Spring LO Browns

I've heard of people taking smaller boats out and as long as it is calm, you should be ok. I would not venture too far out. As for safty equipment, I would carry life vests, good 2 way radio, flares. (someone elso might want to chime in on this).
 
I would use spoons. Cleos have always worked for me in the past. I would target mouths of rivers, but the fishing is good close to shore on the lake in the spring.

ORIGINAL: EagleCrg

I have fished the Salmon River for about 7 years now and this spring I'd like to target the Brown Trout fishery along the shore of LO and have some questions.
#1. I have a 16 ft deep V and am wondering if that boat is large enough if I stay close to shore. I have fished from the shore in the springtime before and it appeared to me that the boats were trying to get as close to the shore as they dared. I realize a 16 footer isn't big enough if there is a blow, but I suspect it is big enough if I pick my days. Is it big enough if I stay within earshot of the shore?
#2. I'm used to fishing rivers and smaller lakes. Is there additional safety equipment that would be recommended?
#3. What would you consider the season for browns along the shore? I'm guessing from ice out until mid-May, depending upon the spring. What weeks are considered prime?
#4. I'm told that rapala type crankbaits work best--any other recommendations?

ORIGINAL: jonnyfishon

What flyrod,line ect would you use to catch browns off the shores of LO?What kind of fly?Sounds hard but super fun.

 
Jonny:  I use spinning gear when I fish the lake--save the fly gear for the river.  Sorry I can't help you there.  I would think a rod that could throw streamers into the wind would be needed from shore though.  I've caught browns at Selkirk close enough to reach with a fly rod, just haven't tried it in the lake.

It's a Great Lake and therefore under Federal rules.  Check the Coast Guard regulations to be sure, but fire extinguishers, signaling devices (flares, horns, etc), PFD's, etc are all required for day and night (lights on a foggy day, for example) and they don't mess around, no washy, you get ticket!  16 feet, it's a question of how far away from the harbor of refuge or can you dump it up on the beach if it rolls up and gets gnarly, and it'll be harder on the boat in the breakers, which is where the BT will be in the early spring, until mid May, early June. Stay within 2 miles of your launch site and work back and forth parallel to shore if you're worried, and be ready to pick up fast and screw if it looks like it's changing. LO can go from a lamb to a lion in 20 minutes!
 
Light line and far back and planed to the side have been early spring BT tactics for years.  And these fish can be 6 feet from shore, so if you don't have a boat, come on up anyway and cast from shore!
 
L13

Fuse I have used everything from a 3wt to an 8 wt. They all work but the best compromise for me is a 6 wt. Enough baxkbone to fire #6-4 streamers into a wind and put the wood to the browns and droppies hanging round the creek mouths while being lite enough to make it interesting when hooked up.
Fish mostly alwife and smelt patterns, green-white, blue-white color combos mostly myself. Swinging deep in outflow currents is the most productive but there are days when they are swirling in the film chasing and if you can hit the swirl quickly it is an almost sure hookup. No weight or sinking required just hit the spot and hold on.

Great posts. Just so you know Johnny- I'm not the expert here. Wish I was, but it isn't that way.
 
 
Many days you might out fish the "expert"does that mean he knows more than you?Or do you know something he does'nt. I can learn something from every one.Everybody has their own trick.Trick and a treat.

WTF:
just because the login says expert nobody in this world is an expert at anything
to me expert means knowing all and all knowing
it's all called fishing not catching
the information given is from others experience, take, use it as you choose
personally i like other experience input, it helps in development as an angler
where would one be without free internet advice ?
trial by fire... if thats your deal than no need to look here.
 been there for 20 years, this is the highway, like it or not.. i do not.
thanks to all that responded.
 

    Hey guys       I was wondering how long dose brown trout stay in the salmon before they head back out to the lake.

Should be some action in the next few weeks? Bump.

Hey Guys just wanted to give a little fishing report.Went to the Salmon river Easter weekend with 5 other friends and we all hooked up with a few stealheads and all of us caught a couple.We were hopeing for a few browns but we did not have any luck for them.Some of the guys we met up there caught a few.We had a lot of fun catching stealheads.Hope to go back next year.                                                
                   Good luck guys