Wanting to start Salmon fishing this year.

Hey everyone I am not totally new to Salmon fishing, I did a couple days worth last year and caught . . . absolutely nothing. I know that Salmon and trout are the toughest of fish to catch in Ontario and thats why i am intrigued, plus my pride is hurt from last years failure. So I have some questions and i would like for them to be answered if you don't mind.

1: What month generally do Salmon start running up creeks and rivers?
2: Does Salmon rue truly work much better if it doesn't come out of a vending machine? or a restaurant?
3: When fishing creeks, is all like that your waiting there and then theres no Salmon and then suddenly a huge crowd of over 200 pass by you for a minute?
4: How often do Salmon eat when they are running?
5: Is it much easier to catch them with a float rod as oppose to a spinning reel?
6: Do you have a greater chance of catching a salmon during night fishing?
7: How many Salmon would you say are typically caught from one run in a creek?
8: Are waders a good idea?
9: Would you ever recommend to eat A salmon which came from Lake ontario? Im not eating one but I would like to know to discourage others.
10: As I am pretty much brand spanking new to this, is there any obvious things I must or should know first before heading out this year?

Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated, thank you.

1. Salmon will start showing up at the piers in August, and big runs start coming into the rivers in early September. You can catch them until Mid-late October.
2. Order some roe off Fishheads and tie into bags. Freeze when not using it. Skein eggs also work well.
3. Not really. The salmon do come in waves triggered by rainfall, but they're usually somewhat spread out throughout the river. Some pools get more stacked than others.
4. Salmon don't feed when running, but they bite out of aggression. This is why bright crankbaits and spinners work well.
5. When float fishing, a float rod and centerpin is the best tool, although you can use a spinning reel. You can use your regular spinning rod for casting crankbaits and spinners in the rivers, and spoons at the piers.
6. Night fishing is generally a better time to catch them, especially off the piers. In the rivers, there's still plenty of fish during the day. On the piers the bite is best at night, but if there's overcast/rainy weather, or if it's late in the season, you can get them during the day off the piers.
7. Hard to put an exact number on it, but usually the most fish are caught a few days after a rain when a fresh run is in. Fishing gets tough when the water clears.
8. Waders are a great idea.
9. Maybe a fresh one off the pier, but a river salmon wouldn't seem safe to eat. I wouldn't recommend telling people not to keep their fish though.

I'm no expert, but you can shoot me a PM if you need any tips.

Good luck!

Thank You chrome Addict you really helped out. Still do have some curiosity left though.

1: Would you say that under or over a hundred salmon get caught a one harbour a year?
2: When fishing for Salmon in creeks,do you usually head straight to pools in or do you like to fish the shallow shinny parts?
3o you ever catch Salmon in less than still water?
4:What works better a lure or Salmon Rue?

Also any tips or tricks at all I would really appreciate. I really would like to be a blue to catch one this year!

I honestly can't put a number on it. Some harbors have huge runs, others have very small runs. Same goes with rivers. Timing the run will maximize your chances. If you are interested in fishing the piers and harbors, read these threads:
http://www.ontariofishingforums.com/forum/topic/12280-port-credit-salmon-%E2%80%9Cpier%E2%80%9D-fishing-tips-for-noobs/
http://www.ontariofishingforums.com/forum/topic/16483-a-tip-for-timing-the-salmon-runs-for-the-noobs/

Always fish the pools, salmon in shallow water are often snagged or 'flossed'. Leave the shallow areas alone and stick to the deeper waters.

Not exactly sure what you mean, but most piers and harbors are still water, or very little current. The lower sections of the river can hold lots of salmon, and are generally slow water.

I always bring both. If you see salmon aggressively chasing or surfacing, try a lure. If you don't see much activity, drift roe or skein near the bottom under a float. Lures such as heavy (3/4oz) spoons and big crankbaits (Rapala J-13) are normally used off the pier.

Make sure your gear is heavy enough for salmon, these are very strong fish. You can kill them by fighting them too long. 9-14' rod for float fishing with 6-10lb leads. 7-10' rod for lure fishing with 10-20lb leads. Go heavier at the pier and lighter in the creeks. I use 20lb braid with 15lb leader on the pier. You don't want to be undergunned.

Read the two threads above, they have some very good information in them.

Thanks man I will read the threads also I do have a very strong rod (30 pound maximum) and I know to use only spider wire when fishing for the Salmon. Once again thank you so much for all of your help.