Been doing some more thinking in my quest to find some winter steelhead mojo
. For years, okay decades, I really haven't paid attention to my terminal tackle - is it balanced?,etc. This gets me an occassional steelhead - when my standard rig is fortunate to match prime current, visibility, steelhead aggressiveness, etc. So, in my quest to do things differently, today, I decided to learn more about my terminal tackle by experimenting around the house. Thought I share in another tech tip.
Current speed I believe is a key factor in adjusting tackle that is overlooked. At least by me. Most of us will adjust our weight to match current speed. Some adjust to the low, clear water by adjusting line test, leader length and size of bait or offering. But, are we making the adjustments to adjust to the lower current speed as well? Well, today I decided to investigate my gear to learn more about what I will consider balanced.
I used what I will call the float test.
What I am doing here is getting a feel for matching hook size (i.e., weight) with drift bobber (in this case a corky). In this example, I have a #12 corky on a size #1 hook (left, sunk) and a #10 corky on a size #1 hook (floating). Actually, I pegged the corkies with a toothpick (just for the test - I don't use a tooth pick when fishing) and this can be mis-leading. (Hmmm... on second thought -
- see below). As all plunkers know, the point is to test to see if your drift bobber is floating your hook. Current normally does this, but in low, clear conditions - current is what is lacking.
Here is a more accurate float test.
The #8 birdy (they could be #10's
) (green, on right) easily floats the #1 hook, 32" ten lb. leader and small bead. On the left, the #10 corky easily floats the #2 hook and 32" 8 lb. leader. However, the #12 corky won't float the #2 hook and 8 lb. leader, neither will the #10 corky on the #1 hook with 8 lb. leader (no help with toothpick this time).
Again, when the rivers are in prime flow, dropping and the steelhead are aggressive on the bite - such subtle differences probably matter a lot less. Just get something down and in front of them will get you going.
But, when the cfs are down, the water is clear - and water temps are frigid - the fish will not be as aggressive. I am now convinced that ensuring your bait is suspended (not on bottom, but 6 to 8 inches above bottom) is key to trigger an aggressive response. As such, these things DO matter under these conditions.
I fish the Sandy quite a bit - some long, big, slow drifts. What got me to think about this is that when I match my weight to the current, I still hang up. When I break off - it is on the leader. That means my hook is catching bottom. I experimented - when the current is low and the corky can't float the hook - the corky will part from the hook (even in current) - as the hook sinks and the corky tries to float. On a long slow drift, the hook eventually finds bottom or close to it. This can be good if it hits Mr. sulking steelhead, but more often and not it is rolling on bottom just to get snagged. (Here is my new idea
. Under this conditions - peg your corky with a toothpick. The toothpick adds bouyancy - that is its value and offsets the hook's tendency to sink. This allows you to stick with larger hook - see below as to why this may be good).
With the float test above, I was amazed to learn how drift bobber size, leader test and hook size needed to be considered when ensuring you had a high buoyant rig.
Okay, we have read about hook size and corky size. The rule is, the gap on the hook (distance between hook point and shank) needs to be wider than width of the corky. Otherwise, corky can interfere with hookset. Guess what - the results of my experiment create a conflict with this point - the balance rigs I discovered had gaps almost equal to the size of corky. What to do? Probably going up a hook size in good current is a good idea to increase you odds here - especially with a good dose of "right" yarn properly "winged" for lift (see below for more on yarn). The other thing in low, clear water - is to add a #14 corky behind the larger corky - or use 2 smaller corkies.
Okay - what about yarn, I asked? Yarn floats - kind of.
Different types of yarn are much more buoyant than others. In this test, I soaked the yarn and did not squeeze out water - then put in container. One type (sorry, don't know brand) floated immediately. The other types (most of what I have
) sank .... well, at first.
This is the same test about 5-10 minutes later. Yarn does float. When saturated it sinks, but then some sort of equilibrium mystery science stuff happens and it ends up being buoyant. But that took minutes, not seconds. My guess is that scent adds weight to the yarn, decreasing its buoyancy. Under low, clear conditions - this may be another reason to use just a drop or two of sent and to use less or no yarn. My point - yarn is neutral to sinking to you rig - unless you get the stuff that really floats. So, something else to consider when balancing your terminal tackle.
What about bait? Eggs sink. I have caught steelhead on corky and roe - again, in higher flows, better conditions. Again, everything works without thinking hard in prime conditions. In low, slow and clear - roe sits on bottom -even with a balance corky and hook. Perhaps, just rolls. Steelhead aren't going to pick off bottom - hang ups are more common. My next experiment (when on the water) under these conditions will be to really adjust my weight to compensate. That is, rather than tap, tap, tap w/ roe, I will lighten my weight to tap, ..... tap .... tap. I might lift my rod occassionally to get things up off bottom. Or, just use roe in the swifter water - heads of runs, tailouts - not those long, slow, deep drifts. Or, up my corky size (do a dare go to a #8 in low, clear conditions - with roe?) for the same hook size. Or, under a bobber?
What about sandshrimp? You know, I don't know if sandshrimp tails float. They may. (I will be the guy dropping sandshrimp tails in the water and studying their buoyancy
). They may also act as a wing ("winged" yarn can act this way too - countering the temporary negative buoyancy) - so as to lift your bait off the bottom in the current.
The point is - know if your bait floats or sinks and make the adjustments in weight and balance tackle according to water current. Bait dragging bottom won't catch salmonids.
I know,
. You experts know this. But this is the first time I really thought this through. And, in these tough fishing conditions - I think these are some things worth thinking about.
Of course, time on the water is the best. But after spending quite a bit of time on the water doing the same ole, same ole, I decided to think about what I am doing and really investigating my tactics - precisely.
Only time will tell if this improves my fishing. One thing I do know, it will improve my confidence.
Navigator
Tech Tip - Balanced Drift Fishing Terminal Tackle
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