Return to Oswego

[NHFishON]

I've been away from the yearly trip to Oswego for 6 years now. After all this time I am planning on returning this fall to fish the river once again. My past experience was to fish the hole in front of the power plant and unfortunately lift the fish. Yes, I know this was how I was taught, and what we did back then. Now with that behind us I need some recommendations on tackle, rods (spinning preferred), line, bait, presentation etc. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

May your lines be tight,

[jj7leaf]

Getting started over is a little weird at times. The first thing you will notice is that alot of the people there are doing the things you were taught. If you want to learn to fish for salmon and trout the only thing that will help is time. I watch alot of my freinds show up at the river ready to "do it the right way". Only to go fishless for most of the morning,while watching the snaggers fighting 20 fish rake in a limit "hooked in the head" and leave. By noon I usually watch my friends go back to setting the hook on every drift. There excuse is that "these fish aren't hitting, you yourself only hooked 3 today and that was first thing in the morning" My responce used to be that the ones I hooked were "in the mouth" adn all three came to hand"
That said, at the end of the day, having a beer at the truck we usually laugh about it. I would venture a guess that EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS BOARD learned about the same way. Some as far back as when the weighted treble was the choice "bait". Most, I would say from what I've read, learned during the "long leader years". All of us came to a conclusion, usually while fishing, that this wasn't for us anymore. I for one still fell back on old techniques for years when the run was on heavy and the excitement of a lost fish made me want more hookups. So what to do.

#1. Look at the way you like to fish and learn a technique that brings you the most satisfaction.
a. Do you fish live bait most of the time?
b. Are you a fly fisherman?
c.Are you a bass fisherman that likes to cast plugs and spinnerbaits?
d.Are you a lake troller?

Each one of these answers has a viable technique for salmon if you learn how to apply it. Looking at these answers below will give you a place to start.

A. If you are a live bait fisherman the best option, though some of my fly drifting bretheren may disagree, is drifting spawn sacks or perferably skein(perserved or fresh). The best way for me has been being skein under a float, but during the heat of the run trotting a float around the snagging comunity can get you some heat so. If its crowded pick up some egg sacks at a tackle shop, and drift with just enough weight to tick the bottom 2-3 times each time youroffering drifts downstream. keep you rod up, line straight, and feel for a "hit". Now each one is different but from what i've seen hits on bait usually don't get dropped real quickly and the light will go off in your head in time to set the hook, OR the fish will bolt when it knows something is wrong. The tackle needed will be spinning rods 9-12', a good spinning reel with a decent drag, and 8-14lb line. Ask at any tackle shop and they will probably stear you rightwith a setup as well as terminal gear like swivels, weights and hooks. Also check the regulations for the area you are fishing for the changes since you were there.

B. If you are a fly fisherman this transition will be easy. Fish egg imitations, nymphs and bright attractors with enough split shot above to dead drift just like drifting spawn above, just like nymphing in a trout stream. This is usually your best option for fishing when there is alot of people around you. The other alternative for when you have room below your position is swinging wet fly style where a cast is made across and down from your position a few mends are thrown in to let the fly sink and when the line begins to straighten, slowly follow the line as it swings to your side of the river. Usually done with larger brighter flies, a sink tip line or a SMALL amount of shot added to let your fly sink and stay down as it swings, and a 7-9wt fly rod set up. I perfer 10lb leader for this but have used 8lb if water is low.

C&D. If you are a bass fisherman that enjoys casting lures, especially crank baits and spinnerbaits, a stream trout fisherman that has experience casting small spinners in creeks, or a boat fisherman that frequently troll, there are a few techniques that I really enjoy. First is the spinners. I LOVE swinging spinners for salmon and trout. The take is usually savage. And every fish you hook on a single hook spinner will be a fish that you enticed to hit. I use the same setup as A. with 8-12lb line on a spinning rod. Any big spinner will work but I have a prefernce for blue fox vibrax #4. I have caught salmon on silver and blue, brass (I like brass that is superheated and tarnished with a lighter), fire tiger, and my best is a florescent red blade with a red body in dirty water. When you have a little room, (you may have to move and find room) cast straight across stream let the spinner swing on a tight line as the current moves it down stream and to your side. Slowly reel in line to keep it tight and keep the current spinning the blade. You'll know the blade is spinning by the vibration in the rod tip (just like a spinnerbait) , if it stops start reeling a little faster. If the run is shallow and you are hitting bottom adjust your future casts down stream little by little till you get a good swing without snagging bottom. If the run is deep slowly adjust your next few casts upstream letting the spinner sink for a few seconds before starting your retrieve. The other options go back to old school. Some of the first salmon that were caught in the rivers here were caught on plugs. Wiggle warts, hot shots, hot-n-tots, rapalas, other stick baits, and even the infamous J-Plug can be quarter cast and swung the same way. Now you need to check the regulations and may need to fish different areas than your used to, or change the hooks to a siwash single hook to be legal. The rewards are usually worth the effort though. The reason the drift boats pull plugs isn't because their clients can't fish themselves, it's cause it works. Myself and a bunch of my friends caught our first salmon as kids this way on the old HOT-N-TOT. I tend to have to work during the week and the crowds on our rivers during the weekends turn me off but I usually find a place away from the crowds and run a hot shot side planer. I use a casting reel for this but you don't need one.I run 14lb line through the planer to a swivel then 10lb. leader to a snap swivel then run a plug that will dive to the depth of the run you are fishing (usually 4-8'). I like the wiggle warts, flatfish, and rebel has some fast track baits that came in florescent colors for faster currents. This is also the only place that I favor chartruese on my baits, but thats just a personnal confidence thing. These planers take some practice so don't get discouraged. First set the wing for the direction the current is running acording to the directions. Idealy you should wade out away form the bank a little to drop your plug in the main current but you can also have a buddy hold the bait while you run out 10-35yards of line (again dictated by the depth the plug runs and the depth of the water) through the planer. Set the release on the planer, wrap the line on the tab and softly set it in the current. As the current pulls the planer away from you if your partner is holding the plug when the line gets tight simply toss the plug out into the flow and watch for it to foul if it dives and starts to track and the planer is pulling away from you, you are in buisiness. Now just let the current work the bait. Take your time work the planer out to the middle of the run then SLOWLY take a step downstream give it a few minutes then take another step continueing till you work from the top of the run to th end. From my experience the end of the run is where you will provoke the most hits and again you WON'T mistake a hit.
There are other ways to catch fish, these are just some of the different techniques that I enjoy fishing for salmon and trout. If you talk to some of the other guys here they will have different way that they have confidence in. The key is just keep your eyes open around you and remember what works.
A great way to straighten the learning curve is to take a local guide and get him to show you as many of these techniques and others as he can in a day. Let him know your desire to learn and he should be more into teaching you holding lies and technique than getting your limit. Guides can be excellent money spent in learning dead drifting and fly fishing techniques.
Good luck and most of all don't get discouraged by the masses around you that don't care to learn how. They are happy just hooking fish, so let them be happy,till they see you pull in a fish that hit your bait, then when they ask tell them how you did it.
JJ

[steelfire]

JJ,
Wow!! great info. How many salmon have you caught on spinners and casting plugs??? that sound like something to try. Also what type of planner board do you use???

[jj7leaf]

litterally dozens of fish over the years. I grew up here and have tried just about everything over the years. We used to leave high school and hit the river every day. sometimes if you have guys around that will let you get away with it you can just flat line a plug along the walls in Oswego the way they fish for walleyes in may.
The planer board is a hot shot side planer. They have them in some shops and I know bass pro has them, maybe gander mt also. They are pink and they come with one blade for slow current and one for fast but sometimes if there is alot of water flowing they will trip from the current. Same for the spinners, some currents are just too strong and you need to go to drifting. Also pick up a copy of salmon trout and steelheader magazine most of the stuff I talked about has been perfected on the west coast by these guys for years.
JJ

[steelfire]

I get STS home delivered. I have read many articles on spoon and spinner fishing for salmon. I may have to try it in the estuary in two weeks. It bugs me to have to change some of my plugs from treble hooks to singles though. WTF:censored:

[NHFishON]

Great post JJ, thanks for the info.

Tom

[WillyG]

that was very helpful. i picked something up from that. thanks

[stumpjumper]

Awsome post - spinnerbaits? - who knew? I just might have to try that myself. Thanks JJ!!!

[Kal9weight]

way to be JJ. very informative, well thought-out post.