Trolling for Staging Salmon - Port Hope Ganny

[Laker47]

I'm about 40 mins from Port Hope, so was hoping to add this to my annual fishing regiment.

Last week was beautiful, so we got out in my boat three aft/eves to try and catch some stagers. Tons on the sonar. We've been fishing 40-60FOW. There's been 4-6 boats out in these depths. I can see it's a tougher bite and we haven't seen many fish caught, but on the third night there was a definite bite window - just not us LOL.

We have riggers, dipsy's, and all the gear. We have fished all of the depths with the rigger and w/o, dipsy's, trolling body baits on top, long leads and short, flasher flies, spoons, even spin'n'glows. We have varied the speed 1.5 to 3.5 mph. Zigzagging, etc. I feel like we've thrown the whole tackle box at those stagers. We even jigged for a bit. I believe we've had a few hits (dipsy's and jigging once - perhaps a snag), but no hook-ups.

The final night we saw a boat land three fish just casting and trolling one rod by hand - perhaps a body bait. A few other boats were having luck trolling traditionally like we were and we could see both spoons and flashers employed. Fish were jumping everywhere and yet our junk rod on the surface did not get a hit either.

I'm just trying to grab any more intel that I can before going out again.

Thanks for your time.

[gethookedfishn]

@Laker47 when I lived in Owen Sound for 10yrs before the Salmon crash I had great luck trolling for staging Kings both in the Harbour and out in the Bay.  In the Harbour just before 1st light I would drop a 4inch glow LB Lyman and switch over to other colours later.  One morning trip 2 others and myself just did Harbour fishing and no other boats were there.  That morning we dropped off the riggers 5inch Silver Horde w/Rattles Glow Plugs and popped 11 that morning.  Also had good luck trolling out in the Bay with  Silver Blue 5inch Silver Hordes.  I have also cauight fall Kings in the Harbour on Ping-A-t's.  In Lake Huron while fishing off the Southhampton Harbor when the Salmon were porpoising I flatlined Bombers.  What is popular in Lake Ontario is using the J-Plug Silver Bullets, Lymans, Mag Spoons, J-13 Rapalas, Kwikfish, Mag Lips, Hot n Tots, big lipped stickbaiits and Flasher and Flies & Meat..

Remember staging Salmon has only one thing in mind and that is to reprocreate.  They stop feeding and only hit lures out of anger.  You have to basically make them mad.  Fish the marks on the screen and throw temp out the window. 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+catch+staging+salmon

Lots of videos on how to catch staging Salmon

 

It does not matter what Lake, the same methods apply.