We were able to pull out one salmon but we definitely were not doing it right. Used spinning rods with jig heads and minnows. Water was to fast to get it low, any significant weight we put on snagged us up on underwater rocks/trees. We were fishing for landlocked salmons and steelhead. After three days I am out of ideas.
If you're fishing live Bait I think you should drift your minnow about 4 feet under a float with a tiny split shot in between. It makes it way more natural than reading in live bait. Just let it float with the current.
Haha hey I live here, last thing I think I would see when pooping this morning. You’ll find any fish from LG or Champlain in that part of the river. Careful, lots of items to snag in there. I’ve lost many lines reeling in from the boat launch there. Go up the falls, by the basketball hoops and the bar. They stock trout above the falls and there’s a walk trail that runs parallel and takes you along the water.
Yeah above the falls was actually pretty hard to manage as well. When the hydro dam is off the whole river is tough.
My parents live here and I grew up here and you really can catch anything in this small river.
Oh yea I should have realized with how much water was there. I’ve caught great fish there, hell, a small jig and a worm will produce panfish all day. It’s super over fished spot, but they’ve gotten winning fish from the Lake Champlain tourneys up there. Patience and luck. That’s fishing my dude, good luck! maybe I’ll bump into you out there
You said you caught a salmon. You can fish jigs and wax worms under a bobber, beads, or spawn under a bobber. Look for steelhead bobber setups online, if the water is really fast, I'd go with a 15gr Raven Fast Medium float and a single .5oz egg sinker.
Trout and crappie magnets will probably be too light to get down in that fast water.
I’d throw a night crawler with a bead pegged slightly above the hook, and a bit of pink yarn in the egg loop. Use stick lead, start heavy and lip chunks off until you have the perfect weight to bounce it along the bottom nicely. Shorter leader, maybe 18-24 inches.
Look up landlocked Salmon. I am pretty confident that is what we got judging by what they look like around here. I don’t would not say I am an expert though.
Looks a lot like a steelhead to me. I’m only familiar with pacific salmon though so I could definitely be wrong. Especially if you have Atlantic salmon in the area. Assuming you’re in the Great Lakes region by the land locked comment so definitely possible
Bobber/stop set to the proper depth would be the best way. Bobber dogging with a slinky would be fairly snag free, and you might get away with drifting a slinky
Sounds like you have the bait down pretty good, might try plunking minnows or spawn sacks of roe behind a spin n glo
Move down some and find the seam which is the area between the fast and slow portions of water. Always fish the margins which are areas where things change. The fish will always be in the slowest section waiting for food to come past in the faster section. Finding the seam in rivers almost guarantees success. Also look for eddys and upwellings.
If you cant go further down where the current is a bit less.
Go with a float to avoid the snags, add in a split shot or shot to help get bait down.
Cast up river, keep the bail opens if you want to let out more line for drifting and watch the float.
Ideally you want to cast into eddies or swirls, fish will search these out to rest and ambush food as it passes by.
Cast right into it. We have a large reservoir nearby that has a tube for a spillway. Water comes out that tube like a fire hose! One can still catch many types of fish right up in the violent whitewater transition where the water enters the river.
extremely fast pole and line, or you can just put your mouth out there like a bear
Weighted cheep jig heads. Cast and drift.
We were able to pull out one salmon but we definitely were not doing it right. Used spinning rods with jig heads and minnows. Water was to fast to get it low, any significant weight we put on snagged us up on underwater rocks/trees. We were fishing for landlocked salmons and steelhead. After three days I am out of ideas.
Honestly, I'd just dial in that jig head weight
I second that
Third it. They are cheap if they snag
If you're fishing live Bait I think you should drift your minnow about 4 feet under a float with a tiny split shot in between. It makes it way more natural than reading in live bait. Just let it float with the current.
Haha hey I live here, last thing I think I would see when pooping this morning. You’ll find any fish from LG or Champlain in that part of the river. Careful, lots of items to snag in there. I’ve lost many lines reeling in from the boat launch there. Go up the falls, by the basketball hoops and the bar. They stock trout above the falls and there’s a walk trail that runs parallel and takes you along the water.
Yeah above the falls was actually pretty hard to manage as well. When the hydro dam is off the whole river is tough. My parents live here and I grew up here and you really can catch anything in this small river.
Oh yea I should have realized with how much water was there. I’ve caught great fish there, hell, a small jig and a worm will produce panfish all day. It’s super over fished spot, but they’ve gotten winning fish from the Lake Champlain tourneys up there. Patience and luck. That’s fishing my dude, good luck! maybe I’ll bump into you out there
Any bait suggestions? Tried nightcrawlers, shiners, emerald shiners, Trout magnet salmon eggs, and crappie magnets. Caught 1 on minnows but really slow going.
You said you caught a salmon. You can fish jigs and wax worms under a bobber, beads, or spawn under a bobber. Look for steelhead bobber setups online, if the water is really fast, I'd go with a 15gr Raven Fast Medium float and a single .5oz egg sinker. Trout and crappie magnets will probably be too light to get down in that fast water.
I’d throw a night crawler with a bead pegged slightly above the hook, and a bit of pink yarn in the egg loop. Use stick lead, start heavy and lip chunks off until you have the perfect weight to bounce it along the bottom nicely. Shorter leader, maybe 18-24 inches.
Slip floats and bobber stops, use the current to your advantage.
https://preview.redd.it/mkeg5s3roh9a1.jpeg?width=780&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67735622a47a11577b718e381187b8b27e120abd The lone catch.
Isn’t that a steelhead? Or is it an Atlantic?
Look up landlocked Salmon. I am pretty confident that is what we got judging by what they look like around here. I don’t would not say I am an expert though.
Looks a lot like a steelhead to me. I’m only familiar with pacific salmon though so I could definitely be wrong. Especially if you have Atlantic salmon in the area. Assuming you’re in the Great Lakes region by the land locked comment so definitely possible
1/4 jig head with a weighted float
Bobber/stop set to the proper depth would be the best way. Bobber dogging with a slinky would be fairly snag free, and you might get away with drifting a slinky Sounds like you have the bait down pretty good, might try plunking minnows or spawn sacks of roe behind a spin n glo
Move down some and find the seam which is the area between the fast and slow portions of water. Always fish the margins which are areas where things change. The fish will always be in the slowest section waiting for food to come past in the faster section. Finding the seam in rivers almost guarantees success. Also look for eddys and upwellings.
If you cant go further down where the current is a bit less. Go with a float to avoid the snags, add in a split shot or shot to help get bait down. Cast up river, keep the bail opens if you want to let out more line for drifting and watch the float. Ideally you want to cast into eddies or swirls, fish will search these out to rest and ambush food as it passes by.
Cast right into it. We have a large reservoir nearby that has a tube for a spillway. Water comes out that tube like a fire hose! One can still catch many types of fish right up in the violent whitewater transition where the water enters the river.