In this article, I’m going to talk to you about How to Fish Buoy 10 for Salmon
There are many ways to rig up for Buoy 10 fishing. Let’s talk specifically about how I like to fish Buoy 10 and what works best for Marvin’s Guide Service, Bear in mind that many experienced anglers have their favorite methods, so this won’t be the only way. But the suggestions here have produced excellent results for Marvin’s clients over many years of salmon fishing Buoy10.
The fishing rod!
Your fishing rod is a very important piece of equipment, so choosing the right rod can make a huge difference in success at Buoy 10.
I like a 9-foot to 10-foot long, medium-action fishing rod. I’m currently using Tica’s HLHF Galant-Z Salmon rod. There are many manufacturers of excellent rods, including Berkley and Shimano, to name a few popular brands.
The fishing reel!
The fishing reel is another very important piece of equipment; no matter what brand you choose, Berkley, Shimano, Tica, or another quality reel brand will serve you well. A reel with a line counter is ideal for this fishery.
The line!
When fishing Buoy 10, you’re going to want a braided fishing line. I currently have my line counter reel spooled with a 50-pound braid. There are many different manufacturers of braid lines, so just choose your favorite.
The rigging!
You have two different types of flashers to help attract salmon and increase bites, from the 360 flashers to the triangle. Let’s talk a little bit about using both.
Triangle Flasher
First, let’s talk about using the triangle flasher. I prefer a Shortbus brand flasher. Coming off your main line. You’re going to want to leader to serve as a bumper line. I like an 18-inch bumper. I get these pre-tied from Coldwater Strong. They have a great video on rigging up Coldwater Strong bumpers; click here to watch that.
From my flasher to my herring, I like to use a 40- or 50-pound leader. My leader length to the herring is usually around 40 inches.
With the heavy currents in the lower Columbia River around Buoy 10, you’re going to need heavy lead. I generally use anywhere from 16 to 24 ounces. You want to keep your baits down low … not necessarily on the bottom, just down where the fish are. Use your electronics and figure out what depth the salmon are running. That’s where the line counter on your reel comes in handy.
360 Flashers
When I use a 360 flasher, I generally like to go to lures, whether it be a spinner, Brad Super Bait, or even a SpinFish. I will shorten my leader from the 360 flashers to the lure to around 24 inches.
Fishing the tides!
When you fish Buoy 10, you want to fish the tides. An incoming tide is always the best. An incoming tide will bring cooler ocean water and more bait fish. And usually, this means more salmon. The best salmon bite is usually the first hour of the high tide into the change of tide.
Fishing a big outgoing tide generally is not a good idea. The water will get rough and usually, there will be lots of weeds and other debris during a strong ebb tide. Fishing a small outgoing tide is OK. Learn to read your tide tables.
If you are new to fishing in this area, you might think about hiring an experienced Buoy 10 fishing guide like Marvin’s Guide Service for your first trip out, just to be safe and understand the tides and all the different riggings.
Triangle flasher for Buoy 10 herring fishing.
360 flasher rigged up with a spinner, all ready for Buoy 10 fishing.
Last Updated on by Marvin
