When It Comes to Dodgers,
Size Matters
With countless YouTube videos on the
internet showing underwater action
of fish biting trolled lures and baits,
the first thing you notice is how the
fish swim up behind the bait and
then sway “back and forth” before
committing to biting. The dodger
does the same thing which is why it
attracts fish. The dodger is one of the
most common attractors used when
trolling for salmon. The action gives
it its name, swaying back and forth
and “dodging” much like a salmon as
it approaches a bait.
Knowing that the dodger is mimicking
a fish coming to investigate a
bait it only makes sense to use one
that gives the impression of a feeding
salmon. The standard full-size model
works great when you are fishing
for chinook or ocean bright coho
but when it comes to smaller salmon,
such as pink, sockeye or even
“resident” coho and “black mouth”
chinook which are younger fish that
don’t migrate out to the open ocean
then the larger profile might actually
scare more fish away than attract.
Until recently there weren’t too many
companies that offered a smaller
Three different sizes of
dodgers from Mack’s Lure.
dodger that performed the same way
as the standard full size ones. A dodger
not only mimics a feeding salmon
but it also imparts action on the lure
or bait. A spoon being drug around
behind a boat might get bit but if it
is darting or “dodging” back and
jason brooks photo
forth and appears to be fleeing from
the feeding fish (dodger) when the
competition shows up it provokes the
instinct to bite immediately.
Mack’s Lure is known for its
Double D dodger that allows you to
use a “kick out” hole that causes the
dodger to plane away from the boat
now offers a new 5.8-inch dodger
of the same style. This “mid-sized”
dodger is just the ticket for resident
coho and blackmouth (resident)
chinook. It also won’t intimidate pink
or sockeye salmon. Those that chase
after the upper Columbia sockeye run
know that you need a lot of action on
the lure, which is often tandem red
hooks with either a small pink squid
skirt or some tinsel tied in but the
larger dodgers can also resemble feeding
chinook. The mid-sized dodger
will give the needed action but also
resemble a sockeye chasing the bait.
When it comes to the dodger to
attract fish, sometimes size does
matter. As a rule, use a larger dodger
for chinook and coho, and smaller
to mid-size dodgers for landlocked
salmonids and now the mid-size to
bridge the gap. JASON BROOKS
Recipe: Butter,
Garlic Salmon
Bites
INGREDIENTS
4-6 oz. salmon fillet
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 Tbs parsley
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cube of butter
DIRECTIONS
• Remove skin from salmon
fillet, cut into 1-inch square
pieces.
• Mince garlic into small
pieces.
• Combine flour, spices
(except for parsley).
• Coat salmon pieces with
flour and spice mixture.
• Set aside.
• Melt butter in a skillet on
medium heat and add
parsley and garlic.
• Add salmon pieces and
cook for about 4-5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.
NOTES: This is an easy
recipe and takes very little
prep time. The fish cooks
up quickly and it goes well
with a pasta or rice dish.
I’ve made it with steelhead,
salmon, cod and halibut.
PAT HOGLUND
www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com 7