Newport Salmon Skunk 7/5

[Tacklebuster]

Didn't bother to wake up early this morning cause the ocean conditions looked to be pretty lumpy as I looked at the computer last night. Woke up at the crack of 10:00 this morning to find out the ocean was calm and the salmon bite was in full swing :shocked: By the time I got everything hooked up and drove down, it was 1:00.

I saw all kinds of nooks and ho's at the dock as I made my way to the whistle buoy. I hit the big blue and started trolling in 220 feet off the light house. The report I got from the charters were they were slaying them 8 miles out and 40 percent of the catch were nooks. I trolled till 4:20 without a single take down for 2 rods. Decided to call it a day cause the wind was picking up and the swells started to blow a little. When I got back to the ramp most guys were saying the bite was on fire till about 9:00 then died at noon.

Oh well, all in all it was a great day on the ocean and I gained a little more salt under my sleeve. I hope to hit her again next Saturday.

[ANDYCOHO]

I feel your pain, I have had the bite die hard mid-morning. Its just amazing that you cannot keep 2 rods in the water for 3 hours straight then go 3 hours straight with out a bite .

Here are a few things I like to try when the bite dies, on the big blue:

1) Running the gear deeper
2) Instead of chunk herring go to a whole herring
3) Increase your troll speed, I like trolling at 2 to 3 mph in the big blue, for Coho and Chinook
4) Make "S" turns and figure "8's" like a Mad-Man
5) Go to deeper water
6) Switch from bait to hardware
7) Run around till you find a debris on the water or a rip line

And if all else fails follow the pukers (charters)

Hope this helps, good luck out there!

[ 07-06-2003, 11:47 AM: Message edited by: ANDYCOHO ]

[Tacklebuster]

Thanks for the advice. I think I tried all the above exept for using hardware and following the pukers. When you start trolling in the morning, how deep do you go? I varied from 10 pulls to 40 but seemed to make no difference. I use green label herring on a rotary salmon with fish flash and diver. Maybe I should try something a little different. Water seemed pretty cold as well, 51 degrees at 220 feet. Whats the ideal temp you should look for and what is the coldest you should fish?

Thanks for all the help

[Mark Mc]

One comment: the divers don't fish deep well, since they ride at such a high angle. The depths you mention may be fine for coho, but when the kings are down very deep at all you need another way of getting to them. Downriggers are obvious, but if you don't have those you can troll with 2 to 3 lb leads. Or mooch with anything from 2 oz (flat calm) to 10 oz weights. To mooch 60 to 100 ft down, 6 or 8 ounces is the norm. Good luck.....Mark

p.s. on the temp thing....52 to 54 is ideal but remember, you're only reading surface temp and it can be a lot different down deeper.

[ 07-05-2003, 09:02 PM: Message edited by: Mark Mc ]

[ANDYCOHO]

I start off my day with 6 pulls and just keep going deeper with the fish. I have had excellent luck dragging a Hoochie over a Mooching rig alone, on a spinning rod 50' behind the boat first thing in the morning. And it's a blast to battle those fiesty Coho without all the gear!

I use a Delta Diver, 3' of 40# test a "0" Dodger and 2-4' of leader to a Hoochie on a Mooching rig with a piece of chunk herring on the front hook.

Yes it is tough to get a diver down deep, but it can be done, I can get mine to 50' +or- a few feet.

[Fishing Dispatcher]

The 3 Chinook and 1 Coho that we got today were all on Down Riggers 50' to 80' in 240'We were using cut herring and whole herring.

[Fishplay]

Tbuster, Sorry to hear you missed the bite. We were pleasantly surprised by the great ocnditions. We scrapped a tuna run because of prevailing conditions. Thinking it very early in the year and better days ahead. Who'd of known it would lay flat like that. Obviously not NOAA.

If your goiing to fish salmon in the ocean you should invest in some downriggers. Until then I would mooch unless you want to target coho.

I have downriggers and still do allot of mooching if I have good structure bleow me.