I live in Wasaga Beach on Georgian Bay - part of Lake Huron Great Lakes in Canada. Main beach Claim to fame is that it is the largest beach freshwater in the world ... over 25 miles of sandy beaches.
There's an incredible salmon fishing Wasaga Beach and Collingwood, which is only 15 miles away.
And if the salmon is not taking the bait, and you're dragging the iron around, often you can go deeper and collect a rainbow trout (rainbow) and / or a trout.
There are quite good mooring facilities in Collingwood. I prefer to start my boat, because they are rarely busy, so I can get my boat up and get on the water quickly enough. In addition, the mouth of the Nottawasaga in Wasaga Beach is often quite low due to the accumulation of sediment.
I have an old fiberglass boat 18 foot cheap called "patches". The name seems obvious when you see the boat. But do not skimp on the engine. This is a new 60 HP Evinrude very reliable.
I have over Collingwood Harbour (which is used to build minesweepers during the war and after the war Lakers big. This has been closed.) Before the abandoned grain elevator, overlooking Georgian Bay. I do not fish if the water is more than a chop. I was in the bay, where the wind blew suddenly against the Blue Mountains, and know that 2-3 feet (and higher) waves can happen in the blink of an eye. Distracted landing a big fish for a few minutes and you can be in trouble.
I use a pager / probe permanently attached to the boat with permanently mounted transponder transom. It lets me know when I ran to the depth of 85 feet. I let the engine idle and get the team ready.
My 6-foot rods feature Penn Baitcast Reel service heavy 50-pound braided line. Braided line is very difficult to cut, and does not stretch, so that makes more sense from the conventional monofilament line.
But first, I prepare the downriggers. I can handle two of them easily as they are electric. I use a pound of lead "cannonball" 5 at the end of 150 meters of braided steel cable in each. I can test each one to make sure that the UP / DOWN switches operate in both directions.
Usually I'll put a blue bucket in one of the silver dollars and plug in the other. I will use half an hour before switching it up if I do not get any results. Then I go to a (black dark green, etc) in a dark, something flashy (red, orange, spotted) on the other. Another half hour of no action, and change new lures. Once I find what day it works, put this color, or as close as I can get, in both lines.
Then I put the boat in and turn about 3 MPH. When I leave the line, run a line of 6-10 feet behind the cannonball and the other 15-20 feet back. Then clip the line to cut the cannon ball, and let the line down when I drop the cannonball so that a cannon ball is near the bottom (about 5 feet tall), and the other is about 15 feet above. Keep an eye on the locator to see where the fish are staging, and try to be both just above and below that level.
I also like to use "stingers". This is a line length of 6-8 feet with a swivel at each end. After the weights are lowered, attach one end of the line from the cannonball, and take a small spoon at the other end. Try to use silver or blue Stingers. The Stingers will slide down the line, but a stop at the "belly" often cruising deep salmon usually pick younger (sweets) or rainbow trout.
I slowed down gradually deeper and deeper which equates to about 125 feet deep and 85 feet, and then again to zig-zag. I put the Cannonball depth accordingly. Of course, once I hit the salmon, I stay close to the depth where the fish are.
If salmon are simply not trained for this moment, I'll run back to about 30-40 feet and downrig for steelhead or trout instead. The locator will help me find schools of bait fish and trout that feed them. Use bait attracts looking as Rapalas, spoons, flies, etc.
Salmon fishing is more than 3 times ... at dawn, noon, and just after sunset. So do not leave too soon. I think it's best to go play golf in the afternoon, and return to the salmon at night.
There's an incredible salmon fishing Wasaga Beach and Collingwood, which is only 15 miles away.
And if the salmon is not taking the bait, and you're dragging the iron around, often you can go deeper and collect a rainbow trout (rainbow) and / or a trout.
There are quite good mooring facilities in Collingwood. I prefer to start my boat, because they are rarely busy, so I can get my boat up and get on the water quickly enough. In addition, the mouth of the Nottawasaga in Wasaga Beach is often quite low due to the accumulation of sediment.
I have an old fiberglass boat 18 foot cheap called "patches". The name seems obvious when you see the boat. But do not skimp on the engine. This is a new 60 HP Evinrude very reliable.
I have over Collingwood Harbour (which is used to build minesweepers during the war and after the war Lakers big. This has been closed.) Before the abandoned grain elevator, overlooking Georgian Bay. I do not fish if the water is more than a chop. I was in the bay, where the wind blew suddenly against the Blue Mountains, and know that 2-3 feet (and higher) waves can happen in the blink of an eye. Distracted landing a big fish for a few minutes and you can be in trouble.
I use a pager / probe permanently attached to the boat with permanently mounted transponder transom. It lets me know when I ran to the depth of 85 feet. I let the engine idle and get the team ready.
My 6-foot rods feature Penn Baitcast Reel service heavy 50-pound braided line. Braided line is very difficult to cut, and does not stretch, so that makes more sense from the conventional monofilament line.
But first, I prepare the downriggers. I can handle two of them easily as they are electric. I use a pound of lead "cannonball" 5 at the end of 150 meters of braided steel cable in each. I can test each one to make sure that the UP / DOWN switches operate in both directions.
Usually I'll put a blue bucket in one of the silver dollars and plug in the other. I will use half an hour before switching it up if I do not get any results. Then I go to a (black dark green, etc) in a dark, something flashy (red, orange, spotted) on the other. Another half hour of no action, and change new lures. Once I find what day it works, put this color, or as close as I can get, in both lines.
Then I put the boat in and turn about 3 MPH. When I leave the line, run a line of 6-10 feet behind the cannonball and the other 15-20 feet back. Then clip the line to cut the cannon ball, and let the line down when I drop the cannonball so that a cannon ball is near the bottom (about 5 feet tall), and the other is about 15 feet above. Keep an eye on the locator to see where the fish are staging, and try to be both just above and below that level.
I also like to use "stingers". This is a line length of 6-8 feet with a swivel at each end. After the weights are lowered, attach one end of the line from the cannonball, and take a small spoon at the other end. Try to use silver or blue Stingers. The Stingers will slide down the line, but a stop at the "belly" often cruising deep salmon usually pick younger (sweets) or rainbow trout.
I slowed down gradually deeper and deeper which equates to about 125 feet deep and 85 feet, and then again to zig-zag. I put the Cannonball depth accordingly. Of course, once I hit the salmon, I stay close to the depth where the fish are.
If salmon are simply not trained for this moment, I'll run back to about 30-40 feet and downrig for steelhead or trout instead. The locator will help me find schools of bait fish and trout that feed them. Use bait attracts looking as Rapalas, spoons, flies, etc.
Salmon fishing is more than 3 times ... at dawn, noon, and just after sunset. So do not leave too soon. I think it's best to go play golf in the afternoon, and return to the salmon at night.