Night Fishing Salmon

[JayClay]

Night Time is the Right Time

 

Late Summer Kings are here and there is no better feeling than doing one on one combat with these formidable giants!

 

When the sun goes down the action heats up and when the conditions align it can be fast and furious action as pods of Salmon slide into river mouths of all the major great lakes tributaries and become accessible to shore and small boat anglers.

Forget down rigging and trolling this is casting glow spoon primetime where you get to feel everything from the thumping of your spoon to some rod jarring strikes!

 

 

When

The middle of August right through till the end of September is the prime time. Action can heat up as soon as the sun hits the horizon and can last until the morning dew is burning off. Peaks and lulls throughout the night are the normal as these pods of fish move around in the open water at the river mouth. Normal peaks last an hour or two and being in the right spot and the right time you can put up some impressive numbers of Chinooks.

 

Techniques

I have always deployed three main methods in order to figure out what they want on any certain night. Surely just casting and retrieving a glow spoon will work, but paying attention to details is what separates a random fish to a repeatable pattern.

 

Low and Slow

This involves casting as far as you can, when the spoon hits the water tighten up your line and let it flutter all the way to the bottom keeping a tight line to feel the spoon movement. After the spoon touches the bottom give it one quick jig and start the retrieve. In this case the retrieve should be slow and steady keeping the spoon tight to the bottom.

 

Down and fast

Same technique as above to get the spoon to the bottom, only this time you speed up the steady retrieve so the spoon will slowly raise throughout your retrieve and cover the entire water column. The most important thing about choosing the speed is the spoon itself. You want to feel the spoon thump where it flutters side to side, not completely rolls over. Simple experimentation can tell you what speed works for each different spoon.

 

High and Dry

This time when you spoon hits the water you let it flutter down from 1-6 feet (a few seconds) and then immediately start your retrieve. A fast retrieve is the ticket as you want to stay near the top of the water column. This is best used when fish are very active on the surface and jumping or rolling.

 

Any variations of the above can be used, the key is to know what you were doing when you get bit, and keep with that hoping that a pattern for the night comes thorough. If you are fishing with friends everyone should try a different technique until you figure out what pattern is working that night.

 

The Bite:

There for the most part is no mistaking when you get smashed by one of these giants, however many times just simply slack line is a fish rushing from behind and overtaking the spoon. Many people dont clue in on the slack line bites that happen while the spoon flutters to the bottom and at any time during the retrieve. If you feel any change in the action or line lightness set the hook!

 

Tackle:

Having a good selection of glow spoons in size, weights and colors allows you to fish the conditions. There are many different variations on shapes to choose from, heavier spoons help to cast and keep them down during faster retrieves. Smaller profiles are often needed for extra clear water, again experimentation is key. Another trick for windy conditions is attaching two spoons back to back, doubling the weight which allows you to cast further in a head wind, or reaching fish that nobody else can. Having a good camera flash, flashlight, large net, good pliers and of course a camera are all staples for night fishing. Safety is first as night fishing can be quite different than during the day.

 

The amount of glow is a very important detail that you need to pay attention too. With very clear water in the great lakes a lure can be too bright and in stained water you need to keep your lure as visible as possible. Pay attention to the conditions at hand, Water clarity, moon phase (how bright out), manmade lighting, are all factors that change how often you need to recharge the glow. When flashing your lure experiment with the number of casts between flashing, 2-3 casts is normal but in crystal clear water and dark nights you can try 5-6 casts. Again paying attention to what cast you got a bite will tell you something. If its always the first cast then they want a bright glow, if its always the 3-4 cast then they want less glow. Find the pattern and stick with it.

 

Med-Heavy to Heavy baitcasting rods in the 8-10 feet long are the way to go. Maximize the casting distance and minimize the fight times to be sure these fish are released alive and well.

 

Mono vs Braid in years passed 15-17lb mono was the normal however with the introduction of braided line came more sensitivity to feel spoon action and light bites.

My current set up uses a Calcutta 251 spooled with 50# Power Pro Super 8 Slick, a great line for casting distance!

 

Watch the conditions especially early in the season, the technology available these days lets you see water temperatures and wind forecasts that can lead to the ideal conditions. Colder water temps pushing up to shore help to bring these fish in tighter, many will stage and after a rainfall they will run up the river leaving the lake portion with less catchable fish, although this is sometimes tough to predict it can help you to put the odds in your favor. At the end of the day simply time on the water will eventually lead you to the best night of the year!

 

Dont forget to visit your local Canadian Tire to pick up many of the items you will need to have a successful and safe trip out.

 

Good Luck!

 

For more stories, tips and giveaways visit us at https://m.facebook.com/CanadianTireFishing/

 

[dave524]

nice and silvery for this time of year off a pier, WTG

[Ralph Field]

Excellent write up !

[BillM]

One of my fav things to do, especially with the Toronto skyline in the back ground. Great write up.

[OhioFisherman]

Don't the Salmon have limited lifespans? Spawn and die?

[John Bacon]

Don't the Salmon have limited lifespans? Spawn and die?

 

Yes, pacific salmon (including coho and Chinook) just spawn once then die. But you can still catch them when they are getting ready to spawn.

[PUMP KNOWS]

Awesome.

 

What's your thoughts on people who bottom fish the piers?

 

Last week everyone who chucked spoons got skunked while a guy who was bottom fishing went 4 for 5.

[PUMP KNOWS]

Also I find a UV light works a lot better when charging a spoon.

[OhioFisherman]

Thanks John, just curious if there was a point to releasing them.

[Old Ironmaker]

Only 14 posts and one of the best how to's? in a long time, thanks Jay. It has been over 25 years since I chucked spoons and plugs off piers from Niagara to Oakville for fall Salmon. We would hit the piers after 3 to 11 PM shift and stay most of the night, go for the 24 hour breakfast at the Bright Spot in Hamilton and sleep in before going back to work. Please forgive my recent (25 years) of inexperience. Glow spoons? We almost only used Little Cleos, usually blue or lime green and J-8 orange Rappalas with split shot. That was what everyone was using, Heddon Wiggle Warts or Canadian Wiggler too if I can remember that far back. Can you send me to a site that shows what a Glow Spoon looks like.

 

One last question if casting from the boat I imagine we would be at the river mouths but how many feet of water are we looking for?

 

Thanks again for the magnificent report Jay. You sure hit all the W's in W-5.

[PUMP KNOWS]

^^^

Did you have great success just casting regular cleo's at night?

 

Here's the glow in the dark cleo's but I find the glow doesn't last that long. Charge after 2-3 casts...

 

 

 

 

The brightest glow in the dark spoon on the market is the Moonshines and the glow lasts a long time...

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Pump, yes we did get some Kings casting a Cleo at night. A few fish amongst the 3 or 4 of us was a big success. It was more about getting some cool fresh air and talking advantage of the soon to be gone good weather after casting a few thousand tons of Hot Metal. Bright orange jointed Rappala's were the hot lure but they are hard to get out a long way without overloading them with weight.

 

Those Acme spoons sure look familiar. And the casting spoons are in the exact patterns of the light trolling spoons we use here on Erie for Bows and Walleye. Exactly but different names. The "Hulks" are the classic "Greasy Chicken" patterns and "Monkey Puke" except for some colours. Same as "Wonder Bread" those are the " Evil Clown". There are more than a few companies that make the same patterns and have some crazy names for them. S/ S is one company. I think it stands for Silver Streak Lures.

 

Thanks Pump.

 

I can't access Face Book, too old to register besides I don't know 100 people any longer let alone have that many "friends". I did actually join Face Book for a few hours once to look up all my High School flames I still carried a burning torch for. Those torches went out fast. Man what 50 years of aging will do to a cute young girl can be scary. I include myself in the scary category too when I look at old faded Polaroid's.

[JayClay]

Thanks for the kind words all ...

 

Fishing from a boat can be more productive some nights simply because you can move around. Have fished off credit into about 40fow. Heck have even flatlined with the glow spoons before if you get tired of casting, just wind in and recharge every 5 mins. But in general off any of the river mouths in 15' plus ... And please be sure to be well out of range of anyone casting from shore or piers. They can be all over so no need to cause any grief with guys from shore.

 

Bottom fishing off the piers for salmon is something I have never been a fan of. Although it does take I share of fish at times. If the fish are there and guys on bottom are getting them then downsize spoon and less glow and hug the bottom really slow.

 

There are many many options for colours now but I still gravitate to the old five of diamonds or orange accent.

Another small tip - I paint the back of all my spoons in hit orange and in early in the dawn it seems to make a good difference!

[John Bacon]

Thanks John, just curious if there was a point to releasing them.

 

If you are fishing the piers then you would be catching fish before they have spawned. Releasing them would give them that once in a life time (for them) opportunity to reproduce.

 

The value of that opportunity to spawn would vary depending on location. The fishery in some locations is maintained by stocking and the fish would unlikely to produce any surviving offspring. Other areas have predominately wild fish so releasing them will definitely help the fishery.

[tbaltovski]

 

If you are fishing the piers then you would be catching fish before they have spawned. Releasing them would give them that once in a life time (for them) opportunity to reproduce.

 

The value of that opportunity to spawn would vary depending on location. The fishery in some locations is maintained by stocking and the fish would unlikely to produce any surviving offspring. Other areas have predominately wild fish so releasing them will definitely help the fishery.

Can you tell which locations depend on wild fish? It would be great to know.

[OhioFisherman]

 

If you are fishing the piers then you would be catching fish before they have spawned. Releasing them would give them that once in a life time (for them) opportunity to reproduce.

 

The value of that opportunity to spawn would vary depending on location. The fishery in some locations is maintained by stocking and the fish would unlikely to produce any surviving offspring. Other areas have predominately wild fish so releasing them will definitely help the fishery.

 

LOL, the Salmon and all other species are safe from me! I would have issues holding a rod without a fish on the other end! Just curious was all, I know Ohio stopped stocking Salmon years ago and went with Steelhead instead, not sure how much of a successful spawn even they have in Ohio waters of Lake Erie.

[John Bacon]

Can you tell which locations depend on wild fish? It would be great to know.

 

I don't know all of the locations on the lake. If you are fishing close to a quality spawning river such as the Ganny, then the fish are most likely wild and depend on the adults spawning successfully. I think a lot of the eastern tribs have wild populations.

 

If there are no quality spawning rivers in the area, then you are probably catching hatchery fish.

[BillM]

But in general off any of the river mouths in 15' plus ...

 

 

 

Don't be afraid to go shallower, I've nailed some monsters at 2-3am in 8ft of water or less bombing Moonshines from the boat

 

Probably the most addicting hits of the season.. One minute you're just casually reeling in, the next all hell breaks loose as your trying to follow the fish so it doesn't spool you.

Edited September 6, 2016 by BillM

[fishindevil]

Great info and great write up !!! Years ago before they closed Oshawa harbor for the marina when we kept the salmon charter boat myself and a board member here would just troll the Oshawa harbor and longline flatfish and quick fish all day & night ..... And just hammer the Kings flatfish were modified and could be cast quite along ways and always outfished the spoons ...... Some days I would catch 10-20 kings and not ever leave the harbor more than a 1/2 mile ....... And even just casting off the beach would be productive at times if you don't have a boat

[JayClay]

 

Don't be afraid to go shallower, I've nailed some monsters at 2-3am in 8ft of water or less bombing Moonshines from the boat

 

Probably the most addicting hits of the season.. One minute you're just casually reeling in, the next all hell breaks loose as your trying to follow the fish so it doesn't spool you.

For sure Bill! Every spot is different!

I have certainly been spooled before lol and had some very close calls! That's what makes it awesome! The Aerial show still amazes me when a 25 lbs fish clears the water 3ft in the air!