By Catherine Parmelee
For the Juneau Empire

Jim Preston, owner, Big Jim's Charters generously shared some steps for successfully keeping that crowned catch of Southeast seas on the line.

While others might have alternate methods, these are the keys Preston gives his customers.

"And my clients always bring in fish," he said.

Once you've hooked that big one, and it's still out far away from the boat, keep the tip of your rod up and keep tension on the line.

"Don't point at the fish," Preston said.

"Keep the tip up so there's a bend in the pole. You can feel the tension. Keep it on."

Preston explained that if you over-reel, you can possibly rip the hook right out of the salmon. On the other hand, you don't want to release the pressure, because the fish can potentially shake the hook off. The hole created by the hook keeps getting bigger and bigger as your fish attempts to flee.

So keep reeling, and if you insist on pumping, do so gently. "It's not a marlin," Preston said.

Furthermore, make sure you don't tighten the drag too much, so the fish can't run. "It's okay if they run," he said.

When the king is finally dancing on the surface, but still out a ways, hold steady. This is a critical moment in the process. A lot of fish get lost at this point.

"Don't horse it in," Preston said. "They're soft-mouthed. Don't reel the hook right out of their mouth."

When your salmon eventually gets close to your boat, set the tip of your pole close to the water.

At this point, you don't want super tension. Last, simply lift the fish out of the water, and scoop it from the sea into your net.

Preston pointed out that reeling in the king, or any other fish in the sea, is an art, not a science.

"The art is you have to feel the pressure of the fish," he said.

"You don't want too much, but you need some."

Finally, Preston reminds everyone to have fun.

"That's the whole point," he said. "And if you're having fun, you're less likely to lose fish."