The smallest of the five Pacific species, Pink Salmon reach spawning weights of 5 – 11 pounds in their second summer.

A very few actually make it to a second spawning year and only a few males actually survive.

Best Angling Time of Day

Pink Salmon are highly abundant, which makes finding and catching them much easier than other fish. Even novice anglers can get started catching Pink Salmon after the first few casts.

Pink Salmon feed all throughout the day from dawn to dusk and both on and off the tide. They also actively feed in and around lunch time and late in to the evening. The only consideration should be the impact caused by human activity. In areas where there is a lot of human activity, early morning fishing is the best time.

Selecting the Right Lure

There is no silver bullet as what works well one day may not work so well the next day. Changing tastes occurs large part due to changing bait fish patterns. To achieve the best success rate for catching Pink Salmon, choose baits and lures that represent the most popular bait fish they are currently eating.

However, as Pink Salmon do not feed while they are spawning, a different approach is required. When spawning, choose baits and lures that are bright and reflect light like spinners and spoons.

For both casting and fly fishing, cast so that the fly or lure drops within a few feet of them. Your goal is to agitate the Salmon to cause them to strike out of anger or defence.

A good lure for Pink Salmon fishing is to use the pink hootchie. Other lures to consider include the pink plugs, Apexes, Krippled Ks, and a variety of squirts and hootchies.

Successful Patterns

Successful patterns should include the blue baron, irish mist, mint tulip, fiesta, day-glo orange, pink and white stripe and bubble gum.

Top Bait Fish

If you can fish with live bait, herring and squid are top choices for fishing in the ocean and estuaries. Anchovy are also effective and when fishing with baits, use leaders of 30 – 40 inches and a minimum of 25 pound test accurately convey snap from flashers.

This is in contrast to the line weight used in fishing in rivers and streams. Ocean fishing attracts a lot of large fish. Fishing with a light line is more challenging and may result in a big fish taking the bait and snapping the line.