Salmon

[fishkid]

OK,

So salmon fishing isn't really my forte. I've tried and tried but I'm still waiting to actually CATCH one. I guess for the longest time I've been dedicated to bass and pike fishing and never really spent enough hours to hone any sort of real skill set for salmon or trout. I've only ever caught one bow before and it was earlier this year on a mepps. About 4lb and I'm starting to think it was a fluke.

I was out yesterday morning on bronte creek, saw tons of fish, saw a fair number landed too. I know they were biting because there was close to 30 cars in the tiny 10 car parking spot where I go, which never happens by the way. Now I don't know if I'm just not getting any luck or if I'm totally out to lunch on what to use...or how to fish.

In the past and including yesterday, I've tried spoons of varying sizes, grubs, worms, powerbait roe, and real roe. Yesterday I had some roe (orangey yellowish colour) and tied some sacks in different ways. I tied big sacks, small sacks, sinking with no wieght, sinking with wieght, floaters with no weight and floaters on a light 3-way.

I know my gear isn't exactly the most ideal (6'6 medium, 8lb tst) but I mean, I haven't even had a bite! Nothing! It's not that I'm loosing them, I just can't get any to chew on my bait in the first place.

So am I just a very unlucky person when it comes to salmon and should stick to bass? Or do I have it all bass ackwards?

Tips? Or maybe someone who could use a little company some time this week?

Just wondering. I'm free every day ( I think) after 2pm.

[DarkEdge]

I might be in the same boat, fishkid. I did the bright idea of buying discount glow spoons for night fishing, and they don't exactly glow the best. Plus, half the ones I got were trolling spoons, and I have to reel them in so fast to get any action.

If you're up to a trip to the whirlpool one evening, let me know. I'll gladly go. Maybe we can take all our knowledge, combine it, and come out with at least one fish.

[The Ketchican Kid]

My Laker came after probably 100 casts, if the fish are there you just have to keep casting. (eg) Putting in your time.

[vesko]

8 lb. test line and 6'6" bass rod, I would not say that you are unlucky. You should thank fishing gods for not getting into 20-30lb king ! You should get 9'-11' rod that can handle 8-15lb line,small and strong hooks (daiichi,owner,kamassan ...),good 12-20lb main line and 8-12lb leader line, than you can think about going salmon fishing, IMO. Bronte is running very low and there is not to many fish in the creek, but Niagara r. is loaded with salmon (not saying spec. spots), do some footwork, talk to other anglers on the river and I'm sure you'll get into your first salmon . Good luck!

[fishkid]

8 lb. test line and 6'6" bass rod, I would not say that you are unlucky. You should thank fishing gods for not getting into 20-30lb king ! You should get 9'-11' rod that can handle 8-15lb line,small and strong hooks (daiichi,owner,kamassan ...),good 12-20lb main line and 8-12lb leader line, than you can think about going salmon fishing, IMO. Bronte is running very low and there is not to many fish in the creek, but Niagara r. is loaded with salmon (not saying spec. spots), do some footwork, talk to other anglers on the river and I'm sure you'll get into your first salmon . Good luck!

Like I said, I've spent all my time bass and pike fishing, so I've got the gear to show for it. And I'm not about to go out and spend all kinds of coin on salmon rigs if I can't even justify it with a fish (or more likely a break-off or two). I know what I should have for hardware, it's the wet side of the rig that I'm unsure about.

And D/E: I should have checked my schedule before I spoke up. lol. It looks like friday is the only day that I'm free this week. If you want to head out then or sometime next week, pm me and let me know. It would be great to get out soon. We'll tag-team one and split the pot

[DarkEdge]

I've got tonight, after 6, all day tomorrow, and the whole weekend after 6 on Friday. Just give me a shout, we'll meet up, take a walk down the hill to the whirlpool. I should wait until Sunday, though, I need new spoons from Peters.

Edit: I correct myself. I won't be around Saturday night, and I won't be coherent Sunday morning. Party for a buddy Saturday night. But I'll be in touch.

[Mackenzie88]

Vesko Is right there is tons of salmon in the Niagara!! you don't really have to be a mastermind to find them either!! whirlpool is a good spot for beginners because it is just a matter of cast and reel pretty straight forward!! if you go down at the gorge (metal staircase) and walk from there towards the Whirlpool there is a ton of great spots to fish. This time of year who knows what you might get!!! Good Luck

[fishfight]

Here's a question for the experienced guys - when do you find is the most productive time of day for salmon? Early morning? Evening? Noon? Midnight?

They seem to be active in stages:

1. Right before it gets dark from 6pm -10pm

2. From 12-3am

3. From 4am-8am

4. Cloudy cold day- the whole day.

[fishfight]

Like I said, I've spent all my time bass and pike fishing, so I've got the gear to show for it. And I'm not about to go out and spend all kinds of coin on salmon rigs if I can't even justify it with a fish (or more likely a break-off or two). I know what I should have for hardware, it's the wet side of the rig that I'm unsure about.

And D/E: I should have checked my schedule before I spoke up. lol. It looks like friday is the only day that I'm free this week. If you want to head out then or sometime next week, pm me and let me know. It would be great to get out soon. We'll tag-team one and split the pot

Two main reason fishing at the whirlpool is tough even if there are lots of visible fish surfacing:

1. The hike

2. Lures getting snagged

3. Abundance of bait fish or food source

Fishin the whirlpool, you need to bring your spoon ( 1 oz minimum) close to the bottom without getting snag. The spoon has to be heavy but small, natural or chrome colored spoon during bright sunny day and chartreuse colored ones during somewhat murky water, apply the slowest possible retreive. The mistake of many when fishing on moving current , we are too concern of hang ups for fear of losing our tackle. I take risk and pause my spoon every so often to ensure it is always close to the bottom. losing lures is part of the headache of fishing the whirlpool, Once we get used to the depth of an area after numerous hours of practice, if you see them surfacing , stick to that area, and you will get one eventually. Some areas I will count up to 5 seconds while other areas I will count up to 15 seconds before retreiving slowly.

Deep diving Crankbait that can dive under 5-10 feet is also very good for salmon or steelhead fishing , you just have to make sure you retreive it fast when the lure is about to hit shore to avoid getting snag. The lure has to travel down as low and slow as possible.

Always cast up stream, let your lure sink first, by familiarising with the depth, before slowly retrieveing it. I get hits half of my catch close to shore, there is a possibility the fish saw the lure from a distance, due to the slow retrieve, the action and invitation gave them a chance to zoom on it, and decide to only hit it thinking it was an easy meal.

Best time to fish is when the water is at low level before 9am. For rainbow, 3/4 oz on 3-4" black grubs works on whirlpool.

You need a rod with a backbone to use artificial lures, or your hands will get tired in no time.

[darkapocn]

only place i fish for salmon is the niagara river... have a spot that produces well, and it doesnt really seem to matter what the conditions during oct, sometimes early nov, once the water rises around 9-10am in the morning, its fish on all day. went down on monday and between my father and i, we landed 13 fish. and lost about just as many, trout and salmon. just drop shotting roe bags.

so it all depends on where you are fishing for 'when they will be active' and those 13 fish were in 3 hours, by that point we were both tired and went home.

also have never had the luck of catching a salmon on a lure, only ever roe.... have bought several glow in the dark spoons from pete's and never caught anything on any of them. im startin to believe nighttime salmon fishing is a myth =)

i will say this... there are alot of brown's in the river this year.

[DarkEdge]

You need a rod with a backbone to use artificial lures, or your hands will get tired in no time.

A side note on this. Fishfight is definitely right about rod with backbone. But I speak from experience, you need one that's equally strong and light weight. I've got a CT special 8'0" Medium Heavy rod, and while it has the backbone to do the job, the combo is so heavy it makes casting for more than two hours a challenge. Forget multiple day fishing. One night, four hours of casting, my back and shoulders were screaming.

So the lesson I've learned, stout and light.

[fishin_hamilton]

I got my first niagara bow on tuesday, it took me a few times going there to get one. bronte does have fish and i got a nice female sunday, took the eggs out when i got home and tied bags monday and got the bow on one of them tuesday morning. the whirlpool isn't the easiest place to fish, the current, the slippery rocks and snags, the green moss you have to keep clearing from your line and guides hooks and lures, the walk down is ok and the walk back up can be pretty tough, and most of all the scenery is awesome and it might be the only place around here where you never know what you got till you reel it in.