When are you starting your season?

[ausable_steelhead]

So when are all you other pier rats officially starting your pier salmon season? I was gonna hit my favorite pier this weekend, but the warm weather changed that. I don't wait for any certain wind, where I fish, we catch kings as soon as late-July/early-August comes. Cool water blown in is certainly more productive, but we've caught them when the water was 65-70 before, always at night or real early in the morning(2-5am).

[MPsteelheader]

already have...

and so have others

[Erik]

No salmon season for me. I gave them up quite a few years ago. I fish straight up steelies and browns year round now. If I happen to get a salmon on the end of my line hey cool. Heck sometimes thats all I'll get on the end of my line. But thats not what I'm fishing for ;)

[ZobZob]

It's in full swing over here and so are the crowds...

Zob

[Speyday]

yep, Ive been popping around to a few piers, but burning a lot of gas; they are showing up, but its in one day and out the next; despite plenty of bait and cold water. Just can't seem to dial em in yet. But, in the next couple of weeks those isolated fish should start schooling up, I hope.

[ZobZob]

Exactly... same hours fished this Wednesday (hooked 10) and Thursday (hooked 0)... same spot... water temps were about the same as well. You have to be there at the right time... which is not easy to predict right now.

Zob

[Salmonous Maximus]

You guys make me damn jealous, stuck over here on the east side with high gas prices and a virtually "Chinookless" lower Huron fishery. But I will get over there sooner or later if it kills me.

[Off the wall]

What type of equipment does one need to fish off the piers? I'm going to have to make a trip to the other side real soon.

Thanks in advance

Mike

[Little Roober]

I'm leaving for Charlevoix tomorrow!:woohoo1:

[ausable_steelhead]

What type of equipment does one need to fish off the piers? I'm going to have to make a trip to the other side real soon.

Thanks in advance

Mike

An 8-1/2 to 9' medium action rod, 8-10lb line, and reel capable of holding a good 200yds of line. And you surely do not have to be on the other side to catch fish.

[Salmonous Maximus]

And you surely do not have to be on the other side to catch fish.


Sure, but you may find it more fun to watch paint dry on a Southern Huron pier (I'm talking P.A. and south) than to try to fish for Kings right now. I'm sure a nice school or two will show up later in the year. Hopefully in a year or two things will be looking a little better for the ports like H.B. and Sanilac.

[ausable_steelhead]

Sure, but you may find it more fun to watch paint dry on a Southern Huron pier (I'm talking P.A. and south) than to try to fish for Kings right now. I'm sure a nice school or two will show up later in the year. Hopefully in a year or two things will be looking a little better for the ports like H.B. and Sanilac

I was talking more north, Oscoda or Alpena. We usually start Oscoda the last week of July. It's usually one or two one night, then 3-4 nights or longer before any are caught again, until mid-August.

[jeremy L]

if the tropical airmass would ever leave, looks to by mid next week, i would be out and about in the early AMs. I'll prob. start next weekend.

[Weekender#1]

So you think I could be trolling out in front of the piers at Oscoda or Harrisville (mouth) with J Plugs and take a fish or two in Mid August. Or should I wait until Sept.

[Far Beyond Driven]

Starting about this time of year, when running back in at night we stop in 40' or so and troll back into the pier heads, mostly with J plugs and fishcatchers, all glow of some kind.

This gives us a bonus fish or two more often than not, even in water over 70 degrees.

Makes me wonder if I should just take the 14' and start at 8:30pm instead of pouring gas into my 350 in the 215 and running to the horizon.

FBD, Holland, MI

[ausable_steelhead]

So you think I could be trolling out in front of the piers at Oscoda or Harrisville (mouth) with J Plugs and take a fish or two in Mid August. Or should I wait until Sept.

You never know, right weather, fish will be there. There's kings around the Au Sable mouth during mid-August, actually much earlier than that;) ....