Salmon trolling is one of the most productive and widely practiced techniques for Pacific salmon on salt water and the Great Lakes. The complete trolling system involves more components than most fishing techniques — downrigger or planer, main line, attractor (flasher or dodger), leader, and terminal lure or bait — and each connection requires the right knot. This guide covers the complete trolling rig assembly from ball to hook.
Trolling System Overview
A complete salmon trolling rig runs in this sequence from the downrigger:
Downrigger ball
→ 100-200 foot main line (braid or mono)
→ Release clip attaches to downrigger wire
→ 6-10 foot fluorocarbon leader
→ FG Knot join
→ Flasher (attached with snap swivel)
→ 20-24 inch fluorocarbon leader
→ Lure or bait hook
Components and Knots at Each Connection
Main Line to Leader
Connect 30lb braid (or 20lb monofilament) to 6-10 feet of 25-30lb fluorocarbon leader using the FG Knot. Pre-tie this at home — the FG Knot is difficult to tie on a moving boat.
The long fluorocarbon leader between the main line and the flasher accomplishes two things: it is nearly invisible compared to braid, and it provides abrasion resistance where the line contacts the side of the boat near the transom.
Leader to Flasher Snap Swivel
Use an Improved Clinch Knot to tie the leader to the snap swivel at the front of the flasher. 5-6 wraps on 25-30lb fluorocarbon. Wet the knot completely before cinching.
Alternatively, use a small barrel swivel tied with a Palomar Knot and clip the flasher to it — this makes flasher changes faster.
Flasher to Short Leader
The short leader between the flasher and the lure is the most important connection in the trolling system. Cut a fresh 20-24 inch section of 20-25lb fluorocarbon and tie it to the rear snap of the flasher. Tie the lure, fly, or bait to the other end.
Flasher leader length guide:
| Attractor | Leader Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard 11" flasher | 20-24 inches | Most common chinook setup |
| Large 14" flasher | 24-30 inches | Big water, deep chinook |
| Small 8" flasher | 14-18 inches | Coho, shallower water |
| Standard dodger | 6-8 inches | Fly or small hoochie only |
| Large dodger | 8-10 inches | Larger fly or squid strip |
Lure Connections
Hoochie / squid lure: Thread the leader through the body of the hoochie and tie a 1/0-3/0 single hook to the end with a Palomar Knot. The hook should sit at the tail of the hoochie.
Trolling spoon (behind flasher): Palomar Knot directly to the spoon split ring. Behind a flasher, the flasher drives all action — a snug knot is fine.
Trolling spoon (no flasher): Non-Slip Loop Knot for spoons trolled naked without an attractor — the free loop gives the spoon maximum flutter.
Fly / hoochie fly: Thread leader through the fly head and tie a short-shank 2/0-4/0 hook with a Palomar Knot.
Cut plug herring: Use a 2/0 hook on a 4-6 inch leader from a 4/0 trailing hook. Snell both hooks (see Snell Knot) for the best hook angle on the circle cut of the herring.
Complete Salmon Trolling Setups
Standard Chinook (King) Salmon Downrigger Rig
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Downrigger | 10-12lb ball, 100-200 foot wire |
| Main Line | 300 yards, 30lb braid |
| Leader | 8 feet, 25-30lb fluorocarbon |
| Attractor | 11-inch chrome or Green Crush flasher |
| Leader Behind Flasher | 22 inches, 25lb fluorocarbon |
| Lure | Green or white hoochie with 2/0 single hook |
| Main Knot | FG Knot (braid to leader) |
| Terminal Knot | Palomar (hook to leader) |
| Speed | 2.2-2.8 mph |
| Target Depth | 40-100 feet (on fish finder) |
Coho (Silver) Salmon — Shallow Flasher Rig
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Line | 20lb braid |
| Leader | 6 feet, 20lb fluorocarbon |
| Attractor | 8-inch gold or silver flasher |
| Leader Behind Flasher | 18 inches, 20lb fluorocarbon |
| Lure | Blue/silver or chartreuse hoochie fly |
| Terminal Knot | Palomar |
| Depth | 20-50 feet |
| Speed | 2.0-2.5 mph |
Planer / Dipsy Diver Rig (No Downrigger)
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Line | 30lb monofilament (stretch absorbs diver snap) |
| Diver | Dipsy Diver, size 1 or 2 |
| Leader | 6-8 feet, 25lb fluorocarbon |
| Attractor | Flasher (optional — many run diver direct to lure) |
| Lure | Spoon or hoochie |
| Terminal Knot | Non-Slip Loop (spoon) or Palomar (hoochie) |
| Depth | Setting 1: ~20 feet; Setting 3: ~40 feet at 2.5 mph |
Lead Core Line Trolling (Great Lakes)
Lead core line sinks 5 feet per 10-yard color at standard trolling speeds. Great Lakes salmon anglers use it to reach precise depths without downriggers.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Backing | 100 yards, 30lb monofilament |
| Lead Core | 150-200 yards, 18-27lb |
| Leader | 20-30 feet, 20lb fluorocarbon |
| Connection | Mono leader to lead core with Albright Knot |
| Lure | Spoon or plug |
| Terminal Knot | Palomar |
Rigging Tips
Pre-tie leaders at home. Bring 6-8 flasher leaders and 6-8 short attractor-to-lure leaders pre-tied and coiled. Changing a rig on the water when fish are marking is fast if leaders are ready — slow if you’re tying knots on a wet deck.
Use a snap swivel at the flasher. A snap allows flasher changes in 10 seconds. Some anglers tie the leader directly to the flasher to eliminate hardware, but the time savings of a snap are usually worth the minimal extra hardware.
Check the herring roll. When running cut plug herring, let out 10 feet of line behind the boat before setting depth and watch the roll. A good herring rolls once every 1-1.5 seconds at trolling speed. Faster roll (too tight a cut), slower roll (re-cut), or no roll (improperly rigged) mean retie before setting depth.
Related Guides
- Best Knots for Salmon Fishing — the full salmon knot system for all techniques
- How to Set Up a Sabiki Rig — catching the herring and anchovy baitfish used in trolling setups
- Best Knots for Braided Line — braid fundamentals for trolling main line