Hello all! I have a question, but first a little back ground. I bought a 22' Starcraft Islander this year, and I am getting rigged up for this coming salmon season. I have 2 Walker Electrics and a couple of homemade hand crankers. I just bought the cannon speed and temp setup. Know I was wondering if there is any documented information about the relationship between fish and the tempature of the water. I have read in the past that salmon stay in a certian temp range, while browns, steelies, and lakers also all have ranges too. Can anyone point me to the documents, whether it be a book or online resource? Does anyone fish this way? Targeting a certian temp range for the fish your after. I have also heard about fishing the scum line, which is a mystery to me, any info or articals on the scum line would also be greatly appericated. Thanks in advanced!
Darrell
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Fishing the scum line is very productive if you find them - usually scum lines develop along a surface thermal break. Becasue of the way the colder versus warmer water interact you literally get a line of scum and debris. I'll usually check out Coastwatch ( http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/ ) to get a surface temperature map. I correlate that surface temp map to the GPS coordinates and run out to where it should be - then I start looking for it.
Once I find the scum line I like to troll allong it with some baits in the scum and some outside - and also zig zagging across it. Scum lines are very productive in my experience for Steelhead, and I usually will pick up fish if there is a well defined scum line. Trust me you'll know if you've found a scum line because more than likely you wont be the only one there.
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Darrell , the perfered temp. for Kings is supposed to be 54 degrees , but that is not really carved in stone. There is a perfered temp. chart on the DNR page I believe . Remeber that kings and most other cold water species are eating machines and will go where ever the bait or forage is. I have found that I don't look for a certain temp. as much as I look for a temp. change in the water when fishing , temp. change may mean the is bait or zooplankten in the area becuase of the temp. inversion holding them there and in turn holding the predator fish as well. I will start out the morning looking for fish on the graph and try to set up for them but I also run a rigger down as deep as I can until I find a break or the coldest water I can find , a lot of times the larger fish will stay below every thing else hang out there. Catch most of my big fish , out of temp. and deep. Same goes for on the surface for steelhead , I look for a temp. change and then set up there , the bigger the change the better , normally.
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Do you use the cannon setup? I looked on the DNR site and could not find anything, thanks for the info. So help me to understand this, the temp change you look vertically...like lower the cannon ball up and down until you find the change? Or do you drag the ball behind the boat until you find a pocket of cold water? Please bear with me while I try to figure this out. And by the way thanks for the help!!!!!
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I'm sure there are varying ways to do it - but the way I've experienced it is. Go to a potential area that you are going to fish - before setting anything up drop the downrigger with the temp prob - drop the ball maybe 10 feet at a time and check the temp ... keep dropping it until you find the temp break getting you in that target zone of 52 degrees or below (most guys I know like something in the mid 40 degree range).
Once you determined the break, setup baits above and below the break and see what produces. Then keep and eye on your temp probe to make sure the break doesn't disappear and work it adjusting as you go. I'm sure you'll get better advice from the more experienced among us - but that's how I understand it.
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Darrell , Greg has it right , a 1 or 2 degree temp. break on the suface close together is what you are looking for but the bigger the break the better , I have seen as much as 4 or 5 degree change in a very short distance. Normally you will find a big break like this hidden in a fog bank due to the extreme temp. change . As far as down temp . pretty much the same , I normally set one of my center riggers up with an attractor fly setup and run it down as the deep rigger , I have Walker temp. probes on my riggers so I monitor the temp. at all my riggers , I try to find where the sharpest break is and also the coldest water . I will run my lures in the temp. break area but I will also put the deep rigger down to just below the coldest water starts and work it in that area. Not always the best place to fish but a place to start searching , obviously I will run my spread where I am marking fish on the graph. Remember the lake is full of currents and the temp. breaks will be moving all over as you troll , it may be 50 feet down when you set up but change to 80 feet or up to 30 feet as you troll. I will mark the temp. breaks on my graph if it is a break of more than a degree or 2 , it shows up as a phantom fuzzy line some where between the top and bottom , a lot of times it will follow the bottom conture as well.
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Thank you for clairifing that. I think this info should prove to be very useful when the ice melts!! I will keep you posted on how I do!!! Thanks again!!
Darrell
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Thats very kind of you to offer your knowledge. I have trolled in the past on a friends boat, but on very many times. I am ready to learn to try to make things happen this spring. I am sure I will have more newbe questions, so bear with me!!!
Thanks again
Darrell
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Darrell: You always want to be on the lookout for areas where ther water temp changes fairly quickly, whethet it's on the surface or 75ft down. If, for example, you're running a 4 downrigger spread, lower your probe til you find a quick change in temp. It may be 70 degrees on the surface, and still 65 degrees 75 ft down, but change rapidly to 45 degrees at 80ft. You will want to run 2 downriggers in the area where the temp changes rapidly. ALWAYS run at least one DR in the colder water-about 44-48 degrees, and one DR in the warmer water above the quick break. This done, you can then add divers (these REALLY work- you should learn how to use them asap) and/or leadcore to your presentation for additional coverage. Keep at it--the first time you come in in your own boat with nice box of fish is a high you'll never get over!!
Dave---The Candyman
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