"Too" thpick Or Not "Too" thpick?

[drifter]

Arise fellow drift fisherman and lend me your ears. "Too" thpick Or Not "Too" thpick, That is the Question? Whether Tis Nobler to allow your corker to move freely up and down your leader, or, by taking toothpick in hand, to strike yon corker and forever stop its wandering? (Apologies to Hamlet.)

Seriously, chromers, what do you think about this classic debate? Do you use a toothpick to hold your corkies in place? Yes or No. And Why?

Thanks in advance for your time. ITS BETTER TO TALK ABOUT FISHING THAN WORK (ALTHOUGH I WOULD RATHER BE FISHING) Drifter.

[Ramstrong]

I personally never toothpick corkies. I would guess they could fray a leader if they slide on it. If the water is fast moving I'll place my yarn in the egg loop of the hook. But if it's slower I have something I've been experimenting with this year with fair success. I tie the yarn above my corkies on the leader. Then I cut the end opposite the hook close to the leader. Then the peice that is hanging over the corkies I trim even with the end of the corkies and drub it out. It covers the corkies with yarn and changes the silouette. You can kind of see it in this picture. the yarn has ridden up the leader. there is 1 corkie at the fishes mouth, another about midway up the leader then the yarn toward the top. I have been experimenting with different yarn/corkie combinations. But most all of my fish on my canadian trip were caught with this setup, as well as most of my clackamas silvers this year.

I created a tip on my webpage with crude diagrams of what I do
http://www.xprt.net/~ryandsar/tips.html hope this helps I prefer to use 2 smal corkies instead of 1 large one, jsut big enough to float the hook.

[This message has been edited by Ramstrong (edited 11-01-2000).]

[Hammer Bob]

After catching a couple of steelhead which hit the corkie and then finding out that I hooked the fish under the jaw or in the side of the head started me pinning my corkies. Since I started this I haven't foul hooked a steelhead. I usually just use some twigs along the river to pin the corkie. They are a lot softer than toothpicks and don't fray the leader as I change pieces of roe....which requires sliding the corkie up and down the leader to open the egg loop.

[OneLastCast]

My response is almost exactly like Hammer Bobs but rather than twigs I will often strip an alder leaf to the main stem and use the stem. It already has a nice taper and you can trim accordingly.
Another thing I do when I pretie my leaders and want yarn is I will double up a piece of line and push it through the corky with the loop toward the hook. Then slide a small piece of yarn through the loop and pull the whole thing back through the corky. Depending on the bulk of the yarn it may not come all the way through but thats fine, just grab one end of the line and pull the line free. The yarn will stay.

[Wog]

Drifter,
The only time I will use a tooothpick to hold my corkies is when I'm fishing with more than one corkie on the leader. Sometimes I'll drift fish two or three tiny corkies. Pinning them seems to keep them in place so they don't slide up your line. When fishing a single cork, I don't use toothpicks. This is just my personal preference and has worked well for me over the years so I stick with it.
Good luck, Wog

[This message has been edited by Wog (edited 11-01-2000).]

[fish_on]

Anybody thought of useing a bobber stopper to limit the corkies movement?

[chromer]

About twenty years ago I tried using a toothpick in my Corkies. My wife's grandfather used them and after listening to his reasoning for "pinning" a Corkie I gave it a try. I then lost 11 winter steelhead in a row. My buddy had just bought a new Shimano reel (we hadn't seen Shimano's before only Amabassador's) and asked if I would like to give it a try. On the second cast I hooked a fish and landed it. He didn't have a toothpick in his Corkie. I immediately removed the toothpick from my rig and landed the next fish I hooked. I've never used a toothpick again.

I don't know if the lost fish were able to leverage the hook out with the pinned Corkie or if it was just a freak thing. I have certainly lost many fish since then without the toothpick, but not 11 in a row.

Now in situations where I want to make sure my Corkie is riding the hook, I just tie an overhand knot of yarn (pulled as tight as I can)just above the Corkie. It does the job, adds color, and more importantly, I haven't noticed any increase in lost fish.

chromer

[Wog]

fish_on,
That's not a bad idea, might have to try that one. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif It seems to me that the inner diameter size of most corkies (except maybe the small ones) could still get by most bobber stops, especially the pre-tied ones. Personally I tie my own stops, I guess you would have to make sure to tie a big enough knot so the cork won't slide up your line.
Wog

[This message has been edited by Wog (edited 11-01-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Wog (edited 11-01-2000).]

[jawbreaker]

I use to use bobber stoppers for corkies but sometimes the corkies would slip right over the stopper and up your leader. I like Bob's
idea to just use a twig because its also a lot faster to use than to tie on a stopper.

[Sand Shrimp]

When drift fishing for steelhead in normal conditions I don't use a toothpick.The current will keep the corky right up against the hook.But if I am fishing slow water or current seams in higher water I think a toothpick is needed to make sure the corkie stays in place.Winter steelhead in high water will hold in the quieter water and sometimes in eddies where there isn't enough current to keep the corky in place.

[Gizmo Man]

from using my underwater camera, I notice that corkies, spin glows do ride up the line depending on how much weight you use on the hook with your eggs and the lead. an arch is formed in the line and the lighter materials float to the center of the arch.

Since observing this, I tie a loose "bobber stop" using a piece of mono leaving about 1/4 inch on each side to stop the corkie from sliding over it. When I need to rebait the hook, I slide the corkie over the stop or move the stop up, bait and return to the position above the hook, about an inch.

If you are loosing fish, are you using a corkie too big for the hook, blocking the gap of the hook.

Giz...

[Osprey]

I would say I fix my corkie about 90% of the time with either a tooth pick or a twig or what ever works and doesn't nick my leader OLC: great idea with the yarn loop thru the corkie I will try this tomorrow it doesn't have to hold really tight just enough resistance to keep it from riding up...Os

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Row quietly and fish a Cataraft !!-------<'))>><
Release all Wild Fish

[smilesforu]

Ok here is a little secret setup I use to use for summerruns in the spring I learned from a guide. Take the large round red corkie and toothpick it up your line 6 inches. Below that put a cluster of eggs with double hooks. Leader length should be 18-22 inches long. The fish always took the cluster eggs under the bobber used to make a larger profile. You can also use smaller hooks with this setup because the bobber doesn't get in the way of the hook gap.

You can also toothpick a bead so you can put a spinglow on the line http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If I am not using the above setups I never toothpick my bobbers so I can change colors. I also match the hooks to the bobber size I am using so I don't have the bobber slide problems. Keepem sharp and you'll land more

Tight Lines


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Marty M
Steelheader.net (http://www.steelheader.net/)

[dawhunt]

I,don't pin my corkies at all but,I don't see why a bobber stop wouldn't work all you have to do is put a bead between the corkie and the bobber stop that would stop the corkie from going over the stop.Just an idea.
Bob D.

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Bob Dawson