[SmOtPoKeR]

So ive gone out to enderby twice in the last few days.... and its my first time being out there or salmon fishing at all.. and i gotta say wow to the bridge where theres about 30 ppl in a line on the bridge... i dont even know how anybody could even fish together that close... if you can even call that fishing. So i drove past there and look around a bit.. i found a little chunk of river to call my own up about 5-7 km past the bridge, mind you i got a lil wet getting into my spot.. which had a nice campfire pit on a nice sandy beach and sandbar for me to wade in and found a nice big pool... Now there is tons of huge chinooks surfacing and there kicking around alot.. im casting spinners.... roe.... I had a bar rig going for awhile with a spin and glo.. pink and then tried orange size 0 and 2... with pink wool without wool ... with roe with wool.. i tried it all..... Cant get a hit... but there very active and especially when it started raining... and theres evidence of other ppl catching fish ... lots of chinook heads all over the place around the river edge. Does anybody have any tips of what kinda of lures, spoons, wool... anything to help me land a monster... theres only a few days left in the season.. and i wouldnt mind having a salmon to smoke.

 

[eagledays]

You are doing everything right. ( roe, wool, Fst. )

Try getting there at 5:00 am.

 

[Big Green Machine]

I'm afraid you won't catch many springs there as they're all hormonal and acting crazy from being so close to engaging in the spawning ritual. For the life of me I can't figure out why the DFO would let this fishery go on so long. An opening is reasonable but not until Sept 12. Those landing fish are flossing them. You may get one or two to snap at your lure but it's few and far between.

 

[eagledays]

I'm afraid you won't catch many springs there as they're all hormonal and acting crazy from being so close to engaging in the spawning ritual. For the life of me I can't figure out why the DFO would let this fishery go on so long. An opening is reasonable but not until Sept 12. Those landing fish are flossing them. You may get one or two to snap at your lure but it's few and far between.

Just got home from fishing springs around Enderby...

Though I didn't hook up today, the two fellows beside me landed two monsters! Both hooked in the yap.

I agree that some get foul hooked, that's just the way fishing is.

Everyone using 24 - 36 inch leaders.

Fishing has been very very good from opening day on.

Maybe you've been fishing a different river?

 

[Big Green Machine]

Hi Eagledays,

No disrespect to you personally. I am pleased to hear that you had a positive experience. No sir, I have not been fishing a different river. I usually fish that river for rainbows in the upper reaches below Mable Lake but I have stopped and watched the carnage at the Enderby Bridge on my way up. I have also gone to Mabel Lake a few times to fish for Chinooks in the first week of the opening. I am happy to hear that you witnessed fish hooked in the mouth but I still contend most fish are hooked in the outside portion of the mouth. Chinooks are way easier to entice to bite when they are closer to the ocean say middle to lower Fraser River, tidal Kitimat, mid Skeena etc. Not saying it can't be done, but not very common.

 

[b_man360]

i have always wanted to watch what happens on the bridge in enderby when somone catches a fish. it must be pretty fun to watch, since everyone would have to bring in their lines and im sure you would have to run to shore while playing the fish to land it lol.

i caught a nice one in mabel lake last week. everyone in the lake uses a green flasher with a green hoochie about 3 feet behind the flasher. i caught mine about 50 feet deep. people were saying that they catch them mostly at first light, so i guess i was lucky to catch it at 11am.

and flossing is stupid!

 

[nemohm]

II have to admit I had no idea the fish could travel this far away from the ocean!
Where are the spawning grounds- Marbel lake or beyond?
Springs only get there or other species as well?

I have no seen any angling activities on the river between Kamloops and Chase- banned for fishing?
But the fish getting to Marbel lake must swim trough that river?

Fish swimming this far deserves admirations and should not end up on the table!!! Photos only!
This is just a nature’s wonder!

 

[reelangler]

If only everyone had as much respect for the species as you seem to. Don't lose that attitude.

 

[Big Green Machine]

The Shuswap River at one time had coho and sockeye, but now just a few coho, that are endangered and of course a run of Chinook. The lake fishery is well established and some that are caught are in very good shape considering how far they have travelled. It really is a unique fishery for the Interior folks to cherish and not abuse. They are being provided a privilege with an opening every August-early September. The spawing grounds are the many tributaries of the upper reaches of the river as far up to Sugar Lake, but most between the falls and Mara lake. There is a chinook opening on the Thompson River and they go for them near Bananna Island.

 

[dereke]

The South Thompson has been fun. I was a little unsure of how the fish would hold up through Kamloops but the fish are surprisingly in good shape for sure. Got a 20 and a 10 last two times out. A boat and anchor is the ticket!

 

[eagledays]

No prob Big Green.

I fished the Shuswap today early morning.

Landed one (released it as I usually do) and lost one.

6 fish came to the shore of which one poor fellow foul hooked 2.

He released both.

I've never fished the Enderby bridge but I have a few other holes that are shared with people.

I've witnessed many snag hookups this season and every fisher I saw that foul hooked released it. I never saw anyone keep one that wasn't hooked in the yap.

There are many good people out there.

Good fishin to you my friend. :thumbup:

Ps.

There are a ton of sockeye in there right now.

Hi Eagledays,

No disrespect to you personally. I am pleased to hear that you had a positive experience. No sir, I have not been fishing a different river. I usually fish that river for rainbows in the upper reaches below Mable Lake but I have stopped and watched the carnage at the Enderby Bridge on my way up. I have also gone to Mabel Lake a few times to fish for Chinooks in the first week of the opening. I am happy to hear that you witnessed fish hooked in the mouth but I still contend most fish are hooked in the outside portion of the mouth. Chinooks are way easier to entice to bite when they are closer to the ocean say middle to lower Fraser River, tidal Kitimat, mid Skeena etc. Not saying it can't be done, but not very common.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Hey Eagledays, we should hook up sometime. I'd love to learn more about that chinook river fishery you say is legitimate as Ive only fished the lake for chinook and the river for rainbows gorging on salmon fry and eggs. It's all about learning and I would like someone to change my perception of what I saw and often hear about.

 

[eagledays]

We can do that.

I'll pm ya my number and we'll see what we can see.

Hey Eagledays, we should hook up sometime. I'd love to learn more about that chinook river fishery you say is legitimate as Ive only fished the lake for chinook and the river for rainbows gorging on salmon fry and eggs. It's all about learning and I would like someone to change my perception of what I saw and often hear about.

 

[eagledays]

I gotta go...

Headin out early am.

Using circle hooks.

 

[Dfisher]

These chinook swim that great distance because that is the way they have been programmed by mother nature to travel that great distance to spawn in their natal waters. These fish will undergo extensive physiological changes and one will be to quit feeding. The longer they stay in fresh water the more lockjawed they become. The 2010 Salmon and Steelhead journal for Spring 2010 had various reasons why salmon bite in fresh water ranging from curiousity to aggression. But once salmon become lockjawed, for some fisherman the only logical solution to catch them, unfortunately becomes to snag/floss them which is why the suspicion once these fish have almost completed their long journey home.

 

[eagledays]

These chinook swim that great distance because that is the way they have been programmed by mother nature to travel that great distance to spawn in their natal waters. These fish will undergo extensive physiological changes and one will be to quit feeding. The longer they stay in fresh water the more lockjawed they become. The 2010 Salmon and Steelhead journal for Spring 2010 had various reasons why salmon bite in fresh water ranging from curiousity to aggression. But once salmon become lockjawed, for some fisherman the only logical solution to catch them, unfortunately becomes to snag/floss them which is why the suspicion once these fish have almost completed their long journey home.

Get off it.

Are you here fishing?

There is no lock jaw here!

Come out here and fish before you know everything.

You'll learn something.

 

[eagledays]

Dfisher.

I am so sorry.

I'm not coming down on you.

I just get so sick and tired of stupid people.

My apology if I offended you.

 

[SmOtPoKeR]

So I went back another 2 times..

Still havnt gotten anything.. but i did find a sweet hole... cook creek its called... and its about 25 km up past the bridge... everyone there was using orange wool with a little bit of red in it... and they are biting at it... i have been doing some research and some of the replies to this thread are very true and some not so much... not gonna say who or what was wrong.. but the salmon will bite on roe or what they think is roe to clean it up basically or so other fish dont get it...... flashers and hoochies are rarly getting anything in the river from what i seen.
Out of 40 ppl i ran into that day.... one person caught a fish and it was in the mouth... you can tell ppl are mega trying to snag them though... u can pick them out a mile away, they will cast then right after yank the rod back as hard they can every single time... i just cast and reel in normally... mainly because i dont like doing all that extra pulling haha, and snagging isnt really like you got em legit either... i would have released any fish i got seeing as there so color'ed up now.. there is lots of sockeye and coho in there aswelll... But now that salmon season is over... im gonna have to wait it out till next year or drive further... thanks for all the comments