trolling patterns on salt

Hey NCKAers

I know we gotta lotta brainiacs around here and I have a question.

You know when you are on fresh water and you choose a visual line of sight marker and you do a troll by degrees of the compass in your head to cover a wide area and not miss that water column where fish are.  Pretty easy right?
Same with casting from your yak or the shore you sweep an area marked by line of sight object, a tree a point whatever.

OK you salmon trollers, how would I do that effectively on big blue?

Would I mark my GPS position and try fan out to say ssw 149 deg to sw using a compass? Sweep out say 30 yards then back to my GPS mark cover those compass coordinates then go further west and finally to a nnw postion on my compass?

I want to figure a scientific way to cover all the water columns where chrome might be.

Or is this just mental masturbation and and I should just follow the bait?

I mark bait and follow it around. Stay in the general area.

It isn't just follow the bait, although bait is to be looked for, in that plenty of salmon are hooked between and away from bait balls. They have tails and a big ocean to roam. If you're fishing solo in an area you think fish are in make a long north/south tack then go east west or reverse of that. Get a bite? Circle the area. If you see other boats particularly commercial, follow their tack without getting too close. look for water color change and current rips and try each side of the division. Cover the water column as much as possible from shallow to deep.

Follow the birds. They will lead you where you want to be. Also, be on the lookout for rip currents, eddies, trash lines, etc.. All of these things will attract and hold baitfish, which will bring in salmon.

I usually just pick a general area I want to fish and zig zag around it keeping my eyes peeled for signs of bait activity. Wherever I see birds chasing bait, that's where I go.

I prefer stay in one place (mooching) and let the Salmons come to me 

I like a blindfold.   

I think you'd need a lot of hours to cover a significant grid, and current, wind, seeing birds, other boats...etc. would cause changes in course. 

A grid is insane!   

Let's do it.   

I like a blindfold.   

I think you'd need a lot of hours to cover a significant grid, and current, wind, seeing birds, other boats...etc. would cause changes in course. 

A grid is insane!   

Let's do it.   

Yeah let's do it.  Next season fer sure!!

It's not too late!!! This is the time of year for GIANT salmon on the Marin coast.

Watch the party boats. When they hook up they immediately turn back and run over the same area.

My experience.
Paddle 50 miles N, S, E and W, on multiple days, for no Salmon.  Then one day, without any bait sign, you might be rewarded with your first Salmon.  Paddle more miles, get nothing.  Repeat.

Also…...

I have a friend that on his first attempt at Salmon, became very sea sick.  He stayed out as long as he could, and when he could do no more, he gave away all his bait except the one he was currently trolling and headed for the launch- trolling on his way in.  Upon making it almost back to shore, in 40 feet of water he hooked up,  Landed the salmon and got off the water.  He was the only one in the group who boated a Salmon that day.


I am a rookie at Salmon, but the more I do it, the more I think if you have a decent bait out- it's more about happening up the fish than having a set plan.  Of course current reports and other natural signs (birds, etc) will guide you to where the fish are more likely to be.  You might be over thinking it, but what do I know?

Best of luck, and when the time comes-be ready with the net,

Aaron