Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tip: Consistent Slide Diver Lead Lengths
Here’s a tip to keep slide diver lead lengths simple and consistently set every time. Zero the counter and pull out the lead length behind the diver. Clip in the diver so it holds on the line and then zero the counter again and let it out the desired length out to the diver. The counter will only show the distance out to the diver for easy adjustments without having to remember to subtract the lead length in your head. Then when you set the line out again the counter will read something like 935 ft (65 ft lead was the last set). Pull out the lead until it gets to zero and then clip in the diver and all you have to remember is the distance out to the diver.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Beamsville Salmon, July 14, 2008
John, Aidan (my son) and I had the evening free to continue the search for fish to target for the next weeks Salmon Dance Tournament. We worked water closer to Jordon Harbour that we hadn’t seen in weeks and then went back to in front of Beamsville where we have been getting them in recent outings only to find they haven’t left. GOOD!
We managed to hit as deep as 130 FOW and seen a number of fish on the bottom. Drop down to 102 with the Hot Spot Glow Green Flasher with a Sure-strike Rig and a Banjo Minnow as imitation whole bait. 19 lbs 1 oz Lake Trout. My biggest taken in a few years.
4 Chinooks ranged from 8 – 18 lbs and we lost another good one. Also took one brown and one Rainbow. 6 for 8 I think. All the same depth zone with the same baits producing. Bluetail Silver Streak seemed to do the trick.
Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com
We managed to hit as deep as 130 FOW and seen a number of fish on the bottom. Drop down to 102 with the Hot Spot Glow Green Flasher with a Sure-strike Rig and a Banjo Minnow as imitation whole bait. 19 lbs 1 oz Lake Trout. My biggest taken in a few years.
4 Chinooks ranged from 8 – 18 lbs and we lost another good one. Also took one brown and one Rainbow. 6 for 8 I think. All the same depth zone with the same baits producing. Bluetail Silver Streak seemed to do the trick.
Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com
Lake Trout, Brown, Rainbow, and Chinooks, July 14, 2008
John, Aidan (my son) and I had the evening free to continue the search for fish to target for the next weeks Salmon Dance Tournament. We worked water closer to Jordon Harbour that we hadn’t seen in weeks and then went back to in front of Beamsville where we have been getting them in recent outings only to find they haven’t left. GOOD!
We managed to hit as deep as 130 FOW and seen a number of fish on the bottom. Drop down to 102 with the Hot Spot Glow Green Flasher with a Sure-strike Rig and a Banjo Minnow as imitation whole bait. 19 lbs 1 oz Lake Trout. My biggest taken in a few years.
4 Chinooks ranged from 8 – 18 lbs and we lost another good one. Also took one brown and one Rainbow to complete a Grand Slam (four species in same day). 6 for 8 I was our total. All the same depth zone with the same baits producing. Bluetail Silver Streak seemed to do the trick.
We managed to hit as deep as 130 FOW and seen a number of fish on the bottom. Drop down to 102 with the Hot Spot Glow Green Flasher with a Sure-strike Rig and a Banjo Minnow as imitation whole bait. 19 lbs 1 oz Lake Trout. My biggest taken in a few years.
4 Chinooks ranged from 8 – 18 lbs and we lost another good one. Also took one brown and one Rainbow to complete a Grand Slam (four species in same day). 6 for 8 I was our total. All the same depth zone with the same baits producing. Bluetail Silver Streak seemed to do the trick.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Skinny Water Beamsville Kings, July 12, 2008
John and I had the Saturday to search for fish to target for the next weeks Salmon Dance Tournament; it was a day to narrow down location and to test a number of things.
Firstly the flasher/fly has been a dud for us for sooooo long. Our program has been spoons since the early spring and it is a shock that we have had only the odd day (count on one hand) where flasher fly had a few fish. This season it is never out producing spoons in our boat. But everyone else is hitting fish on flasher/fly and every trip we try to make it go. Today was without exception. We dedicating time to experiment and make it work. All the hot colours in flasher and flies reported by others were put on riggers, core, wire deeper diver, and no stretch braid deeper diver. We varied fly leader lengths from 19 ¾” to 25” and most in the typically productive leader lengths of 23-24”. Not a single fish on it. Speed Over Ground (SOG) 2.3-2.4 mph. Four rod spread and two of the four we ran flasher/artificial bait on one and flasher/fly on the other. The other two were spoons.
Spoons on the other hand are doing it. We went 10 for 12 today and all but one rainbow came on spoons. Total breakdown two rainbows at 5 lbs each, two shakers, and the balance of our fish were mature Chinooks 18, 20, 21, 22, and the biggest was 23 lbs 11 oz. Nothing like the reports from TO and east, but our best for size this year on our shore. 50-80 FOW with all of the bait inside of 55 FOW and directly in front of the microwave tower just east of Beamsville’s, Ontario St. 7 of the 10 fish came on slide divers set on 3 with 65- 100 ft leads (behind the diver) and 85 and 90 feet from the rod to the diver. 6 out of 7 fish on the slide divers were caught on one lure, Silver Streak Blue tail. The other was caught on a Blue Veggie Michigan Stinger Stingray.
The 23 lbs 11 oz fish came on 7 colour leadcore down the shoot using Silver Streak Blue Tail, but I doctored it with a little bit of purple along the blue edge of the blade and glow eyes were added to the hook end of the spoon but avoiding to cover up the pink painted dot. Also one was taken on a five colour using the rigger at 20 feet. Estimated to be at the 45 foot level with that set while going a speed of 2.4 mph, and was likely the deepest fish we took all day.
Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com
Firstly the flasher/fly has been a dud for us for sooooo long. Our program has been spoons since the early spring and it is a shock that we have had only the odd day (count on one hand) where flasher fly had a few fish. This season it is never out producing spoons in our boat. But everyone else is hitting fish on flasher/fly and every trip we try to make it go. Today was without exception. We dedicating time to experiment and make it work. All the hot colours in flasher and flies reported by others were put on riggers, core, wire deeper diver, and no stretch braid deeper diver. We varied fly leader lengths from 19 ¾” to 25” and most in the typically productive leader lengths of 23-24”. Not a single fish on it. Speed Over Ground (SOG) 2.3-2.4 mph. Four rod spread and two of the four we ran flasher/artificial bait on one and flasher/fly on the other. The other two were spoons.
Spoons on the other hand are doing it. We went 10 for 12 today and all but one rainbow came on spoons. Total breakdown two rainbows at 5 lbs each, two shakers, and the balance of our fish were mature Chinooks 18, 20, 21, 22, and the biggest was 23 lbs 11 oz. Nothing like the reports from TO and east, but our best for size this year on our shore. 50-80 FOW with all of the bait inside of 55 FOW and directly in front of the microwave tower just east of Beamsville’s, Ontario St. 7 of the 10 fish came on slide divers set on 3 with 65- 100 ft leads (behind the diver) and 85 and 90 feet from the rod to the diver. 6 out of 7 fish on the slide divers were caught on one lure, Silver Streak Blue tail. The other was caught on a Blue Veggie Michigan Stinger Stingray.
The 23 lbs 11 oz fish came on 7 colour leadcore down the shoot using Silver Streak Blue Tail, but I doctored it with a little bit of purple along the blue edge of the blade and glow eyes were added to the hook end of the spoon but avoiding to cover up the pink painted dot. Also one was taken on a five colour using the rigger at 20 feet. Estimated to be at the 45 foot level with that set while going a speed of 2.4 mph, and was likely the deepest fish we took all day.
Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Water temps stir things up in West end of Lake O, July 5, 2008
John Poirier "JubeJube", my son Aidan and myself headed out for a morning fish infront of Grimsby. Calm water made an easy boat ride and we set down in 60 FOW after watching the surface temps as we ran. On my way to work on Friday the breeze over the lake showed a clue... Flat water inside from shore out about a mile, and then choppy after it. All I could guess was the moderate to strong Southerlies had pushed out the warm water and drawn in the cold stuff along the shoreline. The prediction was right... It was 58'F infront of the Greenhouses at Bartlet in 60 FOW and we it was colder in shallower, out to 90 Feet we were in 64'F and it was warmer East and out then West and in- if that makes sence?? Called Peter Hansen on the radio and he was almost at Jordon in the same depth of water and he read 68'F!!! They had 8 fish in the boat by 11am. Far west towards Hamilton and Bronte Reports were surface temps of 44'F!!!!! Burrrr.
Set up and discovered a great picture on the graph. bait fish schools and hooks all over them. Best marks in the 45 ft depth
Slow start and flustrating to get bit. Cores were quiet for a change. But we worked at changing colours and spread dynamics and managed to pattern something with some level of catch rate. 7 for 9 was the count by the end of the day. Aidan reeled in two shakers, one about 6 lbs and three were about 12 lbs kings, and the largest was this 22.30 lbs chinny.
Best set up was Slide diver on 3 setting 65 feet back and 90 or 100 feet out to the diver. Silver Streak, Blue tail
was good and the bigger fish came on NK 28 Glow Frog (white back). Couldn't buy a fish on the riggers and managed only one on 7 colour. Flasher/Fly, Wholebait and Wire were not doing it. Curious Fish coming into the spread, but wouldn't bite in close or way out in the outer spread. had to be that middle spread that would get the bites. More on this in Powerpoint for your download... PowerPoint Slide Show on "Putting out a Salmon Spread"
Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com
Set up and discovered a great picture on the graph. bait fish schools and hooks all over them. Best marks in the 45 ft depth
Slow start and flustrating to get bit. Cores were quiet for a change. But we worked at changing colours and spread dynamics and managed to pattern something with some level of catch rate. 7 for 9 was the count by the end of the day. Aidan reeled in two shakers, one about 6 lbs and three were about 12 lbs kings, and the largest was this 22.30 lbs chinny.
Best set up was Slide diver on 3 setting 65 feet back and 90 or 100 feet out to the diver. Silver Streak, Blue tail
was good and the bigger fish came on NK 28 Glow Frog (white back). Couldn't buy a fish on the riggers and managed only one on 7 colour. Flasher/Fly, Wholebait and Wire were not doing it. Curious Fish coming into the spread, but wouldn't bite in close or way out in the outer spread. had to be that middle spread that would get the bites. More on this in Powerpoint for your download... PowerPoint Slide Show on "Putting out a Salmon Spread"
Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Fifty Point, August 3, 2008
Boated from Foran’s (Grimsby) and set up one mile west of Fifty Point (hydro cut in the escarpment) at 6:30 am. Before getting the last rod of six in the water the Slide Diver rod takes a shot. around 18lbs. 80 feet behind the diver, 3 setting and out to the diver from the rod at 150 ft. Blue Dolphin NK Mag.
Not long after, the same set-up takes another around 21 lbs and then after adjustments the other slide diver set 100 ft back and out 160 to the diver using Yeck 88 Glow Frog starts going. It took three – one rainbow, two Chinooks (no matures). Wire Divers were quiet with only one Lake Trout. Fullcore took one small king on Matrix Blue Silver. One rainbow on the rigger down 60 ft using Silver Streak, Blue Tail.
After 10:00 am the wind had stopped and we couldn’t figure out how to keep the rods moving. We mixed up the spread throughout the day to see what was what. It was about an hour before we found more fish and starting getting hits. But short hits at that., some were big heart stopping rips. Managed another small king in front of the Riffle Range on the Yeck Glow Frog, Slide Diver set at noon, and then we pulled the plug at 1:30pm. Temps on the surface was 71’F but down 45 ft you were into 45’F, at 35ft the temp was 50’F. Now that’s a small window of temp, hence the reason we figure we managed all our fish out of temperature and weren’t able to move a fish above 40 ft in the water column. Bait was in 65 FOW and less, and all our fish came outside that to as far as 75 FOW. At 80 FOW the screen was blank and reports from others in that water, the odd rainbow was going.
Haven't got the one picture I took off the camera yet, sorry.
Shane Thombs
Not long after, the same set-up takes another around 21 lbs and then after adjustments the other slide diver set 100 ft back and out 160 to the diver using Yeck 88 Glow Frog starts going. It took three – one rainbow, two Chinooks (no matures). Wire Divers were quiet with only one Lake Trout. Fullcore took one small king on Matrix Blue Silver. One rainbow on the rigger down 60 ft using Silver Streak, Blue Tail.
After 10:00 am the wind had stopped and we couldn’t figure out how to keep the rods moving. We mixed up the spread throughout the day to see what was what. It was about an hour before we found more fish and starting getting hits. But short hits at that., some were big heart stopping rips. Managed another small king in front of the Riffle Range on the Yeck Glow Frog, Slide Diver set at noon, and then we pulled the plug at 1:30pm. Temps on the surface was 71’F but down 45 ft you were into 45’F, at 35ft the temp was 50’F. Now that’s a small window of temp, hence the reason we figure we managed all our fish out of temperature and weren’t able to move a fish above 40 ft in the water column. Bait was in 65 FOW and less, and all our fish came outside that to as far as 75 FOW. At 80 FOW the screen was blank and reports from others in that water, the odd rainbow was going.
Haven't got the one picture I took off the camera yet, sorry.
Shane Thombs
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Canada Day Eve with Irish luck onboard, July 1, 2008
Nice to have some Irish luck in the boat for once. hahaha.
Colm and Ethia from Dublin, Irland were visiting family in the states and came to Ontario to see some of the tourist sites. John and I had anticipations of providing a trip on Lake Ontario for Salmon to be added as a highlight to their vacation.
The Canada Day evening trip of four hours was with moderate south winds that made 2 ft chop in the water we fished, which started in 60 FOW in front of Beamsville and angled toward the East. We took the first hit on a full core off the boards using Michigan Stinger Mixed Veggie on a copper blade. It took line and had weight. We coached Ethia through the fight and she was a champ with the arms and hands feeling sore, but the fish pulled the hooks free with only one more colour to reel in.
We missed one other fish on the same set up that took it out of the release, but nothing was there when we got to the rod. The second fish was where the Irish luck kicked in. Ethia took our coaching into full implementation and managed to boat the first and biggest fish she had ever caught. 21 lbs Chinook Salmon. It took a screaming run that made us sweat it out turning the boat on a dime to chase it and recover line before the final roles of wraps on the reel were stripped off. She smiled for the entire night after she seen the fish come aboard. 7 colour with Michigan Stinger Magnum, Chicken Wing.
Some pods of bait throughout the 60-100 FOW with a few hooks on the screen. Never ventured further out for the building off shore waves. The inside waters did display the greatest picture on the screen and likely the reason for only a few releases.
Hope the Irish luck stays in the boat for the season thanks to Ethia and her dad Colm.
Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com
Colm and Ethia from Dublin, Irland were visiting family in the states and came to Ontario to see some of the tourist sites. John and I had anticipations of providing a trip on Lake Ontario for Salmon to be added as a highlight to their vacation.
The Canada Day evening trip of four hours was with moderate south winds that made 2 ft chop in the water we fished, which started in 60 FOW in front of Beamsville and angled toward the East. We took the first hit on a full core off the boards using Michigan Stinger Mixed Veggie on a copper blade. It took line and had weight. We coached Ethia through the fight and she was a champ with the arms and hands feeling sore, but the fish pulled the hooks free with only one more colour to reel in.
We missed one other fish on the same set up that took it out of the release, but nothing was there when we got to the rod. The second fish was where the Irish luck kicked in. Ethia took our coaching into full implementation and managed to boat the first and biggest fish she had ever caught. 21 lbs Chinook Salmon. It took a screaming run that made us sweat it out turning the boat on a dime to chase it and recover line before the final roles of wraps on the reel were stripped off. She smiled for the entire night after she seen the fish come aboard. 7 colour with Michigan Stinger Magnum, Chicken Wing.
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| From Photos |
Some pods of bait throughout the 60-100 FOW with a few hooks on the screen. Never ventured further out for the building off shore waves. The inside waters did display the greatest picture on the screen and likely the reason for only a few releases.
Hope the Irish luck stays in the boat for the season thanks to Ethia and her dad Colm.
Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com
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