Collingwood Report- Wednesday, July 28, Slow Day--2 for 3

Phil and I were on the water and fishing by 7:30. Overcast and cloudy and windier than forecast.

For 3 hours we ran in and out between 85fow and 120fow and didn't mark very much. Phil was trying various lures and I was trying various Freedom Herring Cut Baits and Shoehorn spoons. No action

I had read somewhere about using Gold colored spoons on cloudy days and I put on a gold colored Forage Minnow spoon. 20 minutes later I brought a 4lb laker to the boat. Kept him to give to a neighbor. About 30 minutes later the rod fires and this is a salmon running like hell. We take turns, so even though this was on my rod, Phil was up. He plays the fish for about 5 minutes and then it made a very speedy run towards us and went right under the boat. Line must have rubbed on the bottom of the boat and the line broke. Somewhere out there, there is a Chinook with the FM in its jaw.

We kept at it as the wind dropped and around 1:30 I picked up another laker on a silver/pink/blue Shoehorn. He was released to fight another day. Called it a day at 2PM.

First pic is the laker I kept and the FM spoon. 2nd pic is the laker I released.

SDC

Pic 2
Doesn't seem to be any shortage of lakers out there. This the 4th time I have been up to Collingwood in the last 6 weeks and every time I have hooked at least 2 or more lakers.

They seem to run in the 3-5lb range and that is a nice eating or smoking size

SDC

The salmon are super active this year, my son had on one last week that thought it was a bass, popped the rigger by exploding out of the water about 10 feet behind the boat and then getting ahead of us off the port side.

Sounds like you two had some fun today, I have a bad habit of my leader snapping when I net the fish and when I pull the hooks out I toss my lure back in the water, better a fish takes your spoon than you set it free to the wilds yourself, great report thanks SDC!

SD Do you keep the boat at trolling speed, if so, slow it down. If you stop the boat, this is when the salmon will get under the boat. Keep the boat moving, the fish will stay at the back of the boat to net. We have been doing this for many years. The old guy

I must admit that I do shut off the motor when I have fish on. I like to feel the fight without the boat dragging the fish.

What happened today was the first time in many years.

SDC

My day...... Yup. Just wave action!!!

Hi Myles

I knew you were out there, I saw your truck in the parking lot.

Ralph

Well done again..

You did very well on what sounded like a tougher day.

Sorry about the lost salmon..

Thanks for the report!

Very healthy looking lakers..

sdcaller, I have been out of Wasaga 10 times last year and Collingwood 8 times this year. I have never seen a lake trout! I have caught salmon and rainbows but not a single lake trout. I would love to catch a lake trout. Slow down the troll, hug bottom and more line back from the ball?? Currently I am running 2.5 mph, 40 behind the ball for meat, 50 for spoons in around 80-100 FOW. Any advice would be appreciated. No clue why I have not hooked into a laker!! Thanks,

Hi Chopper

Must be your lure selection? I don't know what else to tell you!

My usual trolling speed is 2.5mph like you and I use similar leads behind the ball. I usually troll with the ball 10-15ft from the bottom. I don't troll in a straight line all the time, I go in and out. If I'm foccusing on the 90ft depth, I will be going in and out from 80ft to 100ft. Those turns change your speed at the ball and the depth of the ball.

Some lures don't have much action at 2.5mph. You've seen what I use, they all work well at 2.5.

Things with blue/silver and green/silver are usually effective.

If you try a lure for 30 minutes and no action, change lures. Try a different depth.

Hope this helps. Let me know how you make out.

SDC

Thanks, I'll chalk it up to lure selection. I have not yet got into blue or green/ silver lure selections. Been hooking up salmon on the meat and on orange and purple spoons so I have been sticking to those colours. All good, where you are hooking into Lakers I have been hooking into a few salmon every trip. Thanks for the advice. I am learning new things every trip!!

Hi Chopper

Most of the lakers I have caught have been on smaller lures. About 3 inches.

If you look at some of my other C'wood reports, you will see the Freedom Herring Cut Baits I have been using. I have 4 of the FHCB's, 3 smaller ones and a larger one. I have caught lakers on all 3 smaller ones, but nothing on the bigger one.

Most of the lakers I caught had 'puked" their stomach contents and there was nothing in them when I cleaned them, except 1, and it had 3inch smelts in the stomach.

Be guided accordingly.

Good luck.

SDC

Thanks, I will look at picking some of those up!! I need a Laker before the end of the year!!

Was out today around christian island and what a day 20 for 32 or so...non stop action...80fow 10 or 15ft of bottom and about 10 feet behind the flasher( flasher on the ball and release 4ft above)

Beauty day