Let's talk Tactics...

[Jethro]

I seem to catch a lot of salmon when I actually move my rod rather than mindlessly trolling it in the rod holder. For example, the last two nice salmon I've caught were when I was going to change my presentation due to no strikes for a long time. I grabbed the rod, twitch it a little and WHAM! nice salmon. Last year I spent a lot more time with the rod in my hand and was amazed at how many hits I could feel that did not result in hookups. So those things are down there, clumsy as can be, bumping into my lure/line. Obviously this is only applicable to the leadcore but that's only because no matter how much I drag a lure behind those d**n cannonballs, I just do better with leadcore. What this tells me is I have to spend more time using dodgers because the fish obviously like a little more action.

[dickbaker]

Jethro put a long set of spinners on each ball and set lure only 10 or 15 feet back.   
Check out the youtube champlain salmon trolling video and see how much the salmon zip around behind the lure before taking it or not even hitting?
I'm sure they do the same thing on lead core or flat lines?
I'm not a fan of fighting salmon with a big flash dragging in the water?
Dick

[Jethro]

Jethro put a long set of spinners on each ball and set lure only 10 or 15 feet back.   
Check out the youtube champlain salmon trolling video and see how much the salmon zip around behind the lure before taking it or not even hitting?
I'm sure they do the same thing on lead core or flat lines?
I'm not a fan of fighting salmon with a big flash dragging in the water?
Dick

Dick, I've been studying the forum in anticipation of this weekend. Not the salmon derby, but my annual "ice out" fishing trip at the Richardson Lakes in Maine. This is exactly what I am going to be trying... I have spinners that I am going to run directly off the ball and then I bought Chamberlain stacker releases and will set them maybe a foot or two higher and run the lure 10 feet behind. For a long time I have been running at least 50' behind the ball and never used spinners, although I have used dodgers a bit. So this year, shortening it up quite a bit and will see how things go.

[JoeGG]

Like Dick said, I go 2-3 feet above the ball but only 5 feet behind that last spinning blade. Sometimes more but never more then 10 feet. They check out and bump the blades and when they back off they hit your offering because it looks like a straggler.

[dickbaker]

   Absolutely right Joe.  But when I run live shiners I bet they are always happy with the color and the taste??   Every once in a while one will hit the tail of the shiner and a little bump shows on the rod tip?   We yell and someone drops the rod back a bit and the salmon hits again??
Trolling should not be a lazy sport?  As was mentioned maybe flat lines or lead core should have hand held movement?
BUT!   I do enjoy setting back and enjoying a coffee and chocolate frosted donut??
Dick

[JoeGG]

On lead, most all my hits come as a bump.When I see this  I always strip line as fast as I can and then hold the rod. The fish is almost always on.

[NH_RED]

Agreed. Many more hook ups pumping the rod. I know... That sounds bad

[MikeF-NH]

doesnt sound as bad as "Last year I spent a lot more time with the rod in my hand"

[meatandmetal]

  Absolutely right Joe.  But when I run live shiners I bet they are always happy with the color and the taste??   Every once in a while one will hit the tail of the shiner and a little bump shows on the rod tip?   We yell and someone drops the rod back a bit and the salmon hits again??
Trolling should not be a lazy sport?  As was mentioned maybe flat lines or lead core should have hand held movement?
BUT!   I do enjoy setting back and enjoying a coffee and chocolate frosted donate??
Dick

What's a chocolate frosted donate? 

[dickbaker]

Denny  , Those are the donuts that you have to bring when we fish together??
Dick

[dickbaker]

  Flower for fishing times worked out again this Spring.   Apple blossoms   popped out and I got my limit of monster crappie yesterday.
My son took them home in his live well and offered to fillet them if he could keep bag.   Good deal!!   But he called me last night at 10:30
to let me know that he had just finished cleaning crappie.  He said I could have the "little" bag of fillets?  All of the crappies were between
13 and 15 inches.   I shouldn't have kept that many pre-spawn??  But that's it for the summer and in a week those crappie will disappear in 60 feet of water??
Dick

[bigredfishing]

I learned to troll for salmon by "pumping" the rod while trolling streamers.   Later down the line my buddy showed me how he fishes leadcore for pond trout in the summer, put 5 colors out with a pins minnow and troll as slow as you can while working the leadcore with your hand.   

[NH Trout Fisherman]

I originally started the thread to get a little conversation going.
Glad to see it sparked a little conversation. Thanks for contributing Guys.

[dickbaker]

Keith?   Forgot that my crappie tactic (other looking for flowers) was tiny shiners 3 feet under very small bobber  fished with ten feet of shore in tree tops and brush!
Dick