BLACKMOUTH

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

OK, all you experienced fisherpeople here in the PAC NW, tell me about fishing for Blackmouth from a boat, about various methods, lures, etc. I have a derby that my friend's father entered me in with him next Sunday. Of course, I would love to catch some Blackmouth as I will be talking S*it the entire weekend, so I need to back up some of this talk..lol http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Oh yeah, We will be in the Grady White derby, on the 12th out of Edmonds, WA. Thanks y'all.

[KilgoreTrout]

Well, I assume you are talking about Largemouth bass, which is a subject that I am somewhat familiar with, unlike salmon/steelhead at which I am a novice.

Bass fishing first requires to figure out where they are located. Do you have a fish finder or someone who knows the lake and patterns, structure etc. of the lake. You can use rattle traps or spinner baits to attract active fish. If the fish are lethargic you might have to use a plastic weedless worm and get it right in front of them. The key to worm fishing is waiting for them to take it in fully (don't set the hook too soon) then set the hook hard as you have to get the hook point out of the last bit of plastic worm prior to it entering the fishes mouth. Motor oil color or red with white tails are my preference here. If the fish are deeper you will need some plugs (that look like shad) with a bill on them to get them to go deep.

Another trick is to vary your retrieve on the crankbaits. Go fast, go slow, go fast then stop - try different combinations.

On worms, you should genernally work them slowly through snaggy, rocky, weed or submerged tree areas. Cast to the spot then let it hit bottom and slowly lift it up, then crank in a turn or too. Try to emulate a swimming worm - never fast. After lifting your tip and cranking in a turn, let it fall again. You can entice a lathargic bass to strike if you bounce a worm in his face.

Hope this helps,

Dave

[SLEDDER]

Kilgore,I am pretty sure the southern man meant chinook, they have a black inner jaw, otherwise known as blackmouth.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Dave,

Naw I am not talking about Largemouth Bass, that's an area I am great in. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif Remember, I come from the South. Plus I used to fish tourney's alot. For everyone's attention:

I am talking about the salmon. Hopefully RT and some of the other super humans will help me out on this subject as I have never fished for them. I would love to know any and all details as far as mainline poundage, flasher color, and lure color, and any other method to fish for these things.

Now bass, that's my expertise.

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Remember that I am a usual bank maggot, but I will be fishing in the Grady White tourney. My friend lives for these tourneys as he gets to hob knob with other owners, and he doesn't take his boat out of the garage except for maybe 2 times a year. He can have the hob knobbing all he wants, I will do my hob knobbing when I am at the scale with all the fish I caught from the info you guys tell me http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Fish4Fun]

hey_yall,
Well lets see if we can help ya out here. First lets hope that you will be trolling (covers more ground). Red or Green glow
"Hot Spot" flashers with either green spatter back Hoochies or green/glow "Coyote" spoons. (color # 188) Tie the hoochie or spoon on 32 inches of 50 pound Ande leader. This will give you the action you want from the flasher. 25-35 feet back from the downrigger release and keep it all close to the bottom. We bounce the rigger wieght from time to time thats how close I like to be. This is the set-up I pull all winter when the season is open. I normally fish Jeffhead or down in Elliot Bay for Blackmouth.

Hope this will help ya.

Fish 4 Fun

[Deleted User]

'Yall, I can't add much to those 2 posts, but I bet my friend Jeff Whitehead from Olympia can; if he finds this in time. His moniker happens to be Jeffhead, same as the nickname given to the Jefferson Head area of the Sound. - RT

[FishinBob]

Blackmouth fishing can be great! Don't overload on the size of the gear your using. Put those bass sticks away and get your old steelhead rod out. If you do get to use downriggers here is a tip to keep the fishin' fun. Put a white or black (yes black, home made) hotspot flasher 10 feet behind the downrigger ball. Put the line release on the back side of the flasher. Use around 30# leader with 3/4 hooks. Use a blue/white squid and put a fillet of herring on for taste. Troll this 5' below any bait, if no bait balls then troll this at the thermal layer or 90' in 120' of water. When I fished Puget sound this the ticket but that was a couple year back and I don't get up that way much. Use barbless hooks please you'll have lots of shakers to let go.

[Jeffhead]

I'll post tomorrow. My arms hurt from all of the silvers we spanked on the Cowlitz today!!! http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[smilesforu]

I believe the grady white is a large boat, so I usually see that style of boat trolling (bummer for you). My preferred method it to motor mooch which is harder in a large boat, but can be done.

With either method use the fish finder to spot bait... Once you find the bait on a drop off (shelf) work the bottom as "sea lice" suggested... fish love a falling bait. The hot word on the blackies is they are in deeper water right now near the bottom. 150-200 ft. The best fish bite should be on the tide slack.
Here is a link to teach you some more about the technique of motor mooching. http://www.steelheader.net/Salmon/mooching.htm
Tight Lines

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

[sea lice]

hey_yall,

I prefer to mooch for blackmouth, was really into it when I lived in WA. I used small plug cut herring that spins fast, the faster the spin the better, on long 10' min leaders. I liked fishing 90-140' of water and I worked the bottom 20-30' all the time. you need to keep the bait moving with your reel...controlled free spool to the bottom, 2-3 quick turns off, then work the bait up 30 ft or so 3-4 turns at a time, free spool back to bottom and repeat. Keep the bait moving at all times. When you feel the bite start- stop the movement and give the fish time to eat it. Have fun, I loved this fishery when it was a 2 fish limit!

[HOGTIDE]

Might want to hit that 'Piscatorial Pursuits'BB. Lots of Washington sound and saltwater boys there that know their "feeder" chinook stuff.

[Chaps]

Yup, the larger fish have been very deep since that turn in the weather a couple of weeks ago. Not unusual to be fishing on the bottom in 200'-250' of water. Look for broken & scattered bait on the meter. They'll hit about anything if you fish where they are but the hot lures lately are the Grand Slam Bucktails behind a flasher trolled at about 2.5-3 knots. Lots of fish in the 7-9 lb range when you find the deep bait - Bob

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Thanks for the help fellas. Well yall, now I Have to go diggin' for nightcrawlers for this blackmouth fishing....lol oops wrong blackmouth..lol http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif Gonna get some flashers, bucktails, and coyote spoons...now do ya'll pronounce that as in "ki-yoat".. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif LOL Thanks again guys. Yep will be downriggin from the grady white.

[Jeffhead]

OK,
Now that I can type without my fingers shakin' lot's of great input here. A couple of thing's I'll add is: don't get stuck on one color of hooch or spoon. The colors that have worked well for me is the cop car (black and glow in the dark), army truck (army green, red and glow in the dark) and blue/green and black/green, also I like the spatterback mentioned. As for tying them up use a double hook rig tied hook to shank and then adjust the hooch with glow in the dark beads so that the end of the skirt is even with the trailing hook. Leader length varies with the type of flasher you are using, for the hot spot for blackmouth I use 35 - 38", for a metallic type flasher like the abe and al I run the leader at 28" for hooches and 31" for the bucktail flies. I agree with the increased speed. Blackmouth are more like silvers, fairly agressive. Always tip the front hook with a small strip of herring, I will brine mine in a mix of 1/2 bottle pure anise extract and 6 - 8 seconds of WD-40 the night before I go out. If your partner has a black box, run the setups within 10 ft of the downrigger cable and set the box at .65 to .7. From what I have been readin' on Bob's board they have been runnin' deep so keep your gear within 15 ft of the bottom. Hope this helps ya and everyone else who is interested in blackmouth fishin'.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
PS,
Now that we've hooked ya up on the hot setups I know your gonna split the first place money with us eh!?!? http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
edit: One thing we didn't add is where to go. From Edmunds it looks like the 3 best places to try would be Possesion Bar, Point no point or Jeff Head (go figure that one eh'!!). I know that at Possesion fish the east side of the bar on the incoming tide, the west side on the outgoing and PNP is usually a moochers show. You north sound guys have any better choices?? and maybe some tech on how to fish em'

[This message has been edited by Jeffhead (edited 11-06-2000).]

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Thanks JeffHead and y'all other goodpeople that's contributed to this post. I can't believe it's been on for a couple of days and Osprey hasn't commented yet..... http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif..lol Split the money? What money? http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif Do the hens have eggs as the other chinook do? Totally new to this fishing. Hey Jeffhead what kinda rates and bookings do you have going for you? Email me at

all_4_the_chinookie@hotmail.com
and any others who feel like it.

[Chaps]

. . . yup, the hens have eggs but they are just a token, real tiny

[Jeffhead]

Well Ya'll,
I'd let this go on but I might get busted for impersonating a guide hehehe. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif The rates are help pay for gas and such; and the bookings are full cause I'd rather spend time in the rivers right now. Before I had a sled I spent a lot of time on the salt. Just wanted to pass on what I have learned about blackmouth and saltchuck salmon chasin'. Just have some patience out there cause it will probably take a while to wade through the shakers to get to a legal fish. Three good guides for Puget Sound are Tom Nelson, John Keizer and Dr. T-Ho-Ke.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Osprey]

I thought Blackmouth was something you got from eating to much liquorish,,kinda smells like "anise" careful how you pronounce that word "Yall".....I'll be you're huckleberry
beware of low flying Osprey's