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[Sinaran]

Yo guys, howdy!
   
   I am a novice in fishing, i fish a lot and i usually couldn't catch anything spectagular, but i love this sport that i wouldn't give up on it easily! I would love to put on some great salmon fishing experience to my memory and the upcoming salmon season is the best chance for me to do that.  I have two sets of spinning and casting rods and reels for coarse fishing, i don't think that's enough even for pinks , right?  So if any of u guys here who could give me an idea of what kind of setups  i need , such as : rod, reel, line and bait/lure that i need to start with that would be great!  thanks a lot !

[Fish Assassin]

If you're targeting pinks, a spinning outfit would be perfect. Fill your reel with 8-10 lb. test and get some pink lures such as zzingers, buzz bombs or some of Rodney's spoons and you're set.

[Sinaran]

thanks for the advice, man! yeah, that's what i need to know.  do u think i can use the same setup for sockeye?  those r the two species i am targetting ...  thanks again!

[Fish Assassin]

I assume you are bottom bouncing for sockeyes. If so, you will need a longer rod in the 10 1/2' range. While I have seen people use spinning reels, my preference is a level wind reel.

[Rodney]

Sinaran, if you are just starting out my suggestion is don't get caught up in the sockeye fishery craze and wait for the pink salmon fishery in this September. Pink salmon is a great sportfish species for people who are trying out salmon fishing for the first time. For many reasons:

• The are plentiful. This year we are expecting at least 16 million fish returning into the Fraser River. So far the test fisheries have indicated the original prediction will be matched if not higher.
• They are eager biters! Pink salmon fishing will not hesitate to bite a moving artificial lure when retrieved correctly.
• The size is perfect. Trying out for the biggest salmon during your first salmon trip can be an unpleasant surprise. Fish between 4 and 8lb are perfect fighting size.

If you choose to participate in the upcoming sockeye fishery, you'll find yourself lining up with other eager anglers. Casting space will be minimal so there isn't room for errors.

Anyways, for pink salmon. You'll need a light to medium spinning rod. The rod should be at least 6 feet long. The reel should be medium size, something around Shimano 2500 models. Spool the reel with maxima 8lb test (I find 6lb scratches too much for pinks, 10lb gets tiring after multiple casts). Your rod should have a rating between 6 and 10lb test. The action of the rod should be moderate (semi stiff) or slow (soft).

For lures, Gibbs Croc in 1/4oz range will do the job. The colours that work well include pink, orange and green. Two years ago I made my own spoons and they worked surprisingly well. Second and third ones from the left in the photo below were very good.



Pay attention to the fishing reports here around late August, you should start to see pink salmon emerging then. The fishing should peak around first and second week of September, but they'll bite all the way until the end of September. Opening times have not been announced, so please check back here again later as well.

In the meantime, there are some articles in the freshwater fishing section that can be very helpful.

[Sinaran]

wow, thanks a lot Rod and fish assassin, that really helps!
so i assume the rod i have now is perfect for pinks (7"), and i will load up with the 8 lbs lines that i have. for the spoons, i might have some but not sure if they r the same, i will check it out. thanks a lot again... keep up with the good work, this is a great site for us fishing fanatics!

[lucky]

 Alot of good advice, just wanted to add that if you are just starting out salmon fishing you might want to go with a 10lb-12lb fishing line for pinks. Better chances of landing a fish, salmon tend to fight and run alot and with lighter line it may be a little tough landing fish. Also if you are practicing catch and release a stronger line will alow you to bring in the fish in faster putting less stress on it thus increasing its chances of survival. Also if you get snags you may be able to retrieve them better with a little thicker line. As far as lures of choice for pinks, I found that a small to medium size pink buzz bomb works the best, because of the weight it alows you to cast farther and the lure stays in the strike zone very nicely with a slow retrieve.