FISHING 4 BROWNS???

[monkey puke]

The browns on Ontario drive me nuts!! I haven't caught 1 and I have plenty of time in fishing for them. Nothing else gives me too much of a problem. Can anyone give me some tips on catching browns such as what spoons, depth of lure/water, speed or anything else that I could be doing wrong? I fish downriggers/dipseys. We will probably be making another trip to Olcott next weekend. I am new to this site and any info would be greatly appreciated!!

[GAMBLER]

Find the where the thermalcline meets the bottom. Browns will be on the bottom and suspeneded in that area. Smaller spoons are the ticket most days. Some days they will take bigger stuff.

[Tim Bromund]

Yup as Brian said, find where the top of the thermocline meets the bottom (typically 55 deg) and work IN from there. If, for example, 55 deg is at 60 feet, consider that the outside edge of the water you want to fish and fish from 60 fow on in. Browns like warmer water than the other salmonids and are quite comfortable and active even in 67 deg or warmer water. It's not unusual to find them in 30-40 fow in the middle of summer. Most guys don't catch many incidental browns when salmon fishing because they are fishing outside of where the browns are hanging.

Fish 55 deg water and warmer, usually within 20 feet of bottom using smallish spoons that run well at slower speeds. Browns also typically like a bit slower troll than kings, I try and keep it 1.8-2.2 at the ball when targeting browns (not always though, one day last weekend they wanted around 2.4) Browns are mostly a spoon fish, thin blades like dreamweaver superslims, michigan stingers (even your walleye size scorpions on a slider), evil eyes, R&R's etc. Green and purple are always good colors for browns and these days, goby colored spoons as well. I've taken some nice incidental browns on spinnys and flies, but that wouldn't be my preferred rig if I'm targeting them.

I can't fish saturday, but I should be out fishing out of Olcott on Sunday next weekend, weather permitting.

Feel Free to give me a shout out on the water, FishStyx on Channel 10.

Tim

[monkey puke]

Thanks guys! Great info!! I don't have a temperature probe. Sometimes I have been able to see the thermalcline on my fishfinder on different lakes. Is there any way to tell where it is without a probe? Also, is channel 10 where most ppl are? Maybe that is why no one ever talks to me. HaHa!!

[NJ Double J]

I run the fishhawk without speed and temp. at the ball I would be lost. If I where you i would have some kind of speed and temp. on your ride it will defintly help your success! I catch over 200 browns a year and so do my freinds. keep changing colors and sizes and speeds let the fish tell you what they want.

Jersey Jim

[ray koziatek]

One other thing is most browns in ontario {if not all} are of a german strain..

The streams in germany are shallow and warm {in summer) and these browns can take a tad warmer temp than most give them credit for so dont rule out the 65 deg water and a tad warmer..

after a strong north blow and the warm water blows (rolls) in some of the big boys juststay put but go sorta dormate cause they are sorta terrotial and dont wanna give up their spot ( a little fish told me that a very old fish) so a week long gental or a 1 or 2 day strong blow from the south is a good time to get the big boys when they "turn back on"

speed ,speed,speed and temp are a must for the thermal as mentioned above.....

if you dont have a probe kinda watch the line the charters are running FOW as browns are one of the easiest fish to target due to their bottom orenation and can fill a box much easier for their clients..run your stuff up 10 to 20 ft off bottom on that line(fow)...

Just give em as much room as you can within reason that is how many of them support their family and some of them even OWN the lake and can mess up your stuff if you dont pay attention..

run spoons that can take the slow speeds (or stickbaits )

Opps like tim said on temps

[monkey puke]

Thanks Everyone!! What lb leaders do you use for browns? For walleye on Erie I always use 20# flourocarbon and on Ontario I have used 20#, but have been told to use lighter for browns. Is this is true, and if so, how do you keep them from snapping off on the dipseys?

[Chasin Tail]

Don't be afraid to bump it down to 15, 12,or even 10lb

[Gill-T]

Not sure what type of knot you are using, but there are some problems with light line tying to the large swivel on a dipsy. You can combat this by tying the leader to a smaller swivel and then snap that swivel to the large barrel swivel on the dipsy......this is nice because when you are done chasing browns, you can just unhook the whole leader and store it.....or what I like to do is tie a improved cinch knot, but wrap the line twice thru the barrel swivel before you start twisting, it will reduce the chance the knot will slip. Set drags light. Wire and braid have zero stretch. You should NOT be using anything rated at less than 20lbs for the MAIN line, otherwise you will loose dipsys.

[fast and silver]

great advice above but seeing how you western guys have the lock up on all the mature kings early in the year and this year inparticuliar you have been holding onto them a little longer, us eastern guys have been having a great year for browns (warm water), so my advice is go east they are hitting everything and bring some matures with you we would like that

[monkey puke]

I went out Saturday and had some technical difficulties and only got on the water at noon and fished till 6. We were in around 35' of water. Caught one 5 lb brown and 3 steelies 5-7 lbs on purple/orange scorpion spoons. Then the clouds blew in and it shut off. We changed up some colors and caught 2 cohos and a dink king on watermelon scorpion spoons. Couldn't believe we caught the steelies in so close!! Thanks to all for your help!!