# What technique would you reccomend for low water salmon fishing in the river ?



## yonderfishin (Oct 18, 2008)

A river like t*****r bay for one example ( not sure if its ok to use the river name or not even if just an example ) , when the water is kinda low due to lack of rain. What technique or tackle would you suggest for salmon with a spinning rod ? Ive heard about fishing a salmon fly under a float , or a jig with shrimp or a minnow on it but I dont know how its done necessarily , is it pretty much the same as steelie fishing ? I am guessing its too early to have much luck with eggs or spawn sacs , or is it ? Any other suggestions from you experienced anglers ? Any info or advice is appreciated.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I would float golfball size gobs of cured skein spawn under a bobber, off the downriver side of the 9th St Bridge. But that is just what I have done with success in the past. I haven't caught a King in Alpena in a couple/few years, though. Just drop it in, and float it back. I have caught fish quite a distance downstream - probably 50 yards or so.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

I have hooked, caught, released, missed, and lost loads of salmon since labor day. My suggestion is that you are probably one of those guys who romps around on rivers from noon to 4:00 pm change your timing a little bit. Another suggestion is to find a river mouth go about 100 yards up the shoreline from the mouth (get away from all of the other fishermen) wade out to waist high water and cast out a couple of spawn bags cleos work well also.


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## yonderfishin (Oct 18, 2008)

Thanks for the replies so far. I wont have any spawn bags or skien unless I can locate some available when I get to my destination , sometimes its available at the bait shop so I may get lucky. Ive been salmon fishing a couple of times in the same location by the dam but the water was high and fast moving then , from what I heard its really low now. Before I used spawn bags like everyone else was using but it was October or November , I wasnt sure if salmon this early would readily take spawn or not. I still have never caught one yet in spite of seeing many being caught around me :lol: I usually get down to the river a little before sundown and fish till 1 or 2 am. My nephew said he did better last year on flies than spawn , I have a little experience fishing for steelies with jigs but I dont know if thats the same as salmon fishing with flies under a float or not , so Im not sure what to expect. I do plan to hit the mouth of the river as well and I have a few cleos and erie dearies to try there.


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## walleyebum (Jan 2, 2011)

All the guys down there fishing flies are lining them that is why it is so much more effective than spawn. Casting rattle traps or thundersticks between the two bridges is a real good way to hook up with some. That water was 75 degrees a week ago so it needs to cool way down otherwise it really messes those fish up bad and makes it hard to get them to bite. Plus alot less fish down there the last few years. 

If it were me I would be heading north 30 to 45 miles.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Castling Rattle Traps, and Thundersticks up by the dam can be very productive when there are a LOT of fish spawning on that hump of gravel, in shallow fast water. Not many fair hookups, but a lot of fish get hauled out of there with that method.


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## grapeape (Oct 3, 2001)

If you use spawn, try fresh or spend the time to cure your own. I use PRO-CURE products, came up with my own little changes, and on the tb river, it was outfishing the store bought 20 to 1 per hour. The tb does not get salmon plants, but that does not mean you cant catch fish. Other rivers can produce better results with less effort. I fish the tb as its 15 min from the cabin. Best thing to do is if you see someone who is catching fish, stop fishing and watch what they are doing different. It could be the spot, or its what they are doing that is making the difference.


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## yonderfishin (Oct 18, 2008)

grapeape said:


> If you use spawn, try fresh or spend the time to cure your own. I use PRO-CURE products, came up with my own little changes, and on the tb river, it was outfishing the store bought 20 to 1 per hour. The tb does not get salmon plants, but that does not mean you cant catch fish. Other rivers can produce better results with less effort. I fish the tb as its 15 min from the cabin. Best thing to do is if you see someone who is catching fish, stop fishing and watch what they are doing different. It could be the spot, or its what they are doing that is making the difference.




The tb gets plenty of salmon running up it most years , though you are probably right there isnt as many as in other locations. Ive seen many caught and even had them swim right by me as I am wading into the water. I go up there to visit family and being able to fish is secondary so I am pretty much stuck fishing that river. I am originally from Oscoda Mi and I remember some good salmon and steelie fishing back in the day at other rivers tho. Since I live about 40 miles south of Toledo Ohio I dont have access to any sources of fresh skien or eggs , my only option is to try and locate some when I am up there. It would ne nice to catch a fish full of eggs so I could cure and freeze them for next year but in the ast 3 years I havent had any success , I enjoy fishing anyway and watching others bring them in.


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## moreychuck (Aug 19, 2006)

took me several years to get the hang of chrome somedays i wonder if many of us really know how to cauch them salmon where always easy i like the spawn to make bags out of
i sugest you take a day or several go over to lake michigan side and spend some time watching how the non snagers are doing it there are so many more fish and fishermen that you will learn way faster
have fun and good luck from what the deep water people have been doing this year it should be great fishing this fall


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## chuckinduck (May 28, 2003)

Robert Holmes said:


> I have hooked, caught, released, missed, and lost loads of salmon since labor day. My suggestion is that you are probably one of those guys who romps around on rivers from noon to 4:00 pm change your timing a little bit. Another suggestion is to find a river mouth go about 100 yards up the shoreline from the mouth (get away from all of the other fishermen) wade out to waist high water and cast out a couple of spawn bags cleos work well also.


YOU must be snagging to catch that many fish I would assume, afterall, YOU ASSUMED this guy fishes in the afternoon because he asked a question about fishing low water?


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## grapeape (Oct 3, 2001)

If your needing eggs, hang out at a fish cleaning station for a bit. Offering to clean someone elses fish for eggs can help as well. The plus side to low water is more fish in less area. I may go up in a couple weeks, pm me if you plan on being there at the same time.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

We've did really well for kings on big spawnbags at night at 9th St. Chartreuse was HOT.


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

I've done this in past years, although not on that particular river, but the ones I have done it on worked out quite well. Fish at nite, and by nite I'm not talking about just after dusk, but well into the nite. I wouldn't be afraid to tell you like 1 or 2 in the morning. These fish will hit a spinner, spoon, or spawn at nite, done it lots of times on the NW side. They seem to settle down and will hit, particularly if you fish the lowest sections of the rivers, like towards the mouth of the river. Once they've been in and upstream a ways, then it gets more problematic. Oh BTW, I have proof of what I say by a couple of members from here, and no we weren't snagging, just so you know.


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## yonderfishin (Oct 18, 2008)

Thanks for all the tips. It was a successful trip , lots of salmon....most of them dark but a couple light ones. Had a few bumps on spawn sacs and even a hookup that got off , but the fly bouncing along the bottom seemed to be the favorite. Got lucky and landed one king about 6 or 7 pounds. That was a lot of fun , next year I will have stocked up on flies and not even use spawn.


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## Ralph Smith (Apr 1, 2003)

yonderfishin said:


> Thanks for all the tips. It was a successful trip , lots of salmon....most of them dark but a couple light ones. Had a few bumps on spawn sacs and even a hookup that got off , but the fly bouncing along the bottom seemed to be the favorite. Got lucky and landed one king about 6 or 7 pounds. That was a lot of fun , next year I will have stocked up on flies and not even use spawn.


Nice, atleast you got one. Did it swallow the fly? Glad to hear of some decent amounts of fish on the eastside. Maybe they'll make a natural come back. If they keep getting better, I think the 5 fish limit should go back to 3 or even 2 to help the population. Wouldn't be hard to draw the line at the bridge and make for everything east


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## yonderfishin (Oct 18, 2008)

Ralph Smith said:


> Nice, atleast you got one. Did it swallow the fly? Glad to hear of some decent amounts of fish on the eastside. Maybe they'll make a natural come back. If they keep getting better, I think the 5 fish limit should go back to 3 or even 2 to help the population. Wouldn't be hard to draw the line at the bridge and make for everything east


 
He didnt swallow the fly , he was hooked in the mouth and I was lucky to get him in considering the fly fell out on its own as i was picking him up. There was a lot of salmon there at the dam , both kings and pinks , jumping out of the water all over.


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