Salmon trolling in Åland

If you are interested in salmon trolling, you won’t get a greater experience than a trolling tour on the Sea of Åland. The excitement increases for every minute and when the silvery fish finally takes the bait, the adventure has only begun.

According to experienced trolling fishers, there’s an abundance of kind spirit among sports fisher’s out on the Sea of Åland. Tips are shared freely about what kind of bait or colours to be used or in which depth the salmon can be found at. Beginners can easily become frightened by all the big boats with advanced equipment, but you can also fish from smaller boats – as long as you’ve got an eye on the weather.

Tips for succesful trolling

Salmon is a formidable catch when you’re lucky enough to catch one. When it comes to trolling, being well equipped is most important. Make sure that you’re meticulous with your baits and how you present them, because they’re affected by many different factors such as waves, the flow of the current, the size of your hooks and much more. The fishing line is put under immense pressure when the salmon takes the bait – the most awe-inspiring specimens can weigh towards 25 kg.

When you’re trolling for salmon, you usually pull several different baits after the boat at a speed of approximately 2-3 knots. Usually for this purpose flutterspoons are used, but you can also make use of natural baits, such as bleak or sprat.

When it comes to baits, classic colours are shades of yellow, green and white, but even sparkly baits with flashtape in different colours are suitable. When you’re fishing with natural bait such as bleak it’s normal to employ a flasher a bit ahead of the bait to give it an interesting movement in the water whilst luring the salmon.

Safe fishing

The fishing happens just outside the coastline, on a depth from 20 meters all the way to 200 meters. The fishing lines are weighed down by different weights to present the bait at different depths. The migrating salmon passes Åland by during May and early June, and is best fished right from the surface down to a depth of 15 meters.

When you head out to the open sea, it’s important that you’re able to stay safe. When the wind rises to a speed of 10 m/s you’re nearing the line of being able to fish well and safely. With wind and waves you run a higher risk of getting a fishing line in the propeller, which will cause you engine problems. Be prepared that the weather might shift quickly out on the open sea.

When heading out to the open sea, you also have to account for the ship traffic around Åland. It is important to be observant of the traffic and fairways so that you don’t hinder the vessels or put yourself in danger.

Best in May and June

In Åland the circumstances for salmon trolling are optimal. There are large fishing grounds and a good charter boat service, as well as great accomodation options from hotels to cabins. Additionally, distances to fishing places are short. 

High season for salmon trolling is in May and early June. That’s also when the surrounding archipelago nature in Åland is at its finest –  the seabirds have returned and nature is slowly but surely turning from beautiful spring into full summer bloom.

For a safe and seamless fishing experience we recommend that you book a local sportfishing guide, even if you’ve gone fishing in Åland before. This way you get the best help possible finding the right fishing spots that work for the day and baits optimal there.

Trollingträff Åland – absolute must among fishing events

If salmon trolling at sea is one of your great interests, you should reserve a weekend at the end of May or beginning of June for a fishing trip to Åland.

That is also the time for the annual salmon trolling team competition Trollingträff Åland in the waters surrounding Eckerö and Hammarudda, which is considered to be one of the best salmon fishing areas in Åland. The competition has a long tradition behind it, and for a good reason. The competition is popular among sportfishers from Finland, Åland and abroad and has been appreciated for years.

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