Preparing the Bait

• Set out a herring and use a filet knife to begin the slicing. Use frozen herring because it's easier to cut and to keep fresh. The scent is what draws the salmon to the herring, so keeping it fresh via freezing makes for more effective mooching. Slice the herring lengthwise into two halves. Slice each half into eight separate chunks. Discard the head and tail.
  
  

Hooking the Bait

• Set up a snell 4/0 hook with 25 pound leader line. Hook the frozen herring chunk so that the hook's barb comes out of the flesh. Go up the leader to approximately 8 feet and tie a banana-sinker to the line. As a general rule, use a 3 or 4 ounce sinker.
  
  

Troll and "Mooch"

• Cast the baited hook, line and sinker behind the boat and set the boat's throttle to just barely above idle. If you have a trolling motor or a kicker, use that. The goal is to go very slow, but still go forward. The engine should be as quiet as possible. Let out line until the sinker takes it down to between 20 and 30 feet under the surface.
  
  

Feel and Retrieve

• Unlike traditional trolling, mooching has the line retrieved while trolling. Begin to reel the line in slowly. Many silvers "mouth" the bait, giving a very subtle strike. Keep a forefinger on the line while you reel, feeling for that hit. If you feel the salmon hit the line, pull up vigorously on the reel to set the hook into the lips of the fish. Get ready for a great fight from the silver salmon.