Salmon fishermen of the salt - start your engines!  In exactly 14 days (May 19), salmon anglers of the salt are going to be launching from the Port of Brookings Harbor in search of 3-, 4- and 5-year old Chinook.

So now is the time when anglers should be prepping their rods, reels and vessel apparatus for what could be an incredible fishing season.

If your boat is equipped with downriggers, either make sure that your downrigger wire is not tangled, or load your downriggers with plenty of new wire.

Make sure that your electrical connectors are also working in perfect order. If it takes too much fiddling around to get your downrigger pulleys to begin turning, or if they start and stop working in a sporadic manner, replace your electrical connectors with new ones.  You want your downriggers to work perfectly when you are on the water.

Also, make sure that you have an emergency repair kit on board that has crimping pliers, extra electric wire and plenty of electrical connectors on hand for emergency repairs.

If your reels are loaded with monofilament from two years ago (when the KMZ was last opened), you are going to need to replace that line with new monofilament.

If you are a braided line type of person, you've probably noticed that the line furthest to the end of the reel might be faded, while the beginning of the line nearest the spool has color that looks like new.

There are two resolutions for this problem.  Either reverse your line so that the beginning of your braid is on the outside, or replace the braid with new stuff.  I personally am a 50-pound PowerPro kind of guy, and I stand by my guns at this brands' toughness.

If you know how to tie a slip-tie mooching rig, definitely start tying these puppies up now.  I like to put one mooching rig in a baggie, and I will mark the hook sizes and line size on the outside of the baggies with a black magic marker.

It is surprising how fast two weeks can slip by you, so make sure that your tackle boxes are loaded with plenty of the right stuff.  This will also include lineman-quality needlenose and square cutting pliers.  Also be sure to carry at least two pair of toenail cutters for quick-cutting that monofilament.

My tackle box also has at least 3 butane-type cigarette lighters on hand. You can't cut braided line with toenail or lineman pliers, so I like to cut my braid using a very sharp knife, and I will then singe the end of the tag to form a ball using the lighters.

If you are careful and pinch the tag end of the braid between your thumb and index finger, being cautious not to bring the lighter within reach of the other portions of the leader, this rigging is safe to use without worry. Your thumb and index finger will tell you when the heat is too close to the rest of your leader.

Halibut Seasons Opens
The Oregon Southern Oregon Subarea (SOS) opened up for Pacific halibut on Tuesday, May 1, 7 days a week.  But due to high winds and swells, anglers decided to postpone their halibut voyages until calmer seas arrive.

Calm seas with 5-knot winds were expected to hit the area on Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4. The 5-knot winds are anticipated to last throughout the weekend of May 5 and 6, and the calm winds could possibly be in the cards for the beginning of the week.

So where do halibut aficionados of the SOS choose to fish for the big flatties?

Ordinarily, dedicated halibut anglers head uphill and fish the canyon of the Thomas Creek Bridge in 300 feet of water. But in the last several years, halibut slayers have had considerable luck fishing in 180 feet of water off of the main rockfishing points such as Twin Rocks or House Rock before deciding to make the trek all the way to the Thomas Creek Bridge. Either way, you will be fishing with 24- to 36-ounce cannonball sinkers to get you to the bottom.  Some anglers will even use 3 pounds of sinkers or heavier when the current is screaming.

The best bait is usually a combination of whole herring (hopefully caught from Crescent City Harbor in February) combined with a piece of octopus and a salmon belly.  Anglers will tie the baits together using Stretchy Thread.

Bottomfishing Outstanding
This week's calm seas and 5-knot winds also bodes well for fishermen hunting the fatted lingosour, as well as rockfish, as was proven when last week's seas were cooperative.

With this weekend's expected calm seas, and possibly even into early next week, anglers should not have to venture too far in order to get their limits.

Springer Fishing on the Lower Rogue Slows a Tad
Anglers who were aching to give a lower Rogue Chinook Excedrin Headache number 1 had to work for their take-downs last week, but the springer action should be improving.

"I had 3 trips which were a week before last, and I had 6 fish and got to keep 3 of them," said Sam Waller, owner of Jot's Resort in Gold Beach on Thursday. "And we had 3 others on that we lost, so I felt that I did pretty good. But this last week has been spotty. However, the really good guides are still getting a fish or 2, or 3 a day."

Waller said that one of those lucky boats was guided by John Anderson of Memory Makers fame who got 5 springers on Monday.

"He was there at The Rock and he said he only saw 8 fish caught - and he caught 5 of them," noted Waller. "It was a good day for him, but there were a lot of boats that didn't get any of 'em."

Waller remembers that early May of 2017 was similar, where there was a sudden lull in take-downs.

"Last year on these springers, I seem to remember that we started out pretty good," remembered Waller. "There were quite a few fish around and quite a few hatchery fish and people were doing pretty well.

"And then we had a lull right in the middle of the season, similar to what is happening right now. Then a little later in the season, it picked up and the fishing was pretty good. So I'm wondering if that is what is going to go on this year too."

As I'm sitting here penning this article, I'm also wondering if springers are crossing the Rogue River bar.  If there's one thing about springer fishing, it will bring the best guides to their knees.

So keep plenty of sharp hooks on hand and lots of hope in your tackle box. The Rogue's springer run is not over by a longshot.

Then there's the Trinity River springer run which usually starts about now. Anglers will fish the current seams and the willow lines on the Klamath (similar to fishing the lower Rogue), waiting to nab those Trinity River springers on their way up the tracks to their native spawning grounds.

Tight lines!