Ilwaco salmon and downriggers

[new boat]

Got out of Ilwaco this morning at the low slack, crossing was easy (my first time in my boat) and went to the CR bouy to fish with the new downriggers I installed yesterday. Had the first fish within a couple of minutes, thought we were really going to get into them. To make a long story short, three keepers, one a small "nook", 10 or 11 natives released and more fish hooked and lost than we could count with five of us fishing. Now the questions; since this was the first time fishing with downriggers, we seemed to lose alot of fish with the slack created when the line releases from the ball. Were were setting the release as loose as possible, so as soon as there was a hit, the line released. Should we set tighter so the fish will "set the hook itself" before the line releases. Any other suggestions would be appreciated as our success with the downriggers was not what I expected. By the way, did get checked by the fish police, couple of interesting points for all to keep in mind. He boarded my boat (with permission) and looked in my fish box, examined the fish and then asked about my crab bait, which was old fish heads and the left-overs from a fillet of a steelhead my son caught earlier this week in the Lewis. Said to be careful what I use for crab bait that might look like one we filled and put on ice. Also learned you cannot catch your salmon and then return for sturgeon in the estuary with the salmon aboard. They will give you a ticket for that. Gamie says you must come to shore and put your salmon in a cooler off the boat. Live and learn. Any help with the downriggers and the lousy hook percentage will be most appreciated. images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/confused.gif

[Deleted User]

I have never used down riggers out in the "Big Water",but have used them a bunch inland. For Salmon we always buried the line quite a ways into the release. Atleast 1/2 way to 2/3 of the way into the big releases.
This gives two advantages (1) It makes the fish hook it's self buy way of really shaking it's head, fighting your d/r weight, and (2) you can put a BIG bend in your rod to help take up the slack in your line when it is released.
give this a try, I think you will have a much better hook up ratio.
Don't give up on those down riggers, when you get used to them you will find that you can fish exactly where you wan't too, and that fighting a fish, no matter the size, is much more fun with no wieght.
Let us know how you do.

P.S.
I am just now getting geared up to buy a boat. How do you like the TJ ??

[finclipped]

I think its tough using a downrigger with barbless hooks especially if your very far down. I hooked one tuesday 110' down and reeled for 4-5 seconds before I caught up with the fish. Luckily he was hooked well.

I don't know if this would help, but I have switched to 3/0 Barbless Gami's and have been a perfect 11 for 11 since I did. This includes the chinook we caught on the downrigger. Before I was using a 4/0 & 5/0 with the barb pinched down, and was losing more than half my fish. Could be coincidence to though.

You can clip your line fairly deep in the release, which takes more to set free, but will give a stronger hookset. It has been my experience that unless its a small fish, the trip will release even if its tight.

[Jeffhead]

TJ,
Do as the others have said here, set the line at least 2/3 of the way into the release clip and tighten up the line so that the rod is bentover, tighten it just to the point that you would pull it out of the release clip. You will pull a bunch out getting used to it, but it will help. I use medium offshore release clips and like them better than any others that I have tried.
Also try this. Get rid of the gammies and use some wire hooks like Mustads or Eagle Claws (Shhhh you guys, I can hear you from here!!!) Take the hook and straighten the offset so that it is aligned with the shank, then take the point of the hook and put a reverse bend in it. After you finish that resharpen the hook. I use 4/0 and 5/0 exclusively. Another thing, if you are using hoochies, tie the hooks close together, hook to shank and adjust the hooch with glow in the dark beads so that the back hook is just even with the end of the hooch skirt. I gaurentee much better hook ups with this set up, The hooks will drive up into the bone instead of being a liphook. Hope this helps ya out!!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff images/icons/grin.gif images/icons/grin.gif

[ 07-23-2001: Message edited by: Jeffhead ]

[Pitch Pocket]

No guarantees when fishing barbless and downriggers, but you might try this. After you get the release, leave the rod in the holder and hit the kicker to speed up the boat and don't grab the rod until you see the rod working again. The boat speed will set the hook. If he did come off, he or a different fish may re-hit it as you are not frantically reeling the bait up out of the zone.

Don't be afraid to fully set the line in the release. Be sure to put a pretty good bend in the rod and use release clips about 18" or longer so you can see the bite. If the fish is on and the clip does not let go, you will see the rod working and you can release it yourself. Most likely, the fish will release it anyway.

[Roeboat]

After the post about losing silvers, I am one to talk but here goes. Jeffhead's idea with the hooks is the ol' T-Hoke trick (who knows who invented it first) but it often drives the point of the hook right thru the brain of the smaller fish and you will get quite a few DOA shaker fish. The new barbless 3/0 Gamakatsu's are the best new production hook I have fished with peersonally. All of the above ideas are good for releases, etc. I will add one more that works exceptionally well with the Scotty electrics. Make your own release from using an offshore release, a crab clip, 2 feet of black surgical tubing, 3 feet of 60 pound dacron. Tie the dacron to the crab clip and suck it through the tubing. Now tie off the surgical tubing to the crab clip (threading a swivel onto the clip first helps...tie the knot around the tubing and pull the tag ends of the tubing back over the knot for a finished appearance. ) I usually wire a loop to the clip and twist the stainless wire end into a ball to tie the dacron off to. The last step is to fit a piece of electric wire coating (the plastic covering off approx. 10 gauge wire is about right)over the end of the crab clip so it doesn't slide on the stainless downrigger cable and keep a few extra pieces in the tackle box to replace as needed.

Sounds like a lot of work and hassle right! It really is very easy after the first one but here is the advantage:

The fish hits the bait, takes the bait, turns the head to swim away and the release stretches out from 2-3 feet and sets the hook for you. This release is exceptional when fishing herring. Also the stretchy release telegraphs all action to the rod tip making it possible to see if anything is amiss with the rig, and the added stretch makes hooking the line to the downriggers in chop a total forgiving breeze. I developed this release after experiencing the same problems you are facing and trying lots of others that didn't work as advertised. Hope this helps. The stretch factor helps a lot when fishing in a hurry to avoid the line snapping off the release prematurely. And you know how we all dislike premature release..(just kidding)

One additional benefit is this release works exceptionally well as a stackable release
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[ 07-23-2001: Message edited by: Roeboat ]

[Killertraylor]

With respect to your police check - I was told the same thing last weekend by dept. of fish and wildlife, but because that reg. wasn't in the Oregon regulations, I called Sgt. Stroup in Astoria State Police fish and game. He said that the regulation which prohibits you from having salmon on your boat while fishing for sturgeon only applied last year when the river below Tongue point closed for Salmon. The regulation simply presumes that you cought your fish on board in the water where you are fishing (even if you are fishing with sturgeon gear) and since the Columbia below Tongue point was closed for the retention of Salmon, they ticketed people for this last year. He said that the regulation no longer applies and that Oregon State Police are not issuing citations. HOWEVER, I talked with Washington State Police - deputy Chadwick in Chinook on Saturday and he said that the regulation is in the permanent Washington regs. and they were ticketing if you had salmon on board in the lower river while fishing for sturgeon. The same ticket would be issued if you cought your salmon in the ocean and then stopped to bottomfish in the "bubble area" inside the south jetty where it was closed for salmon fishing. Essentially, if you have salmon on board and are fishing for any species in a body of water that is closed for the retention of salmon, you will get a ticket. This regulation obviously doesn't apply once the river opens Aug. 1 for Salmon fishing, but because Sturgeon is going to close then anyway, it won't matter. Stupid regulation if you ask me - in 7 years of sturgeon fishing on the lower Columbia, I've only cought one salmon while sturgeon fishing - and ironically, it was last weekend when I got the lecture at the dock from the biologist.

[STRIKE ZONE]

I always put the line 3/4 to all the in on the release.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE
P.S. I always leave no slack in the line.Rod bent to the hilt.