Info on King salmon fishing

I'm from the pittsburgh area and have been going up to the olcott area for about 3 years now... i'm far from an expert, but here is some info and advice.

Middle of October seems to be the best time to go as you hook into kings, steelhead, and a bunch of browns depending on the rains during the month.

As for where to stay i know of a few places (can't recall the names) that are fairly close. I've either 1. just slept in our car outside the gate of 18 mile. 2 there is a little "inn" idk what they call it down past the bridge of 18 mile creek heading toward the lake. you could give her a call, id do it soon if shes not booked for the season already.

Depending on what type of fishing your doing:
I fly fish and rarely go up to the dam aka firing squad. Staying down from the dam in the riffles or down by the tressel on 18 mile is the best but you have to get there asap as the gates open and run to hold a spot.

If your spinning and just looking for kings you can go to the dam and try your luck just bring about 25+ pounds of sinkers unless you want to pay $1 an ounce at the bait shop. Your going to snag and lose a lot of tackle and thats really not my type of fishing.

Id also spend a day traveling about 30 mins from olcott to Oak Orchard. Mostly stream fishing, although there is a dam its a complete different setting than olcott. swifter water but fish more spread out and more water to cover. often find yourself the only one within 50 yds of you if you go on a weekday.

Depending on your tackle either fly fishing or spinning.
Definately a 9wt or above (Broke 3 orvis rods in 4 years on the **** kings)
For spinning i have a 9ft spinning salmon rod not too heavy. 10lb test with a 8lb tippet but thats just me. If fishing the "dams" definately use heavier line as ppl dont reel up for you and youll lose the fish in no time

Bait.
Any type of egg patterns usually take care of all species.

Single eggs work well also. And a lot cheaper than eggsacks.

If primairly fishing the dam just buy a pack of egg fly tying yarn and just cut a piece and shape into a egg. 90% of the fish caught at the dam will be snagged and maybe luckily snagged in the mouth. Your basically throwing out a 1oz sinker and passing your hook through thousands of fish and yanking after a few seconds praying its in the mouth.

Any other info just let me know

i personally would show up with a riot shield face mask in all honesty.

and keeping your hand on the cork literally has no effect. pulling the rod back instead of physically walking back = putting the rod past its bending limit

ORIGINAL: whiterobin

I'm from the pittsburgh area and have been going up to the olcott area for about 3 years now... i'm far from an expert, but here is some info and advice.

Middle of October seems to be the best time to go as you hook into kings, steelhead, and a bunch of browns depending on the rains during the month.

As for where to stay i know of a few places (can't recall the names) that are fairly close. I've either 1. just slept in our car outside the gate of 18 mile. 2 there is a little "inn" idk what they call it down past the bridge of 18 mile creek heading toward the lake. you could give her a call, id do it soon if shes not booked for the season already.

Depending on what type of fishing your doing:
I fly fish and rarely go up to the dam aka firing squad. Staying down from the dam in the riffles or down by the tressel on 18 mile is the best but you have to get there asap as the gates open and run to hold a spot.

If your spinning and just looking for kings you can go to the dam and try your luck just bring about 25+ pounds of sinkers unless you want to pay $1 an ounce at the bait shop. Your going to snag and lose a lot of tackle and thats really not my type of fishing.

Id also spend a day traveling about 30 mins from olcott to Oak Orchard. Mostly stream fishing, although there is a dam its a complete different setting than olcott. swifter water but fish more spread out and more water to cover. often find yourself the only one within 50 yds of you if you go on a weekday.

Depending on your tackle either fly fishing or spinning.
Definately a 9wt or above (Broke 3 orvis rods in 4 years on the **** kings)
For spinning i have a 9ft spinning salmon rod not too heavy. 10lb test with a 8lb tippet but thats just me. If fishing the "dams" definately use heavier line as ppl dont reel up for you and youll lose the fish in no time

Bait.
Any type of egg patterns usually take care of all species.

Single eggs work well also. And a lot cheaper than eggsacks.

If primairly fishing the dam just buy a pack of egg fly tying yarn and just cut a piece and shape into a egg. 90% of the fish caught at the dam will be snagged and maybe luckily snagged in the mouth. Your basically throwing out a 1oz sinker and passing your hook through thousands of fish and yanking after a few seconds praying its in the mouth.

Any other info just let me know

In all honesty, they will bite if you let them. Your method is lifting, which is illegal, and should be avoided at all costs, unless you want to pay a fine.

Too bad nobody ever showed you the correct way to fish for migratory fish.

Its been a while but im sensing a "do they or do they not bite fight"...lol

ORIGINAL: pafisher

nysteelieguy is 100% correct in saying they will bite if you let/fish for them.Sunfish would n't bite if they were harrassed and crowded the way the Salmon are.These so called anglers forget they are fishing for WILD fish,they might have been stocked as smolts but when they return to the rivers they have been out on that lake for 3+ yrs swimming wild.You're not going to get a strike from them if you throw a ton of weight on a rope of a line at them.I could say much more but would it do any good?

It would do no good at all....

It'll only do no good to those who've closed their mind to anything different. I'd say over half of the people who show up for salmon season wouldn't  bother if lifting were enforced.  I've got my proof that early,  fresh runs will hit like a ton of bricks, so I'll stick with swinging  flies then.  One of the best things in fishing is watching one of those brutes smash a fly.  Only a little over 3 months! Dam, time flies!  Pafisher cheats. He's so good at lifting them, I had to remove a nymph  with forceps from a Coho he landed that was  hooked way on the back of the tongue. Now that's a master snagger.
 
Charlie

No Idea about the water you are looking into.. Google ?
As for fishing for salmon , it's all the same so info posted many times over works..
The only insight I have is that it's easy to fall into a trap so avoid them and just "fish" they will strike.. Reading the water and picking your spots is all a part of the game..
Remember "STRIKE"
Two key times:
1. Fresh fish
2. Defensive fish

Fresh fish strike out of instinct.. They are Sharks in the lake..
Agressive fish strike out of territory protection.. They are protective ..

So in reality both of you agree (white robin and nysteelie guy).... white robin, i did pick up on your original post as you being opposed to fishing the dam... you have to understand that misunderstandings are very easy on the internet... please, lets squash it at this and look forward to tight lines... this board does not need any sort of negativity or back and forth BS...