Mike Dumesnil “Catch-One” and I were off to do a charter in the morning. Weatherman said we should stay home, but we managed to get out on the big lake at 7:00 am and fish until 1:00 pm without a rain drop. We watched as lightening was on shore over the escarpment in Grimsby in Beamsville, but the three cells seemed to follow along without visiting us out in the lake. The wind however wasn’t light. Moderate to strong south-westerly made for a tricky two – three foot chop out four miles.
As for fishing, we started in shallow working as little as 40 FOW inside and east of the riffle range at Fifty Point. Then slowly edged our way out to 50 then 60 FOW east of the gun range. The first hour was slow with one shaker and one missed fish and then we turned outward (north direction) we started hitting fish. Turn back against the waves going south-southwest and the bite stopped. Turn back out to the Northeast and the rods started firing once more. This happened over and over and we varied speeds to try top get something to go trolling south- but nothing. Paddle wheel speed was 2.5 mph trolling north. That was fine, it gave me a chance to set up on the troll south only to catch up on setting rods from trolling north. Most productive depths were 60- 75 FOW.
End count is still ??, but the four clients all said they brought in three each not including two or three shakers. Notable fish were Chinooks at 23 lbs, 18 lbs, four between 12-16 lbs, two rainbows at 6 and 8 lbs and one chunky coho at 11 lbs. Here’s the tackle and sets they seem to produce results starting with the best…
Wire line 107 Glow Frog Deeper Diver 1 ½ setting and out 120ft with Black/Crush Glow SpinDoctor and a Green Mirage Strong Fly.
Full Core with Yeck 88 M&M Glow
Rigger down 55 with Yeck 88 Glow Frog
Rigger down 51 with NBK/Mountain Dew Chrome SpinDoctor with a Hammered TG Atommik fly.
Rigger down 45 with Glow Gin & Tonic Michigan Stinger Stingray
Bait was no further out then 65 FOW and there was two depth ranges they were found. 20-40 feet and smaller schools right on bottom.
Surface temp was 68’F and the down temps dropped at we trolled outward 45 feet on the ball had 56’F in 55 FOW and dropped to 54’F in 60 FOW and then to 53’F over 70 FOW at the same time with a temp rigger down 58 feet it was 54’F in 55 FOW and dropped to 51’F over 60 FOW and then to 49’F over 70 FOW. It would appear that the window of temperature got narrower as we went deeper and only slightly came closer to the surface.
Shane Thombs
www.fintasticsportfishing.com
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Grimsby humps and bumps to 28 lbs, July 21, 2008
John Poirier "JubeJube", my son Aidan and I went out on the lake after dinner to fish the evening. north east breeze made a 1 1/2 chop on the lake and it was our decision to ply the waters in tight in search of bigger fish after good reports from the Salmon Dance Tournament in shallower waters then where we fished during the tournament.
Set up in 40 FOW and worked our way in and out on 40-70 FOW and first went west of 40 mile Creek and then east. Had a fish hit a Blue Silver Blue Fox matrix spoon Mega large size on the rigger with a 40 foot lead and down 52 Ft in 60 feet of water. But the hooks pulled free before too long.
Started heading east but made efforts to troll in and out instead of along the shore as we relize the currents are taking away from consitent and known down speeds. We took a small shaker, and then moments later the full core bends over and starts peeling line. My turn on the rod and it was fun to say the least. Finally get the fish to the mono leader when John says " We don't have the net in the boat" WHAT?". It was left inthe truck after the tournament and we forgot to put it back in the boat.
So John pulls everything in as it was getting to about 8:15 and the sun was hinding behind dark cloads. John made three attempts to run his fingers under a gill plat over the transome before lifting the fish to the deck of the boat.
28.20 lbs it weighed. Biggest in the boat this year.
It was caught on a Yeck 88 M&M glow spoon in 55 feet of water. 2.5mph trolling in and out.
Shane Thombs
Set up in 40 FOW and worked our way in and out on 40-70 FOW and first went west of 40 mile Creek and then east. Had a fish hit a Blue Silver Blue Fox matrix spoon Mega large size on the rigger with a 40 foot lead and down 52 Ft in 60 feet of water. But the hooks pulled free before too long.
Started heading east but made efforts to troll in and out instead of along the shore as we relize the currents are taking away from consitent and known down speeds. We took a small shaker, and then moments later the full core bends over and starts peeling line. My turn on the rod and it was fun to say the least. Finally get the fish to the mono leader when John says " We don't have the net in the boat" WHAT?". It was left inthe truck after the tournament and we forgot to put it back in the boat.
So John pulls everything in as it was getting to about 8:15 and the sun was hinding behind dark cloads. John made three attempts to run his fingers under a gill plat over the transome before lifting the fish to the deck of the boat.
28.20 lbs it weighed. Biggest in the boat this year.
It was caught on a Yeck 88 M&M glow spoon in 55 feet of water. 2.5mph trolling in and out.
Shane Thombs
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Salmon Dance Tournament, July 19, 2008
Tournament day is here and it was a weird morning wake up. On the way to John Poirier’s the lights were out everywhere from Beamsville to Grimsby. The darkness and the muggy and hazy look was an ominous setting. While on the way down the QEW the LED blue and red flickering lights from the police reflecting off of two small import looking cars the had rolled over the South Service Rd ditch and took out a hydro pole. Racing??
Time throughout the day seemed to go soooo fast. We called the blast off over the radio and horn and 25 boats were off in all directions. Some toward Toronto, others toward Bronte and Port Credit, and some toward Port Weller. This should be a very interesting result to see where the biggest boxes come from. For john, Stephanie (John’s neice) and myself, decided to start in front of Beamsville where we had been hitting them consistently over the last few weeks. The Grimsby spot was where I took good fish on Thursday night with Ron and that was our second spot to go to. At the morning launch, John told Joe Williamson “Trophy Taker” and Bill Ransky/Randy Scott “Reddog” that they should start there. 20/20 hind sight says we should have went to Grimsby in the morning instead, because nothing over 16 lbs could be taken from our first spot. The mature fish had moved.
On set-up at Beamsville we had a triple header right off the start and lost all three and then another rod went off and lost it too. Man- not a good start. We caught lots of fish but nothing of size. Joe radio’s to us and says he boxed a 19 lb king on the spot in front of Grimsby. Then an hour and half later he boxed one over 26 lbs in front of Bartlett St in Grimsby in about 55 FOW.
We headed that way and hooked up on a biggie on the same spoon I took my 27 lbs fish on Thursday night. Then the line snapped. Pulled it in that the line looked like it went through the meat grinder. Must have been on bottom when the board slowed and the fish took the bait.
Time ran out and the hits were fewer and fewer. The dark skies turned to rain and we started to pull lines at 1:40 when the Thunder rumbled across the lake. We managed to get to Jordon and see everyone under the gazebo before the lightening and ran was on us. It was a great tournament, and some incredible weights of two fish in the 55 lbs range. You needed over 45 lbs to get in the top ten! I not even sure where we ended up, or how much we weighed, because it was far less then we had anticipated our result to be. But that’s fishing!
You can see the results of the Salmon Dance tournament at
Thursday, July 17, 2008
No Riggers, but still manage quality Kings, July 17, 2008
Ron Arnold, his son Cole, my son Aidan and myself set out for waters west of where we have been getting fish, again to search out waters for the Salmon Dance Tournament on Saturday. We had a late evening start with lines in the water by 6:00 pm and out by 8:30 with dark thunderstorm clouds approaching before dusk.
We motored slowly out of Foran’s on a North East angle scanning for baitfish and without surprise the bait was from 35 FOW out to 50 FOW. We set up in 45 FOW roughly in front of Nelles Beach Park and trolled straight out. I set out the 7 colour first with Ron’s NK Mag Blue Dolphin that has been sitting on a lure hanger in his boat for I think years now. I get it in the rod holder and start to let out a second line when I seen in the corner of my eye the rod start to bend over a buck like mad. Fish On. Ron says “What, you got to be kidding me” and the rod was handed to him when the drag starting peeling out. Three good runs then we boated it, 24.1 lbs. We snapped a few shots, and then in the drink it goes. Get the rods in the water and missed a fish in the process on fullcore. Turned a 360 to come back through the area we just got the 24 and I set the fullcore out with an old discontinued bait that was good in it’s time for big fish. Super King sized Northern Dancer in blue/silver with a little bit of tap added to the cup side of the spoon that was purple and pink. Because we were in 50 FOW at the time I slowly let the full core ten colours Leadcore out by thumbing the spool for the last two colours so the big spoon would pick it up off the bottom. Sure enough the rod takes a violent slam in my hands and my thumb starts to warm quickly as it is still in free spool and it’s the only drag at the moment. Engage the reel and the clicker finally tells the tail of a drag scream. I fought the fish for nearly 20 minutes as it seemed to just keep dogging it down behind the boat. Boat the fish and it was my best in a few years. 27.4 lbs on the scale. Here’s the picture.
We took a bunch of other salmon below 12 lbs on 7 colour with Ron’s NK Mag Blue Dolphin, before pulling lines and coming in with ominous clouds approaching from the west.
Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com
We motored slowly out of Foran’s on a North East angle scanning for baitfish and without surprise the bait was from 35 FOW out to 50 FOW. We set up in 45 FOW roughly in front of Nelles Beach Park and trolled straight out. I set out the 7 colour first with Ron’s NK Mag Blue Dolphin that has been sitting on a lure hanger in his boat for I think years now. I get it in the rod holder and start to let out a second line when I seen in the corner of my eye the rod start to bend over a buck like mad. Fish On. Ron says “What, you got to be kidding me” and the rod was handed to him when the drag starting peeling out. Three good runs then we boated it, 24.1 lbs. We snapped a few shots, and then in the drink it goes. Get the rods in the water and missed a fish in the process on fullcore. Turned a 360 to come back through the area we just got the 24 and I set the fullcore out with an old discontinued bait that was good in it’s time for big fish. Super King sized Northern Dancer in blue/silver with a little bit of tap added to the cup side of the spoon that was purple and pink. Because we were in 50 FOW at the time I slowly let the full core ten colours Leadcore out by thumbing the spool for the last two colours so the big spoon would pick it up off the bottom. Sure enough the rod takes a violent slam in my hands and my thumb starts to warm quickly as it is still in free spool and it’s the only drag at the moment. Engage the reel and the clicker finally tells the tail of a drag scream. I fought the fish for nearly 20 minutes as it seemed to just keep dogging it down behind the boat. Boat the fish and it was my best in a few years. 27.4 lbs on the scale. Here’s the picture.
We took a bunch of other salmon below 12 lbs on 7 colour with Ron’s NK Mag Blue Dolphin, before pulling lines and coming in with ominous clouds approaching from the west.
Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com
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.
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