottom of the river. If you don't get a bite, reel in when the lure has floated downstream, and recast upstream.
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Step 6
To fish above a riffle, in the pool that generally forms there, use an anchored line. Attach as much as 8 oz. of weight to the line, depending on the speed of the current, and let the lure dangle several feet below the surface of the water. There's no need to recast, and you can relax while you wait for a hit.
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Step 7
If you have a hit, make sure the fish has actually taken the bait and is not just nibbling at it. It's often best to let the line dip two or three times before you try to set the fish.
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Step 8
Once you have set the fish, begin to reel it in. If the salmon jerks the line, release enough line to keep it from snapping. Much depends on the size of the salmon. Some Chinook salmon, weighing over 50 lbs., can take hours to reel in.
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Step 9
When the salmon is close enough, use a net to capture it and bring it into the boat or up on shore.
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Step 10
If you plan to keep and/or eat the salmon, kill it humanely by decapitating it or breaking its neck. If you plan to release it, do so as gently as possible after making sure the salmon is still viable, since some fish die of shock upon being caught.
