Salmon Spoons

[JL]

Little cleos are fairly thick and heavy for their size. Spoons like Moonshine, Michigan Stinger, Dreamweaver and NK are all thin fluttering spoons that give an erratic action when trolled. They “dance” so to speak.

[GeorgianBay MessageBoard]

[MarkD]

Thanks! Will check them when stores open...

[Krawler]

Hotfish and Meegs spoons are a staple in my spread more so from April -June when I tend to troll slower bc of the cold water temp.
When water temps heat up I’ll troll a bit faster and use moonshine, northern king, Meegs and Dreamweaver in a mag size.
August we start running larger baits and plugs like Meegs or Lyman or moonshine. Faster speeds bigger, heavier lures.
Pm me if you want contacts to purchase spoons.

[MarkD]

Krawler, thanks for the detailed info.
Will keep it in mind.

[Canuck]

Canuck, could you please, specify?
I have very little experience in trolling, using only little cleo spoons, rapalas and recently some simple plugs.
I would appreciate any advises on working salmon lures.
Thanks.

You got some good advice from Kris above on lures.  And some other good advice from Jim on colours. 

I can tell you that like most of the people on this board, I have more salmon lures than I need and in all colours and sizes and brands.  And sometimes I catch fish and sometimes you don't.  When you can find them and they are biting they seem to hit a variety and its not always the same day to day.  Who knows what goes on in those pea-sized salmon brains.

I would add that I run flashers with flies or herring strip once we get late in the summer.

[MarkD]

Yes, Canuck, I got very good help from Jim and Krawler (Kris?) and from you as well.
I really appreciate it. I started GB trolling only last year and now I would say i know a bit about it.
Thanks all!

[Canuck]

Yes, Canuck, I got very good help from Jim and Krawler (Kris?) and from you as well.
I really appreciate it. I started GB trolling only last year and now I would say i know a bit about it.
Thanks all!

Hope to see you out there, and soon!.  I am always on VHF 16 when on the water.  Boat/call name is Gratitude. Hard to miss the boat. Its a Sea Ray 330.  My name is Frank.

[MarkD]

Thanks for the info, Frank!
I am on the way smaller scale... I have 16' aluminum utility boat with 20HP tiller. Quite small for GB... Don't even have radio...
I usually go to the area between Go Home and Moon river. Seems like not so good for salmon fishing, but the nice scenery and we usually spend a whole day in there from sunrise to sunset. Some trolling, some swimming, some pike/bass fishing.  Usually stay close to the shore unless the weather prediction is really calm.
Occasionally go to Collingwood if I really want fish in the freezer.

[Canuck]

Thanks for the info, Frank!
I am on the way smaller scale... I have 16' aluminum utility boat with 20HP tiller. Quite small for GB... Don't even have radio...
I usually go to the area between Go Home and Moon river. Seems like not so good for salmon fishing, but the nice scenery and we usually spend a whole day in there from sunrise to sunset. Some trolling, some swimming, some pike/bass fishing.  Usually stay close to the shore unless the weather prediction is really calm.
Occasionally go to Collingwood if I really want fish in the freezer.

I have heard that around the mouth of 12 mile bay is an area that salmon are caught in the summer.  I have never tried, but I do go up there a few times a year to go back into the Massassauga park bays.  I have no idea where specifically, but if anyone on here knows, please speak up.

[MarkD]

(I think I was subscribed for this topic but didn't get notification for some reason)

I seems like I'm only the person on this board who fished north of Go Home...
I can say that we go there almost every week for a day if the weather Ok. I troll about 4 hours in the morning and then 2-3 hours before sunset. I have one downrigger and for the second line I use just divers, Rapala or alike. Surprisingly, I got my first salmon on Rapala, but never get anything else on it since.
Sometimes we get a fish, sometimes none, one time we got 2. I would say we get less than 0.5 fish per outing. Not sure how good/bad it is, considering my modest gear and experience.
I see sometimes 2-3 boats around, but never saw anyone catches anything.
As for the specific area I can't say much. It is very rocky and uneven bottom there. I usually try to keep somewhere close to slopes or structures but if don't see any marks I go further to the open area and deeper water and I got a couple fishes there as well.
I don't think we got any rainbow over there (I got a couple off Collingwood), but I got one small whitefish and one average laker.
Generally, definitely, it is slower than in Collingwood and a way slower than in Ontario. But in all other aspects it very nice area...

[Grandpa Jim]

It is quite common to see a fair number of very well equipped fishing boats trolling the waters off 12 Mile Bay and out from Sans Souci just south of Henry's. The area around the Western Islands produces salmon and 'bows as well but requires a very alert helmsman due to constant fluctuations in bottom depths. The Westerns used to be a regular stop for us on trips up the east shore but in the past few years it has become so popular that it would rival Beckwith for overnighting boaters.

[MarkD]

We were actually yesterday on Western Islands. Spent a day from 12 Miles to Westerns. No fish, no hits. Only few marks as well, not sure if these were fish or just debris.
As you mention before, Jim, salmon now probably is in the upper column, so kept on line constantly at around 15-20Ft and played with downrigger. I also turn on my sonar side view imaging in hope to see fish around, but not. Not sure if it is possible at all though...
I was two days ago on LO, got three hits, two fishes and watch fish following the ball twice. Surprisingly, it all happened at about 55 ft, and most marks I saw were even deeper, at 100 ft and more.

[Canuck]

I find the salmon in spring unpredictable. I think the water is so cold they don’t relate to temperature as much as trout do. You need to find bait. Smelt are deep and I expect that is the forage. Alewife are all but gone from Georgian Bay. They spawn near shore in June so that uses to bring salmon close to shore. Who knows. I generally don’t get too serious about salmon till mid to late June.

[Grandpa Jim]

It would be nice if you could consistently predict the depths to troll for salmon based on the time of year. However, on Georgian Bay, water temps vary based on a number of factors. I look for temps in the high 40's for salmon and low to mid 50's for rainbows. Winds can create pronounced changes in water temps. Early season salmon trolling demands a lot of patience. For example I have had significant success at Owen Sound just after ice-out trolling with the cannonballs very close to bottom over 160 feet of water. So there goes the general belief that the fish will be high in the water column. The very next day after west winds, we've done well running lead-core off the planer boards quite close to shore in 35 to 40 feet of water. The following week we can be off Collingwood in the little tinny very early in the morning flatlining AC Shiners off the planer boards well inside 20 feet of water and taking some very nice rainbows. Point is that change is constant on Georgian Bay and you should be prepared to adjust your set-ups in order to take fish.
Ideally, it would be nice to have a two rod limit per angler so you could experiment with the riggers, divers and copper and lead-core rigs but I wouldn't hold my breath on the MNR changing the one rod per angler regulation. My boat was launched Friday at Hindson's but, like Canuck I'll not get too excited until late June for trolling for Salmon.

[MarkD]

I generally don’t get too serious about salmon till mid to late June.

Yes, Frank, I was very frustrated last year not getting anything in May-June and was taught by Jim that salmon will start to hit in August. And really, we get our first salmon on August 1 and were getting some later...
However, I still don't understand why. From what you, Jim and other are saying it appears that early season fish is there and only difference from later time is that it is on unpredictable depth and most likely in upper column where it cannot be detected by sonar. If it is only the case we still should get some..

Ideally, it would be nice to have a two rod limit per angler so you could experiment with the riggers, divers and copper and lead-core rigs but I wouldn't hold my breath on the MNR changing the one rod per angler regulation

Jim, this is the most frustrated thing regarding fishing GB that only one line is allowed while commercial fishing is still going on. As far as I know MNR now is hidden very well from our comments and suggestion, but could we do something else to force them for change? May be start a petition or write to local PM or other local authorities?