Plunking Tech?

[willierower]

I need a little info on plunking in the Columbia. I wasin Kalama WA last week and saw guys plunkig just up river from the marina. Im thinking I may want to do that this coming week if the Kalama river is kicking out fish. My questions are...
What is the targeted species? Salmon or steelhead? What are they using for a lure and or bait? Hw should I rig up if I decide to try it? How much wieght should I expect to use? And finally, How much beer should I take with me? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[smilesforu]

Plunking works for both salmon and steelhead. Your targeted species will depend on what is swimming by at the time you fish. One of the keys to being a sucessful plunker is having your gear in the fish traveling zone. Sometimes this can be 10 ft from the beach and other times it is the middle of the river. Spin glows are a excellent plunking bait above shrimp/egg combos anchored to the bottom with 6-8 oz of pyramid lead. Make sure to use a stiff leader material so the spinglow doesn't twist the leader. Once the spinglow setup is secure to the bottom and the rod is ready for the holder you can clip on a hotshot or tadpolly to the main line and let it work its way out and down the line. Use a leader from 3-6 ft for the hotshot and a 18 inch one for your spinglow. You may also add some smelly jelly to the plug to give it a scent.

You will want to check the hotshot/tadpolly for dive tuning before putting it on your line.

Then all you do is drink beer and check your rig periodically for leaves and tangles.



More info on my site at this url

Plunking page

[Navigator]

Smilesforu -- Cool site. Willierower. I am learning plunking on the Columbia by doing at Warrendale on the Oregon side. One thing I learned the hard way is where to attach the dropper on a three-way swivel or spreader. The dropper to your weight should be attached to the eye opposite (and in the same line) as the mainline. Your leader should come off the eye or the part of the spreader that is perpendicular to the swivel or spreader. This reduces twist around your weight when you cast. I have yet to catch one yet, but had three bumps and one good take down this morning (where the fish wrapped me up on bottom). Good luck.