Danube Salmon - How to catch?

Danube Salmon

is close cousin of syberian taimen. They both are the world biggest salmonidae species. I heard about over 200lb taimen! Normal size of danube salmon is between 10lb (~30in) and 40lb(~50in). Sometimes 60lb. In Poland you can't take danube salmon if it is smaller than 70cm(~28 inch). There is also limit - one fish per week.

Most of anglers releases all of them because it is very rare and beautiful fish. In Poland we can find danube salmon in 3 big mountain rivers: San, Poprad and Dunajec (on my photos) and sometimes in big dam reservoirs on this rivers (like Czorsztyn, Rożnów, Solina). This fish needs clear, cold and deep water, but sometimes when feeding (mostly on trout, grayling, chub and barbel) it comes to 2 feet depth.Danube salmon favourite feed is big fish. Often between 10in and 20in. Sometimes even bigger! That is why it is necessary to use big lures - mostly crankbaits.

This fish is a night predator. It feeds mainly between sunset and sunrise, but in Poland is forbidden to fish at night in most of mountain rivers. That is why it is very difficult to catch. I didn't catch one yet, but i had a few bites. Once i lost it before landing. There are people who try to catch it for 10 years or more without result.

I live over 200km from the nearest river with danube salmon so i can't fish there often. My friend who lives 15km from Dunajec caught already (during 12 years) over 90 danube salmons bigger than 28 inch!!

For three years i collected a few best lures for danube salmon. Of course there is much more of them, but they are very similar.

Recipe to catch danube salmon is:

• Come to Poland to Dunajec in Sromowce in November when it is snowing and it is cold and windy
• Start fishing with sun rise
• Use long (9 - 10 feet) and heavy (up to 4 - 5oz) rod - I use Shimno technium 2,7m (9 feet), 50 - 100g (2oz - 4oz).
• Use light, but strong reel - I use Penn Slammer 360 with 30lb monofilament
• Use big crankbait(6 - 8 in) imitating trout
• Fish slowly, cast across the river, look for deep spots and underwater obstacles like big stones.
• Be very PATIENT. You can come here for a week and leave with nothing...