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[Simon2]

Went to the Vedder this weekend.  Found a great spot where there were lots of salmon just sitting on the bottom.  You could literally see at least 20 big ones sitting on the bottom.  Didn't catch anything though.  Tried roe. Tried wool. Tried spoons.  Couldn't get them to bite.  There was one right below me and I dropped the hook in front of him several times but he wasn't interested.  

Now here's my question, when Salmon are spawning, they only bite when they are annoyed.  Is that correct?  They aren't interested in eating anymore.  What's the best way to get them to be territorial and aggressively bite.  I think most of the Salmon were Springs.  Its frustrating to see so many huge fish and not catching anything.  

[Fish Assassin]

If the salmon are spawning it's best if you just leave them alone.

[DragonSpeed]

I think he's talking about salmon enroute to go spawn.  

[dennisK]

Try the fast water - better chances there. also leave the spawners alone, they won't fight and the meat will suck.

[Simon2]

Yes. You are correct they are enroute to go spawn.  

[Fish Assassin]

What I do is to give the pool a rest. Go fish elsewhere and return to the pool later in the day.

[keithr]

If they are not biting, they are not biting.  But try tying on a little gob of roe and put on enough weight that it will bounce along the bottom.  Cast upstream and let it bounce down through there.  When the line sags, set the hook.  If you got it right you will have a fish on.  If your bait comes back squashed, you had a bite, but you missed it.

(are you sure you weren't just watching some big suckers?)

[Simon2]

If they are not biting, they are not biting.  But try tying on a little gob of roe and put on enough weight that it will bounce along the bottom.  Cast upstream and let it bounce down through there.  When the line sags, set the hook.  If you got it right you will have a fish on.  If your bait comes back squashed, you had a bite, but you missed it.

(are you sure you weren't just watching some big suckers?)

Thanks.  What do you mean?

[keithr]

Hi Simon,
Which part needs explaining?  

It's the only way I know to fish for salmon in fresh water.  If a gob of salmon eggs (roe) comes bouncing along the bottom, if they are biting, they will take that gob in their mouth, squash it, and then spit it out. I don't know why they do this.  My father claimed it was some kind of instinct they have.  It doesn't feel like a strike or a nibble.  It feels like your bait has just hung up on a rock.

[Simon2]

Hi Simon,
Which part needs explaining?  

It's the only way I know to fish for salmon in fresh water.  If a gob of salmon eggs (roe) comes bouncing along the bottom, if they are biting, they will take that gob in their mouth, squash it, and then spit it out. I don't know why they do this.  My father claimed it was some kind of instinct they have.  It doesn't feel like a strike or a nibble.  It feels like your bait has just hung up on a rock.

Sorry.  I mean this part.  "(are you sure you weren't just watching some big suckers?)"

[keithr]

Well, a while back a friend and I were fishing at the outlet of a reservoir in Idaho for trout, and I notice some monster fish down there--I mean big, like salmon size.  Boy did we get excited, and we threw everything in the tackle box at them--no luck.  This goes on for a while, and then a local guy comes up to the hole.  "How you guys doin'?"  "We caught a couple of trout, but look at those big ones down there!"  He says, "Yep, those are suckers; there are a bunch of them in here."

I thought that's what you might have seen, suckers, a bottom feeding coarse fish, instead of salmon.

[Gooey]

I have never seen a sucker that could be mistaken for a 10+ lb red spring!

Its late in the season for reds on the vedder.  I think a lot of "fishermen" are now out there flossing them (lets see if that gets things going) as Dynamite Kid reported on a different thread.  

Dont try to floss those poor fish.  They have probably seen everything under the sun, probably hooked at least once too, and now are so gun shy that they wont bite.  Maybe at first light you could get a take from these fish but mid day will be tough.  And dont fish the "fast water" either...that sounds like a code for flossing too!  

[Simon2]

I have never seen a sucker that could be mistaken for a 10+ lb red spring!

Its late in the season for reds on the vedder.  I think a lot of "fishermen" are now out there flossing them (lets see if that gets things going) as Dynamite Kid reported on a different thread.  

Dont try to floss those poor fish.  They have probably seen everything under the sun, probably hooked at least once too, and now are so gun shy that they wont bite.  Maybe at first light you could get a take from these fish but mid day will be tough.  And dont fish the "fast water" either...that sounds like a code for flossing too!  

Another dumb question but what is flossing?  I'm new here so I'm not sure about the terminology.  I don't think they were suckers because they would come up ever so often for a gulp of air.

[The Gilly]

No flossing, Springs will bite.  I have fished Coho for many years in slow clear pools using the following meathod.  
Long light leaders 8-10ft.  I have gone a light as 4lb. test.
Small hooks. As small as #6.
Small wool.  Make it look like 2 eggs.

If you can see the fish stacked up, then you can see the reaction to your presentaion.  If they move away as you drift through, then lengthen the leader or go lighter.  They will move because something doesn't look right.  Keep trying.  

Follow Dog SG's advice for Springs and fish the lower river for fresher fish.  Look for deep slots with white or riffled water.  The Springs will sit deep in the pool under the white or riffled water.

Good luck.

[leaping steely]

if he was fishing in the canal then i can understand big suckers but anywhere above that most likely is spring and sockeye. I've seen some giant suckers in the canal, the odd ones pushing 8 pounds.