My Go-To Stuffed Bait Recipe for Northwest Salmon

By: Kyle Buschelman

Right now, the epicenter of salmon fishing in the Northwest is Astoria, Oregon, at Buoy 10. It’s ground zero for the season kickoff, and many of the best salmon anglers on the planet spend the month of August here before branching out into parts of Washington, Oregon, Northern California and Idaho for the region’s fall fisheries. In the Pacific Northwest, one of the most popular ways to catch these fall salmon is with stuffed baits fished behind a 360 flasher.

Along with running spinners coated in Anchovy and Herring Fire Gel and pulling Fire Brine herring, stuffed baits are on center stage on thousands of boats. We all have our favorite recipes for how we run them. In this Fire Blog, I’m going to share mine, and I’m excited about it because it’s been working. Just ask my clients.

My Stuffed Bait

We start with tuna in oil. It’s important to drain the oil off so you are left with just the meat. From there, this is where you can add the scents and flavors that you like. Everyone has their own favorites. This is mine.

In fact, most fishermen out here are doing something very similar. Meanwhile, it’s the little things that can make a difference on a tough day, and I think I’ve figured out a nice way to make my bait a little different than everybody else’s.

My two go-to scents for the tuna are Atlas Mike’s Anchovy Lunker Oil and Pautzke Fire Power (krill powder). However, when I use Fire Power, I also add Liquid Krill. Liquid Krill is important because it helps get the consistency I want, especially when adding a powder.

At this point, I have two recipes brewing: one tuna mixture with anchovy oil and another with krill powder and Liquid Krill.

This Is Where I Do the Extra

This season I started doing something different, and it’s paying dividends. Whether running herring or my stuffed bait concoction, I’m adding Atlas Mike’s NEW Lunker UV Enhancer.

I was just introduced to this a few months ago, and I have to be honest with you. This extra-strength UV dye is strong, works instantly (I dare you—shine a UV light on it) and comes in chartreuse, pink, blue and natural.

Keep in mind, UV Enhancer doesn’t have scent in it. It’s just a powerful dye, and most importantly, pure UV.

Each color is popular under certain ocean and river conditions. For Buoy 10 this season, I’ve been employing mostly pink and natural. I think the UV enhancer helps when the bait is putting out scent. Not only are you getting the scent from the bait, but you’re also adding the UV properties. I can promise you it hasn’t hurt our success. Most importantly, I have confidence in it.

Having tuna, krill, anchovy oil and UV enhancer gives me everything I want when I’m salmon fishing. It’s the perfect bait in my mind.

At the end of the day, I have confidence in it, and that’s a big part of fishing. Sometimes the bite is tough, and it’s the little extra things like this that might be enough to trigger a strike.

Try it—and you’ll see for yourself.

Editor’s Note: Kyle Buschelman operates Willamette Valley Outfitters. To book a fall salmon trip with him, please visit https://willamettevalleyoutfittersllc.com.