Mike, I never fished southern Oregon much, but each run of them has different methods. Spring salmon take a trolled herring, plug cut which puts a slow spin on it, like a wounded bait. Later in the spring, they go for spinner type lures.
Coho and perhaps chinook will sometimes slap the trolled herring with their tails to stun it (while trolling). If that happens, hand strip line (keep the drag loose enough) and give the bait some line. I found even putting the reel in free spool and let out 10-15' of line quickly). This tells the fish that it did stun it, and it'll come back and devour it.
Inshore waters, bays. etc., depending on the type of salmon running, and the time of year, guys use clumps of cured salmon roe tied on a hook under a bobber.
Fall chinook, in the Columbia River, hit large chrome flat spoons called Alvins, from an anchored boat. 3 way swivel, weight on bottom, about 3 ft. of line, and the alvin fluttering in the current on about 3&1/2-4' ft. of line.
Check with a good local tackle shop on methods, and if there's a Fisherman's Marine Supply store near you, check them for the best info.
As far as winter steelhead, the hardest to catch IMO, plus it's darn cold. One of the very best eating, but tried it once and gave it up for good. Unless you've got an expert to show you the ropes, forget it.
Keep at it, it's fun eating your fresh catch.
One of my biggest, about 40 lbs., Columbia River. I'm a little groggy after sleeping on the deck of a 20' boat the night before. This one is a tule salmon.( A chinook that goes up early in the run, hangs around it's stream and makes sure the run is ok, known as the vanguard of the run. It's a little older and not as good eating as it's been in fresh water longer. Good for the smoker if not too old.
Buzz
