Chinook Primer Part II

[Mark Mc]

Chapter II - Flashers & Spoons.

All those hoochies need to go behind a flasher. If you're going real deep, like 100 to 300 feet, you want a larger flasher. Also, a hoochie likes a flasher that whips around. Here are a couple of standards:



Red & chartreuse "Hot Spot", and a chrome "Abe & Al." The red hot spot works especially well in brown water. On a hot spot, the fat (wider) side goes towards the lure!! The Abe & Al works just about anytime. Since it is metal, it can be "tuned" by bending (flattening out) the curves. These have a lot of action, so you can put a pretty long leader on them (from the wire or sinker); 15 feet is standard commercial rig or evern longer in certain situations. The lure end is 20 to 36 inches with a hoochie. You can get away with a pretty heavy leader with hoochies ( 60 lb). Plus you don't want your ten dollar flasher hanging by a 20 lb leader. Put a snap on each hoochie leader so you can change them easily from the flasher.

The "dodger" style (below)doesn't spin in a big circle like the hot spot or abe & al. It has more of a wobble to it. I use dodgers for bait, and also small dodgers with hoochies when going shallow (75 ft or less).



Bottom 2 are Les Davis 0/0 size, 6 inches long. This is a real nice all-around size. Not too much resistance when the fish is near the surface, but still plenty of flash. The smaller the flasher, the shorter the lure leader you can get away with (like 6 ft to the wire, and 18 inches to the lure). Big one is a Goldstar; I'd only use that one with bait or plug down real deep. I use 30 to 40 lb leader with the small dodgers.

On to spoons. There are a gazillion out there. Again, you want to match the conditions:



Early in the year (spring, early summer) when the water is still clear these metallic spoons work well. The brass & copper, and the large chrome are Tom Mack. The small chrome is an "Andy Reeker." Different from a hoochie these thin metal spoons should have a lightweight hook so as not to hinder the action. The tinned hooks ("partridge" style) are normally used on the Tom Macks. The brass & copper will dull quickly between trips. The bottle in the picture is "hydratone", a chemical used to polich these spoons. In between uses, the spoons are kept in a closed container of hydratone & fresh water. The Andy Reeker is a real killer. Good luck finding any though; aren't made any more. If you do find one in the package, remove the piece of junk hook that comes with it, and put a 3/0 or 4/0 on the size 4, and a 4/0 or 5/0 on the size 5. When using these metallic spoons in clear water, use a clear, light leader (20 to 30 lb), and either tie the leader directly to the spoon swivel or use a very small snap.

When the water starts to get some color to it, the painted spoons will start to work:



The two at left are "Kingfishers". The green/chartreuse, or a green/white (not shown) work well in green water often found close in on the beach, esp. later in the season. The three in the middle are Canadian Wonder - style wobblers. The pink & white is a bloody killer in brown water, when the fish are feeding on krill. The other wobblers (red/white, & all red) and the red teardrop with black spots all work well in medium-dark water. And I had to throw in the flame-red teardrop at right: that one is a killer for coho. Just try one of those with a 6/7 ft leader tied directly to it with a light weight or a diver when the coho are biting, and see how it does compared with the other methods.

BTW, obviously many more spoons out there. Any of you have favorites? Krocodiles & Apex's are also real popular.

No conversation about chinook would be complete without mentioning plugs. Some commercial guys fish plugs almost exclusively:



Plugs are a bit finicky, especially the larger ones. I tie the leader directly to the ring eye. On the 6 inch plug, best hook is a 7/0 to 9/0 durnickel. Unlike stainless, durnickel can be bent. We bend the plug hook open so it has a shorter shank and a wider opening. When commercial fishing or sportfishing with a downrigger, big plugs fish well with a very long leader, like 20 - 30 feet. Late in the year, plugs are fished behind large flashers. If you want to try a plug, I'd suggest a 4 incher. As with hoochies, there are many patterns. A standard is one that simulates sardines (dark back in picture). The pearl colors are also generally good (hmmm...so are white hoochies, remember?) The white & greens work well in green water, close to the beach. Look at the Tomic web site:
web page
the 412 & 417 are sardine patters. Almost every year though, a different pattern will be hot. Since Mark (Assassin) is our official double-agent, maybe he can tell us what is hot in the commercial fleet!!!

That's all for now, folks. Good fishing...Mark Mc

[ 04-21-2003, 09:23 AM: Message edited by: Mark Mc ]

[Mr. Fisherman]

I wonder where I could find the hardware to make some of those plugs?...

Could you loan me one to use as a patern?
It just mught pay off

[Albacore Tuna Captain]

Hey Mark, your lessons are awsome!! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] Any time you need to go out just for fun (and to show someone who is always willing to learn new tricks)you're welcome aboard the Blitz.

[jcarufo]

Mark,
Great post! This is what it is supposed to be like. We fish plugs alot. Mostly whites: 156, 158, 203, 602(our favorite) near shore. They're hot in the 'bubble' in the fall, Oyster House too. Have you tried the Green/Gold, Red/Gold O'ki flashers? Also, Purple/Gold is the best 'bait' flasher we've ever used. Thanks again.
Jean

[Pilar]

Mark, it's as if you've done this for a living. Thank you for sharing what you know.

[Mark Mc]

Pilar, there's a reason I was so messed up in junior high & high school. Instead of spending time with kids my own age, every single weekend during salmon season & every day all summer long all I did was fish. And that was with dirty old men that told me the wrong things about girls.

Jean, thanks for the suggestions. I realize that folks in Washington & Puget Sound (& Canada of course) are generally a lot more experienced with plug fishing...I'd like to talk to you a little about this. And now I'll just have to get a purple/gold Oki!

Ray, no problem I'll throw you one to try. Nobody yet has competed with the Tomic plug company, so this will be a first!

And Mike, ya sure ya betcha....time for us to plan something!

[jcarufo]

Mark,
It's funny that we fish Vancouver Island 4-5 different weeks during the summer and use totally different techniques here and there. Like with the Tomics, we always fished plug cuts in the bubble in Tillamook until about 5 or 6 years ago when my S.O. got board trolling and demanded that I put her favorite 6" 156 plug on for her. Well 15 minutes later she was limited and I hadn't gotten a bite. We ended up with three for the tide all on her plug. Another day we were bobber fishing the Trask tidewater and as the current started to run we dropped down to the Oyster House and she limited on the same Tomic plug while I backbounced eggs, sandshrimp, and spinners for nothing. We've also done well with Tomics at buoy 10 on the slack tide with downriggers at about 50' on the Washington side between the green and yellow bouy.
That's where and when we also fish the purple and gold flasher. There's a great Fall Chinook fishery in the Alberni inlet late August into September that we have occasionally fished for the last 13 years. We normally fish plugs and hootchies behind green/gold flashers. About 6 years ago a gentleman in his 80's turned us on to the Purple/gold with bait and it was amazing how the fish responded. Anchovies in a Rhys Davis glow green head on 8' leader. We've used it with good success in Alberni, Nootka Sound, Port McNeill, and the last 2 years at bouy 10. I've wanted to try it in the Columbia or Willamette for Springers, but I'm too chicken. Hopefully I'll get Barb out this week and have her try it. Who knows, maybe start a new trend. By the way, we fish our plugs rigged the rubber band method on the Tomic web site. We cut the ring off, tie direct to the loop, push the knot to the top and slide a very small rubber band over the face of the plug pulling the line back midline. It makes the plug dig and move a little better. Everyone in Canada cuts the loop out and runs the line straight through. We haven't gone that far though. Anyway, thanks again for your great post.
Jean

[Fishplay]

Great post Mark! I haven't fished spoons or Tomic plugs much since my days in Port Angeles. We did drag some spoons in Port Hardy on occassion though. Some days both methods can be the only way to produce bites.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane buddy.

[corkyking]

Thank you for your effort on our behalf.

Much appreciated!


"I refuse to believe that trading recipes is silly. Tunafish casserole is at least as real as corporate stock."
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

[Mark Mc]

A fellow salty dog asked me about these posts, so here they are, ttt again.

[HOGGEMIN]

Hey Ray I have a few Lure Jensen plugs unpainted!!!!!!

[Chum King]

Stick Flicker,
For all you do, this bump's for you.

[Rodbender]

Something that may be of interest to board members-there's a couple of guys here in BC who I guess used to be in the Commercial Trolling fleet who are slowly selling off their Plugs and Flashers on EBay.

(not Tyee Tackle out of Cobble Hill BTW)

There are some decent deals that I've seen-and a ton of gear to sell-a quick search should bring it up.

[Knucklebuster]

Hey MC, have you ever seen this new flasher that came out of BC called the Farr Better Flasher? It's made by Gibbs and was designed by a buddy of mine named Justin Farr. He fishes Campbell River and Stuart Island. He gave me some to try out a couple of years ago before they hit the market, and they are sweet. When you get a fish on the flasher breaks away from the line and is able to slide freely up and down the line, so that you aren't fighting the flasher, just the fish. They are awesome, but for some reason you still can't seem to find them in the states. Berry's Baits in Vacouver BC has them online though. Try them out, they are great. Anyone else tried them?

[Mark Mc]

I saw something like this at the Seattle Boat show, at the Seattle Marine booth. The guy was demo'ing them. I'm not sure if it was the same brand, but it was the same concept you're talking about. For no particular reason, I kept my wallet in my pocket at that moment. I'd be interested in trying one though. Want to do a swap on anything? Hoochies? Fishtraps?
Thanks....Mark

[Pilar]

Thanks Mark!

[Knucklebuster]

I live in the Seattle area, and have seen the one's you are talking about. Some guy on Mercer Island sells those? I've never used his, but I know the Farr Better works well. I had thought he got a patent on his design but apparently not. All the guides in Campbell and Stuart now use them. They are hot. Swapping some could be fine.

[Orca]

Englunds in Newport has them. Don't remember the brand.

Great information, have used a few of these but really am more of a bait guy for salmon. Have an idea that I will be using some of this hardware.
Thanks for the great post and sharing your expertise.

[Phil Layer]

Here's another big thanks for the great info.

You gotta love this website!