Single 7/0 works even better...

 

Way better.

 

That’s all I have used this season. The only downside was we had a 33# nook straighten one out, but we got her in the net 👍

 

We never net a fish till we confirm it’s a keeper the rest are released beside the boat with pliers.

We only use single hooks but the short hits seem to be about the same ratio as when we used two hooks.

I really believe we get more fish to the boat with just one hook and I’m positive the ones we release are almost always going to survive.

Please consider not netting native fish using one hook with heavier leader so you can pull a fish up next to the boat and let it go with a pair of pliers or dehooker


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Go at least 5/0 or bigger and you will be happier

 

We started using singles. Easy to tie on to a good line not something out of a package. Easy releases as mentioned and the chunk of herring is easier to get on and make spin with a single.

 

I always use singles attached to a swivel in the ocean.

I like 4/0 siwash for coho and 6/0 on gear that is specific for chinook.
I played around using the 6/0 siwash hooks specifically for coho and we kept missing a bunch of fish so I went back to 4/0

I know other use bigger hooks for coho but thats what works for me.

 

It's great to see folks promoting ethical salmon fishing, aka using one hook and not netting fish till you see it's clipped or if netting because you can't tell, at least leaving the fishi in the water (in the net) and NOT bringing it into the boat till you know it's clipped. If not clipped, get it out o=f the net ASAP and use a dehooker to release it. the dehooker can be a gaff; grab the leader, slide the bend of the hook in the gaff down the leader to the bend in the hook, mover your hand down the leader so it's fairly close to the fish, then lift the gaff that's in the bend of the hook while simultaneously lowering the hand holding the leader so it's lower than the gaff hook, almost under the gaff hook. The hook will invert and the fish will slide right off the hook and you never have to touch the fish.
ron m

 

It makes me sick how many fish I have injured, and I am a single 7/0 guy also.

I am sure 20 are blind in one eye, and add on bleeders,….most fish never get touched with water releases…

Don’t kid yourself….I am sure I killed more than I caught.
I understand the number game with the salmon and the reasons for it…..but that’s BS now, move on to responsible managemen.

 

Wow that’s just not my experience with the fish we release!


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Consider not using a net at all too. I forgot mine a couple years ago, and haven’t used one since on silvers. You don’t need a net to bring an 8lb fish on 40lb leader over the rail. No more tangles in the net and no more slime/scale loss.

 

Im going to keep the nets, how many incidental catches of chinook while coho fishing?

 

We don’t net, but occasionally there is the one we thought was a keeper.

We probably caught some 60 fish this year, amongst visitors and friends. Although lately the ratio has been favorable, earlier we had one day when I counted 11 before a clipped. That day alone we released some 40 fish…(and before anyone says, get up and move….we did twice that day)
60 hatchery fish with a ratio of a (conservative) 3W to 1…. means we released 180 fish….I don’t think 20 blind fish is unrealistic, add that to the 4 pound bleeders……it is senseless.

 

While I am also a single 7/0 (or larger when silvers are running 8+ lbs) fisherman, I also know that the relatively large hooks cause significantly more damage to the fish, especially hooks thru the eye, but also bleeding, torn gills, etc. This doesn't mean I'm likely to change, because, as you know, using the single, big hook almost eliminates drive by' s. It is hard to change an old commercial fisherman. I do know that some coho survive fairly major trauma, having caught many apparently healthy fish, (back in the '60's) that were covered with obvious net marks and missing half of their scales, (Thanks to the Russian trawlers that were then working along the old 12 mile boundary line).

About three years ago, I also caught a healthy silver with a fully healed major injury. The lower jaw was split in two, where a hook had torn out. at least a two inch tear, possibly by a commercial fisherman who didn't know it was on, or had been shaken off the old way. This was a very unlucky fish, because when I caught it, it came in smoking like a Japanese Zero in WW II.

 

I can report from recent experience that with a dual-hook rig it’s possible for the trailing hook to end up deep in the gut, and the lead hook to tear up their gills.

That fish was double-screwed. It spattered my dang sunglasses with blood, it was flowing like wine at a book club.

I’ll try single-hook rigs next time there’s a coho rodeo. I was just getting my feet under me on this one. The last two ocean seasons (aka my first two ocean seasons) the fish were sparse, and this year, putting fish in the box like a big dog, I didn’t want to experiment with tackle when what I had was “working”. But it’s a terrible feeling to mangle, then release, a salmon.

 

I don't use big, really sharp, offset single hooks, to be kind to salmon that I'm forced by law to release, I do it because it does a better job of hooking and holding any salmon that bites. The fact that it does less harm to them is just an added plus...

 

Pacific Net and Twine sells Black Nickle Clawpoint Siwash hooks:

North Pacific Black Nickel Clawpoint Hooks (100/box)

I use 7/0 on 40# leaders for all my hoochies. We don't touch any fish we release, so no scale loss slime layer disturbance . We use a hand gaff to release fish. Just wrap the leader around your hand about a foot above the hook, put the gaff into the curve of the hook, pull up on the gaff and push down with your leader hand. Very simple and minimizes hooking mortality as much as humanly possible. Double hook rigs are unacceptably tough on salmon.

 

If it’s bleeding, it’s dead.

It doesn’t take much damage to bleed out a salmon, I netted a 25 chinook once on the surface. It had about a 5/0 hooked in the back of its tongue. I lost a steelhead while trout fishing , and found it later diving for crawdads….same thing.

It may make a person feel good saying, oh it’s bleeding a little, but it will be okay….IMHO, it’s going to die…… shark dinner.

Its a two edged sword….if we could prove survive is likely than they assume…(and survival changes, at June 4 pounds vs Aug 8 pounds) … they will just cut our quota, to save fish.

WHEN they should do a progressive shift. Like next year you are allowed one W and one clipped per day.

I am firmly convinced we are doing more harm than good to the number of fish that return to spawn.

 

I don't recall which thread it was on, but there was a recent post by someone who had worked at a sorting trap and on the spawning beds on the Nehalem system. Seeing some badly damaged fish, his observation/opinion was that Coho can take a lot more abuse than we think they can. On a personal level, I have caught a few pretty beat up (mouth wounds, net scars, scale loss) high fins.

 

It does suck having to release wounded fish, all one can do is try to reduce hooking mortality as much as possible. That's why I went away from double hooks on hoochies. I really like using spoons, with either a 3/0 or 4/0 hook. They're the easiest to dehook. I also often use a false flasher with my spoons, ie, run the flasher off the downrigger ball and the spoon 5-10' above on a stacker release. Lots of fun fighting a fish without an inline flasher.

 

If you only use one hook, does it make hook placement relative to the hoochie more critical?

 

You can control that with a bead or two. I like my hook's bend to be within the hoochie skirt. I know it's popular to make the hook hang back, but I have my best success with a big single hook in the skirt. I try to just give them a mouthful as a target. Seems to work... (grin)

 

Chunk on that big hook?

 

Yeah!

 

I use a single hook, but a 5/0 and it seems plenty large enough. I use the 5/0 for both coho and chinook.
ron m

 

I used the Mustad 95170 ( 5/0 and 6/0 ) siwash ( open eye ) with good hookup success this past summer. The point turns in a bit and likely aids in reducing hook turnout. The downside is the stainless seems to be a bit brittle when pinching barbs and closing the eye on a swivel. the hooks are expensive but good for a lot of time in the water. As has been said previously, heavier leader in the hoochie rig and over the side when clip is confirmed. With the barb down flat they seemed to roll out with relative ease when releasing. Otherwise the fish never leaves the water or is in a net. Chinook, ya net it.

 

I use a single GAMAKATSU BIG RIVER OPEN EYE HOOK BARBLESS No. 6. I put it on a barrel swivel, seems to be very effective and I don't need to pinch any barbs.

 

I use 6/0 or 7/0 single Mustad 95170 SS hooks (thanks MarkMc). Never bent one. Put 47 fish in the fish box last year, released two hooked through the eye, zero hooked in the gills. I will never fish with two small hooks again. I lose very few to drive bys, if they pull it out of the clip, they are usually stuck till they get to the boat.

 

Ditto!

 

Are these siwash?

Do you add a barrel swivel when you close the eye?

 

I use 5/0 big river hooks and just use a split ring and connect them to a barrel swivel. Add a few beads and a hootchie and your fishing