Are you planning to go fishing for salmon? If you are and you are one of the beginners or first-timers, there are basic things you need to know to get you started and to help you enjoy this enjoyable outdoor activity.

First off, there are several species of salmon that you should know about before you go fishing for salmon trips. There are Atlantic and Pacific salmons. Atlantic species are from the Atlantic Ocean, as the name implies. Also, you can find a wide variety of salmon in the various lakes that are in the eastern North America areas. They are the kind of salmon that don’t immigrate as they prefer fresh water than salt water.

The most popular of all salmons are the Chinook or king salmon or spring salmon, black mouth, however you call them, as they are the biggest among the salmon species, weighing between 25 to 65 pounds, or even more. They are found from southern California coast to the Bering Strait. Alaska has earned its fame in fishing for salmon, since it is where the heaviest ever recorded king salmon, weighing over 96 pounds. Chinook salmon is the state fish of Alaska.

Other types of salmon include the red salmon or sockeye salmon, pink salmon, silver or Coho salmon, chum salmon, and the Atlantic salmon, which are left run wild in the on the Atlantic coast only. Each of the pacific salmon species have different life cycle and each returns to their fresh water spawning grounds at different times. When salmon returns to the rivers where they’re from, they are collectively called run that is, in turn, named after the river. So, if you hear the word run or runs, you know what it means.

Due to the fact that salmon always come back to where they hatched, you know when the ideal times are to go fishing for salmon or mostly called fishing season and you know there will always be salmon to catch. This is why many fishermen became fascinated with fishing, whether as hobby, sport or pastime.

Fishing for salmon requires bait. There are various types of baits that you cause in fishing for salmon. There are plugs, worms, lures, and flies in which you can use for fresh water salmon; for salt water, you can go for flies, streamers, crustaceans, and lures.

Fly fishing for salmon will require you to have 12-16 ft. graphite or fiberglass rod, fly reel and line. For bait fishing, you will need a 10 ft. spinning rod and bait caster reel with up to 20 lb. test line. But if you are into fishing for king or Chinook salmon, you will need a boat or a trolling rod. And because Chinook are known to be the biggest and heaviest of its kind, you will 20-40 pound or more test line. Who knows, your simple fishing for salmon trip could land you to catch king salmon?

By: Milos Pesic
Milos Pesic is an avid fisherman and owner of popular and comprehensive Salmon Fishing information site. For more articles and resources on Salmon Fishing related topics, Salmon Fishing equipment, tips and trips, visit his site at: http://salmon-fishing.need-to-know.net.

Featured by the Fishing directory in the lifestyle section at Resources For Attorneys.com, a legal resource and lifestyle directory for attorneys, lawyers and the internet public.

The Alaska King Salmon is the official state fish and ultimate prize for any fisherman looking for the excitement of landing a big one. King Salmon in the world famous Kenai River are plentiful and huge. Sport fishermen in the Kenai have caught trophy salmon weighing nearly 100-pounds, and it's not unusual for anglers to haul in 40 and 50 pounders. Thousands of people travel to the Kenai River and, with a licensed river guide, pursue its most prized bounty-- the King.

What do you use for bait? There are a few types of rigs that are best for attracting Alaska King Salmon. Spin-N-Glows, Vibrex Spinners, and plugs are three effective lures that usually provide optimum results. Two common fishing techniques used on guide boats on the Kenai are back trolling and drifting; while a third and relatively new method called back bouncing is also proving to be effective.

Back trolling usually incorporates Spin-N-Glows and salmon eggs or plugs. Some other effective lures for back trolling are Magnum Wiggle Worts, Flashtrap Spinners, Tadpollys, Kwikfish and Flatfish. In addition to the lure, you may also, depending upon the current, depth of the water, and location on the river, utilize divers, trolling weights, and diving lures. Baits that move erratically and rotate, especially those that create the illusion of a water creature in distress, will help attract salmon.

When back trolling, the guide has the boat work against the current, running the motor at the same speed or a bit slower than the river. This helps hold the boat in the same position on or to move slowly down the river. The boat should be moving downstream slower than the current while the lures are downstream ahead of the boat. Usually the bait moves close to the bottom of the river with a diver or weight attached 18 inches away from it to allow for proper depth. You'll know you've got a King Salmon on your line when the rod goes down and stays down.

Drifting is similar to back trolling except the bait is allowed to gently bounce off the bottom of the river while the boat drifts with the current. Weights are used to keep the line at the correct depth. This technique is difficult to master since it's not necessarily east to differentiate between a fish taking the bait and your line hitting off the bottom. A pause in the movement of the line often indicates a hit.

With back bouncing, the bait is bounced off the bottom as the boat is slowly backed over a hole. Sink-N-Glows, a Vibrex spinner or similar lures when properly weighted often yield good results. When fishing, if you feel a tug set the hook chances are there is a salmon there.

If using a plug, you'll want to utilize K-15's or K-16's - you need something large. Divers work well to get the plug to the right depth and colorful, gaudy colors are recommended due to their ability to attract attention.

If you're planning on fishing the Kenai River and can't locate the right type of lure at home, don't worry. Some of these items may not be accessible in your region of the country but bait and tackle shops throughout the Kenai have no lack of Spin-N-Glows, Vibrex spinners, Tadpollys, Kwikfish and more.

If you elect to book your fishing trip through a licensed guide, you'll find that their knowledge, skill, and supplies will result in a less stressful and a more productive trip. When you go fishing for the Alaska King Salmon you want to exploit every opportunity you have to make your limit, enjoying some of the best fishing on this earth.

By: Paul Mroczka sponsored by www.alaskafishon.com. Alaska Fish On is a licensed and registered Kenai river Alaska fishing guide service.

Featured by the Fishing Directory from the lifestyle section of Resources For Attorneys