G bay salmon

We went G Bay last Thursday and, as I was told, in August things changed. I got two strikes in the morning. The first fish was probably quite good, took couple runs then one sharp, strong jerk and was gone with the lure... Few minutes later at the same spot another one popped up the rod, but it was much smaller, the fish jumped out of the water couple times and was also gone, but at least without a lure... then, 4 hours trolling without any bites...
And in the evening, approx 1/2 hour before sunset we got another one. This one I got to the boat without incidents..
A couple of questions now...
Is it would be reasonable or meaningful to use a steel leader for salmon fishing? I was quite upset to lose the lure...
What is this mark on the fish? I have seen lamprey marks but this one looks different.

closer

Lamprey. The line appears to be scare left as it moved up the fish "for a better taste"! Healthy looking fish -- good eats!

No need for steel -- clear water encourages stealthy presentations. First determine why/how the got lose. Did the line break? Knot slip/let go? Was there line burn when you "snugged" the knot? And so on..... Things happen. One time doesn't make a pattern. Another time, ....then look for changes.

More good luck on the water!

Way to go Mark!

Yes, I did two mistakes. Firstly, I didn't check/replace the fluorocarbon leader for long time. Seems like it was worn out a bit.
Secondary, after couple runs I adjusted the reel tension (made it tighter) and exactly after that fish made strong jerk and cut the line.
BTW, how to determine the correct tension? - other than just by experience...
Also, any suggestions about fluorocarbon leader? I need to buy some but I know little about it. How many lbs, diameter, brands?
I'm really happy with that day on G bay, I only regret about the fish being left with the lure.
Thanks for all replies and suggestion. I'm learning and getting better...

In my experience I see most fish lost by having the drag set too tight and folks getting too excited when a salmon peels out line. just relax and keep tension on it


that's the whole fun of salmon fishing.

the other items identified also come into play although in my mind are secondary to my first observation

then comes line weight.....as for floro carbon. if you are buying really good stuff and it is invisible, you can up the tensile strength even up to 40 pounds on say dipseys or if running flasher and fly combos

I do not fish G. Bay much anymore , but the fish are getting bigger so using 15 pound test is light imo and if you go fish lake O, you will lose salmon, no question about it


snaps and knots are important as well


to answer a question, I use seagar and suffix fluorocarbon in 25/30 and 40 pound test

Good info Longshank!

I find that the knot to a fluoro leader often slips despite my best efforts----double Uni, blood knot---spit in line, carefully cinch up etc!! I Have an aversion to using swivels to join the leader (I am not specifically referiing to salmon. A bit of 'topic drift' maybe)

I agree with Longshank about how important the drag is!

When I caught the 13lb laker last Thursday, I brought her to within 20 feet of the boat on 3 separate occasions and she then turned and peeled off 70 feet of line each time and went back to the bottom. My drag was set at a level I like, and I never touched it, despite the runs the fish was making.

I pumped her back up the 4th time and brought her to the boat for a successful netting.

SDC

Longshank,
yes, great info, thanks!
As for the knots, for last few years I use Uni knot for all my lines (braided and fluro) and it never failed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uni_knot

To be honest I think a flouro lead while fishing off the riggers is a waste of time. Run straight 25-30lb mono and never worry about a knot coming loose again.

As usual, Longshank has provided solid, valid advice. When running spoons (no flashers, spin doctors, etc.) I run 15 or 12 pound Maxima mono with a 25 or 30 foot fluoro leader, either Maxima or Seaguar, also 15 pound test. If I'm running a meat rig or a Spin Doctor/Fly rig I have rods with heavier line very close to Shanks recommendations. I'm convinced the fluoro leader results in increased hits due to the lack of visibility (very close to water refraction indices). If you go overly heavy with any line, the result can be reduced action with your spoons and a definite reduction in the stealthy approach that is desirable. In addition, the stretch factor with fluoro is significantly less than mono. I feel this results in better hook-ups and improved catch rates as the lack of stretch often means the hook is completely set when the fish rips the line from the release.
Despite my line weight suggestions, I am not a supporter of ultra light rigs for salmon and rainbows. I have found the 12 or 15 pound test lines mentioned are more than sufficient with proper drag adjustment. This was true back in the days when we had salmon in Georgian Bay that went well over 30 pounds and is also valid when fishing Lake Ontario as long as you are running only spoons or plugs.
Back to the original question concerning steel leaders: I have to admit I ran metal leaders when using Lymans over at Owen Sound. Simply too many break-offs caused by the standard mono line getting tangled and pinched between the treble hooks on the Lymans. I was given a tip about applying a generous drop of epoxy or Crazy Glue in the location where the three shafts on a treble are found, effectively eliminating the pinching and cutting that could occur. Hence no more need for wire leaders and great action from the Lymans, regardless of the speed being maintained while trolling.

GJ great tip with the Lymans,,,, man I have cursed those baits over the years, but still run them a lot in the spring

@ Harold, I never had a problem with s double uni knot yet...I would respectfully suggest you practise tying them till you get it right

But at what price??? Lost lures and lost fish!

I think it's braid to fluoro that's the worst.

I have used mono trolling line with a double uni-knot to connect to fluoro leaders for years. Never a problem with knot integrity. During the hard water season I use a braid - fluoro set-up with the same results. I admit that I'm a tad anal concerning the care with which the knots are tied and tightened, section to section. Make sure you are using the recommended number of wraps in the loop of each section. Also ensure that each segment is fully moistened so the tightening process slides together slowly and smoothly with minimal friction or heat creation.
Just a thought - fluoro carbon trolling line and fluorocarbon leader material are quite different in composition. The leader material is much more limp and pliable, which makes for very smooth and solid connections when employing the double uni-knot.