Quickfish /Flatfish in Tidewater

[Steve]

It is a question of speed, and depth? How fast a troll for these big K-14 - 16 plugs just barely moving or really dancing at a fast walk? for Chinook? or anchor and let the current do the work? Been graphing a few nooks but no takers....?

This is a tough time of year to do very well with Kwikfish in slow tidewater. The coastal rivers are low flow, clear, and warmer than desired. That doesn't mean you can't catch fish in those conditions though - regardless if you use the Kwikies, spinners,or bobbber/bait. I suggest that your better chances now would be in rivers with early returning chinook runs; such as the Nehalem and Nestucca on the Oregon coast, some of the larger flowing lower Columbia tribs like N.F. Lewis, and the earlier runs of the NW Washington rivers. The famous Tillamook run is somewhat later arriving than these other rivers, although the Trask gets some early 'nooks. ...

I also suggest that you pay a lot of attention to the tide tables. In the warmer low flows I would prefer a large incoming high tide - the bigger the better (like 8' to 10' highs). In these conditions higher highs will have more chance of bringing in some fresh fish, cool the water down more, and have more current during both incoming and outgoing tides to help work lures and bait better. Be anchored up over good holes or slots for the upper half of the incoming and outgoing (later on with more fish and cooler water temps fishing good holes near low tide is usually better). The Kwikies will often have enough action in these mild tidal currents - that's one of the hallmarks of this great lure in that they work well in a variety of current speeds; particularly better than other plugs in slow currents. In the lower river use about a 30" lead dropper and a 50" leader. Keep the lead on or near bottom and this ratio will keep this diving lure just above bottom about a foot or foot-and-a-half. Also try fishing them up off bottom further at times for some of the suspended fish. ...

In real slow current it is good to troll these a long ways behind the boat - either with light 1 0z. lead with the dropper rig with K-14/15's or by flatlining the better diving K-16's and T-50 Flatfish - on the upper half of the tide because the fish will be moving around in tidewater more, rather than holing up as they often do nearer to low tide. If you have located a good number of fish, anchor up and cast both spinners and Kwikies and retrieve them deep and slowly. --- Or floatfish Amerman Eggs [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] .

[RichH]

Steve,

The past few years I've gone to fishing primarily K16's for fall fish and they seem to work best for me a 3 way swivel with 18" dropper to 1 1/2 ounces of lead for average current and 4-5 feet of leader to the plug. I prefer to get the plug with a fairly constant throb about every 1/2 to 1 second. I use this technique in Tillamook Bay, Trask and Nestucca tidewater with good success. Hope this helps.

Thanks Rich. I have also seen a lot of fishers use the shorter dropper with good success. The reason a lot of other anglers use the longer droppers is that the K-15/16's dive quite a bit, and with a short one the Kwikie will be dredging bottom a bit more than you want if you keep the lead tapping bottom also. However, the one drawback to the longer lead dropper is it occassionally gets hung up in an initial netting attempt that misses the fish and can break off the fish. I use about 10 lb. for dropper and 30 lb. for leader so this won't happen. And the lead being a little closer the the fish does not distract them in this application. If you use a short dropper to just find bottom then leave the lead up off the ground a little ways it's a good way to fish them I agree.

RT

[RichH]

I'm with you on the don't let 'em dig to deep thing. That's a big reason I only 1 1/2 ounce of lead. I generally bounce it back 2-3 times hitting bottom and like it when I can go from about 1 o'clock to 4 o'clock and find bottom. I'd much rather have them riding a little high in the water column than dragging since I believe they'll come up a fair ways to grab them.