First trip since getting home

[re-tyred]

Having given the boat a service and checking all the gear I have been waiting for an opportunity to restock on bait for offshore.
Salmon are the target. Launched today after my morning swim at the heated pool. My usual salmon haunt is the gutters next to the entrance. Quick run down there to find still a little too much roll to safely fish in there with the tinny.
So what next? Salmon are quite common in the lake but can take some finding. They're usually smaller fish but fine for bait. Well I rigged a cpl of rods and proceeded up houpton channel trolling metals. Zippo all the way up past the barrier and the channel between rigby and Fraser island. Trolled past Nyrimallang up to Nungurner. Zip. On the way back towards the narrows I decided to put out a soft plastic to see how it went. Just short of Kalimna jetty a small bite and a very small load up. Wound it in and a 23cm salmon. Hmm well it is legal and would make good snapper bait, so into the esky and a few circles in the area for two more, then nothing. Crossed over the shallows and tried alongside Rigby. I noticed a show on the sound then bang loaded up the soft plastic rod with a bit more action . 30 cm fish on the deck. Chucked it back in and bang another. The tide was running out at about 2kts so anchored up stream from the show and cast the soft plastic back with instant results. 20 minutes later I had 10 fish in the esky with all of them in the 30+cm size but no big ones. Fine for bait. I did bleed three so I could try my new smoker out
Those three are now filleted and boned and sitting in brine and brown sugar in the fridge.
Now I just need some offshore weather. Not looking good this weekend

[e.welch]

enjoy the salmon

[Footsore]

What type of soft plastics did you use and we're you working them with the rod or just letting them swim in the current.
Hope the fillets smoke up well.

[re-tyred]

What type of soft plastics did you use and we're you working them with the rod or just letting them swim in the current.
Hope the fillets smoke up well.

Mostly just letting them ski with the current. Berkley gulp minnows

[Footsore]

Thanks I'll give them a go when I'm down that end of the lakes.

[Lightningx]

Nice session mate! Now that you have some fresh bait hopefully you can get onto some snappers soon
Which wood chips do you use to smoke your salmons with?
Cheers

[re-tyred]

Well I am an inexperienced smoker. Just bought one.
I soaked 8 fillets overnight in brine and brown sugar. Today I lit the fire in the smoker just using dry firewood. Once the fire had settled down I added cuttings from sage and Rosemary bushes then closed the air intake. Soon as there was plenty of smoke I put the fish on the rack and then just let it smoke for a cpl of hours. I kept an eye on it and adjusted the air intake to keep the temp in the smoking box to around 100c. They turned out pretty good. Ate them for lunch.

[Sinsemilla]

How was the taste of the smoked salmon re-tyred? I'm yet to try smoking my own salmon.

Have you every tried salmon sashimi? Once i did, I don't bother eating it any other way anymore.

Cheers, Anth

[re-tyred]

They where great Anth. Just like smoked fish bought at the shop. This is the smoker

[smile0784]

Very n8ce mate
Enjoy