John Poirier, Brad May, and myself ran down to Grimsby where we slowed and scanned the water column for hope of a picture that would suggest us to slow the boat and start trolling. The picture was empty until finding marks closer to infront of ED Smiths Bubble roughly at McNielly Road Stoney Creek. We set up and it wasn't long before the Wire diver takes a strike, but after a short fight the fish is dropped. Then the rigger rod takes a strike and John cranks in a good sized Lake Trout. Not the species we were after. We took another Lake trout about and hour after on the other downrigger using Michigan Stinger Coyote Stingray 110 on the rigger over 130 FOW.
At 10:30 it was evident that the salmon were not hungry in front of Stoney Creek. We picked up and ran to infront of Bronte and set up in 180 FOW. Wetting up we worked a deep program again with hopes of coming in contact with some salmon. But 45 minutes and a sonar screen that would suggest fish were spread out. Talking to a boat he reassures us that fishing deep is working but bring up the speed to 2.5 mph instead of the slow 2.1- 2.3 mph we have been going at. Without down speed it was tough to make down speed consistent and we finally hooked up on our fist salmon on Walker 124 Deeper Diver Wonderbread on 2 setting out 190 on wire with Wonderbread ProTroll and No-see'um StrongFly. The fish was too small for the 25 inch minimum lenght that was the rule for the tournament.
We were trolling west at the time and noted that we were doing 2.5 mph on the GPS. Working East we tried changing the speed up and down from there to figure out which way the current was going, but the next one came when we turning back towards the west and the free floating slider with Stop'n Glow Michigan Stinger Stingray and the rigger ball down 100 over 145 FOW took the next fish. But it too was just under the 25 inch minimum at 23 1/2 inches! Time was ticking away and we still were without a fish in the box for weighin. Finally we hook up on a fish that was over 25 inches. It took a Dreamweaver Dave's Salmon Slapper down 124 on the rigger over 140 FOW. Not long after that the Magnum Walker Deeper Diver Rod starts ripping out 30 lbs braided line using the 107 black Walker Deeper Diver on 3 setting back 360 feet! White Protroll and Hoover Atommik. not long after John struggled to slide the diver rod out of the holder, the hook pulled free.
Time was spent and we needed 45 minutes to run back to Port Dalhousie. We pulled early and made it back in plenty of time with only one to wiegh in.
It was tough fishing in the tournament with only ten boats bringing in fish out of 35 boats in the field.
The tournament itself was a success as a fundraiser for the Port Dalhousie Pen Imprinting Project with $1,425 going towards the cause. John, Jay, and I plan to make the tournament a annual thing.
Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com
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