The tastiest of all salmon…Spring Chinook…are making their way up and March-May is the time to get out after ’em. While there are many ways you can target these prime kings, one popular technique on the Columbia River is to anchor and deploy a Yakima Bait Mag Lip.

Let me explain on how to be effective when fishing Mag Lips. Fishing for Springers is a lot like plunking, where you drop your anchor is pretty crucial. Springers are generally focused on moving upstream at a fast pace, so they hug the sides of the river, where there’s less current. To be successful, you’re going to want to identify these travel lanes and drop your pick right in the middle of one. My ideal water is 12 to 18 feet in depth and is positioned off a point, rock formation or other structure that the fish are funneled into.

Rigging up. First off make sure your Mag Lips are clean and free of any foreign scent. There are many colors and sizes to choose from. I prefer a size 4.0 Mag Lip in Double Trouble…chrome and chartreuse usually produces best for me. The rig is pretty basic: Start with 30–60-pound braid down to a dropper. Run a 12 to 24 inch section of 15-lb. mono to your sinker and 4 to 5 feet of 40-lb. mono to your Mag Lip. Maybe add a piece of sardine fillet to it or add some other type of bait…i.e tuna fish. Add a little extra scent of your choice, I like bloody tuna, and your rig is complete.

Technique. There’s not a whole lot to the technique…back the rigs out, pop ’em into the holders and wait for a titanic takedown. Just don’t grab the rod to soon and pull the Mag Lip away from the Fish. Wait until the rod is buried and line is coming off the reel before you grab it. That’s it…being handy with a grill may be a great way to pass time while waiting for the unmistakably burry of the rod.