Winter Casting for Salmon on Lake Superior
Any angler who has fished Lake Superior knows that if you can find them, salmon are abundant. Usually, you go after them by trolling with spoons, bombers, flashers, dipsy divers, and more to get to wherever they are during the season.
But did you know there’s another way to go after these fish that doesn’t require a boat? Well, there is, and we’re gonna talk about it today. That method is casting during the winter.
I know, sounds cold right? (Spoiler alert, it is). But don’t let that scare you away from trying a super fun way to target these aggressive fighting fish. Let’s dive in:
First, let’s talk about where to try this out. I’ve done this type of fishing primarily along the North Shore of Lake Superior, however, I’ve talked to guys all around the lake and it’s a pretty common method. The main thing to look for is a good spot to stand and water in the 10-20 feet range. Fishing off of break walls and shorelines with drop-offs reflecting that depth should give you a chance to find these fish.
Once you find your spot, you’ll want to gear up for the occasion. When I go, I use an 8.5 foot, medium power fast action St. Croix rod (https://stcroixrods.com/collections/rods) with a Shimano 2500 (https://fish.shimano.com/content/fish/northamerica/us/en/homepage/Shimano_Product_Page.P-SAHARA_17.html). This gives me the power I need to cast out as far as I can away from me, helping to cover more water. One issue you’ll run into when doing this in the winter is your guides freezing. There are products out there to fight this that I want to try but haven’t had a chance to yet (if you have and know how they work let me know).
For lures, in theory you could use casting baits, but the more common method is to use casting spoons. They need to be the right mix of size and weight, being small enough that a salmon will want to grab them but heavy enough that you can send them out far. I usually go with a Krocodile spoon like this one (https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/luhr-jensen-krocodile-spoon) but any casting spoon similar in size to the number 3 die will do fine. Colors that work well for me are blue/silver and orange/gold.
Once you have your rod, reel, and lures, get yourself a long landing net to make sure you can get at the fish and a bucket to carry all your fish in.
For clothing, wear the same clothes you would wear for ice fishing. Clothing like this jacket (https://geteskimo.com/products/mens-legend-jacket) and these bibs (https://geteskimo.com/products/mens-legend-bibs) from Eskimo are what I use and do a great job of keeping the cold out. Combine these with a good pair of winter boots and you should be able to fight the cold.
Pro Tip: Get a set of these for traction on your boots when it’s icy. You can thank me later. (https://yaktrax.com/diamond-grip-traction-device-men-s-13-oversized.html)
When fishing this way, you have a good chance of catching Coho Salmon, King Salmon, and the occasional Herring. With your spot picked out and your equipment set, it’s time to fish!
This is your standard type of cast and retrieve fishing. Cast the spoon out, let it sink a bit, and start reeling it in. Feel free to mix up the speed to get your spoon to swim in different ways. This kind of fishing can be really streaky, sometimes the fish are there and hungry and you’ll limit out fast, other times you’ll fish for hours and not even get a strike. Don’t get discouraged if the latter happens, it’s definitely worth it to lay into them when the bite is on.
If you try this, make sure to let me know on social media how it went! To stay up to date with all future Rugged Writer Records, make sure to subscribe! Each week I cover a new topic in the hunting and fishing world. Catch ya next week! (see what I did there?)
-Calvin
