Gigantic salmon caught in The Baltic Sea

Photo: Nina Söderblom

Last thursday is a day trolling fisherman Peter Hellgren (44) and his girlfriend Nina Söderblom in the trolling team Taking Time will not easily forget. They set out from the harbour of Simrishamn in The Baltic Sea in the afternoon to hunt for salmon. The strategy was clear: Find warmer water.

You can read the Norwegian version here.

The couple set course east. When they arrived the well known Waypoint 11 they found what they were looking for. A small spot with 0,8 degrees warmer water than the surrounding water and the spot also was crowded with bait fish. They started crossing the warmer spot for 30 minutes before something happened. Suddenly one reel started screaming. A big salmon had taken a green and black Rhino rubber fish behind an Oki flasher at 90 feet.

The fish took 900 feet in the first run and a long battle began. After quite some time the couple could see an amazing salmon.

- Don't loose that fish! The message from Peters girlfriend Nina was not to be misunderstood.

- How was the fight and how long did it go on, I ask Peter.

- It was brutal. The salmon was 300 meters away from the boat several times.

He tells me the battle went on for one hour and ten minutes before Nina had it in the net. After a few quick photos the beautiful wild salmon was released. It was 121 cm long and the weight was 21,6 kg.

- Does your girlfriend fish with you often and has she caught some salmons?

- Yes. She is with med fishing all the time and she has caught many salmons, Peter says.

The salmon was the biggest they had ever caught, but it was not the first really big salmon for them. Peter has earlier reeled inn salmons of 20,2 and 19,8 kg.  He tells me he has been trolling fishing since the middle of the 90's. The couple are out hunting salmon about 50 days a year.

NICE BOAT: Team Taking Time's 
32 feet Bertram located in Simrishamn.
 Photo: Peter Hellgren

- Are you attending Trolling Master Bornholm?

- No. Unfortunately not this year.

- Which are your favorite lures?

- Northern King Magnum and Ismo Magnum.

- Your best advice for catching big salmons in The Baltic?

- At this time of year you must look for warm water, Peter says.

Finally Peter shares one of his secrets: - I always put one releaser directly on the planer board and let the lure go only five meters behind it. It seems the salmons get curious. We have caught quite some fish by this method. Especially early in the spring.

Here you can find the coordinates for Waypoint 11
Salmon or Sea Trout? Can you see the difference?