Kwikfish Color/Sizes for springers

Hookset · 03-26-2001, 05:51 PM

Since I haven't been out Columbia River springer fishing yet. Thought I'd ask a question and at the same time see if we can create a stampede and depleat the dealers stock of the hot color this year.

Anyone have the size and color of kwikfish that's been producing? Someone already posted that any color works, just as long as silver is one of the colors. Lots of new fishy looking colors out this year.

hook

Jennie@ifish · 03-26-2001, 06:35 PM

Chartreuse
I like the new K13s.
Rumor has it that I may be getting some to give away as little prizes like I did that day to give away those steelhead books.
I can't wait!
Wheeeeeee.
Jen

WaterDog · 03-26-2001, 06:49 PM

The k13 is supposed to be the hot one. The KOTK fishing show had a rep from the manufacturer and they were bragging it up as THE kwikfish to use. Dives deeper and no tuning due to different material and constuction technique. Sounded good on the radio as I was headed out to meet the gang anyway! [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

jet · 03-26-2001, 06:54 PM

K-14 Goldfinger

Jet~~~ [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Up-4-Air · 03-26-2001, 07:04 PM

Lost a fish in the Columbia Friday on a K-13, silver with red tiger strips and red hot tail. Lost the plug too. Couple years ago I caught a 32 lb springer on that plug. Sure was sorry to loose it. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Killertraylor · 03-26-2001, 07:16 PM

I fish kwikfish exclusively for Springers and have averaged 2 fish a trip this year. Constant producers are K-14's, Silver with red dots (clown) and Silver with yellow bill and tail with the rattle. I've also cought 2 fish on the green tiger (silver with green stripes) and two fish on the silver with wife's nailpolish - red and yellow dots in my own custom random pattern [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I'm not as convinced that color works as well as a well working plug with good action - tune them to run straight, and if you catch a fish on one plug, take good care of it - you'll catch more on the same plug. My other trick is to remove the tail hook, install a spreader bar (I think it's designed for the smaller kwikfish) and put 2 size 4 treble hooks on the spreder and a size 4 treble on the belly screw with a swivel to get it back - I'm 9 of 11 this year on landing fish hooked with these spreader bars. If you can find them, use Gamakatsu trebles - they are by far the sharpest out there - even sharper than the new Owner stinger trebles.

HOGTIDE · 03-26-2001, 07:35 PM

Quite honestly, I bring a large selection in my boat for my fishin' pals. My instructions are to pick out a lucky color (seems personalized that way) and frankly I haven't found a color that doesn't work in the spring.

I personally favor chrome with hot pink dots or chrome with green tiger stripes. They are pretty. Today I hooked fish on Chartreuse with green tiger stripes.

I think knowing "ratios" may be more important than color choice when using flatfish. Ie., Size/Current and Dropper Length/ Leader Length and Line Angle/ Water Depth.

But when you do catch a fish on a weird color, make sure you quietly reveal, " Oh ya baby, this is THE one."

Hottamale1 · 03-26-2001, 07:36 PM

Killertaylor,

Spreader bar??? Did you make this thing or can you buy them?? My grandfather used to have these spreader bars on frog pattern Flatfish for trout...Heck, these lures were probably 50+ years old!!

Let me know,

Scott www.hottamaleoutdoorshow.com

Fish Hunter · 03-26-2001, 07:49 PM

I need to get another go-to method going as my herring supply is dwindling. Any fine points to using them aside from tuning for a straight dive? Killer and Hog, are you wrapping these plugs? If so with what? Has anyone tried an anchovy wrap? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

Killertraylor · 03-26-2001, 07:53 PM

Hi Scott. I bought them. I can't remember if they are made by Kwikfish or Flatfish - I think it's flatfish. They sell them 3 to a package with some small treble hooks that I just toss out. The last ones I got were at Fishermans in OC - I buy all they have usually. They are just little wire bars about 2 inches long that have crude type snaps on the end for your hooks. You have to take the tail screw out of your kwikfish, bend it open, put on the spreader bar and then bend it back. I always put a little silicone on the threads of the screw when I thread it back in just to be safe. I have them on all of my kwikfish/flatfish. When I first tried them I was amazed that the hooks didn't get hung up on each other, but they don't - they look ferocious too.

Killertraylor · 03-26-2001, 07:57 PM

Fish Hunter - I've just been using Sardine Bait butter. I make sure they run straight by turning the front screw left or right - just trial and error will fix most of them - I just pull them by the boat in the current and make sure they don't lean to one side. My other "trick" which I've seen a lot of others have cought on to is to rig your mainline with just a 4 oz. weight on the end with a cork bobber in your mainline about 3-4 feet up (whatever depth you want to fish)Cast it out behind the boat as far as you want. I then rig my leader with a beadchain and snap on one end and just a snap on the other end. I attach the snap-only end to the kwikfish and then snap the beadchain end on to my mainline and then set the kwikfish in the water. It will swim down to where your bobber is. I've found that they don't get tangled up this way and you can cast them out further behind the boat.

[ 03-26-2001: Message edited by: Killertraylor ]

HOGTIDE · 03-26-2001, 08:05 PM

No wraps for me! A little bait butter on the belly.

KarenLee · 03-26-2001, 09:27 PM

Great information all. I fished Columbia River by Gobel today, my boat released one native on the silver/green tigershark and saw two other natives released and one hatchery fish boated. My buddy that hasn't caught a springer in ten years (mainly due to not fishing)was thrilled to hook into the native. All colors were being used and size varied throughout the day to get the right pole wag as the current changed. I tried the clown face on silver and red. Saw a lot of smults hooked, whats up with that. Had to cuss and swear at the sealion that was eating mighty good right in front of us. All in all my first experiance with kwikfish and flatfish lures. Mainly trolled hearing before. This was a blast and a great relaxing way to fish tied off to a piling or ancored and fishing the outgoing.

Cheers to all [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Pirate · 03-26-2001, 09:54 PM

Great Post to every one [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I also have had good luck in T-Bay with the Kwickfish but have generally trolled herring for Springers. My question is: are you generally anchored, back trolling or trolling?
Thanx in advance

KarenLee · 03-26-2001, 10:27 PM

From my limited experience with this technique, this is what I've seen. Fishing the outgoing, ancored, or tying off to a piling with sea ancors out. Trolling in slack tides and incoming. I've been noticing the frequent fishermen launch at dawn, fish the outgoing ancored and blow it off when the tide goes slack (usually with fish in the boat). When ancored, be ready to cast off the line to play the fish downriver.

Good luck. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Fishhead · 03-26-2001, 10:29 PM

I heard Bill Monroe of the Oregonian talk about using a smelt wrap on a kwik fish since they are seeing alot of fish with smelt in their bellies. Have any of you guys tried that and was it effective?.....Fishhead Vic [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[ 03-26-2001: Message edited by: Fishhead ]

Jeffhead · 03-27-2001, 07:01 AM

A lot has been said here about tuning your plugs but no one has gone into details, here are the steps to tuning as I learned them from one of the popular local Washington guides who runs them exclusively for springers.
With the plug just sitting in the current adjust so that it runs straight. Then pull the plug at a slow rate forward into the current and adjust as necessary to run straight. Last but not least pull the plug into the currrent quickly and readjust as necessary.

If it passes these three tests it will have a better catch rate than one that is not tuned properly. After adding a wrapper (herring, sardine or smelt) go back through all three steps. Make sure to cut a slice in the wrapper about half way up so that it will go around the belly hook and trim it so that the wrapper doesn't hang over the side of the plug, this will help in tuning it.
If it doesn't pass these tests do as I have read here on the board before. At the end of the day place all of your other plugs in a circle and place the naughty plug in the middle and proceed to smash it sensless with a hammer [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] to give the other plugs a lesson in what will happen to them if they do not work!!! Hope this helps ya all.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Hookset · 03-27-2001, 09:29 PM

Thanks for all the great replies and techniques. The color that really intrigues me this year is gold with two shades of green stripes and a green tail. When I fish the Rogue and Umpqua, the gold spinner blades always out produce any other blade color. Granted, 95% of the spinners used are gold blades and may have something to do with this. But this new plug in a K-14 looks like a real winner. Maybe that is the color Jet called the Goldfinger. Yes/No?

I've fished Kwikfish a lot for fall salmon but never springers. And what I hate most is adding a bait wrap. I find the wrap fades and looks ineffective after only 30 minutes of trolling. I've used the bait butter before which actually stays on and holds very well. Sounds like I should skip the wrap and use the butter more often. Any other comments about bait wrap versus the butter?

thanks everyone,

hook

bait boy · 03-28-2001, 12:35 AM

If you want to stick to straight scent, try adding a 1" strip of the fuzzy side of a velcro strip where you put your wrap. This will hold all types of scent better and longer than just rubbing on the plug.

Mr. Fisherman · 03-28-2001, 12:38 PM

Great tips,

Any info on where to apply butter and other scents?

Thanks in advance...

garyk · 03-28-2001, 02:33 PM

Hookset got his (her?) wish about creating a shortage of the hot lures. I just got back from a lunch hour field trip and it's official -- there are no K13's in Portland.

In GI Joes parking lot I bumped into a guy who got the last K13's and he wasn't selling 'em.

B. Gray · 03-28-2001, 02:33 PM

Great tips here guys. I like the chartreuse (sp?) head and plain silver body with an anchovie wrap in the WA coastal rivers. I'm going to have to try out this buttered velcro thing. Sounds delicious.

Bruce
Schmidts Pro Staff

Richter · 03-28-2001, 04:33 PM

Everyone is in a big stew over the K-13 Kwikfish. I'm as bad as the next guy when something new comes out. I just have to get it. I'll get some K-13's eventually, but for now the K-14's and K-15's have been working just fine. Use your proven plugs (the ones with all the teeth marks) and you'll catch fish. In the Columbia, sardine wrapped Kwikfish will out fish the ones with just sardine butter. Don't be lazy, put on a sardine wrap, properly tune the plug and go catch a springer.