Downrigger fishing is the standard technique for serious Puget Sound salmon trollers. While divers and lead weights can get lures down to salmon depth, a downrigger does it with precision — you set an exact depth, troll there consistently, and when a fish strikes, the line releases from the downrigger clip and you fight the fish on light, unencumbered tackle. It's an elegant system that opens up the entire water column and gives you control that other methods can't match.

If you're new to downrigger fishing or looking to sharpen your technique for Puget Sound chinook and coho, this guide covers everything from gear selection to depth strategy.

What Is a Downrigger?

A downrigger is a specialized winch mounted on a boat's gunwale or transom that lowers a heavy cannonball weight (typically 8-15 lbs) on a steel cable to a precise depth. Your fishing line is attached to the cable via a release clip at the weight. You troll with your rod in the holder under light tension — when a salmon strikes and takes the lure, the line pops free from the release clip and you fight the fish on your rod and reel alone, with no weight attached.

This "clean fight" — fish on light tackle without downrigger weight — is one of the most appealing aspects of downrigger fishing. A 15-pound chinook on a properly matched rod feels like a 15-pound chinook, not like you're fighting a fish plus 10 lbs of lead.

Downrigger Types

Manual downriggers use a hand crank to lower and retrieve the cannonball. They're less expensive ($150-400) and mechanically simple. The disadvantage is physical effort when fishing at depth — cranking up a 10-lb weight from 150 feet multiple times a day adds up.

Electric downriggers use a motor to lower and retrieve at the push of a button. They're significantly more expensive ($400-1,200+) but dramatically reduce fatigue on long trolling days and are standard equipment on most serious Puget Sound salmon boats. Brands like Cannon, Scotty, Penn, and Walker are widely used.

Rigger placement: Most salmon boats run two downriggers — one on each side of the transom or aft gunwale. This allows you to fish two depths simultaneously and "stack" additional lines at different depths on each rigger.

The Basic Downrigger Setup

Cannonball weight: 8-12 lbs is standard for Puget Sound depths (up to 150 feet). Heavier weights (12-15 lbs) are preferred in strong current because they plane less and hold depth more accurately.

Release clips: The clip that holds your fishing line to the downrigger cable. Tension on the clip is adjustable — set it tight enough that normal trolling resistance doesn't trip it, but light enough that a striking fish releases it cleanly. Most experienced anglers use medium tension clips and fine-tune from there.

Fishing rod and reel: A medium-weight trolling rod in the 8-9 foot range, matched with a level-wind reel spooled with 20-30 lb monofilament or 30-50 lb braid with a mono leader. Mono mainline has some stretch which cushions the initial strike; braid gives better sensitivity. A quality rod holder keeps the rod at a comfortable angle with the tip slightly bent under trolling pressure.

Flasher and Lure Selection

The combination of flasher and lure (or bait) is your presentation. Getting this right is one of the highest-leverage variables in Puget Sound salmon fishing.

Flashers

A flasher is an elongated, spinning attractor — typically 8 or 11 inches long — that precedes your lure on the leader. It flashes, vibrates, and creates pressure waves that mimic a large baitfish, attracting salmon from a distance and triggering the strike response.

Common choices: - Chrome/silver: Highly visible in clear water, good all-around choice - Green/chartreuse: Excellent in Puget Sound's often greenish water, especially for chinook - Army truck (green/yellow): Classic Puget Sound chinook flasher color - UV/glow finishes: Effective in deeper, darker water or overcast conditions

Leader length: The leader between the flasher and lure is typically 18-26 inches. Shorter leaders create more action on the lure; longer leaders give a more natural presentation.

Lures and Bait

Hoochies (squid skirts): Soft plastic squid imitations in 3-5 inch sizes. The most widely used Puget Sound salmon lure. Chartreuse, green, pink, white, and glow colors are all productive. Rig a hoochie on a two-hook leader — one hook in the nose and one trailing — for good hookup rates.

Cut herring: A whole herring with the head cut at an angle to create a spinning action is one of the most effective natural bait presentations for chinook. Rig it on a bait rig designed for cut herring and adjust the angle until the bait rolls in a consistent, tight spiral.

Whole plug-cut herring: Similar to cut herring but the entire body is used. The plug cut creates a slower, wider roll — preferred by some anglers, especially for larger chinook.

Spoons: Trolling spoons like the Coho Killer, Coyote, or Krippled K in silver, green, or blue/green produce well, especially for coho. Fished without a flasher on a longer leader for a more subtle presentation.

Squirts: Small plastic attractor lures in bright colors, typically fished with cut or whole herring behind them rather than in front of a separate flasher.

Depth Strategy: Finding Where Salmon Are Holding

Depth selection is the most critical decision in downrigger fishing and the variable that separates consistently productive anglers from those who struggle.

Using Your Sonar

A good fish finder is essential for downrigger fishing. Salmon show as arches on the screen; dense baitfish schools show as blobs or clouds. The most productive depth is typically where bait is concentrated, or just below it — salmon hold beneath bait schools and dart up to feed.

Before setting your downriggers, run over the area at trolling speed and study your sonar. Note the depth of bait marks and any fish arches. Start your first downrigger at the depth of the majority of bait/fish marks and adjust from there.

Puget Sound Depth Patterns

Chinook (blackmouth and adult): Puget Sound chinook are typically deep fish — most productive depths are between 80 and 150 feet, with fish at 100-140 feet common. Chinook relate closely to bait depth and the thermocline, a layer of temperature change that often concentrates both bait and fish.

Coho: Generally shallower than chinook, often 20-60 feet. Summer and fall coho in Puget Sound frequently show near the surface around active bait schools. Start shallower for coho and adjust deeper if surface activity doesn't produce.

Blackmouth (juvenile chinook): Winter blackmouth fishing in Puget Sound is typically done at 60-120 feet, with productive depths varying considerably by location and time of year.

Stacking Lines

Most downriggers allow you to "stack" a second line above your primary line on the same rigger cable. This lets you fish two depths on each downrigger — four total depths on two downriggers. Use different colored tags or markers on your cables to track which depth each stacked line is set at.

Trolling Speed and Direction

Speed: Troll at 1.8-2.8 mph for most Puget Sound salmon presentations. Flasher rigs require a minimum speed to spin correctly — too slow and the flasher drags instead of rotating. Too fast and the presentation looks unnatural. Monitor your flasher action visually by watching the rod tip pulse: a steady, rhythmic beat indicates the flasher is working properly.

Adjust for current: Your speed over ground (from GPS) and your speed through the water are different when you're trolling with or against current. Use your GPS speed to maintain consistent lure action — troll slightly slower over ground when running with current and slightly faster when running against it.

Direction: Troll across current rather than directly with or against it when possible. This keeps the flasher action consistent and covers more ground.

Locating Fish: When to Move

If you've been trolling a productive-looking area at the right depth for 30-45 minutes without a bite, move. The most common mistake in downrigger fishing is staying too long in unproductive water. Use your sonar to find bait marks, adjust depth until you're consistently marking fish, and keep relocating until you find active biters.

Track your productive passes on a chartplotter. When you get a bite, note your exact position, depth, and speed, then repeat that pass. Salmon often stack in small areas, and returning to a productive zone reliably produces additional fish.

Verify current Puget Sound salmon season dates, marine area rules, and hatchery/wild retention regulations at WDFW's salmon regulations page before every trip.