# Sault ste marie help



## BayCityKiddo

A buddy and I are going to fish the area for the coming weekend through next Wednesday with a boat. I've read a lot about hooking up to the wall at the turbines, can someone send me a pic of what kind of a hook we will need? Is there anywhere locally that sells them?

I know we're in between runs but we would love to get on some Atlantics, pinks, and maybe bonus chinook. We'll probably try trolling for walleye on the channel edges as well. Any info would be appreciated. We make a UP trip every year but haven't ever fished the soo.


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## Forest Meister

This should answer all your questions. FM

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/hook-for-the-powerplant-at-st-marys.422591/


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## vaso

If u live buy novi I sell u one


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## KC Black

BayCityKiddo said:


> A buddy and I are going to fish the area for the coming weekend through next Wednesday with a boat. I've read a lot about hooking up to the wall at the turbines, can someone send me a pic of what kind of a hook we will need? Is there anywhere locally that sells them?
> 
> I know we're in between runs but we would love to get on some Atlantics, pinks, and maybe bonus chinook. We'll probably try trolling for walleye on the channel edges as well. Any info would be appreciated. We make a UP trip every year but haven't ever fished the soo.


Your going up there at a slow time but there are always fish available. Hook up on the edison wall and drop back with a wax worm and #12 hook with small fly feathers. whitefish and atlantics if your lucky.
troll the clay banks at dark and beyond for walleye, bombers and raps are good. troll the Canadian power plant using alwife imitations and fly attractors.


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## West Side AK

Just a question: The entire river from the condos, past MCM marine, past the sugar island ferry, past the small islands, all the way to the 3 mile cut is a "clay" bank. 

What specifically do you guys refer to as the "clay banks" (as you can catch walleye that entire stretch)


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## KC Black

West Side AK said:


> Just a question: The entire river from the condos, past MCM marine, past the sugar island ferry, past the small islands, all the way to the 3 mile cut is a "clay" bank.
> 
> What specifically do you guys refer to as the "clay banks" (as you can catch walleye that entire stretch)


the clay banks are the wall at the discharge end of the American locks hydro plant . the plant is south of the rapids. all the good fishing is downtown Canada sault. troll from the Canadian hydro plant down to the big hotel (the old holiday inn) and back to the hydro plant. no need to go any further downriver.


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## West Side AK

Nice, thanks for clearing that up.


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## Forest Meister

Never heard of that area being called the "clay banks". For decades the clay banks have been in the upper river at the bottom of Mosquito Bay, right where the DNR maps say they are. FM


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## KC Black

Forest Meister said:


> Never heard of that area being called the "clay banks". For decades the clay banks have been in the upper river at the bottom of Mosquito Bay, right where the DNR maps say they are. FM


Every Canadian fisherman know the clay banks are the wall at the discharge of the locks hydro plant. When things are right good walleye (pickerel) and salmon troll.


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## BayCityKiddo

Thanks for the input guys. Everything is booked and we're ready to go. I have fresh king spawn, would it be worthwhile pinning with bags or skein at Edison? How deep does it typically get near the turbines?


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## KC Black

BayCityKiddo said:


> Thanks for the input guys. Everything is booked and we're ready to go. I have fresh king spawn, would it be worthwhile pinning with bags or skein at Edison? How deep does it typically get near the turbines?


Skein is always better. Depth at discharge is about 5 ft. Drop the skein behind the boat and let it sit. Maybe a cruising atlantic will be hungry. Be sure to give us a report upon your return. I will start my fishing season in about 3 weeks.


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## BayCityKiddo

So far nothing good to report. Didn't mark a single fish at the turbines. Native snaggers were in full force but they never hooked up all morning. Tried trolling the channel edge for eyes after but never had a hit their either. Ran bouncers with harnesses, cranks, and spoons. Pretty depressing start. Any info is appreciated.


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## KC Black

BayCityKiddo said:


> So far nothing good to report. Didn't mark a single fish at the turbines. Native snaggers were in full force but they never hooked up all morning. Tried trolling the channel edge for eyes after but never had a hit their either. Ran bouncers with harnesses, cranks, and spoons. Pretty depressing start. Any info is appreciated.


Did you hook up on the Edison wall???? How many boats at the wall???? No boats no fish. Tunnel 5 and 6 hold the most fish, usually a lot of boats trying for that spot. Not all turbines are running, pick one with flow, not slack water. If your tolling in American waters you will get skunked. Greater current on Canadian side equal more fish. Troll in front of the rapids and around the Canadian power plant also troll in the outflow of the American lock hydro power plant.


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## BayCityKiddo

KC Black said:


> Did you hook up on the Edison wall???? How many boats at the wall???? No boats no fish. Tunnel 5 and 6 hold the most fish, usually a lot of boats trying for that spot. Not all turbines are running, pick one with flow, not slack water. If your tolling in American waters you will get skunked. Greater current on Canadian side equal more fish. Troll in front of the rapids and around the Canadian power plant also troll in the outflow of the American lock hydro power plant.





KC Black said:


> Did you hook up on the Edison wall???? How many boats at the wall???? No boats no fish. Tunnel 5 and 6 hold the most fish, usually a lot of boats trying for that spot. Not all turbines are running, pick one with flow, not slack water. If your tolling in American waters you will get skunked. Greater current on Canadian side equal more fish. Troll in front of the rapids and around the Canadian power plant also troll in the outflow of the American lock hydro power plant.


Yeah we hooked up at the wall at 5 and 6, then moved around to a couple other spots. There were only two other boats there. Their luck seemed to be the same as ours. And yeah we trolled American waters. Going to try American lock hydro plant tomorrow and possibly lake george. At least the burger at Clyde's was delicious, off to the casino now.


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## KC Black

BayCityKiddo said:


> Yeah we hooked up at the wall at 5 and 6, then moved around to a couple other spots. There were only two other boats there. Their luck seemed to be the same as ours. And yeah we trolled American waters. Going to try American lock hydro plant tomorrow and possibly lake george. At least the burger at Clyde's was delicious, off to the casino now.


Why are you not fishing Canadian waters, you will have better luck. The heavier current flow pushes the fish to the Canadian side. Edison good for whitefish. Everyone sees the atlantics on the LSSU camera and thinks that's where all the fish are. Don't know if your worried about the customs thing, you can move all over the waters as long as you don't anchor in Canadian waters without first clearing Canadian customs.


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## B.Jarvinen

Last year I enjoyed casting for Atlantics near the LSSU lab. My only option really as I go to the U.P. to work and don't take a boat. We take rain days off from work, possibly including weekdays, and that would tamp down the #s of people there. Plus make better fishing conditions for the extra-clear Lake Superior water these days.

But I don't understand the Atlantic run at all, I just presumed it was somehow similar to Chinook/Coho runs in timing (September to get started). Nor can I get a mental idea of Salmon "running" to somewhere without shallow gravel spawning beds.

I'm heading up to work in Chippewa and Mackinac County in a few days and will be there about 50% of the time until November. I figured the Pinks will be in soon and people #s will be so high there I would just wait till late September to even try fishing there.

But now I'm not sure; reading this thread implies the Atlantics are already holding in there near the lab? Do you think I could get in a few tries before the Pinks arrive?


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## KC Black

B.Jarvinen said:


> Last year I enjoyed casting for Atlantics near the LSSU lab. My only option really as I go to the U.P. to work and don't take a boat. We take rain days off from work, possibly including weekdays, and that would tamp down the #s of people there. Plus make better fishing conditions for the extra-clear Lake Superior water these days.
> 
> But I don't understand the Atlantic run at all, I just presumed it was somehow similar to Chinook/Coho runs in timing (September to get started). Nor can I get a mental idea of Salmon "running" to somewhere without shallow gravel spawning beds.
> 
> I'm heading up to work in Chippewa and Mackinac County in a few days and will be there about 50% of the time until November. I figured the Pinks will be in soon and people #s will be so high there I would just wait till late September to even try fishing there.
> 
> But now I'm not sure; reading this thread implies the Atlantics are already holding in there near the lab? Do you think I could get in a few tries before the Pinks arrive?


Those fish in the camera are pets of LSSU they get free food to swim around and get everyone excited. Actually they hang around almost all year, you can see fish from april through November.
Atlantics to not have a predetermined life cycle like kings,cohos,pinks and others therefore they hang in rivers to eat, spawn and just fool around. Best time to catch atlantics in the St. Marys is from june thru sept although you can catch them earlier and later. Usually early run pinks show up around the last week of august and fresh fish run thru late sept., I'm betting a later run because of the warmer than normal water. After late sept you catch those in the rapids that are just about gone. St.Marys salmon spawn in the rapids and the gravel beds in the Garden. Some years there is good natural reproduction , but its dependent upon water levels and temperature.


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## someone11

KC Black said:


> Did you hook up on the Edison wall???? How many boats at the wall???? No boats no fish. Tunnel 5 and 6 hold the most fish, usually a lot of boats trying for that spot. Not all turbines are running, pick one with flow, not slack water. If your tolling in American waters you will get skunked. Greater current on Canadian side equal more fish. Troll in front of the rapids and around the Canadian power plant also troll in the outflow of the American lock hydro power plant.


Not entirely true. I only fished American waters and would pick up kings.


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## gino

Message Sent B Jarvinen.


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## KC Black

someone11 said:


> Not entirely true. I only fished American waters and would pick up kings.


Hey someone
There are fish all over the St. Marys but the higher concentration of fish are in the Canadian waters. The rapids and Canada hydro generate a much stronger current and the fish follow the current. Many more pinks on the Canadian side. I'll give you one thing, there are more whitefish in the lower waters on the American side.


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