Author Dave Kilhefner was back-trolling salmon eggs when this big chinook couldn’t resist. Photo courtesy of Dave Kilhefner.

Back-trolling and back-bouncing are easy techniques to get the hang of. But certain tactics, which might match the fishes’ moods or water conditions, have proved far more productive than others.

Here’s how to dial in these tactics for spring chinook and summer steelhead fishing.

O-DARK THIRTY
If you can afford to buy a boat, you can afford to take a guided fishing trip. Using this logic many years ago, I booked a trip with a top local guide who could show me the ropes on the rivers I fished most.

It was a worthwhile investment that really raised my learning curve!

This time of year, sunrise comes early, so our day started at the boat ramp at 4:30 a.m. -- about 45 minutes before the first hint of daylight.

We loaded up the boat, then ran about a mile upriver in near darkness -- an exhilarating experience. But let me tell you, running a jet sled on the river in pre-dawn darkness is something for only very experienced river boatmen with an intimate knowledge of the river!

We made it to the hot fishing hole without any mishaps. I was surprised to see another boat was already there. This morning, we would begin fishing second, since river etiquette dictates that the first boat on a hole gets to start fishing first.

Successful river salmon fishing is difficult. Even the very best anglers have to work for every salmon they hook.

These fish are easiest to catch first thing in the morning, often grabbing the first bait they see. Getting to your favorite spot at first light gives you a shot at these suicidal salmon. Also, starting early gives you more time on the water.

BACK-TROLLING DIVERS AND BAIT
It was still 30 minutes before legal fishing time, and that meant it was time for the pre-game ritual. We got the rods and baits ready while sipping coffee and telling jokes.

The first thing all good salmon fishermen do is to get everything squeaky clean. Our guide washed his hands with a palmful of Lemon Joy liquid soap, then donned surgical gloves. He next filled half a 5-gallon bucket with river water, put some soap on a soft brush and scrubbed all the rigging clean.

Then he finished by rinsing off the soap in the bucket of water.

Everything got a scrubbing: hooks, Spin-N-Glos, leaders, swivels and divers. Then we clipped the hooks to the reels and placed rods in the rod holders.

We took care to make sure the freshly washed tackle didn’t touch the deck. Even if you’ve been a neat freak, the floor of a fishing boat collects the kinds of odors you don’t want anywhere near your bait.

Next, he prepared baits. He dipped a clean towel in the river, wrung it out and placed it inside a shallow Rubbermaid container that sat inside a cooler. If cured salmon eggs are allowed to get warm, they get mushy and don’t stay on the hook well.

The guide used scissors to cut the eggs into bite-size chunks, each a little bigger than a quarter, and laid them out on the towel.

Then we baited all the back-trolling rods and put the extra baits back in the cooler. Finally, we were ready to start fishing.

We watched the first boat make its way into the current and let out its lines. Back-trolling is a slow process, so we’d have a few more minutes to wait until they slid far enough downstream so we could begin our own pass through the hole.