Corkies Better Than Bait On Silvers???

[Thumper]

I keep reading and hearing that the choice "lure" for silvers up in the rivers is a corky and yarn. I can't help wondering if this set-up doesn't just allow the fish to be taken by flossing or lining. Perhaps this is the case even for the guys who are not trying to snag and think that they are fair-hooking these fish. I just can't believe that corkies and yarn would outfish good eggs. Am I missing something here?

[ampersat]

i've been espousing this theory to anyone who will listen.
despite the fact that salmon can't swallow when they hit fresh water, if they're hungry, they will still try to eat. however, with the ocean conditions of the past two years, when they get into the rivers they're just not hungry. they get into so much food in the ocean that they have more than enough energy to make it to their spawning areas. hence, eggs aren't a very good choice these last two years.

it's just my theory. if anyone has a different idea, i'm all ears.

[SandyRiverFisher]

You know, Ive never done well with bait fishing for silvers. I dont line the fish I catch either. Many times my hookups come on the retrieve, and many times I see the fish chase the corkie as I pull it in and strike it violently when I stop. I Just think that under the right conditions silvers are HIGHLY agressive. Lures work better than bait. Its kind of a situation where the old argument of wether the fish are hungry or terratorial goes by the wayside. They definitely strike out of aggression. Although a good egg cluster does work wonders at catching chrome bright hens sitting underneath all those nasty dark fish that suspend in the holes, and jacks absolutely love little egg clusters as well. Basically, with so many fish in the river, your going to catch a fish or two no matter what you throw so long as it has a good action. Just my opinion.

[fishhead5]

Some rivers bait is the only thing that works (ask RT). Some rivers spinners are the only thing that works. Some rivers corkies work really well. Some rivers all of the above work. The trick is to find what works on what river.

Fishhead5

[Vinny]

I'm fairly confident that fish act more out of instinct than intelligence. images/icons/rolleyes.gif

The aforementioned suggentions of agressive and/or territorial instincts (I assume for the protection of spawning territory) sound plausible to me.

The flossing theory might be possible in just a very few rare cases. It just feels like an agressive attack when that rod tip goes down.

[Uncle Bob]

Well, sence their brain is the size of a pea, you know there isn't a lot of thinking going on down there as it drifts by them.
As for bait or no bait... Last year I tried to use as many differnt offering in the same day, just for the heck of it. there was a lot of fish, and I knew I would get my limit. I started with flies-knocked 'em dead. Then I used Corkies-fish on!. Then tried some Jensen eggs. Oh my gosh! That fish sucked them down so far, they were almost gone.
My thoughts, use what you have faith in. Got a friend that only uses spinners, as for me, I prefer a medium small red/pink/orange fly. So if they come up head shakin' you're using the correct lure - whether they're feeding or not - who cares. images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/smile.gif

UB

[Snapset]

If you have plenty of eggs, use them for the Coho. However, if you think you might be the least bit hesitant to set the hook when you have a maybe bite, because you know thqat you are going to lose your eggs when you sweep the rod back, use corkies. Corkies get bit just as often as eggs,IMHO, but the fish get a better grip on the eggs so the hookup is usually more secure.

[Steve]

I am so sick of the threads about flossing and lineing, I could just puke.... the idea that you can direct your line into the mouth of a fish is laugh-a-bull, I like the theory that the fish are competeing for spawning ground and are cleaning up the potential areas. and destroying competition, and anything that is bright and looks like eggs gets the attention. yarn/eggs, corky/yarn, corky/eggs, spinners with red beads, and my favorite, straight eggs. If you don't like any of the above try Steelies. If the hook is in the mouth who cares...?

[Got Fish?]

So far this year I've done a lot better on eggs as long as I am back-bouncing them really, really, slow, not drift fishing them.
As far as drifting I've done well on just peach and red yarn, no corkies. Different folks, different strokes.

[Beek]

Coho are bait pigs. The only time I don't fish guts for Coho is in the fast water. In the frog water,back eddies nothing beats fresh guts.

[Wog]

I have never had much luck using corkies for Silvers. I have no doubt that many a fish have been caught using them, I just haven't had much success with them.
A small egg cluster drift fished or under a bobber has always produced the best results for me.