Fall Rivermouth Salmon
By: Drew Primrose

Throughout the summer months the big salmon and trout that roam the Great Lakes are generally out of reach of the many shore or small boat anglers that like around there. As the summer quickly slips by, most of the salmon derbies around the lakes are coming to a close and those big four-year-old salmon are beginning to change. Towards the end of August the nights start to get a little cooler and the days are getting shorter. Many of the fish that spend the majority of their life far out in the deep waters of the Great Lakes are beginning to lose their coating of bright silver and black in favour of the golden brown of typical spawning fish.

The salmon will soon begin the last stretch of their short life cycle in which they migrate up the rivers or streams where they were born or released. It is here where they will spawn and die. In order for these fish to migrate up their rivers they will usually stage out in the lake near the mouth and wait for all the right signs to begin their migration. It is at this time that the big fish that were once out of reach to many anglers come to within casting distance of the many river mouths and harbors and that line the lakes shoreline.

There are a number of key signs the resourceful angler can use to their advantage to connect with migrating salmon before they enter their home rivers. A great way to get a head start on some late summer shallow water salmon is to observe the appearance of the fish being brought in by the many offshore anglers at the local marinas. If the fish appear to be changing into their darker spawning colours then within a few short weeks they will start poking their noses into the shallow water of their home rivers. Keep in mind that these salmon are looking for the right signals and I am talking about mid to late August which means the weather can change very fast. A cold front and/or heavy rain will bring the salmon close to shore faster than a hot dry mouth. There is, however, another key to the puzzle which can be easily overlooked – the offshore wind. By late summer the water temperature can be very warm especially in close to shore, which means the cooler more favourable water the salmon prefer will be deep and far offshore. An offshore wind pushes the warm water out which creates a circle effect in the lake and draws the cooler water from the bottom in behind it. This does not generally happen overnight, a good offshore wind that lasts a few days can change the shoreline water temperature by 20°C or more. With this cold water close to shore salmon, as well as brown trout, will quickly move in to the areas directly in front of the mouths of the rivers and within casting distance of the many piers and break-walls. In fact, one of the Canadian record brown trout was caught in August by casting a spoon off a Lake Ontario pier under similar conditions.

This cold-water condition may only last for a few days as the sun will warm the water and the fish will move slightly deeper. Don’t worry though, one thing to keep in mind this that these big four year old salmon have a time clock which is quickly winding down and when the spawning urge is too strong, they will begin to enter the shallows no matter what the water temperature may be.

By mid September most of the spawning fish will reach the lakeshore at various river outflows or harbors. One of the most effective ways to catch these fish is by trolling. It is not necessary to have a big boat to get in on some real hot action; you only have to pick the right day, with the winds blowing offshore (r not at all). Small aluminum boats (car toppers) are great for fall salmon trolling. It is not necessary to go far from shore and your best success may be to troll back and forth across the entrance of the river. You can troll by simply flat lining with diving plugs, or you can use downriggers. If you choose to use downriggers, small manual ones are fine because it is not necessary to drop the cannonballs down very deep. If you do plan to use downriggers, your best success will be had by using long leads behind the cannonball. Keep in mind that if you wish to run diving plugs, they will dive deeper than the cannonball. So, if you do not like hanging up on the bottom, run your cannonball 10-15 feet off the bottom which allows the lures plenty of running space. Spoons still work very well at this time of year, however, these fish generally are not actively feeding. For the best results use off color spoons which will grab the attention of an irritable salmon. I have found that black/pink, fire tiger, black/orange as well as silver/red or silver/orange work very well. This also holds true for plugs; bright annoying colors, such as white with pink spots, chartreuse/white and on bright sunny days, black/purple and black/red seem to produce the most strikes. When using downriggers, it is a good idea to buy yourself a device called “Bottom Scratchers” which simply attach to your cannonball and will drag the bottom before your cannonballs, therefore, preventing them from snagging (which can quickly rip an entire downrigger right off your boat in an instant). The use of downriggers can be very productive for river-mouth fishing mainly because it is controlled depth-fishing. No guesswork here as to how deep your lines are and you can quickly adjust the lure depth if the fish are spotted higher and deeper. One good way to improve your success when using this technique is to create a mental map of the area. As you troll along, keep a constant eye on your graph and you will see ridges and small drop-offs or even humps or rock piles. These structure areas will be overlooked by most anglers with the thought that salmon are open0water fish that do not locate to structures. In deep water these fish are able to travel up or down with the varying light conditions-once they enter the shallow staging areas, that luxury disappears. When the sun rises high, these fish will actually sit right on the bottom along sand ridges, drop-offs or rock piles, and it is easy enough to use your downriggers to present your lures right to the fish’s dinner table.

Using downriggers is not the only way to catch salmon, especially when they are staging at their spawning rivers. Trolling with flat lines can sometimes produce just as many strikes and under conditions, many more. Early in the morning or late in the evening, the fish may be breaking the surface of the water. You will probably see them jumping and you may even see the fish fighting. These are usually very aggressive fish that are anxious to get on with the spawning cycle. A large jointed minnowbait with an erratic wobble tolled fast on a flat line will drive the salmon crazy. Use the same bright colors that I mentioned above and you cannot lose. At this time of year salmon do not get spooked easily by the boat, however, using a planer board to take your lure away from the boat will increase your odds. It also allows you to run an extra rod. Remember, when fishing the open waters of Lake Ontario, you are permitted to use two rods per person. Planer boards can be very expensive, especially retriever units. We are talking about the smaller boats where there is not an excess amount of room so those great big units are not necessary. All you need are the small simple units that clip on your line. These work just as well and you do not need the expensive hardware. You will need one or two rod holders, and it is a good idea to get good quality ones so you are able to hook that big angry salmon without the risk of losing your catch or damaging equipment.

One final technique I would suggest that not many anglers do, is casting. It can be an enormous rush of adrenaline to have a 25-pound salmon slam your lure at the boat especially in the dark. I usually cast lures in shallow water, about 10-15’ and spoons are your best bet because they can be cast long distances. A 7-8’ rod and good quality reel with a highline capacity and excellent drag system is a must or your hooked-to-land percentage will be very low. It is also a good Idea to tire on a locking snap swivel because these fish pull very hard and can straighten out ordinary snap swivels; also the extra inch or so helps keep the line away from their big teeth. As far as choice of spoons, the heavier the better. The extra weight adds distance to your casts and can be retrieved faster than lighter spoons. Spoons such as little Cleos, Crocodiles and Mr. Champs are deadly choices. These are short and heavy and possess an enticing wobble that salmon can’t resist.
Late summer and early fall will see the arrival of migratory salmon and trout at the many river mouths and harbors along the shoreline. They are within easy reach of willing anglers looking to do battle with these impressive fish before they begin their migration. If you time it right, the action can be fantastic, however, the fast action can be hard on your arms do you may want to share the enjoyment with a friend.