salmon runnin yet?

hello everyone! im new here. i am an avid bass and pike/muskie fisherman during the summer and fall months. during the spring, im out fishing for trout in the southern part of our state. and just recently, i started fishing for big cats in the lower stretches of the mississippi. i have never done any salmon fishing before(let alone fishing in the northeastern part of MN). i want to get out onto some of lake superior’s tributaries and try my luck. i would be fishing from the shores of some of the rivers flowing into superior(lester, french, sucker). what other rivers are recommended?
when would be the best time to head up there? what should i pack as far as lure selection goes(type, size, colors). i will probably be using a med/heavy 7 1/2 foot spinning rod most of the time with 40# powerpro. would i need a fluorocarbon leader? the other part of the time i will be using a med/heavy 7 foot baitcaster with 40# powerpro as well. any really good you-hafta-try spots?
thanks all!

Welcome aboard!

welcome. well to start off, not a whole lot are in the rivers yet. a few pinks up north of town here but id say the next big rain we get will get things moving better. if you want to fish in the rivers id reccommend spawn and or yarn. spoons wont really work that well in the rivers. Although casting off shore into the lake can yeild some fish with spoons. the spring run is alot bigger than the fall run; maybe you already know that.

you cant fish in the french river since the hatchery is there. the lester, knife, sucker and among the most popular along with a few north of two harbors. If you are fimiliar with using spawn in the rivers you dont want to be using 40 ib line since snags are common. i like 10 to 12 pound mono and use a longer 8 to 9 foot rod with a sensitive tip. put a few split shots a few feet up from the spawn and bounce it off the bottom. i might go down tomorrow morning and get a current idea of whats happening as far as the amount of fish in the rivers. i wouldnt expect a whole lot of fish tho.

thanks for the tips! very helpful. i guess i will be opting for an 8 foot rod, 10# test, and some roe then. i’ll probably bring along some spinners and spoons just for kicks.
how deep is the river? from the pictures that i can gather, looks like no more than 4?
also, how accessable are these fishing holes?
thanks!
let me know how the river looks!
gettin excited!!!

in the lester you will be fishing in anywhere from 3 to 15 fow. most rivers along the N shore have a few deep holes in them. The sopts to fish are pretty easy to get to. alot of guys use a fly rod and reel but put mono on the fly reel. i use both…..you can also use spawn under a cork and float it down(use non flotaing spawn)….and be sure to use floating spawn when you want to bounce it off the bottom. The muddier the river the brighter you want your bait. for instance if the river is really flowing and muddy i will use spawn and yarn at the same time. feel free to e mail me at [email protected] if you have any more questions or want to hook up one day you come up.

Definitely need some rain to get consistent action, otherwise you’re looking at maybe a random fish here and there. As suggested above spawn sacks with a little yarn tied above the hook work great. I’ve also used the plastic spawn in years past with great results. To tie the yarn you just cut a piece about 1/2″ or so, tie a polomar knot, and before pulling the knot tight insert the yarn in the loop and then tighten it down around the yarn. If you do get farther up the shore the Cross, Temperence, Poplar, and Cascade Rivers can all be pretty good. The pools that will usually hold the most fish will be below the first impassible falls although the fish might not be the freshest. Casting K.O. Wobblers into the lake at the river mouths for staging fish also works great. I might head up there in two weeks with my brother to check it out myself. I’ll report back if I end up making it. Good Luck!

what species run up the rivers during the fall? also, about how many pounds do they average during this time?
thanks

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what species run up the rivers during the fall? also, about how many pounds do they average during this time?
thanks

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Kings primarily. Cohos can be found too. You might find a looper in there too, looking for some spawn to chew on. Humpies run in the fall, too, in some very specific rivers, Split Rock is one. Humpies are probably done now though.

If you find a king in a river it will be maybe 12-15 pounds. Some might be larger but not by much.

what size hooks should i be using for eggs/sacs? how about weight?

Number 2 octopus hook with a couple o’ splitshot. Might have to adjust the weight depending on depth and current. Usually I just cast upstream and drift down bouncing off the bottom. You will lose quite a few rigs to rocks no matter what you do.

i like a number 4 hook. it will also help to use the split shots that dont have the lip to take them off. i use the ones where once you put em on they stay on and you cant get em off. they seem to get snagged up less frequently.

when does the spring run pick up on lake superior on the soth shore?

You thinking of going out in a boat on lake superior?

either or, prefereable shore as it costs less i have a cabin in herbster, so the flag, cranberry, brule, bark, and siskwit rivers are all within range. Ive just only fished the siskwit mouth for pike and taken charters out of bayfield to catch lakers. ive noticed salmon populations pick up closer to duluth than ashland, as ive only seen one in 4-5 charter trips out of bayfield, but those were all in august.

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i like a number 4 hook. it will also help to use the split shots that dont have the lip to take them off. i use the ones where once you put em on they stay on and you cant get em off. they seem to get snagged up less frequently.

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I know I am way late to the conversation on this…but have you guys ever run a shor rig off a swivel to a hook…and off that swivel tie a tag end of line maybe 2″ long…and put your splits on that? When you do get hung, you can give it a firm tug, and it pulls the weights off freeing your line in most cases. Squeeze on one or two more…and back in biz!

I know a lot of people make sinkers using a sport shoe shoelace with the innards pulled out, then tied to a swivel on one end and filled with some lead shot and tied closed on the other. Slinkies?

When I am fishing a river or stream I pretty much do as you suggest Chris.

yeah i make these with a hockey skate lace, its nice cuz you can make them as sort/long and heavy/light as you want!

I was doing the Sucker River a couple years ago in the spring when the water was really hauling and made up some of the slinkies. They saved the trip. I fish the Stewart alot since its so close to the cabin and for the most part just run a dropper with some splits pinched on to keep things where the fish are.

Grant….do you know if the ore harbor at Two Harbors has ice yet that’s fishable?

no it dosent…….the mcquade dosent even have ice yet! dont know when it will freeze up, not anytime soon with this warm weather thats forsure.

Yhanks Grant. Maybe the long rod in March?

sure sounds like it so far! i hope some ice forms out on the big lake soon, there are plenty of lakers that need to be caught! there are a few sheets of ice moving around out there but itsgoing to take a few cold and calm nights!