Mooching

[Deleted User]

Is it possible to mooch using a downrigger? I fish Lake Ontario and the fish are deep, usually 60 to 150 feet. Has anyone ever done this? images/icons/rolleyes.gif

[Roeboat]

You can mooch quite easily to 120 feet with 4-5 ounce mooching weights most of the time. If you wish to take a herring or similar bait to 150 you could just slow troll it off the downrigger or try some big mooching weights like 6-8 ouncers.

[Hookset]

I've never done this but I can't see why not. I think the key is the ability to feel the bite on the drift. For this I would use a slider on the mainline, attach a swivel below this and leader with mooching rig to the opposite end. The slider can be connected to the release clip so the line can slide freely. In this way your able to let line out and feel the fish when it takes the bait.

If I get a chance, I might give this a try.

best of luck,

hook

[smilesforu]

Yes you can actually mooch over 200 ft with 6 oz of lead and a cut plug herring. I use a sliding lead so the fish can't shake its head and use the weight of the sinker against the line. The sinker is put on a special sliding tube to protect the line from abrasion. Line stiffness is important to minimize twisting and rigg fouling because of it. Leaders are tied from the hooks approximately 24"-36" to a ball bearing swivel then another 36"-48" to a bead chain swivel. A bumper is used above the last knot to protect it from the sliding sinker. Simple but deadly effective rigging when presented properly. Sinker weight is used to keep the proper line angle behind boat and to create a constantly falling effect on the bait causing it to spin as the weight falls. Motor speed is critical to keep the bait at the right depth and speed.

Here is a link to a little more info on my site.
Mooching Information (http://www.steelheader.net/Salmon/mooching.htm)

[ 07-22-2001: Message edited by: smilesforu ]

[Deleted User]

Mooching in New York? I've only seen that on the streets in the Big Apple. images/icons/rolleyes.gif Excuse the bad joke Tt. I like Hookset's idea if you want to try it with a DR. But do you get enough swells and wind chop to give the mooched herring some action in your big lakes over your way? [yes Steve, we do]. Oh, good deal. ...

Hey Marty, what are you doing up so late? Nevermind - dumb Q. I remember last year when we fished out of Sekiu that when the silver bite slowed down close to the surface that you had us let out a bunch of line and would intermitently put the motor in and out of gear - and we started catching fish again. Isn't that what they call 'motor mooching'? [yes Steve, it is.] Oh, thanks Marty. Were you able to do this deep along the shorelines for the Chinook season in the Straight this summer? How was that fishing? I also remember you drooling about an opp to fish in close for the Kings while we were out there - but no season on them last summer. Hope you pounded on them.

-----------
RT
Moocher of Kings or King of the moochers?
Neither images/icons/rolleyes.gif

[RKB]

Steve
you need to go to bed they say its not bad to talk to ones self but when you start to answer your self well you know the rest.
RON images/icons/wink.gif

[smilesforu]

Steve I had good sucess the first day I fished Kings....then the wind kicked up to much for my little skiff the rest of the opener (including yesterday). Very very good reports of silvers...bring lots of bait or use something they can't eat so quickly (spoons/flies/jigs)

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the info guys. Wonder how it would work if I let the mooching rig down on the rigger then poped the line from the release? I guess it would get it down to my prefered depth quicker. On Lake Ontario I only fish in 3-4 foot waves Max. I'm kind of a fair weather fisher but the lake does get rocking good quite a bit. Weather happens very quickly on the great lakes. the average boat size is about 24 feet, so you have to keep one eye in the sky.
After reading about seasons closing because quotas were filled, I feel bad for west coast fishermen. On Lake Ontario we don't have that. We can catch salmonids all year long. That's because it's a put and take fishery (and yes Chinooks do get large, to date my best is 37#)but there is some natural reproduction, I'd think between 10 and 20% but the D.E.C. says there is no natural reproduction (yea right)....

Here's one for you guys. Have ya ever tryed a dodger and tinsel fly for nooks? Just starting to be used on LO. is the Howie fly behind a 00 dodger with a 22 inch leader. If you like to see a pic of the flys go to http://www.fishusa.com/tackleshop/Walleye_Fishing_Gear.asp?AffiliateID=29
You could always buy one or two, to see how they are made then make your own and no I don't sell them.
I reely like this board, great info to try in my neck of the woods. Thumbs up to you guys on the left coast. images/icons/smile.gif

[smilesforu]

Trolley don't feel to sorry for us we at least got to fish again.

Dodgers/flashers with tinsel flies/ hootchies are a standard fare for the down rigger fishermen around these parts. Herring strips can be added to this for scent.

[Roeboat]

Hey Trolley, I agree with the last post...Don't feel too bad for us as we are enjoying some exceptional fishing now. Those Howie flies are different from anything we fish here and who knows...they may just work great. What we generally use here are bucktail flies with a flasher or the Grand Slam style fly (which sure look pretty) and a flasher. The old reliable T-Hoke polar bear flies with a flasher also have always been very productive at times. Most of the guys I have talked with on the Great Lakes have the best luck deep with Lyman plugs off the downriggers. You may want to give them a try. The Lyman plug is like a faster action Silver Horde with a concaved front and made out of cedar (old style construction). images/icons/smile.gif

[Capin' Dan]

We use to have luck doing this around seattle on the sound. We called it motor mooching. It is just putting your motor in and out of gear. You troll a little ways then put it in neutral then back to troll this was fairly successful for us.

Dan!