fishing for salmon and browns near home on shore added pics of spawning salmon right at my feet 11/26

[Gecha (Gerry)]

Beautiful fat silver. Congrats.

[troutcrazy]

What a day! I finally caught my first salmon, and then my second salmon on the next cast! I got there in the morning around 9am. Fishy1 was a ways off on the shore, so I paddled up to chat for a bit.

I worked my way upwind, thinking I'd use the wind to troll on the way back. I got to a beautiful spot where I thought I'd turn around, but then fish started busting water all around me and I put down anchor. I could not get a bite! I saw one of the boats hook up a big one close by. I could not figure it out. Eventually they stopped jumping there, and I started working my way back. Another guy in a boat said he'd been doing well, and he was currently marking fish. Eventually I went to that spot and anchored. Nothing!

What I thought was a strange ice chunk turned out to be a small salmon struggling belly-up with a big lamprey. I picked them up with my net, the lamprey detached, and I let the salmon go. Not wanting to release the big lamprey, I paddled to shore to dispatch it. On the way there, I casted and caught my fist salmon, an 18"-er! So now I've got my salmon and a lamprey both in my net. I did the deed on the rocks, pushed back into the water and immediately caught the bigger one, around 22". Both fish were in about 10-15 fow, right near the top. Krocodile spoon.

I saw Fishy1 was back when I landed my canoe. He told me a slow retrieve was necessary in this cold water, which explains why I couldn't catch them. I was trying for 3-4mph! Oops. Anyway, this guy is good luck. Coincidentally he took the picture of my first laker, too!

[troutcrazy]

Crayfish2 yeah that was me! I thought that might have been you guys.

[Crayfish]

You had the right idea ... that's a tough spot to troll close to shore with all of the bouys around. Congrats ... I'm happy for you!

[fishy1]

trout crazy i keep thinking of you paddling that canoe through that ice and slush. that was funny and as you mentioned to me it was very tiresome on your arms.
well it paid off and you landed your ist 2 salmon for your efforts. again congratulations your hooked now.

[fishy1]

4/3/2017 hit the lake again this morning with some certified live bait and crawlers . started fishing at 7:15 am and temperature was 27 degrees . wayne joined me at 9 am and he would use crawlers and cast also. i had both my rods set up with bobbers and live bait. fished till 12;15 pm with no hits. saw a few trollers pass by but never saw a fish caught all morning.
headed back up in the afternoon since it seems like the bite is better when the water warms up. started fishing at 4:15 pm let my bobber drift out as far and it could go with a live bait stopped it when i could see metal on the spool. salmon crazy (eric) came down shortly after and went a ways north of me. fish were busting water everywhere where he was. got the phone out and called wayne and told him the lake came alive with fish . i said there even jumping out near my bobber but no takers just as i turned my head i saw my rod bobbing back and forth told wayne i had to go and hung up. fish on and a long ways out wow what a fight and it was staying right in the strong current. about quarter of the way in it leaped completely out of the water and it was a silver but not overly big but what a fighter in that current. got it in about half way and it shook loose. there was a guy in a boat going by trolling and he yells in that was an awsome fight you had there. he remarked he also thought that fish was lots bigger than it was. fished until 6;30 pm with no more hits and fish still busting water. there were little tiny flys on the water so im thinking they were feeding on them.

[fishy1]

4/4/2017 heavy rain when i woke up early this morning so decided to go to plattsburgh for some grocery shopping. would either hit a river on the way home or the lake. was done shopping a little after 10 am and on my way back home checked a couple of streams out they were raging and very muddy. headed for the lake close to home stopped and the ist spot and water was stained so headed to another spot. a litttle stained there to but fisheable along the edges. put on trout pattern honey bee casting spoon. 5th cast a hit and fish on i land a 17 or 18 inch salmon as i was taking the hook out in the water a good size salmon busted water 20 feet from me. released the salmon and started casting once again fished for another hour with no hits and the rain starting again. putting my rods in the car i looked out and that instant a salmon busts completely out of the water at least 2 feet .more rain predicted so im sure the water clarity is not going to be good.

[Sawyer]

You're getting me excited fishy catching and seeing salmon. You say the live minnows didn't work yesterday it's amazing how finicky fish can be. They must look at your minnow and see it's not a smelt or alewife and pass it by. Have you Ever tried a live smelt?
PS
I ordered my first Honeybee spoons today along with an order from Fish USA. Now i will be able to use a different Lure every day for the next year LOL"

[jimbow]

Good effort and results Matt considering the weather. Don we will put those bees through the paces this year...

[fishy1]

You're getting me excited fishy catching and seeing salmon. You say the live minnows didn't work yesterday it's amazing how finicky fish can be. They must look at your minnow and see it's not a smelt or alewife and pass it by. Have you Ever tried a live smelt?
PS
I ordered my first Honeybee spoons today along with an order from Fish USA. Now i will be able to use a different Lure every day for the next year LOL"

don its not only amazin they didnt hit the live bait but the guys in boats would tell me they fish are stacked up all around waynes and my rods. one fisherman said he saw at least 6 not more than 6 or 8 feet from our baits. they were just sitting on bottom, lots of fish in that whole area for at least 1 mile but a very tough bite. cant use live smelt unless you catch it there same as dead smelt. cant transport them only for eating and you cant transport them back to the lake. cant wait to hear your reports with the bees

[fishy1]

Good effort and results Matt considering the weather. Don we will put those bees through the paces this year...

we sure will lots of fish shallow right now time to get into them

[Sawyer]

Fishy can you use your water wolf to film down on a live minnow? maybe we could learn something.

[fishy1]

Fishy can you use your water wolf to film down on a live minnow? maybe we could learn something.

yes don im going to start practicing with it soon i have been thinking of purchasing another so i can have on on each rod. i would like to see whats happening out there . its really mind boggling to have these guys in boats tell me about all the fish swimming under there boats and they dont get any hits either. when trout crazy was coming in with his canoe i asked him if there was any fish in front of me his response was 6 are swimming under my canoe right now. amazin and right where i was casting.

[jimbow]

I'd like to see those videos.....

[Sawyer]

Don't you have to take the card out and put the card in some type of card reader to see the footage ?
Or can you see it in realtime?
I have an under water camera with a cord attached to the camera part and a screen to watch. Works good for ice fishing not so good for open water if you're moving.