When it comes to using herring for salmon fishing, there are as many ways to rig the bait as there are fishermen!

Over the years I have watched hundreds of anglers cut and rig their herring with "super-secret" techniques that they claim will catch the most fish, or will get the big ones, or the finicky ones…the fact is, they all have one thing in common - and it's the most important thing -  they make the bait rotate in the water, imitating a wounded baitfish. This spinning action produces a flash in the water, and triggers the salmon's instinct to bite.

It goes without saying that fishing is best when the salmon are actively feeding when "the bite" is on.  At these times, you can hook up without having any action on your bait - the trouble is there are only a few very short windows in a day when this will happen. Salmon are opportunistic feeders, and for the better part of the day they will strike a bait or lure at any time, as long as there is action to trigger them to strike!

 

Following are some of my preferred ways to rig bait:

 

1) Cut Plug

A sharp knife first lays right behind the gills of a well brined bait fish from dorsal to ventral surface. Then the knife blade rotates to establish two angles in the bait: a 45 degree angle toward the tail end and a 45 degree angle toward the lateral flank that rests on the cutting board. The head is cut off in one clean slice of the knife - there should be no sawing action. The entrails are then removed by carefully inserting the knife into the body cavity, giving a couple of quick turns of the blade and pulling out the innards by lightly dragging the knife along the back bone.  Caution must be taken to ensure the knife does not tear the flesh of the bait.  

 

       

Using a tandem single hook rig, insert the trailing (back) hook into the top of the longer side of the herring, just beside the spine, as far back into the body cavity as the gap of the hook will allow.  Pull the hook through the meat, then with the point of the hook facing the rear of the herring, place the hook into the body of the herring along the lateral line, about an inch from the tail.  Rotate the hook through the middle side of the fish along the spine, in a 180 degree "roll".  Grab the hook by the bend, and gently pull the hook so the eye goes into the flesh, then lightly push the eye and shank of the hook forward and bury it into the meat.  I like to set this trailing hook as close as possible to the tail, as salmon often bite short, just at the end.  Now take the lead (front) hook, and insert the point into the spine from the body cavity, and spin the hook 180 degrees so the point comes out of the top of the herring, and points forward.  The placement of this hook, in conjunction with the angles of the bevelled cut, will give the spinning action to your bait when it is pulled through the water.    By placing the lead hook into the spine, you ensure that the hooks will not pull through the flesh of the bait when there is a lot of drag in the water.

 

2) "Whole-y" Roller

This method permits you to fish the entire herring for the ultimate reproduction of the natural bait in the water.  Also great for when you have dropped your knife overboard, and don't have any teaser heads!
Using a tandem single hook rig, turn a well brined herring upside down and insert the trailing (back) hook into the left side of the herrings chin, along the left flap of the bottom of the gill plate.  You will find that the hook point will go straight through the left nostril of the fish - there is no need to make a new hole by forcing the hook.  If the hook doesn't pass through easily without resistance, try gently poking the point along until you find the nostril.  You must be cautious that you do not flare the gill plates open, otherwise the herrings mouth will gape wide open when you pull it in the water, rendering the bait useless as it will not have any strike inducing action!
Pass the entire hook through the nostril, being careful that the eye does not tear apart the mouth of the herring.  Follow the same path with the point of the lead hook, pulling it carefully all the way through the nostril.

Now turn the herring right side up, and cross the lead (front) hook and line over the top of the herring to the right side of the bait, and with the point facing toward the tail, insert the hook in the middle of the right side, along the lateral line.  The hook will be threaded in the right side of the fish in a 180 degree roll, so the point of the hook exits the bait with the point facing the herring's head.  There is no need to bury the eye of the hook.  Take the trailing (back) hook, and near the back of the tail, insert the hook in the same manner as just completed with the lead hook.  The finished product will have both hooks on the same side of the bait, a few inches apart.  By giving a slight tug on the leader at the front of the bait, a bend will put into the whole herring which will give it that enticing roll to trigger the salmon's instinct to bite!

 

3) Herring Teaser Head

Simply the easiest method to rig bait, a teaser head permits quick and simple rigging of whole baits.  Take a well brined whole herring and place the head of the bait into the opening of the teaser head.  The longer side of the teaser head goes on top!  Place a toothpick through the hole in the side of the teaser head, and then break it off on each side.  This will hold your herring in place, and prevent it from slipping out of it's "helmet".

I don't like to use treble hooks - they cause too much damage to fish that are being released, and contrary to popular opinion, do not hold fish as well as single hooks do.  Using a tandem single hook setup, insert the lead (front) hook on the right side of the bait with the point facing toward the tail, along the lateral line.  The hook will be threaded in the right side of the fish in a 180 degree roll, so the point of the hook exits the bait with the point facing towards the herring's head.  There is no need to bury the eye of the hook.  Take the trailing (back) hook, and near the back of the tail, insert the hook in the same manner as just completed with the lead hook.  The finished product will have both hooks on the same side of the bait, a few inches apart.  Snug up any slack line between the lead hook and the teaser head, and the bait should have a slight bend in it.  This will give the bait that injured baitfish roll.