Compared to Pacific and Great Lakes runs of king and silver salmon, landlocked Atlantic salmon don’t get quite as much love. That’s not to say there aren’t legions of anglers that chase them, they’re just simply more confined to certain regions of the country, namely the Northeast. Throughout New England, landlocked Atlantics are highly prized and big business. Stocking programs have existed for decades and in states like Maine and New Hampshire, these fish seriously boost licenses sales. But while targeting them in the summer is popular, the odds of catching more and bigger salmon are better in spring.
My friend Tim Moore is a full-time guide on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, which has been groomed to flourish as a salmon fishery. Predator species like pike and muskie don’t exist here as one part of the effort to keep salmon populations healthy. The methods Moore uses in the early season apply to any salmon fishery where smelt are present — which is most Northeast bodies of water where salmon are found. Here’s why April is one of the best months to drop the hammer on these shiny speed demons.
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Bait & Wait
On Winnipesaukee, salmon season opens on April 1. However, Moore says most years there’s still too much ice on the lake to target them. What he’s waiting for is true ice off. As soon as he can get the boat in, he wants to go, because the cold water temperature is key. This time of year, all the smelt in the lake will congregate in shallows along the lake shore. They’re waiting for the temperature to come up enough to spawn, and it’s during this window that you want to strike.
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“Once the smelt run is over, all those fish will head back out into deep water,” says Moore. “That means smelt trappers won’t be able to supply bait shops with live ones anymore, and the smelt are the key to early-season success. They’re a high-protein food source and the salmon need to eat a lot of them, so they’ll come right into the shoreline in April.”
What makes this time of year so special according to Moore is that the salmon are more predictable in terms of location than during any other point in the season. Until the smelt go back offshore, almost every salmon will be cruising in water 12 feet deep or less, which can pose a problem for salmon-hungry anglers not used to fishing this early in the year.
The Slow Roll
Trolling is the most common way to target landlocked salmon, and methods can be traced to Europe where streamer flies were pulled on sinking lines behind row boats. While flies still come into play, modern trolling leans heavily on downriggers, spoons, and crankbaits. During April, however, you can pretty much leave all these things at home.
“I see so many guys in April trolling out deep,” Moore says. “I’m not saying they don’t catch a few, but you really want to be shallow. I’m also rarely trolling anything but smelt while I can get my hands on them, and I’m not using any additional weight. You’re essentially flat-line trolling natural bait at a very slow speed.”
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Moore sews his baits in place using his hook — not a rigging needle that requires you to sew the bait before attaching your leader. He’ll run the hook through both nostrils, then in and out down the length of the fish, ending by burying the hook in the bait’s rear flank. Moore says when slow-trolled, this rigging will put a slight bend in the bait that makes it spiral in a wide, circular roll — an action he says the salmon can’t resist.
Free Swim
I’m not a big fan of trolling, to be honest. Maybe you aren’t either. So, what if you want if you want to get after spring landlocks without towing lines? According to Moore, though you’re going to sacrifice numbers, there is a way.
“A lot of people just live-line live smelt on spinning rods,” he says. “Here, too, you don’t need any weight. You either drift or power drift with your trolling motor and let your bait swim around out there in shallow water.”
While bites may be fewer, the fights are worth the wait according to Moore. A trophy Winnipesaukee salmon might top out around 8 pounds, but what landlocks lack in size they make up for in speed and tenacity, especially when pinned on a light spinning rod. During April when they’re holding shallow, you’re also more likely to be treated to a signature Atlantic air show after you set the hook.
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