Earl

Alice? Did you get on the water or not? Where’s the pics?

Seems like your getting ahead of your self, or just trolling. Why don’t you put some time in casting spoons or plugs ant post some pics of how you do?

Salmon spawning run timing is about more than water temp. The timing is often more biologic imperative than water temp. By early September some fish will move into water temps that may nearly kill them. Those fish way out of temp will bite lures early morning until the “big ugly” comes over the horizon. The break point for me is about 65 degrees. Sun’s up I’m out. If it’s cooler I will continue to fish bait, cut, dead, frozen. If it’s all I can get. Ales always over Gizzards.

Q1: lures in low light warm water, live ales in cooler water when available. Skein under bobbers as the water cools; though spoons and spinners drop off; plugs are still worth throwing. Q2: glow 3/4 oz spoons account for more king salmon than all other pier spoons combined. Q3: kings are not as line shy as steelhead (but 2lb tends to be more about ego than fish), but on piers I rarely push above 10 anyway. In rivers fishing spawn and bobbers I typically run 12. I know guys who fish flouro leaders testing 20. Q4: in general, I fish whenever I can, but if water temps are poor; I’m considerably less anxious. I worry less about bait in the fall than spring and summer.

Trigger on downrigger rods gets in the way.

In the lower grand. A fair amount of frog water and not a lot of structure in the areas I've been in. Good luck.