Hoochies

[stalmonator]

Has anyone ever used hoochies at buoy 10?
What color label of herring does everone use?

Jerry, I think cutplugged med. blue pack herring is good. They're not too big for the coho and just big enough to entice the 'Nooks too. Once the 'Nook quota is met try one size smaller. I also have heard of success with dodgers and scented hootchies, as out in the ocean. Back in the late 70's and early 80's on really hot bite days out there, we used to catch them trolling reg. Warts and silver U20 Flatfish (among other things). When it's hot they will bite a lot of different things! I've even heard of them biting bare chrome hooks behind a dodger, but I'd rather have a cutplug on there . - Steve - BTW, for a real kick when you are one short of a limit, pull in the bait and take out your flyrod and troll flashy coho streamer flies. Right on top if it a hot and shallow bite, otherwise add a couple barrel weights.



[This message has been edited by RT (edited 08-04-2000).]

[Pete]

Rather than using frozen bait, try ordering fresh herring or anchovies. I think they provide better scent attraction.

[Son of an Okie]

Stal,

There are times hoochies will out perform bait. The green and clear combo is my personal favorite with blue, clear, and red a close second. Be sure to use a single hook, for some reason the hoochie treble setup looses fish. Most people use a siwash but I prefer a standard 5/0 Eagle Claw laser sharp. Size 6 beads matched to the primary hoochie color will hold the hook back into the hoochie legs.

I actually caught springers hog lining in the Willamette at Oregon City using a dodger and hoochie. It was slow, nothing happening and I figured what the hell and put it out. It wasn't in the water 5 minutes before the rod doubled down...... something different? It works!

Another key is to keep the leader short. I use a 12' leader with a size 00 dodger, and a 14-16" with the larger size 0. Play with the length until you get the presentation you want. Silvers like it more radical than the nooks.

Good luck and let us know how you do! I'll below Bonneville this weekend. It's been a little slow, but we hooked two nooks and a steelhead on Wednesday.

[Son of an Okie]

That should say a 12" (inch) leader.

[wak'm&stak'm]

I like the hoochie method, as far as Newport we use hot pink in the ocean and slay the silver but catch chinooks as well, but for some reason when people fish the lower bay they target straight bait. Then......up river they run a small hoochie with the popular colors again. You brought up a good point and since Newport is expecting the first returns from their fall chinook releases in Southbeach, I am going to do alittle research.