Deleted User
05-03-2000, 03:42 PM
Here is some tech I promised. Since I cannot sit for long right now but the trib.'s are ready to heat up, I will provide some good fundamental tips for those still learning these rivers. The intricate tech will come by answering questions submitted in reply here under this post thread, or later within my book. Other good fishermen are more than welcomed by me to add any tech suggestions here that you would care to share. It will be very appreciated. -- Tips for larger springer rivers; such as the Clackamas, Santiam, Umpqua, Rogue, Sandy, NF Lewis, Cowlitz, Skagit, etc.: Baits- Tough to beat properly cured egg clusters the size of a .50 cent piece w/ a small birdie in pink/white or green/white above. If the water has good color to it use an egg/sandshrimp combo, adjusting the plastic larger and more colorful as the water color increases (such as a size 8 orange/chatruse Spin N Glo). When the water is clear it's hard to beat a solo sandshrimp plus small pearl corkie, rigged straight on a 2 hook setup. Try injecting the shrimp with either a good cod liver oil or my egg/shrimp/crawfish combo oil with chems. See the old Discussion Board & click on "Gregg- Trolling & Scent" all the way back down to 12/18 for a couple great custom oil formulas for bait injecting & on lures; and also on 12/18 "RT Egg Cure" info for cluster mods. Also see "Prawn Curing & Rigging" 1 & 2 on 2/29 & 3/1 for a uniquely effective way to fish prawns in large fast current rivers. Bait presentation (boats)- Backtroll slowly! I prefer to backbounce bait with a 35" leader & 10" lead dropper. 20# leader with water colored and 12 to 15 when clear. Use weights that will bounce point stabilize a ways down from the commotion of the OB noice (30' to 50'). Use short lift & tap strokes. As out in the Willamette, the fish will sometimes only nibble or lightly mouth the bait so when that occurs ease up just a bit on the bouncing or just drop the rodtip down for a bit until you get a real good bite or take down before setting. For backtrolling Jet Planers I use in-line size 20 clear or green for most of the water I fish. For really deep holes I use size 30 on a 6" dropper. Hot N Tot bait divers work great! Standard size in green for 5' to 10' deep slots and the Magnum size in blue or red for 12' to 17' deep runs. Use snapswivels at the upper leader & lower mainline to facilitate quick change of divers for varying water conditions. For line distance out start at about 40' for shallower slots or upper end entry. As the water deepens very slowly let out additional line. As a rule of thumb, you have too much line out if the rodtip (about 4' above the water) keeps slacking or you pull it forward and you feel the diver dredge bottom, and not enough out if you can't feel bottom by doing the same with the rodtip 4' lower right at water level. Rodholders are fine for uniform depth runs, but hold it and adjust the length out &/or the rodtip height for keeping bait at the optimal depths (don't fish lazy!). For bank anglers, drift baits with a little more lead than for steelhead to slow down the speed for 'nooks. Drift along the seams instead of continually casting too far out and having your baitrig dragged thru the fastest water. Lures- The most productive by far for me has been my half n half custom colored blue & chrome with red tailed standard size Wiggle Wart (see "Customized Lures" 1 & 2, posted 2/25 for instructions for these & others). Use the above line length out/rodtip advise for plugs. Try same custom colored K12 & K14 Kwikfish backbounced in the deep holes (w/o too fast of current) on a 50" leader & 24" dropper; they work well at times (sardine or herring wrapped on the K14 or 15). Spinners are effective and underused in my opinion. Try a size 4 Bud or Vibrax in silver blades, fished slow & deep near bottom. Water- You will learn quickly by watching where the guides fish. Don't just work the deep holes. Backtroll 4' to 6' deep runs too, especially when it's not gin clear. You will also pick up summer steelhead there.- Steve - Will edit in some things as I think of them. Boondogging- I would sure appreciate if a good "dogger" would post some tips on this method. It is still used effectively on the Cow & Skat in WA and such as the Kenai in AK. I don't know why it's not used much on the larger Ore. rivers, but I don't mind because they could get in my way while backtrolling. Anyway, I have done some of it and it's a relaxing change of pace for fishing salmon & steelhead. Position your boat at the top end of a long stretch of productive water. In the slot's center if you plan to backdrag right over the fish in other than real clear water, or just off to the side of the main slot if you plan to side drift. Use essentially the same rigup as for driftfishing, keeping your leader about 24 to 30". Some like to use a very short dropper (3 or 4") for the lead. For backdragging you keep the boat drifting sidewards with oars or OB (preferably electric) straight down thru productive water while drag drifting the baitrigs upstream not too far behind the boat. Use just enough lead so that your rigs bounce only every few feet but stay behind the boat. When fish pick up the bait, this setup quickly deslacks for a quick hookset. For sidedrifting you drift at the same speed as the main slot out from the boat. Fishers cast out slightly different distances and angles from each other and fish as if you were driftfishing from a stationary postion, only you don't have to reel in & recast so often. Motor back up to repeat. But please don't do this in a hole that has a few other boats backtrolling if that is the common practice used in an area.-
[This message has been edited by RT (edited 05-03-2000).]
[This message has been edited by RT (edited 05-03-2000).]