Lake Ontario VS BC salmon

[RiverBoy]

This is an interesting thread for me. I recently accepted a position with work that had me relocate to Ontario. We purchased a log home on 50 acres, trying to dull the pain of moving from Vancouver Island to Toronto (I am not a city guy and dreaded the thought of living in the GTA). The place is a 25 min drive to Lake Huron and a little over an hour to Lake Ontario. I was ready to sell the boat and kiss my fishing days goodbye until I started doing research and found out you could catch.. Of all things.. Chinook salmon I'm happy to announce I'll be towing my boat out soon and have plans to enter the Owen Sound salmon spectacular derby in August. If anybody has some tips for a west coast guy trying to catch east coast springs please pass them along! And if you're out there keep a lookout for the Fish Whisperer on the Great Lake.. It'll be the only boat with radar and a prawn puller I'm guessing

And the only one using a single action mooching reel! Who knows, Maybe running our typical west coast gear will hammer those lake chinook!

 

[Fish Whisperer]

And the only one using a single action mooching reel! Who knows, Maybe running our typical west coast gear will hammer those lake chinook!

If the MR2 LA's won't do the trick I'll pull out the jigging rod with an Accurate Boss 600 on it.. That thing would winch Rita MacNeil from 50 fathoms licketty split

 

[Stosh]

Fish Whisperer
About 21 years ago, I first fished the Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular. Great event, great people. I took out anchovies, herring strip and hootchies. Back then, everyone out there was using various spoons and Lyman plugs. They guy i was fishing with didnt want to try my bait. I talked him into it, and by 10 a.m.he dumped all is artificial lures and switched to bait. We did very well, and ran out of bait in 2 or 3 days, switched to white hootchies, and the fish went nuts. I recall one of the guys fishing with us on the weekend even put a hootchie (they call them rubber flys out there) put one on backwards with a mylar insert and still caught fish. Since then bait has become part of the fishery all over the lakes, but not as big as out here.
Just use your west coast gear and you will do fine.
You just have to watch out for guys using leadcore, copper and planer boards. Kinda like the old days out here when people used dipsys and slip weights. You have to give them a wide birth, otherwise tangles occur.

The other thing is the reels - very few using mooching reels, most dont get it.
And when they are running riggers, planer boards, lead core and copper or stainless wire, plus deep divers, it means up to 12 or more rods out - so you cant stop when you get a decent fish on, so it is harder to use a mooching reel.
Anyway - just my 2 cents
Enjoy
Let a few go for me!
Stosh

 

[LowTide]

On Georgian Bay we used Lyman plugs, J -plugs, Northern King spoons and AC shiners (action certified) which are balsa baits like rapalas. Just like here the fish in the Great Lakes stack up at different depths. Lakers are deep then Chinooks, coho, browns and rainbows-even pinks in some lakes. The difference is that they are there all year. In late fall huge browns run the Ganaraska river at Port Hope on lake Ontario. 10-15lb fish are normal, and they stage offshore. Try ice fishing in Owen Sound for Chinooks, rainbows and browns.

 

[Fish Whisperer]

Thanks for the tips! I haven't ice fished in almost 20 years and It was for trout and pickerel. Catching a spring would be bizarre... I better get a gas auger with a big bit

 

[LowTide]

If you fly fish you will enjoy finding rainbows (steelies) in every creek running to Georgian Bay and most of Ontario. Browns too. Some creeks have Cohos (Cobourg) running at your feet.

 

[Prawn Star]

I lived in the Owen Sound area for ten years. In the 80's, early 90's there was an abundance of chinook, lakers, whitefish and steel head. It was a great place to live. Lots of white tail and waterfowl. In the late nineties FNs discovered they could make a lot of money in unregulated commercial fishing. They had tried and failed in the fish farm industry as they could not keep their pens from breaking open during the winter and would loose most of their stock.A few years later with ghost gill nets all over and over fishing things died right off. Since I moved to the island my rods and reels from the East were quickly replaced with single action reels and mooching rods. I had a Fenwick rigger stick which had twisted guides so the line would not touch the blank. It worked well in Georgian Bay but way too limp for real salmon out here. Most if not all of the Great Lakes is a put and take fishery thanks mostly to the American side of the lakes. Most of these hatchery fish seem to prefer the Canadian side which is great for us. I guess it's like that a bit here with the WA state hatcheries. Anyway, fishing great lakes is OK but fishing the chuck is amazing.

 

[Joe]

Fish are put in the great lakes for killing that is it. Heck the steelhead limit for most lakes and river is 5. There is also no restrictions on tackle meaning fully barbed trebles are fair game for steelhead. Fun fishery. I personally think salmon don't taste all the great to begin with although a fresh spring out of the salt is decent. Ontario fresh/warm water chinook to me tastes just like you would think.. As far as fighting, springs out here fight much harder IMO. I lived and fished in Ontario for 20 years.

 

[Last Chance]

West coast springs (20 lbs +) you typically have to clear downriggers and other rods to land your fish and sometimes have to give chase for larger fish . I don't see that on any great lakes fishing shows .

I guide the West Coast and JDF and rarely take my riggers in for fish over 20. A lot of guys dont but maybe bigger boats?

 

[fogged in]

I guide the West Coast and JDF and rarely take my riggers in for fish over 20. A lot of guys dont but maybe bigger boats?

I am with you on that one...but some fishermen have trouble controlling their boats.
I see two methods used on big fish that I don't like
1. just keeping going ahead without slowing the speed while you get the other rigger in while your fish runs far from boat.
2. cut all power, drift, get other downriggers in and pass the rod around the boat while playing your fish.
My preferred method is to slow the motor, turn 180 degrees or more toward your fish, assuming other boats are not in your way and keep as close to your fish as possible always under power, right up to time of netting
Pulling other riggers is optional and depending on if you have a third rigger and the size of the fish.
Anything under 8 pounds is a just carry on fishing, slow your speed if necessary, get it to the boat and release it CAREFULLY if it's not legal or to your liking.
Every fishermen has their preferred method of landing a fish and comfort level.