Catching salmon

[WhiteMTfish]

I was fishing at a lake and targeting salmon. Large shiners right under the ice. In an hour I had 4 flags but they all took out 10-20 ' of line and then dropped the shiner.
Is it possible the shiners were too big?  I'm thinking of trying small shiners.
I've never caught a salmon through the ice before.

[nbourque]

Try smelts or emeralds

[Sherpa]

Try the rubber band trick at 10-15 ft

[WhiteMTfish]

What's the rubber band trick?

[darby74]

Definitely smelts for bait.  I had 2 last week with shiners in their bellies, but smelts have proven better.  Try using Gamakatsu #6 hooks, I prefer red ones, and fluorocarbon leader.  Rubber band trick, think Pike fishing.  I would think this would make salmon spit it, but just my opinion

[Sherpa]

Rubber band trick. Pull out 10-15 ft of line above where you would normally set your line on the trap spool. Take a cheap very thin rubber band and loop it thru itself onto the line then wrap the band around the spool. Then wind the 10-15 ft of line back on the spool, so when the fish grabs the bait and runs when the line spools out the rubber band will set the hook. If the fish has any size it will break the rubber band but the hook will still be set.

[WhiteMTfish]

Rubber band trick. Pull out 10-15 ft of line above where you would normally set your line on the trap spool. Take a cheap very thin rubber band and loop it thru itself onto the line then wrap the band around the spool. Then wind the 10-15 ft of line back on the spool, so when the fish grabs the bait and runs when the line spools out the rubber band will set the hook. If the fish has any size it will break the rubber band but the hook will still be set.

Thank you.
I'm going to try that, hopefully tomorrow.

[Sherpa]

Good luck. It’s worked well for me.

[Fish Wayniac]

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[Sherpa]

That’s it. The only thing I do differently is instead of a bobber for a depth marker I use a different color rubber band

[Bosshog]

We use smelts and size 8 hooks, if you're bait comes back see where the fish have hit it then adjust where you put the hook in the bait.

[MarkNFish]

Smelts...definitely smelts.  4' to 6' under the ice.  #6 hook. 

Could be that you were dealing with small fish, but some days they just don't bite as aggressively as others. 

[Anomaly]

I caught a perfect looking female fishing for yellow perch the other day. 18.5". On the bottom, 30' of water, tiny golden shiner. Cool surprise.. Figured it was a bass, at first. Lot's of smallmouths in there. BUT! yep, Smelt under the ice!!! I like fishing around points and narrows.

[Oldfart]

Jigging can out produce bait 6 to 1.  Or more.

[pmaloney86]

How big are the smelt you are using for bait?  We have one reliable place around me but I was out on Friday and was getting smelt that were like 8".  I will certainly hang those for pike but they seem much too big for anything but the largest of salmon.

[WhiteMTfish]

How big are the smelt you are using for bait?  We have one reliable place around me but I was out on Friday and was getting smelt that were like 8".  I will certainly hang those for pike but they seem much too big for anything but the largest of salmon.

I'm using large shiners, about 3-4".

[darby74]

And bait can out produce jigging, metals can out produce sewn smelts and vice versa.  We've caught a few jigging, but when the salmon are biting, it's pretty much non-stop running for flags.  We don't jig a lot, but from my limited knowledge,  most people bait fish for salmon.  Don't see a lot of jigging posts for salmon, just my opinion.  Personal preference, same thing ocean fishing.  I actually prefer to slow pitch jig (very specialized and not cheap) for Snapper, Grouper, and Blackfin Tuna.

Yeah, and 8" smelt is very big unless salmon are 3lbs+.  Smaller ones will hit, but more often than not pull the hook when setting it

[woodchip]

Jig in thermocline with jig and small cut bait!

[Boglake]

Salmon are one of the easiest fish to catch jigging, all you need is:
1. A salmon in the area, and
2. A jig small enough to fit in their mouth.
Done deal.

[woodchip]

Bog lake is right on  ---on Jigging for Salmon they like a moving target ,Ive found out that one good jig rod will out fish 5 traps any day of the week.

[darby74]

Wow, a couple of years ago, me and 7 guys caught roughly 130 salmon in 2 1/2 days....imagine if we had just jigged🤔  Couldn't help it, but to each their own.  Has a jigged salmon ever won the Long Lake Derby?  Our big trip is the end of the month, We usually try and keep track of all salmon that get to the hole (we release a lot of fish) and report on the lucky ones that grudgedly bite live bait.  Out of curiosity,  what's the most salmon anyone has jigged in a day?  Genuinely curious, always down with trying new techniques

[Boglake]

I wasn't trying to start a measuring contest, lucky for you 
If you think putting bait under the ice catches every fish that swims by you have a lot to learn.  Some fish require finesse or technique to catch jigging, not salmon, simply put a jig in front of them and hold on.  If they miss or the jig is too big, just keep it at the same water level as them and they'll keep trying until it happens.  You'd be surprised how often salmon miss a jig or bait on a trap, end up at a different water level then the bait, and just swim off.   

[darby74]

I feel more than blessed to not have to measure up to you in public.  Measuring what, I have no idea.  I'm not the one who said salmon are the easiest fish to jig, or that 1 jig rod will always outfish 5 bait traps.  I repeatedly said to each their own, does anyone have any personal experience catching a lot of salmon in a day jigging, not just "it's  so easy". This post started with someone asking for advice catching salmon.  Native salmon are pretty much the only freshwater fish I target, so was giving my opinion on what I enjoy and works.  I actually wouldn't be surprised at how many times salmon miss a bait and come back......I've heard of youtube🤣  As far as a measuring contest, March 1st or 2nd pick your favorite salmon lake, and see how many salmon you can land in 1 day on a jig, I'll do the same on bait.  Honor rules, or pics if you don't trust ill tell the truth.  That is unless today is my lucky day.

[eiderz]

This is an interesting debate. I've had great success on salmon using tipups, and also jigging. Then there's days nothing works. Salmon get a case of lockjaw more often than any other fish I've targeted.

I generally have the equipment to do either when I head out, and switch it out if something doesn't work. When fishing Moosehead, I rarely fish with bait before the salmon season opens February 15th.  I like the option of keeping a bleeding gut-hooked fish.

I agree that spying the fish on electronics while jigging can be super effective, as you can tease them and get them to attack repeatedly. I've caught a dozen salmon in a day, but no way can I say I've caught the kind of numbers Darby has on bait.

Active bait seems to be the key to catching salmon on tipups. I'm really careful about caring for the smelts which definitely helps. I keep them well aerated and temperature controlled to avoid thermal shock when they go in the lake. They are so fragile, I think if you look at them wrong they go belly up out of spite. What I've noticed is a direct correlation between how active the smelt is and catching salmon. Some times the bait wiggles like crazy when they go on the hook, and they swim right out of the hole. When that happens I get ready for action. If they barely swim, it's generally a bad sign. Obviously a more active bait attracts attention, but I wonder if how the bait feels is also how the salmon feel? In other words, we all know fish are effected by barometric pressure. A little like people, some days we feel great, other days a little sluggish. Maybe the sluggish but otherwise healthy smelt is telling you today is a jig day?

[darby74]

The lake I fish has too many salmon,  and they encourage people to keep their limit.  This year, I will make a concentrated effort to use a jig pole on one of my holes, and keep track of time jigging, and numbers caught, and give an honest report.  Thinking of various Swedish pimples tipped with smelt, and plain jigs tipped with smelts.....we'll see.  If I use a 10" auger do they still count🤔

[nbourque]

I’ve caught more than one salmon on dead bait 6’ under the ice. When they’re feeding almost anything will catch em.

[icecube]

  What is an average size salmon in Maine? I know it depends probably on the lake and other things. But I'm from Pa. There is no salmon to speak of around here.  Wife likes salmon cakes. Me not so much. No, I will probably not come up to Maine to fish for salmon. But I think it would be neat to say I caught a salmon through the ice or open water.  I'm 71 so I doubt I will be back in Maine to do it. Things starting to wear out. LOL! In Pa. my friends and I mostly icefish for panfish. Crappies. Bluegill. Yellow Perch.   Have been to your state up by Caribou. Went turkey hunting in the spring a couple years ago near there. Yes, I was successful. Enjoyed the time and the locals.  Does not matter how you catch them. Just enjoy the time you get to do it and with your friends.
 

[Boglake]

The lake I fish has too many salmon,  and they encourage people to keep their limit.  This year, I will make a concentrated effort to use a jig pole on one of my holes, and keep track of time jigging, and numbers caught, and give an honest report.  Thinking of various Swedish pimples tipped with smelt, and plain jigs tipped with smelts.....we'll see.  If I use a 10" auger do they still count🤔

Just trying to help, perhaps read my posts again paying attention to what's in them and not adding things I didn't say.  Bait is not necessary nor will it make any difference on the jig.  You have to know where the salmon are in the water column.  See you in salmon alley, perhaps you learn better in person.

[nbourque]

  What is an average size salmon in Maine? I know it depends probably on the lake and other things. But I'm from Pa. There is no salmon to speak of around here.  Wife likes salmon cakes. Me not so much. No, I will probably not come up to Maine to fish for salmon. But I think it would be neat to say I caught a salmon through the ice or open water.  I'm 71 so I doubt I will be back in Maine to do it. Things starting to wear out. LOL! In Pa. my friends and I mostly icefish for panfish. Crappies. Bluegill. Yellow Perch.   Have been to your state up by Caribou. Went turkey hunting in the spring a couple years ago near there. Yes, I was successful. Enjoyed the time and the locals.  Does not matter how you catch them. Just enjoy the time you get to do it and with your friends.
 

Lotta fish in the 14-18” range. It really depend what lake you’re fishing though

[icecube]

 Nbourque, Thanks for the info.  I figured average would be a lot bigger.  But being from Pa. had no clue. I know some would be larger.  Just curious is there walleye in any lakes in Maine? Or is that swearing in Maine? LOL!  I talked to some of the guys when I was there and they didn't seem to know much about walleyes.  Or maybe there is just not that much interest in them. Not native.  Or really none to be had.  Different areas of the country prefer different fish.