Landlock Salmon

[Cider]

Ice is starting to get soft and thoughts are turning towards opening day of salmon season!  Anybody out there have any tips they would like to share for trolling for these awesome fish?

I like to use small (2" or so) emeralds on light monofilament just after ice-out.  I don't use weights or leaders or anything.  Just tie a snell knot for my hook and rig the shiner up through the head.  Just a slow troll in the uppermost five feet of surface water usually produces some good hits.

I also troll smelt pattern streamer flies on sinking line with my 5/6 weight rod.  I use a good 12' long leader so the line won't spook the fish.

Once the water starts to warm up and the fish move deeper, I switch to lead-core or downriggers.

What does everyone else do?

[FLAG]

pretty much the same as you do. I use streamers more than live bait. Where do oyu get Emeralds around New Hampshire? Do you fish WINNI???

[Cider]

pretty much the same as you do. I use streamers more than live bait. Where do oyu get Emeralds around New Hampshire? Do you fish WINNI???

Emeralds from Steve's bait shop in Hartland, VT.  (can I say that on here? not sure about advertisements, I don't have any stake in the business though...)

I don't fish Winni during the openwater.  I do fish it through the ice.  I fish Pleasant lake in Elkins/New London.  I really want to fish Winni this year, but I sold my boat and all I have is a 16' Old Town canoe.

My father-in-law has a 14 foot boat with a couple of downriggers.  Probably going to try to get him to go a couple of times.  That is a 2 hour drive for us.  Might even try Champlain as it is about the same distance.  Out-of-state license needed there though...

[Cider]

Oh, forgot....

Doesn't AJ's have emeralds?  I thought we bought some there for the Rotary derby on Winni this year?!?

[Cider]

Lake Sunapee is ok too and somewhat accessible with a canoe...

[Smelt1]

Cider, I've been killing the landlocks on winni with the small copper & silver chevy chase lure.I also tie my own tandom streamer flies on a dark cloudy day a red ghost works well and on sunny days either a bleeding grey ghost or a barnes special works well. But if I could only pick one lure to have it would deffinatly be the chevy chase.Last year on the last day of the season my son and I landed and released 33 fish most caught on the chevy chase.Good luck this season I've never missed an opening day yet.

[Cider]

Cider, I've been killing the landlocks on winni with the small copper & silver chevy chase lure.

? ?  What's a chevy chase lure?!?  Never heard of or saw one before.  Any pics?  Where do I get 'em?

I also use streamer flies, but haven't tried tandems yet.  We had a discussion going about these in the fly tying thread on the flyfishing board.

[Smelt1]

Cider, I've been getting my chevy chase's at Walmart. There manufactured by Moosemalloo industries,but used to be made by an old timer in Vermont. There kidof a cross between a swedish pimple and a mooselick wobbler.But the landlocks and rainbows on winni can't resist. If I can figure out how to put pictures on this puter I'll borrow my son's digital camera and send you a picture.But don't tell anyone about them allright  I've got a boat to win in May's winni derby.

[FLAG]

I think there is a alot of people trying to win that boat this Spring Hope to see you out there

[Cider]

Hey Bubba - did I get the right ones?!?

I always like using the speedy shiners by Thomas (far right in first picture).  Can't remember what the two between those and the Chev Chase spoons are called.  I got those at LL Cote in Errol.  They are made locally too.  I have never noticed those Chev Chase lures hanging in the aisle until you mentioned them here.  They look like they would be pretty effective.  What color works well for you on Winni?  I have heard that red/orange with the black dots can be a killer.

Capt. Rich Greenough on Lake Champlain makes spoons similar to these for tolling lakers/salmon that he calls "Hot Items".  I saw him at a sportsman's show and those lures looked awesome.  Unfortunately, he didn't have any for sale to the general public at the time.  Can't figure out where to find any of them.  He says that the paint will not come off of his spoons under any condition.

[Cider]

Here are a few of my favorite streamers for trolling or casting...

I will be attempting to tie some tandem hook streamers for use this spring.  I have never tried that before.  RG showed a couple pictures over in the fly fishing board and they look pretty straightforward to tie.

[Smelt1]

Cider, my boat is in jeopardy .The last 4 lures in your picture are deffinatly the chevy chase.Now you need to get the copper & silver, and the silver & blue and you'll be landing those landlocks one after another. I find that the red colors or flourescent colors work good on cloudy days or just before the sun comes up.After that the silver & copper is my favorite.I also see that you use the flash king wobblers.Use the gold & flourescent and you'll kill the lakers.When you tye your tandems tye the trailing hook up and you'll land alot more fish.I find that the salmon hit there bait from the top down,so with the hook pointed up you get alot more hookups.When I tye my tandems I also use kevlar thread to attach my hooks to the wire,less chance of thread breakage against the sharp edge of the end of the wire.Which fly is your favorite? I hav'nt tyed any eyes on my patterns yet for trolling on winni,I paint large black pupils against a yellow background instead. I do use the beaded eyes in my Atlantic salmon flies when we go up to the Kennebec for those rockets. Well it looks like I've got compition for this years boat during the winni derby,maybe we'll see you out there.I'll be in my 24' aquasport named the "oyster hoister".Tight lines!

[Cider]

Nice!  I like your idea of tying that tandem hook "upside down".  I will try both ways and see which works best for me.  I agree with you in that salmon will hit their prey from the top.  It is a known fact that trout/salmonoids will attempt to drown their prey with the first pass and then hit it hard!

My favorite fly is the second one down on the left in my picture.  I didn't tie that one.  It is an Orvis pattern Franke Shiner.  I have landed a lot of fish on that pattern.  I also like using the fly that I have pictured all by itself.  That is my creation of a cross between a black-nosed dace and a clouser minnow.  It is super easy to tie and makes a really nice smelt imitation when on a slow troll.  The weighted eyes really seem to give the fly a lot of action and wobble too!

[Cider]

I just picked up those Chev Chase spoons yesterday.  You can see in the picture that I have the silver and blue already (bottom one).  I will be back to Wal-Mart today to get the copper and silver one too!

Wouldn't want you to catch all the salmon and have all the fun now! 

I will look for your boat.  Where do you go out of?  We usually get on at Havarilla's.

How do you rig your lines with the spoons for trolling?

[Smelt1]

Cider,I'll usally tie my lures directly on a piece of florocarbon leader 6' long attached to a ball bearing barrell swivel.I use them both on my downriggerrs as well as leadcore line and sinking trolling line on my flyrod.I run them 15' behind the downrigger ball. I have a brother who lives in Melvin Village so I usally launch in Melvin,or at Libby Museum in Tuftonboro as well as Wolfeboro. I prefer to use the east side of the lake to launch because there are no launching fees at any of those sites.My favorite tandom is a golden marvel.I have found that if you tye your tandoms at the size of a pin smelt usally no longer than 3" you'll out fish most other size flies.Well I've got to get out my Renzetti vise and get busy. Can't let you get to close to my new boat now can I ?