inexperienced salmon guy headed north

I am buy far not an expert-never claim to be. Don't fish much with a flyrod either. I use a medium-heavy 7.5' rod with soft tip, mitchell 300 reel with FULL spools., 15-17lb test most of the time for kings.  12-14lb flouro leader lately and it seems to be better IMHO. i use egg sacks fishing the runs like I would fish for stocked trout-enough weight to keep it in their zone. they are a funny fish, sometimes aggressive, most of the time not interested. had them hit a nightcrawler while fishing for steel too. it happens sometimes, but don't expect it too. at times i pick up steel fishing this way (with sacks) when the two are in the river together. i feel you have to be at the right time and the right place for them to hit. colored eggs , (blue, green, bright yellow, except for light pink) i just don't have much luck with. just me, just what works for me. other people swear buy them at times. fishing slow deep pools, set up with a bobber and a long lead to let the egg drift thru in their zone so it goes in their face. many good helpful fly guys on here... hopefully they''l help you out with the big whip. many good threads already posted as to colors etc....
 
fishing steel exclusively, i use a longer lighter rod and 6-8lb test flouro for the most part.
 
good pair of polarized sun glasses are a must for sight fishing. i prefer the yellow tint. makes things brighter....
 
you say your fishing next friday and sat. friday should have less people on the river than sat. more room to spread out. ball park can be just as good a place as any. stop in the local tackle shops and ask when you get baits/tackle. ask a few to get a better idea of where the best action is. best of luck and a safe trip! post a reply let us guys stuck home doing chores how you did!
 
 
 
 

yeah over the hill, the little green egg was what I caught my only fish on. Salmotrutta I am only a beginner when it comes to salmon, but have landed at least 30 steelhead out on the tribs of lake erie on my 6 weight flyrod ( I have a 9 weight for salmon). My main problem is that I usually only get 1 trip per year so the fish are either their or not. I have never been to another spot up there.  Maybe I shouldn't say this, but do you think that maybe it would be worth going to the DSR???? Heck, I dont even know where that is lol...  I live in northeastern PA so all I know is that I leave at 2:30 am,get off 81 N around 5:30 and am sitting at the creek by 6 am in the dark so we get our spot. It certainly is an adventure and I have met some very nice people up there, but any other tidbits of information.
 
thanks
CP
I will report what i saw and how I did when I get back

I'll assume you're using flyline on your fly reel.So,tie on a butt section about 6 ft of 15#-17# mono,then tie on a small barrel swivel,from the swivel tie on 3 to  4 ft of 10# P-line flouracabon for a tippet.Now tie on a dropper from your swivel in 8# mono about 3 inches with a loop on the end,that's what you put your weight on.That's the rig I use.
Now, what's the lure of the day?Those rubber eggs work fine,I caught many fish on them,so does a lot of other things.Flies to use:glo bugs,sucker spawn,streamers,nympths,etc.But to keep things simple use the rubber eggs in chartruse green,red,pink,and blue.There are days one color is hot then it's another color another day.
Whats more important is PRESENTATION!You said you caught Steel,well fish for Salmon as if you're fishing for Steel.Most important is to get the egg down in front of the fish drifting in a natural manner with NO DRAG on the line.Use only as much weight to sink the lure into the zone that the fish are in,usually just off the bottom.
Also,you can't catch fish if they are'nt there.When you see nothing moving and no body around you catching any it might be better to move and fish another area.It might be still hit and miss that early on.And if you don't mind paying, the DSR is a very good decision that early in the season.

From hook to weight the max 4'

CP, morning and evening for me is the best time fishing. take a few hours friday driving to different locations to fish in the future. make it an adventure. As you get off rt. 81 in pulaski, there's fat nancy's , whiticker's, tony's--- all tackle shops right in the immeidate intersection. go in and ask around as to what is going on with the fishing. do a search on their wbsites for maps of the river. the net has a load of info on it.
 
Honestly, if you really want to learn as much as you can in a limited time, check out the river guide services. lots of guys with years and years of experience.
 
as far as dsr, it's your choice to pay and fish there. there is plenty of open public fishing areas. best of luck.
 
 
 
 

Use 6LB diameter (around 20LB test) braid with at least a 15 LB mono leader.The thin braid will get you the castability and the mono leader will make sure it doesn't wrap around your lure/hook during the cast.Witch happens alot with the flexibility of braid in my experience during salmon season!

These light liners saying 10LB leader will land you a 25LB King are not your best suggestions on landing them IMO.....Go heavy or go home empty handed!!!!

i seen the cajin line and my friend sat in the same boat and he caught 0 fish he snagged up and i gave him a newline to put on i had 3 fish he had 0
changed line and it was on we got 6 fish after that and 3 of them were 10lb nothing under 6lb that day im useing powerbraid and still get more hook ups i also use a trilene 8lb clear not flor color it glows like a flashlight fish spook from it ive also tried pline florocarbon and had good luck with that and use a slip bobber at 14" from hook spawn or roe i use 2hooks sometimes and have had 2fish on at once not a real good idea kinda like grabbing a bumper of a speeding bus

i tried the vanish its stiff ive use the new one transition its in the gold pack its not bad i still like the segar and the pline works good also ill tie on a eggsac not and a 1oz sinker no 3way my brother in law likes that one i can tie it up for two roes on the same line or sac i also tie my on sac and die my eggs ,cost of eggs are $10 bucks a pound

ORIGINAL: Charlie_1
We are going up this year on the 20th of Oct for the week I'm getting the itch bad

I'm heading up that Mon. & coming home Thurs.. Maybe I'll see you up there.


CP- Looks like you got some good info..
I'm not sure you were @ the ball field.

Go out of town towards Altmar & turn left on Rt. 2A. Park in the lot on the right after you cross the river.
Just below the bridge is a great hole. Above the bridge a little ways is a good hole also. I caught my first Salmon there.
Get on the fishusa main page & find the river maps. You can download & pring it. All of the popular holes are marked on it. Here's a link.
Great info..
http://www.fishusa.com/FishSalmonRiver/Maps.asp

PS- Being a PA boy I don't understand some of the rigging the others do. I just fish as if I'm fishing for Trout. Just different types of nymphing is all I do. I run tapered leaders that are designed to turn heavier flies over. Otherwise I fish just like I do any other time.

Hope you do well.

Trutta

I am staying at Salmon Acres right next to the lumber yard

We've been staying at this place for about 12 yrs now it ok 6 racks a head and a kitchen and yes it does have cable LOL

cp,there are all kinds of flys to use,but usually you would want to use a larger hook than you would with Steel.For example when I fish for steel my sucker spawn and glo bug hooks are size i4 and 16,for Salmon I use 10.My streamers and wooly bugger hooks are usually 10 and 12 for Steel and 8 and 6 for Salmon.However,you could probably use the smaller hooks for steel but the wire might be too light and the hook will staighten on you.
Some times color is very important.There are times it seems that they only want a certain color and if you have that color,in any kind of fly,you wlll get the action.That's why most guys carry flys in a variety of color.

the fish hit for one reason to kill other fish so they do not eat there eggs so you **** them off so i use a rattle trap that is why they call them mad salmon

ORIGINAL: metalslayer

I guess u really OTH--Tony's has been a rest/bar for years.

 
OOPPss! I meant the other tackle shop by the old C&M diner................forget the name of it. I picked up a lot of stuff from there when they have the "tent" sale outside. he had the best prices on nets....

Dude- take some pics.