Learning Curve

[tamiron]

Postby Hugues » Mon May 15, 2017 10:36 pm
Fishing god was good to us at Port Henry this weekend. Fished all day saturday and until noon sunday. Fished with two riggers down 10 and 14 feet, back 15 feet with cheaters, 2 dipsy and leadcores. Surprisingly leadcores produced just 1 or 2 fish, riggers was the key. 23 hits on saturday all salmons but 4 lakers, 1 brown and 1 rainbow (grand slam, yeah!); 10 hits on sunday for 4 salmons, 1 laker and two rainbows. Water temp around 54-57* at surface, 50* down 10 Feet. Only 3 boats in the bay sunday

This is a great post! I have never talked to “HUGUES” so what I am about to say may be just an opinion or an observation.
1. 54-57 degrees at the surface. Ideal water temperature!!!
2. 50 degrees only 10 ft down! That means that all fish were between the surface and 10 – 12 feet down Riggers were down at the 50 degree mark. (most of the fish were caught here)
3. Dipseys and leadcore were running too deep. Cheaters were down between 7ft and the prop wash.
4. Spread was 15 back off the balls and 6 feet at the cheaters. Two schools of “bait following each other 15 and 6 feet back in the top 10 feet of water. Perfect use of water temperature and the structure that temp. provides at this time of year
5. It would probably be a great time to either flat line and/or run boards with slightly heavier lures or with an inline small weight about 5 feet up from the lure (i.e. small keel sinker or bead chain)

[hard knox]

So just to be clear your riggers were only set 15 feet back and at 10 and 14 feet down i have a hard time convincing my self to set lines that tight to the boat when running that high in water column . Might have to rethink how much the boat might spook salmon . great report thanks

[C-Hawk]

Exciting stuff catching salmon on riggers set shallow with short leads. Sometimes the fish will be airborne before the release. Quite a handful to have a fresh fish that close to the boat. I like blades fishing like this and in clear water , I find myself trying to see the fish before the strike, but that has never happened. Also don't forget that if the boat is breaking up schools of bait, sending them in a different direction than they were moving, couldn't the fish react to this and be more interested in an easy meal , as with confused bait, than they are worried about boat presence?

[tamiron]

Exciting stuff catching salmon on riggers set shallow with short leads. Sometimes the fish will be airborne before the release. Quite a handful to have a fresh fish that close to the boat. I like blades fishing like this and in clear water , I find myself trying to see the fish before the strike, but that has never happened. Also don't forget that if the boat is breaking up schools of bait, sending them in a different direction than they were moving, couldn't the fish react to this and be more interested in an easy meal , as with confused bait, than they are worried about boat presence?

That's why I like the idea of boards and flat lines. But the author said that most of his fish came on the riggers. I can only surmise that what the predators saw was his pattern and 23 fish seemed to like it!!

[Wallyandre (Andre)]

Hugues & his friend Gerry are excellent fishermen and very often when everybody struggle they manage to find the little thing that make a difference.

[Hugues]

Thanks for the comments and for this post guys ! I learned so much as well so my learning curve is still going up because of discussions like that.

Didn't mentioned but were running boards for the leadcores alternating with flatlines. Leadcores were 1 and 1,5 colors so potentially in the the same striking depht zone... for any reason salmons where attracted near the boat more than laterally. We didn't play "time of the year" last weekend we played "water temp" and it payed off.

Again, it's a pleasure reading you ! Thanks André for the kind words.

Hugues

[dickbaker]

We have always set our rigger down 10 to 15 ft this time of the year. Having the bait just 15 ft. back is logical if you going to flashers or spinners on the ball. I'm not sure about lead at 1 and 11/2 colors with a depth of only 5 to 7 feet when the riggers are going off deeper? I still feel the planer boards catch fish because of the erratic action they provide to the bait?
Dick

[bigfish]

Back in 89" or 90". I fished the rotary derby in outer mallets bay off robisons point for salmon . Our hottest rod was a # 3 brass needle fish. Fished 11 feet down and 6' off the ball. Never landed many but sure was exciting.
Landlocked Atlantic salmon absolutely love current!!!!!!! Prop wash is a good place to set rods this time of year. It could the boat that draws them in. But it's a fact. They love current. They will often be outta preferred temp if current is available. During low light conditions especially.
I'm a firm believer that the rise and fall of leadcore and it's erratic action pulled off mast and planers, Creates a scenario that appeals to landlocks !
In my opinion an open minded approach too trolling puts more fish on the line.
Tight lines

[NHfishin4fun]

I'm a firm believer in the prop wash bite but, I feel like it is more about the flash of the bubbles, activity or motion that attracts them. We often are running the riggers around 10-15' down and 10-15' back, especially in early morning. In the past, we used the electric trolling motor to quiet the boat down and eventually found that we had more action with the big motor running, trimmed up and churning out bubbles. Same with running a line right at the end of the prop wash with just 1-2 colors out. I can't say how well that works for bigger boats but, I'm confident that we can consistently catch fish up close with an 18' Targa and it doesn't scare them away in the least. Planers work great for widening the spread but I have had more than enough instances of catching close and watching boards pass by me with no action.
Now, that being said, C-Hawk is absolutely right about that being a bit exciting with a hot fish that close to the boat. Especially if the rigger release didn't work! Otherwise, let the fish tell you what they want. You may find that they are closer than you think!

[Sawyer]

I'm new to salmon fishing and last year we invested in a new salmon /laker boat with all the toys.
Anyway the last week in June last year fishing the IS i was running my down riggers at 10 to 15 feet with cheaters. I was watching the action of the cheater spoon when a good salmon came out of no were
and engulfed it. we got several salmon that day on cheaters that were in sight from the back of the boat
And more then once we got doubles on. That week was the best salmon fishing we have ever had.

[dickbaker]

I once watched a video showing the mass of bubble created by the motor. from down below it looks like hundred of shiny bait fish.
Dick

[bigfish]

Back in 89" or 90". I fished the rotary derby in outer mallets bay off robinsons point for salmon . Our hottest rod was a # 3 brass needle fish. Fished 11 feet down and 6' off the ball. Never landed many but sure was exciting.
Landlocked Atlantic salmon absolutely love current!!!!!!! Prop wash is a good place to set rods this time of year. It could the boat that draws them in. But it's a fact. They love current. They will often be outta preferred temp if current is available. During low light conditions especially.
I'm a firm believer that the rise and fall of leadcore and it's erratic action pulled off mast and planers, Creates a scenario that appeals to landlocks !
In my opinion an open minded approach too trolling puts more fish on the line.
Tight lines

[tamiron]

Great tips. Put them in your notebook. If you have never tried it, please do! This is information that can make or break a day!