Going Salmon Fishing any tips? Ludington Big Sable River

[zonemonkeydude]

I'm going Salmon fishing next week in Ludington on the Big Sable River near the dam. Last year I went around this time and I couldn't catch anything all day, they just wouldn't bite, so I put a little cleo on and caught one within five minutes, wasn't in the mouth so I put it back. Anyone have any recommendations for bait, or lures that I could use. I really didn't want to use a little cleo, because last time I used one I got a ticket for attempting to snag :eek: so I am afraid to use them. Back in 2003 some guy gave me some of his bait he was using and some line he was using, it was two lines separated from a swivel, one line had a sinker and another had a hook with salmon bags and they would actually bite that, I think we got around 7 salmon in the mouth that year but that was in November, tried it last October, didn't work, maybe I made them wrong.

[SalmonBum]

Here some advice..... take yoru elbow pads. Your gonna need 'em in that crowd:D.

[salmon_slayer06]

once the salmon stay in that warm water too long, they are about making babies and thats it. They get moody some of them bite eachother, some of them look like they don't care and than they die. I remember reading an article in a magazine about useing flatfish. Something about the action drives kings mad and they eventually do hit it. Problem is, you need to be up current from them and thats only possible sometimes with a drift boat. I'd try the U20 size in copper or gold. Can't beat that. Or if the kings are fresh run and are down river a ways still, fresh skein dyed blood red works good chunked and floated through holes with a bobber. It has to be red. I never tried it, but locals at Manistee tell me this works awesome and works off the pier too.

[EdB]

You'd have a better chance getting biters fishing the surf at the mouth of the river.

[esp17]

If I were you I would go the nearby Pere Marquette river. The mouth is in Ludington and the salmon would be more likely to bite because everyone isn't fishing one specific area. (The reason is there are no Dams on the river.) That is just my .02 though.


Try this website for tying spawn bags. http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/tips/salmon_eggs/making_spawn_sacks.htm

[Sam22]

If you really want to go to the dam. try spin n' glows or wobble glows. I hear of some people getting fish fair that way. Most anglers use a small trebble then two or three beads, then the spin/wobble glo, all threaded onto the main line. I have never fished there, but I bet most guys are using lining tactics, IE loooong fluorocarbon leaders, small dark colored flies lots of weight. Either way good luck.. have fun.

[WALLEYEvision]

I'm going Salmon fishing next week in Ludington on the Big Sable River near the dam. Last year I went around this time and I couldn't catch anything all day, they just wouldn't bite, so I put a little cleo on and caught one within five minutes, wasn't in the mouth so I put it back. Anyone have any recommendations for bait, or lures that I could use. I really didn't want to use a little cleo, because last time I used one I got a ticket for attempting to snag :eek: ...

As of 2005:

"From the river mouth upstream to the Hamlin Dam - Anglers may ONLY use a single hook with a gap of NO MORE than 3/8" from the shank to the point."

And YES...These new regulations are in effect year around.

[zonemonkeydude]

As of 2005:

"From the river mouth upstream to the Hamlin Dam - Anglers may ONLY use a single hook with a gap of NO MORE than 3/8" from the shank to the point."

And YES...These new regulations are in effect year around.


So what does that mean? That if I use a little cleo or some lure that has doubled hooks, that I can get a ticket? When I got a ticket for attempting to snag that was in 04.

Thanks to everyone for the tips, I really appreciate it.

[malidewd]

It is illegal to use treble hooks there. I believe it is illegal to use weighted hooks also. Those fish out there are very hard to catch legally, they just don't bite very often. Pere Marquette Sports downtown has spinners you can buy that have singlr hook on then and they are "State Park Legal".
They are also right about the PM river. I was there yesterday morning and landed one on spawn off the the bottom. Other guys were doing very well on cleo's. PM me and we can maybe get together and hit the river.

[MRocks]

In the Milwaukee River and Oak Creek, over in Wisconsin, we used the small marshmallows on a bare hook, floating above enough split shot to fight the current. Mimicked a bunch of eggs without the expense/mess/hassle of spawn. Spawn was $.25/sack, marshmallows were $.69/pound (about 2 years worth of fishnig).

Plus, you can feed marshmallows to the kids when they get bored. I tried giving them spawn once, but they told my wife and I wasn't allowed to fish for a week. Never again.

[zonemonkeydude]

Thanks for the invite and help malidewd, my brother and his kids are going too so he probably wouldn't like the idea of meeting up with some guy I just met on the Internet :lol:, otherwise I would take you up on the offer.:)


Thanks for the marshmallow tip Mrocks I will try that along with the other suggestions.