JEFF’S GUIDE

How to Cut and Rig a Herring for Alaska Salmon Fishing

Jeff's Guide to a Perfect Cut-Plug

If you want to catch salmon in Southeast Alaska, follow these simple steps to cut and rig a plugged herring. This rig works well for mooching or trolling and will catch salmon, halibut, rockfish… pretty much anything that feeds on herring. (Note: It won’t catch a Sockeye salmon, as they feed on krill.)

1. Preparation: The Compound Angle Cut

Using a sharp knife, cut the herring at a 30-degree angle with a 45-degree bevel. For you carpenters, this is a compound miter. Be careful to slice cleanly through the herring; jagged or torn edges will cause your herring to mushroom and not fish effectively.

2. Cleaning the Cavity

Remove the guts from the herring, or they will eventually trail out the cavity and tear the belly.

Remember to handle the herring very delicately while rigging it.

4. Placing the Top Hook

Finally, take the top hook and hook it next to the backbone on the long side of the cut and poke it out the back of the herring. Placing the top hook too deep into the cavity will make the herring harder to spin, but not hooking enough meat will cause the hook to pull out (especially with soft herring).

5. Achieving the Perfect Roll

If you want to catch salmon, you better make sure your herring is rolling. A tight roll is easier for salmon to hit than a wide roll. To achieve a slower (barrel) roll for King Salmon, rigging a whole herring works better.

There are many ways to rig a herring for Alaska salmon fishing, but this is the simplest and most effective way that I have found.