It's only Feb......

[Phishy]

and I'm barely able to keep my thoughts on the immediate. I keep drifting off into day dreams of fishing on the pond. It doesn’t help that I recently purchased and received a copy of Keatings book, "...on Kings.â€

After reading the first few chapters on seasonal locations, I have come to the conclusion that fishing is........ well........?? fishing. The same principles hold true whether the species is walleye or salmon, it's just on a grander scale, structure is structure, temperature is temperature. The key lies in recognizing why you are catching fish and being able to duplicate that “situationâ€. Being cognitive of drops, turns, currents, bait, (especially bait), whatever the recipe was that led you to catching a fish, is fundamental in any type of fishing, and what separates the good fisherman from the excellent fisherman is that knowledge and being able to duplicate. Keating’s book is helping to transform my base of fishing knowledge and become more in tune to salmon, more specifically kings. One doesn’t fish for bass the same way they would for walleyes, even though they may live in the same body of water. Yet each species still adheres to the same basic principles. They have adapted to their nitch and to be successful one has to know what that nitch is. The same holds true for the Great Lakes. Salmon will act accordingly to their needs and their pelagic life style. I believe when I was growing up on the Great Lakes, my fishing mentor never was a great fisherman. With the lakes being bigger, it is more difficult to recognize why success or failure is occurring. He never got past the notion that it’s just a matter of pulling lines and lures through the water. I now realize it’s about ….well…… ennui of repetition……structure, temperature, current, bait………………..just like all fishing.

It also doesn’t help I’ve been perusing online stores looking at gear. Then I find the deal the century on rod holders on eBay. Four aluminum holders now are sitting in my kitchen. I am so longing to take the boat out of its icy tomb, resurrect it to life and start tinkering with a layout for my spread. Should I put the downriggers here and the holders here, how am I going to attach this to that etc, etc. Additionally I soooooo want to go to sport shop with the gift cards I got from Christmas and run about the place like a giddy child. “One of these please, and two of these, and OH!! look… I NEEEEED!!! that …..â€

I suspect many other people are starting to feel the tug of the Great Lakes.

[GLF]

and I'm barely able to keep my thoughts on the immediate. I keep drifting off into day dreams of fishing on the pond.

Hmmm....Been there....done that!

Great post by the way! I was a tournament bass fisherman for 12 years. In those 12 years, I learned a lot about paying attention and repeatability. Every time I caught a bass, I tried to dissect how/why I caught that fish, and how to repeat it. Anyone can catch a bass. Its the ones who can repeat the pattern(s) and bring in the biggest sacks of fish, who win.

When I am salmon fishing, I am very focused on details. I watch the fish finder like a hawk. Last season, I found several holes, and a nice trough. When the fish were in shallower, these areas consistantly produced! One particular hole, I made 3 passes over, and had 2 doubles and a single. These were all 12-14lb fish. Who says salmon do not relate to structure? This hole is in 50FOW and most of these fish were caught on full cores.

Do salmon relate to bottom? If you say "no", answer this. How does a sea lamprey catch up to a salmon and attach itself to it, in open water? Is the salmon just hovering 80' down in 120FOW? Lets not take away from the sea lamprey. At the end of its life cycle, it does find its way up river to spawning grounds and spawns, so it must be a decent swimmer. Do all salmon relate to bottom? I am not sure......

Did you catch a fish on a turn? If you did, this should turn on a light bulb. Was it an inside or outside rod that took the fish? If it was on an inside rod, you may want to slow your troll down when going straight. If it was an outside rod that went, you may want to speed up.

I am glad everyone heads the opposite direction when they see nets. I can not imagine trying to fish around the nets with 30 other boats. Learn how the nets are layed, and you can affectively fish around them, without getting caught in them.

Attention to detail will result to more fish in your box.

OK....I am all worked up now. Lets go catch some fish!

[Nailer]

and I'm barely able to keep my thoughts on the immediate. I keep drifting off into day dreams of fishing on the pond. It doesn’t help that I recently purchased and received a copy of Keatings book, "...on Kings.â€

I got my Keating book for Christmas, And I've had that problem since.

I've went as far as washing all the spoons, cleaning out the boat, installing more rod holders, New line on the poles, Buying new rods, Reading fishing reports from way back. Last Friday I went as far as to sit in the boat, crack open a cool one, and fire up a stogee. (it's not the same as being out on the big pond)

[tltorrice]

It sounds like a good number of us are taking this down time to read or re-read Keating on Kings. Dan Keating will be speaking at a Salmon Seminar at the Birch Run Show on March 1st. I am planning on attending.

Flint River Valley Steelheads Sport, Boat & Fishing Show:

This link is on the bottom of the Discussion forums.