[best4now]

Guys,

I fished montrose around 3:00 pm to night fall. I had no luck catching salmon, although the baby trout did not mind nibbling my shrimp. The late afternoon water was flat with light winds and enjoyable. As the salmon bite was non existant for me today, which is a change for me, because recently I was catching salmon every other day. I wondered that the reason for my lack of action may have been because alewives were schooling big time in the harbor today. So, I turned my attention to fishing for alewife with gold bait hooks, as I heard that using alewife as bait for salmon would increase chances of hooking up with a salmon. If you are an alewife expert and had a couple of frozen alewife in your freezer and wanted to use them to defeat a salmon, when and how would you do it? Make sure to describe the technical set up with some details foir us newbies!

Thank you!

[walleyecatcher]

From what I have heard, you can rig live or dead alewives on a slip sinker rig with a hook strong enough that it won't bend from a trout or salmon.

[tinyfisher]

This should help!

viewtopic.php?f=126&t=51366

[best4now]

All,

I appreciate your suggestions! I've been fishing montrose and the shrimp has been working. Lost a king and a brown. I still wish to use my frozen alewife, anyone have experience using frozen alewife? When is it best to use frozen alewife? What is the best gear set up to use the frozen alewife?

Thanks!

[Barnacle]

best4now, frozen alewives or thawed? ahhhhh just teasin bro. check with chancesR on that. he knows his chit.

[joelreiser]

Save the frozen alewives for early spring browns. Use a bottom rig or beach/surf rig! Browns in the spring pick up dead bait off the bottom. Frozen shinners are usually the best. Try using jigs or black flies under a float now!

[Finman]

Or try this take the alewive and fillet it into strips. Then take the strips they smell great and everything that swims eats them. There is a black strip at the top. At the widest part insert your hook and depending on how much spin you want do this. If you have little wave action then put the hook thru the black stripe on top and have it come out straight down for maximum spin. If there is a lot of wave action then go through the bottom at a 45 degree angle and if rigged correctly will spin less. This will have several benefits it has lots of flash and the smell factor. I put this on a slip rig. You can vary the depth by the length of the dropper to the weight. Its easier to fillet if the alewives are slightly frozen. Give it a try IMHO its as good as it gets for dead bait. If you use them whole use the half hitch and hook them through the back above the dorsal fin. It feeds the bait head first. I agree with Joel in the fact that shiners work great also and never hurts to toss out another rod with either shiners and or skein and let the fish tell you what they prefer. Dirty water smell is good and it helps the fish find the bait. Clear water you have the flash. Dirty water shorten your leader and clear make it 3-5 foot. Give it a try and let us know how you do.
Good Luck Good Fishing all,
Finman out

[cruiser]

Another informative post Finman !!!

A month ago, I was floating shrimp for some steelies in Chicago harbor, but no takers for couple of weeks on several outings. One day when I was not paying a attention, steelhead jumps out of the water and i notice my float tailing behind him. I make a run to grab my rod to set the hook, but I notice my float slowly floating up. Slowly I reel in my line and I noticed steelie took the shrimp clean off my hook. After that disappointing incident, I decided to try your half hitch on shrimp. Since using half hitch on shrimp, I've caught 3 steelies and I have not lost my bait to steelhead yet. Steelies don't hit your line often so when they decide to hit your line, need to make it count.

Thanks again Finman.

[best4now]

, thanks for all of your input! I will try the alewife strips, and of course the half hitch/Finman method. I hope to report my alewife technique success or lack thereof from shore in the future!