Will This Springer Tech Work for T-bay Fall Hogs?

[Deleted User]

I was wondering if a trolling method I've used for years on Willamette springers might work in Tillamook Bay for fall Kings? Except where there's too much seaweed; then it might help keep the herring clean longer. .... In water less than 25' to 30' deep the Kings pretty much stay near bottom in the Willamette, so I use a 2' sliding lead dropper on the mainline just above the snapswivel (12" to 18" for mid to upper T-Bay). With about a 50" to 60" leader I put in homemade in-line spinners about 2' above the 2 bait hooks for plugcut herring or prawns. I like this better than using a small dodger more often than not. My favorite is a size 5 (6 for T-Bay) mapleleaf brass blade with green and chartruse luretape slashes near the tips (rainbow colors are good too). I use a spinner wire to loop the top end around a barrel swivel, put on a bead, then the blade/clevis, and another few beads on. Finish with another looped in barrel swivel. Where 3 hooks are legal I would add a large siwash hook to the lower spinner swivel and rubberband the lower part of the hookshank to the leader so they wouldn't tangle. On occassion the spinner would get hit and I'd get a bonus fish. This same setup works well backtrolling larger faster tributaries with sandshrimp, egg clusters, prawns, or even small herring with a Jet Planer diver. In quite fast current the blade needs to be smaller and narrower. Small Spin N Glos work also. And this works for silvers and steelhead fishing too. Tight lines. - RT



[This message has been edited by RT (edited 11-03-2000).]

[HOGTIDE]

It seems like it should. Even if it doesn't, it would be fun to experiment with. I always like to put out a couple of 'tried n true' rigs for my partners and then experiment with my own rig.

Often wonder why we get stuck on certain baits in certain areas. Example; In the fall, the Columbia has some very reginally defined methods for the same run of fish at the same time. Fish Astoria/Hammond country and its herring or anchovies. But, people 40 miles upriver would give you very strange looks if you tried the same thing off the mouth of the Kalama or Cowlitz..you must use an Alvin/Clancy/FST. They all look like a swimming bait to me. Hit the M-falls to Bonneville reaches and its bait wrapped flatfish...a wiggling herring??? Ya, I know, water speed, lure resistance, etc. But I bet a fast spinning 'blue label' would anchor-up really well in 40 ft. just off of the Kalama in September. OK. ok...I'll try it. Convinced myself.

[hawgcatcher]

Try anything you can. It might work. I remember fishing the falls at Oregon City back in the 50's (I know, I'm one of those old senile people) all people used were spinners, supposedly nothing else would work. One day one fellow tried drifting eggs in the tail out of mill A. The old timers said it wouldn't work. Well he nailed two 20# plus chinooks, one right after the other. The next day, a few more tried eggs and more fish were caught. With a lot of fisherman around, it was not easy to drift them, so we only used them when there were only a few there. That spring run was generous to us that tried. So give anything a shot.

[Deleted User]

HOGTIDE, you've hit on a productive idea that has been slow to catch on the farther away from saltwater you get; and that's using herring. And not just farther up the Columbia. Here's a tip: try using small whole (red pack size) herring with only a slight bend in them for backtrolling faster currents for fall and spring chinooks, using Jet Planer divers or anchorup with lead droppers. Green pack size plugcut can work well too if the current isn't too fast. Try this out in such places as the lower Wilson R. and other rivers on the coast, and the lower Clackamas and Cowlitz (and other big Col. tribs) for springers. It works very well at times, depending on their moods. Of course they work great at times for upper T-Bay fall fish and Ore. City area springers out in the Willamette. Thanks for bringing that up Hogtide.

------------------
Know fish or no fish. - RT

[HOGTIDE]

No......again.... RT,Thankyou! I'll try it !!!