mike rousseau Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Hi I'm looking to try salmon fishing on lake Ontario... I've been out with a guide before and I have a good idea of what I need to do... I have dipsy divers and small manual downriggers... I have trolling spoons and flies and some planer boards... As well as plenty of crankbaits... I'm planing on going in mid-late august... When the salmon are at river mouths or staging nearby... My questions... I will be in a small boat and plan on offshore fishing if it's too windy... But are there any tips for slamon fishing in a small boat? Second... I was gunna try port hope cause it's closer... But port credit has more boats fishing and I could probably just stay in "the pack" and watch other boats... So my question is... Should I fish the more private port hope? Or drive further to port credit where I can follow others and I've been guided before...? Third... How do you set your drag on your salmon rods...? For musky we pretty much lock it... And walleye we leave it pretty loose... So wich do you prefer for salmon... Pm s welcome if you're protective of info... If not let's hear the tips Please... Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhawk Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Check out www.spoonpullers.com site for ALL the info you'll need to know. A very accommodating site with excellent info from knowledgeable fishermen. Hope this helps. Enjoy the excitement!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Mike, you definitely don't want to winch the drag down while fishing salmon. If a 30lb'r decides he's going for a run, you won't turn him. You'll either snap the line, pull the hook or snap the rod. 300-400ft runs aren't uncommon.. I love fishing the big lake for chinnies.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Ok... Is 20lb mono ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 20lb mono will work just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 If you had to chose between dipsy or riggers wich produces more? I know riggers go deeper but I should be fishing fairly shallow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 I like riggers better but will run dipseys as well if I have enough people on board. Even in late September and early October I would run Lymans on my riggers with long leads and the riggers set at 3' and run in tight off the mouth of the Credit. (at least I used to). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 I plan on having me and 1 other angler with me and I have 2 small manual riggers... I was gunna run 1 rod on each rigger and a dipsy rod out to each side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 I plan on having me and 1 other angler with me and I have 2 small manual riggers... I was gunna run 1 rod on each rigger and a dipsy rod out to each side Perfect!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 (edited) I also have spin doctor flashers... And from what I've read... I should run them on the riggers with flies and run spoons without flashers on the dipsy divers....? Edited July 27, 2011 by Musky Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Run cheaters as well off the rigger rods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Run cheaters as well off the rigger rods. I have a rough idea of how to do this but sone details would really help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 (edited) Once you get the riggers out and the rods down, get a 8-9ft piece of line with good snap swivels on each end. On one end put a spoon, the other end is snapped over one of the rigger rod lines.. Because of the bow of the line from the rod down to the release, it will only get about half way down before it stops.. Simple stuff. Edited July 27, 2011 by BillM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Thought so... And that gives an extra bait without extra rods... Thanks a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Yes sir I was out last week with a few buddies and we got 2 fish on one rod One on the main and one on the cheater, lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeytier Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Another thing you could try (depending on how late into the season you plan of fishing) when they are staging off the mouths and into marina channels is to slow troll (under 2 mph) big bright jointed raps and lymans. At this point, it's more about getting them agitated than making them want to feed. Also, I'd concentrate on more of a late evening/dusk bite once late august/september rolls around. There will be plenty of fish around Port Hope. early/mid August is usually a tough bite, and without fleaficker or wire line, the water fleas make it a huge hassle. Definitely keep your drag as loose as you can get away with while trolling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimace Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Me too. The advice you have received has been spot on. I will say this. 30 pound mono is more flea resistant, braid is a flea nightmare. If you can run roller rods with the dipsy divers and 7 strand wire you will be grooving. Fishing an offshore wind will be good in a small boat. A tip for fishing an offshore wind will be that the offshore wind will push warm surface water out to the lake and suck in the cold water from underneath. This will mean that you will not have to fish as deep. However if it is late August and the fish are staging they will go out of there comfort zone a little more than they would have in July as they are getting prepared to go up the warmer river. Troll perpendicular from shore, when the rods start firing turn and fish that depth. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokka Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Once you get the riggers out and the rods down, get a 8-9ft piece of line with good snap swivels on each end. On one end put a spoon, the other end is snapped over one of the rigger rod lines.. Because of the bow of the line from the rod down to the release, it will only get about half way down before it stops.. Simple stuff. Make sure the lure on the rigger is BIGGER then the snap swivel. Almost lost a good Lure that way.. It got caught on the hooks of the Rigger lure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikeslayer Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Mike, In order: Your equipment is sufficient. Leave the crank baits behind. The only issue with a small boat is if you're running dipsey + dodger/fasher + fly = approx 5-6 ft tied off from the main line. Port Credit is one of the top producers in late August. Stay out of the pack, too much noise for the fishes plus congestion and dumb :asshat: Set your drag so a 10 lb + can pull line out vs. peeling it out at will. Your rod should bend as your line is line is pulling. Always allow some minimal pull after the main run and adjust your drag accordingly during the fight. Length of fight would be something like .5-1 minute for each pound of fish. Land your fish off the stern and maintain your trolling speed between 2.5-2.9 mph while landing/netting your fish. As mentioned, visit spoonpullers.com there is a wealth of information there and you have plenty of study/reading time until you go out. Also, pm me a few days before your trip. I'll be happy to share up to date/current information at that time. Cheers, Slayer P.RTRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimace Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Good advice on the sliders. Shorten the leads in a smaller boat and make sure they are not more than 3/4 the length of the rod (that is about the length of your rod loaded with weight.) makes it easier to net. Last Friday evening I had a bow on the slider and a salmon on the spinny -fly at the same time. For your spin doctor fly combo adjust the lead length from the spinny to the fly so that it looks good in the water. I like 18-21 inches but there are much more experienced people than me who do different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bacon Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 Once you get the riggers out and the rods down, get a 8-9ft piece of line with good snap swivels on each end. On one end put a spoon, the other end is snapped over one of the rigger rod lines.. Because of the bow of the line from the rod down to the release, it will only get about half way down before it stops.. Simple stuff. Actually they will run well below the mid point. I understand from those who run camera's that the cheaters will run about 5' above the ball. I would assume that the further back the ball is behind the boat the deeper the cheeter will run. If had a downrigger weight that was heavey and streamlined enough to run directly under boat then the cheeter would indeed stop have way down. However, every down rigger cable that I have ever seen has been pretty far from vertical... thus the cheeters run deeper than mid-way between the surface and the ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 Mike, In order: Your equipment is sufficient. Leave the crank baits behind. The only issue with a small boat is if you're running dipsey + dodger/fasher + fly = approx 5-6 ft tied off from the main line. Port Credit is one of the top producers in late August. Stay out of the pack, too much noise for the fishes plus congestion and dumb :asshat: Set your drag so a 10 lb + can pull line out vs. peeling it out at will. Your rod should bend as your line is line is pulling. Always allow some minimal pull after the main run and adjust your drag accordingly during the fight. Length of fight would be something like .5-1 minute for each pound of fish. Land your fish off the stern and maintain your trolling speed between 2.5-2.9 mph while landing/netting your fish. As mentioned, visit spoonpullers.com there is a wealth of information there and you have plenty of study/reading time until you go out. Also, pm me a few days before your trip. I'll be happy to share up to date/current information at that time. Cheers, Slayer P.RTRD Great info Simon, thanks. Are you using a leader between the main line and the spoon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikeslayer Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 Great info Simon, thanks. Are you using a leader between the main line and the spoon? Hi John, Off my rigger rods I am spooled with 30 lb. Flea Flicker and attach a 4-5 ft 50 lb flourocarbon leader (Seaguar). Hope your feeling better with the cooler weather. Regards, Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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