I am new to the Tawas area in Michigan, and I was wondering if someone could tell me what is the best way for me to approach fishing for Salmon in Tawas Bay at the time of year?

My fishing buddy tells me that the Salmon are coming in shallow at this time of year, so I don't need to be too far off shore on my boat.  He suggests fishing before dawn or after sun set with glow color Cleos or with Husky Jerks during day light.  Is there anything else that I need to be using, or am I on the right track?

Thank you in advance for your help and guidance.

welcome to the forum gfayolle. A couple of issies back in north american fisherman there was an article on salmon on lake michigan sound very similar to what you are asking. if you are new to the club and do not have this back issue then look it up under north american fisherman at the top of the website. other than that there are several folks on the forum who are knowledeable on this subject and can shed some light for you.

Brian

Brain

I am brand new to the club and eager to learn as much as I can about fishing.  I have only had two issues so far, but I will look up the back issues on line.

Thanks again

Glen

Hi Glen. wish i could be more of a help. i think it was the issue around april or may. I posted about it under north american fisherman magazine feedback on this forum. I will check it out when I get home today. There was alos a small piece in infisherman a couple of months ago about bank or pier fishing using alewife's that was interesting if you have a buddy who subscribes to that mag.

Brian

the alewife's is more of a spring thing......

this time of year the salmon are very close to shore and most likely are being caught by people casting spoons at the river mouths and up stream a bit. the kings are coming in to spawn right now and should be running up the rivers. there are several lures that do work this time of year when trolling behind your boat.

u-20 flatfish, fluter spoons -- such as northport and southport nailers, or any spoons that are made like them --, little cleos, jewels, kracodel spoons, large crank baits such as big-a's and big-o's from bagley, yes the huskie jerks will work and so will fat raps.
colors to use are......organ, silver, black, chartreuse, copper, blue, red.......all these are in combos with one or the other.....like silver/blue, silver/organ, copper/blue, copper/yellow, black with a silver or prism strip across the middle at an angle from to bottom.....these are spoon colors and they will work on the u-20's also.

the best time of day for your best chance of hanging a salmon, is early morning -- before sunrise -- and late evening -- after sunset -- that doesn't mean you can not get hook-ups during the day, because you can. its just thats when the fish are more apt to be moving and most of the time there is less pressure on the water.

i would like to add, that this time of the year if you are out trolling. i would put a husky jerk out behind the boat on at least 1 rod. because the walleyes are cruising close to the shore near the river mouths also.

I would say your best bet for the salmon on the east side would be to head to harrisville which is about a 30 minute drive north of tawas, Oscoda used to be good but it has fallen down hill in recent years, also in Tawas you might look in and around the State Boat Launch I have done well casting spoons in there this time of year. You may want to start thinking about Whities off the wall once early/ mid November hits, thats always a ball with a brown or two thrown in for good luck. I jig waxies and boiled eggs for the whities and throw a rod out with scain for the browns, I grew up fishing Salmon amd Steelhead on Lake Michigan and I now have a cottage in Oscoda on Lake Huron since 1995 but I am down on Lake Erie now fishing Jumbo Yellowbellies and Eyes. I don't get up that way as often as I used too but always enjoy northern MI.