Visser’s not lesser on dusk time kings, July 2, 2012

I am often asked what is better, morning fishing or evening fishing? My answer is; whenever I can get out! With all honestly, salmon and trout fishing on Lake Ontario is a hunt to find them before you catch them and unless you clued in on their location first thing in the morning, you might be missing the morning bite happening somewhere else. Instead an evening trip can be as productive and some times more productive then a morning trip, if you are hunting for them, find them, and sit on top of them when dusk arrives!

From Photo_Gallery7

Today, this statement was made true. I had a morning fish that resulted in some smaller kings first thing, but the hunt for a decent fish was unsuccessful. Later in the morning I find good schools of bait elsewhere to where I began our morning trip and it wasn’t long for the evening hunt to focus on different water. This new location held enormous alewife bait schools and plenty of smaller salmon and steelhead during the day. The start of the evening trip was slow and our presentations focused on steelhead up high and some smaller salmon while the sun was high and the temperatures were very hot.

Chris Visser took on a part time job at Grimsby Tackle to help out on Saturdays. During the beginning of the trip I described some of the tackle, techniques used for trolling for salmon to help him understand it’s for use, to speak to it when working in the store talking to customers.

In preparation for the lower sun, we pulled some of the rods out of the water and focused on a 6 rod spread with the target for bigger kings. Seeing the bait fish, knowing the smaller kings are in, the words “I know those big kings got to be here too” was said repeatedly.

The picture on the SONAR graph was wonderful to see, and as dusk arrived Chris and father Jan witnessed the marvel of a plan that actually came together! A plan that kept them busy on the rods reeling in something other than silver steelhead. They were on black mouth salmon, kings, the Chinook salmon of Lake Ontario.

Leading up to this date, kings in our waters were scarce or peppered in locations without much need to target them with intensity. Bows and cohos in the month of June were essentially the species of fish that kept the rods moving and provided great fun. But tonight marked the first night of the arrival of great July salmon fishing for the Grimsby waters.

Chris and Jan managed a number of great fighting salmon that came on wire divers with flasher fly and SpinDoctor and MCRocket on the downrigger. Then as the sun was about to disappear on the west horizon, a double header of hard fighting kings made the night end with great excitement.

From Photo_Gallery8

What’s better, morning or evening? Who cares- let’s go fishing and find out!

Shane Thombs www.FINtasticSportfishing.com