Salmon River Estuary

[huskyjerk]

Is the Salmon River Estuary a good place to target BIG Spring browns from shore?

[CaptSpike]

I would try Selkirk park instead. Grindstone creek runs in next to it and I have seen people fishing from shore there. Early morning is supposed to be best.

Good luck.

 

Spike

[Rich D]

Deff what spike said, the Selkirk Pier is a great place to get spring footballs. We took a good number of fish just off the pier trolling Friday. I would throw Cleo's or Crocodiles. Good Luck

Capt Rich

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[huskyjerk]

hey guys thanks so much !   I love Selkirk Shores campgrounds and hope they are open right now.   So I take it there is no ice to contend with anymore.  You know it's funny, but my son and I bought lots of Krocks on a party boat off NJ for stripers so we're loaded for bear.   Silver and Gold

[huskyjerk]

Deff what spike said, the Selkirk Pier is a great place to get spring footballs. We took a good number of fish just off the pier trolling Friday. I would throw Cleo's or Crocodiles. Good Luck

Capt Rich

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Hey Cap got any pictures to share ?

[Rich D]

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[Rich D]

These were just outside Selkirk, but we did fish in close also. There was also a 2 year old king taken out there Friday.

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[huskyjerk]

ImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1398044654.691515.jpg

ImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1398044726.408342.jpg

These were just outside Selkirk, but we did fish in close also. There was also a 2 year old king taken out there Friday.

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OMG !!!   WAY TO GO !   â€‹Thems Trophies to us down here in PA !   What's the poundage on 'em ?   OH and BTW, I got a few questions.  Are the Browns in for spawning purpose ?   If so, are they hitting because they're guarding beds ?  They look in great shape, no lampreys.  What's the biggest you've landed there ever.  Post a pic of it if you have one.  I'm a photo nut.  I always carry a cam 'cause I make movies of outdoor activities (huntin n fishin) and show them to shutins and nursing homes.  They love um !

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING,       David

[Rich D]

Dave,

The browns are in close looking for baitfish, they spawn in the fall just after the kings. We have seen a lot of the fish this spring with lamprey marks on them, some with multiple marks. These fish in the pics range from 8-15 lbs, my biggest from the bay was 20lbs a couple years ago. It was taken in June in 65 FOW. Here is a pic of the 20 that was taken by my buddy Brad. Good Luck and come up and give it a try.

Capt Rich

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[huskyjerk]

Man o Man what a hefty brown !  Got any idea at all of it's age ?   Alwives build big fish fast.  The stripers they stock here in Beltzville Lake go from fingerlings to 20+ inchers in 2 to 3 years because of the massive alwife population.  We eat all the fish we target or we don't target them ! In your opinion, how do the footballs fare on the table?   

[Rich D]

IMHO the spring footballs are better when they are in shore, than when they start heading offshore. Colder water always produces better tasting fish IMHO. As far as age on that big brown, only a guess, but I would say 7-10 years. A lot depends on forage, so it is possible for it to be closer to the 7 years old.

Capt Rich

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[huskyjerk]

 Thank you Capt Rich,

 

     Do the Alwives or Alwifes (which ever is correct) spawn along the shoreline in Spring ?   Just trying to compare our experience of springtime alewife spawning and the accompanying hot striper action in close,  with the browns being in close in Spring in the Great Lakes.  How close is my comparison  ?   Down here in the spring at night the alwives move right up on the beach, so to speak, and create one heck of a commotion swimming in tight circles and they are pursued by the stripers, walleye and musky. As it begins to get light the activity dies down and the alewives move off a bit.  What we do is seine net the 'wives and live line them a cast distance out from shore.  Does this sound similar to whats happening up there ?  If so, why is it that only the browns move in on um and not the other species that prey on alwives ? 

[Rich D]

Yes that is what happens up here,

I have not witnessed it at night, but do know they come in. We net smelt, which come in much earlier, in fact they are coming in now. I have witnessed the gamefish chasing the smelt at night. Not only do the browns, but pretty much all of out game fish are following the alewives and smelt in. Walleyes, salmon, lakers, and steelies will chase them while inshore. We use whole alewives for bait while trolling for browns and salmon.

Capt Rich

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