8-9 Inland Sea lunch time

[squaretail]

We hit the water today at 11:30, motored over mid-lake to the location where I caught a couple last week. Light breeze, calm water. I set up with two downriggers at 75 feet, running purple bees as before. Right away, had doubles.. The F&W Survey crew was watching from a distance, and paid us a visit. They weighed and measured the catch for me, and got whatever Fish Data they were after. Biggest salmon ~22" was just under 4 pounds and the other was about 2 1/2 pounds. We made a couple more passes over the spot after the F&W boat left, and my wife boated and released one more smaller salmon. Returned home before the ice melted in the cooler.

[Reelax]

Sounds,like you got the late season salmon bite down on the inland sea... Nice work!!! Thanks for the report.

[squaretail]

This been my best summer yet, but staying on them as they go deep is a challenge and I'm still forever learning. What seems to work lately is keeping the spoon 10 feet above the thermocline, who knows why?
thanks, Joe

[Sawyer]

Nice report. the VTF&G was out doing a salmonid popultaions stream surveys.

[riddlervt]

Joe,
Nice report! I have been fishing above the thermocline as well.
My theory is they mostly feed out of temp. They hang out in the thermocline, kinda like the living room and the warmer temps are the dining room. I agree with CT that there eyes are on top of there heads and they see whats above them. IMO. In my experience, once the salmon get down below 60'
they get tougher to catch, less light, more area to cover, and the bait are in the same temp zone as the fish.
This summer has been unusually good to me for this late into the summer.
Riddler

[riverrunner]

Alewives are able to tolerate a warmer temp than the thermocline. Fish go out of it, feed, and back down.

[fishy1]

seems like the purple bees been hot all summer. i think i saw the vt fish and wildlife boat down south of the bridge monday . crown point bridge.

[tamiron]

Thanks for the info!/ Jim