The Elusive Lake Huron King Salmon
Published: Tuesday, December 13, 2022 12:00 pm
By: Captain Ryan Sharpe, Grand Bend Fishing Charters
It’s no doubt that the Chinook (king) salmon is one of the most prized catches on Lake Huron! Their violent strike, the sound of the line screaming out, and their incredible power. They also taste amazing out of our clean water. Even for the experienced angler landing these fish can be a challenge. Finding them and enticing them to strike is no easy task.
The Lake Huon fishery has changed, and we have had to modify our strategy. We are dealing with invasive species such as the sea lamprey, round goby, zebra, and quagga mussels. The water is much clearer, and we have had to use more stealthy tactics. Adapting to change, keeping up with the latest technology, and not being afraid to try new techniques is the only way to succeed out here. Chinook Salmon are not native to the Lake. They were stocked to help control the Alewife population. Nowadays, there is a push to stock more native species like Lake trout over salmon. The population of kings currently in Huron isn’t great. Being able to catch trout and walleye at the same time as salmon is what makes Lake Huron so special.
Some of our best areas to target Chinooks are in the structure of Kettle Point reef, especially early in the season. You need good electronics to keep out of the rocks and ensure your equipment is out of the danger zone. As the lake rapidly warms, we rely on temperature more than anything. The Fish HawkX4D will keep you in the zone. In the spring, a temperature increase of just a couple of degrees can make all the difference. Directly off Grand Bend is another hot spot. Structure is limited, but baitfish schools stack up and produce kings. Top-notch sonar like the Raymarine Axiom provides 3D real vision, side vision, down vision, and traditional sonar. Our Traxstech downriggers are equipped with jig mode, which can trigger strikes even when the feed is off.
I’ve found chinook salmon seem to be pickier than other fish on lure color. Because Lake Huron is so clear, it’s really important to match the color to the current conditions and to the depth you are fishing. It’s all about how the lure looks to the fish and what they can see at certain depths. Dark cloudy days call for dark lures and bright sunny days call for bright lures. Through experience, you start picking up on things like what lures work best on certain presentations and what time of day each produces the most. If it was sunny and suddenly it turns cloudy, I will change up a good portion of my spread. The completely flat and sunny days can be the hardest days to catch fish. In these conditions, we bring out the Seafour lures. They are plastic, and once heated up, you can turn them into different shapes and create your own action. For spoons, ProKing spoons in standard, magnum, and even the mini walleye size are my favorite. Their unique action almost always takes first place in the tournaments. Big lures do not always catch the big fish. Don’t be afraid to downsize your baits. Often times Huron kings are feeding on small shiners. We have also been running more and more cut bait every year. We used to think of it as more of a Lake Ontario tactic, but some days it’s our top producer. We really like the alewife strips from the Big One Cut Bait Co. They are pre-cut, brined, and ready to go.
Scenting up the lures seems to help. I’ve experimented with a few different brands, and most of them either don’t stick on or just end up wrecking the finish on the lure. Pro-Cure bait gel is my favorite and works well as long as you wash it off between trips. They grind up real bait. The gel has helped trigger strikes and tougher days as well as gets the fish to hang on a little longer, which allows the hook to dig in. Getting human scent off, especially with all the sunscreen sprays being used on the charter boat, is important.
With enough persistence and luck, you will hook into a Lake Huron King!
For more fishing tips from Captain Sharpe or to book a Lake Huron fishing charter, visit www.grandbendfishingcharters.com, or find them on Facebook and Instagram (@grandbendfishingcharters).
tags: Fishing, Lake Huron
