I am trying to learn the basics to get started in rivers for salmon. Any suggestions to get started? What gear, which rigs, good place to start out in Enumclaw area.

cjk01,

Welcome to Fishingnw.com. We will need to have some information from you to best help you.

Will you be fishing from the bank or from a boat? Do you currently fish? What type of fishing do you prefer? Do you enjoy float fishing, spinning, drifting, jigging, or fly fishing? Are you purchasing all new equipment for Salmon fishing? Are you on a budget or do you have some room to spend some money?

Fishing with Kwikfish

Jimmy D's Drift Fishing Clinic

Welcome to fishingnw cjk01, lots of good help here and advice to boot, i can only say so much so i'll try this, this is what i have for my steelhead/salmon setup. I spent a 120.00 on the setup. Good luck

w.w. grigg gx856mhs rod- really good i hear
shimano symetre 4000fi reel- very nice reel

glock/byron - thanks for the welcome. I grew up fishing lakes in MN and have fished fair amount of lakes around here for rainbow, bass, etc. Plan to fish banks, have waders that have been in the box for 2 yrs. wouldn't say I'm on a budget but would prefer to start with good gear and upgrade as I figure what I am doing.

If you have a sportsman warehouse near i'd head there and ask around in the fishing dept plus they can set you up on some good gear.

Later
Byron

If you're getting started for salmon and steelhead you're probably best served with a medium weight 8.5 or 9' baitcasting rig (Berkley or Shimano or Lamiglas in 10-20 or 12-30 lb rating are good bets) with an Ambassadeur or Shimano reel, plus a medium light spinning rod (9 to 10.5') with a Shimano, Okuma or Pflueger spinning reel. I'd suggest spooling the baitcaster with about 50 lb braid (powerpro, Tuf XP, Stren Super Braid) and the spinning rig with 8 to 12 lb mono (P Line or Sufix) or 30 lb braid. The heavy rod is primarily for salmon and the light one is for steelhead and coho. Of course you can do some double duty with both, and you'll eventually end up with a couple of dozen rods or more like some of us with the sickness.

Thanks for the info. I got my hands on a South Bend graphite rod, med/hvy 8 ft 12-25 lb with a Shimano 500S spinning reel. It is a little older. That work? Any suggestions on where to go where a rookie won't get in the way? I have heard this type of fishing called "combat fishing."

Your gear should work fine, although I prefer baitcasters for salmon. I'm afraid I can't be of any help steering you toward a good area for fishing in your area; I'm purely an eastsider. But one tip is to be wary of some of the angling techniques you'll see in combat zones. A lot of people in some of the crowded areas will be blatantly snagging or sometimes more subtly snagging by "flossing" with a super long leader. They'll encourage you to turn to the dark side and cheat also. Don't buy it. Stick with bobber/eggs or a vibrax spinner or some other legitimate approach for salmon and you can score for real.

Probably the best tip I can give you is to hook up with a reputable guide and go on a trip. You'll save tons of money in the long run by shortening your learning curve, as well as have a blast.

Thanks for the tip. I have no interest in snagging or flossing. I think I might try a guide to get started.

You should be able to chase pinks on the Puyallup or Carbon rivers if they are still open.

This link www.thenewstribune.com...54049.html
has a fishing report about the Puyallup and Carbon river. It mentions contacting SportCo.

Here is a link to thier contact page. www.sportco.com/contactus.html give them a call and tell them what your looking for.

Your rod and reel should be fine. Get some fresh line. 15lb maxima should do fine.

Good luck!

You may want to try float fishing with a marabou jig. this is my first season and i've been successful using this setup for silvers and steelies. Use fluorocarbon leader in the 8# class and a 1/16th jighead. I like using the "Steelhead Stalker" float on my rig.

I like to go to Ted's sporting goods in Lynnwood. They have a good selection and the staff is very helpful and will not sell you things you do not need.

good luck
t