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Q:Greetings John, I read in the WDFW pamphlet for 2007-2008 that some areas of puget sound require that you use a single barbless hook for salmon. I am used to a dual hook on cut plug herring and the standard two hook rig. How do you rig with only one hook? I am thinking that you could cut the plug, thread the single hook through the front and then attach to the side as normal. But would this put the bow in the bait? Any advice? Thanks Charlie |
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A: Charlie You can run up to 3 single barbless hooks, just not any treble hooks. Your standard 2 hook mooching leader is still legal. Capt. John |
| Q:Hi John, I'm retired military and live in Utah. For the past three years, I've rented a 17' boat from the military bases in that area and pulled them to LaPush, in early to mid July. The boats are not equipped with downriggers and they will not allow downriggers to be installed. I've used a deep six with flasher/dodger and a hootchies or spoon and have been somewhat successful. I've seen in some previous posting that I can use the deep six setup with just a spoon and attain some better depth. Since I'm limited to what I can use on the boat, what other techniques can I use to get deeper? Or should I not waste my time anymore trying to get deeper. What other techniques can I use out of lapush to get the silvers and kings? Should I look elsewhere say; Neah Bay or Sekui and try some shallower water for trolling and mooching? In these two areas, are there some good bottom fishing spots in close where the kids and I can continue to catch some bass and lings? Reason for asking about the bottom fish is we've located some nice bottom fishing spots and every year catch some nice bass and lings in close. Thanks for your time and I've enjoy your web site . TY |
| A: Ty, I understand your frustration. My suggestion would be to look at vertical jigging, it requires little equipment and is effective in all water deeps to 400ft. The new Shimano Butterfly jigging system has been one I have been trying for the past year and found it very deadly on salmon, halibut and tuna. Check it out at http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/fish/sac/us/en/butterfly_fishing.html Good luck Capt. John |
| Q:Hi John, We (usually 8-10 of us) have been to several lodges over many years and really enjoy mooching and motor mooching (without guides). We use 4, 6, or 8 ounce weights. leaders and cut plug herring. The crying every night is how the big one broke the line. A lot of us now bring our own reels and very seldom break the main line. Now everyone blames the "LODGE TIED" leaders for breaking. This year we plan on tying our own to take. Soooooo we like 6ft leaders..your comment on this length. Some think we should try 60 lb Spider Wire, (the original green), after all it is supple and thin. Others think we should use 40 lb Flurocarbon because it is invisible. Do you really think that color makes a differance?? And then we want to try RED Octopus circle hooks. Do you think the RED hooks would or do make a differance. Also, the size of hooks, 2 of size 05 or a 05 and a 04. We always go to the lodges off Queen Charlotte Islands, and everyone hopes to bring back that 50 pounder. One last question on the rigging. Alot of us like to hook the trailing hook back into the herring. Your on line video shows it trailing free. Please comment on the percentage of hook sets either way. Thanks guys for a great website we have learned alot from it and you got 20 friends waiting for an answer!! SALMON HUNTER...Bill |
| A: Bill, First off it sounds like you learned the hard lesson of using the lodges main line. I would also recommend using my own leaders and I always bring them whoever I'm fishing with. I would not recommend using any kind of braided line for leader material, first off it has zero stretch and you will pull the hook right out of the fifty pounders mouth. Second it is not clear and the fish can see it. Your on the right track with fluorocarbon leader. Its strong; clear and makes great leader material. 6ft leader is fine; just not longer then the pole your using makes it tough to net a fish. I use 30lb Gamma fluorocarbon leader for the trips north when targeting big fish, it has yet to let me down. Red hooks also work well I would stay away from circle hooks pretty tricky to hook up on if your not practiced in the technique of using them. A good old Owner SSW or Mustad salmon hook in 5/0-6/0 size. They will serve you the best for targeting large kings. As far as rigging a herring both ways will work, I prefer to sink the rear hook in the tail of the herring or rig it as a whole herring for big chinook fishing. I wish you the best on your next trip north; send us some photos. Capt. John |
| Q:Wow! Thanks for the very prompt reply. We are from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and just found out we will be sharing Samson Lodge with the Oakland Fire Dept. this year. We have been told they are a great bunch of guys but it looks like it will be the Canadians against the Americans this summer. Sooo we need all the help we can get!! Last year before we went I read every word on your website!! I took laundry blueing and powdered milk with me. I was up in the dark and had our herring brined before breakfast. I added scent and changed the bait more often. We have learned that concentrating more time in the "good" spots is better than jumping from area to area thinking the grass might be greener!! I'm sure I will be back to you a few times before we venture out in July. I am intriged with Big Al's FISH FLASH "spinners" ...would they work power mooching?? NOW I THINK "MY" KILLER SECRET IS GOING TO BE THE "E ROTARY" CHIP BAIT HOLDER. There are 3 styles of these. The herring we are supplied with are number one grade minimum 6" long and bigger. Which of the styles do you recommend. By the way some of us use "cutting" guides and some of us are "free handers" but we are all pretty good at herring cutting. If using one of these rigs should a person troll more steadily or add more drift and sink?? Can't wait to get home from work to read your answer. I think the planning and the anticipation is more fun than the trip......who am I trying to kidd!!! SALMON HUNTER...Bill P.S. How do you rig a whole herring??? |
| Q:Bill, Big Als Fish Flash will work motor mooching and is quite effective. I would go with the small or medium size. The Pro Troll Rotary bait holder I would go with the larger 5 B size for 6 inch herring. As far as colors green and clear would be my top picks. The work best trolled behind a downrigger of motor mooched fairly fast speed. If you want to see the whole hearing rig come to the Salmon University Class in March. http://www.salmonuniversity.com/2007_Salmon_University_Class.htm You will gain tons of experience over the weekend. Capt. John |
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Q:Hi John couple questions: - I just read the review on the ace hi fly, wondering where I can get a hold of some? I have just recently begun using squids and hoochies thanks to your advice and am having very good luck, these new ones look pretty cool and I'd like to give them a try but sometimes its hard to find anything but old fashioned hoochies. - Also, last year I found and started using a hoochie by mustad that has an e chip in it and had very good success using it. Have you ever used these before? I have only found them at one store which is pretty far away and was wondering if you knew where else I could get them. And do you know if there is any way to just buy the e chip part? Thanks for your help and love your site, Chad B |
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A:Chad The Ace High fly is available by Silver Horde tackle. Most tackle stores carry them if not call Kelly at the Silver Horde factory there is a link on our main page. The e-chip is produced by ProTroll for Mustad squid. Yes Tom and I used the very first ones in production and found them to work great. They now sell them in packages and you can add them to any hoochie or fly you want to try an e-chip on. Good luck Capt. John |
| Q: Hi John, I tried to send you a article I'd read about leader test size and the proportionate fish hook ups that come with it. I've seen many of your seminars, went through Tom Nelsons class and been to a Salmon Univeristy Seminar. In those, I believe you and Tom say to use 40 pound test or more leader size with a flasher/skirt combo. The article I read said using 20 pound test would bring many hook ups, but a lot of leaders breaking. 30 pound was the best to use and anything beyond 30 pound test (40, 50 etc) would bring less hook ups per day. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks, Tom |
| A: Tom, That is true when it comes to bait fishing. When pulling a hoochie at 3 miles an hour you need the heavy leader to give the hoochie action in the water. Remember by itself a hoochie or squid has no action that's why we fish 50lb test. With action lures like bait or spoons that have there own action 20-25lb test works great. Capt. John |
| Q: Dear Sirs, Thank you for your efforts on the website. It is quite helpful and I look forward to taking a class at a later date. In addition, I find the information so useful that I go out of my way to do business with the folks who sponsor your site. Now to my question. I often fish with either cut plug herring or whole herring in a Pro Troll rotobait holder with an e chip. I either mooch, drift mooch, or troll behind a dodger or flasher. Normally I use Gamakatsu Octopus hooks. Do you have any comments about using the octopus circle hooks with these methods? Thanks, Bob |
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A:
Hi Bob, If you are mooching or drift mooching the Octopus circle
hooks are great hooks to use. Be aware that you must let the salmon
take the bait and swim away with it before setting the hook. Actually,
the salmon will almost set the hook for you. The nice thing about
this is that the salmon is almost always hooked in the lip so it
makes it easy to release the shaker with almost no harm. Once a
fish is hooked on a circle hook, you almost never lose him. As for
trolling with circle hooks, the J hook is more effective than the
circle hook by far. Tom
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| Q: John, in the
F&H News March 28-Apr 11 issue you indicated that while trolling
with downriggers you recommend B-2 mini glow squid 35 to 40 inches
behind a Hot Spot Flasher on 40 to 50 lb test. Why 40 to 50 lb test
line? We have been using 25 to 30 lb test with no problems. Are you
just catching bigger fish and need the heaver line or have you lost
more tackle on lighter line? Mary |
| A: Hi Mary. A
squid / hoochie has to get its action from the flasher moving through
the water. By going to a heavier line, 40-50 pound test, the flasher
is able to transmit more action to the squid. With the mini B-2 Squid
you could get by with 25 lb. test but when you start running the larger
squids, especially the magnum size you will want to go to 50 pound
mono. Save your 25-30 pound stuff for running mini B-2 squids or spoons and herring that have there own action in the water. Good luck. John |
| Q: Hi John,
I hope you can help me out. I've never fished with Hoochies or BuckTail Flies
before. I want to expand beyond just fishing with Herring. Is it true I should
tie these leaders with 30lb or 40lb leader? What kind of line would you
recommend? Also, when tieing solid tie double hooks for herring, does the larger hook need to be in front? Are there any consiquences if the larger of the two hooks is the trailing hook? Sorry, one more question. I used to fish Bush Point off Whidbey Island. I love it up there. I have not found anywhere in the south sound that the water is like up there, meaning I can mooch a nice drift or troll during slack tide. Reading your site, it appears that Point Defiance would be similar. Would you consider this true? Thanks for all you help. Terry |
| A: Hi
Terry, Yes, it's true, I would use 40-50 lb leader it will impart more action
on the fly or hoochie from the flasher. My top choice is fluorocarbon leader,
it's invisible in the water. My second choice would be a clear monofilment. When tying herring setups, yes put the larger hook on the front of the herring, if you use the large hook on the rear of the herring the bait will not have the right spin in the water. As far as your location question, Point Defiance and Pt. Dalco would be a close match to Bush Point, however they will see a much bigger crowd than at Bush Point. John |
| Q: Hello
John! I love this sight! Under your description on fishing Pt. Defiance, you
suggest using a B-2 Reef Fisher mini glow squid. Why the smaller one verses the
more common size? And what size hook would you recommend? Thanks again!
Marv |
| A: Marv, My
guess is the small ones imitate the bait the present most of the year in the
south sound. They just out fish the larger ones. Narrows Marina 253-564-4222
usually has them on hand. As far as hooks, I use 2 5/0 Mustad octopus hooks tied close together with the top hook inserted into the head of the squid. Good luck, John |
| Q: John,
Congrats on a great site! Questions: 1) The Scotty web site recommends .600 volts for Kings on the black box. Curious to know what is your most common setting is in the Sound? Do you make slight changes for deeper water? If so, what are your adjustments? 2) What is your preferred leader length for the B-2 Squid? Very Respectfully, John |
| A: John, I
run my black box at .65 for summer kings fishing the riggers at 50-60 ft. For
winter blackmouth in the 120 ft. plus water I bump it up to .72. I have had the best luck with the mini B-2 squid tied with 35 inches of 50 pound leader behind a large HotSpot flasher. Good Fishing Capt. John |
| Q: Ray from
Tacoma here. I like to mooch the dropoff directly in front of the Pt Defiance
boathouse at first light for an hour and a half or so before going out in front
of the slag pile to troll with a flasher and hootchie for an hour or so and i'm done for the day. I rarely use all my herring. Can I keep/cure my herring in kosher or rock salt and water and use them the next day. I don't want to waste my time if the herring would be tainted. Have you heard of this practice? I know guides on the columbia and tributaries prepare their herring like this the night before. Supposedly it stiffens them and helps the scales to stay intact. Should i be putting them in this brine as soon as i buy them for freshness that day. What ratio of salt and water should be used? Would this even be okay for keeping herring bought the night before to save time in the morning. Also for summer/fall kings in front of the slag troll 50-60ft right? or do i need to stay below 60 ft. thanks. Ray |
| A: Ray, you
can use a cup of picking salt with a cup of powered milk and that will keep
your herring firm if the mixture is kept cold over night. The powdered milk
really helps set the scales on the herring. The other things you can try are to
fillet your extra herring and salt them, cut them into strips and use them as
teaser baits on your squids while trolling after your AM mooch session. Or what
a lot guys do at Narrows Marina Tackle shop is to just buy 1/2 dozen herring. I
troll for the summer fish at 50-60ft which should be happening anytime now! See
you out there. Capt. John Keizer |
| Q: John:
just one question concerning the mini B-2 squid. You say that the B-2 has its
own action so does that mean you would be better off using it with a lighter
line such as a 25 to 30 pound range or does it work better with the 40 to 50
pound line. Thank you Gordy. |
| A: Gordy,
The B-2 squid does not have its own action in the water. It receives it action
from the flasher. This is why it works better with a heavier leader like 40-50
test. By the way it has been working very well for me the past week in Tacoma
with 35-38 inches of 50 pound leader behind a large 11 inch HotSpot near Pt.
Defiance. Capt. John |
| Q: John, I
have just read your recent (July '02) article in The Reel News about salmon
fishing in the Strait. You mentioned that one of your favorite techniques
is to run Hot Spot flashers off the downrigger weights and fish an Apex spoon
(or any other spoon I imagine) a few feet above it. How far back do you
run the flasher (is it just below the lure?) and what test line do you use for
the flasher? Greg |
| A: Greg, I
have a couple of HotSpots pre rigged for this style of fishing. I run 10 feet
of 200 lb. test from a salmon snap to the flasher. (The 200 lb. test mono is
the same line I use to build my Scotty downrigger release clips). This setup is
then clipped onto the ball and I run my Silver Horde Spoons about 6 ft above it
off a release clip with the spoon back 12-14 ft. from the downrigger ball. The
only thing you need to pay attention to is when you bring the ball to the
surface pull the flasher in the boat so it won't interfere when you net your
salmon. Good Luck, Capt. John |
| Q: Hi,
Thanks for all the work you do on your web site. I use it alot. I am buying
most lures you guys are talking about. One question though, do I use the "Sonic
Edge" and the "Apex" on a downrigger setup or is it for just trolling with a
light weight? I do most of my fishing in the south sound area. Thanks, Brad |
| A: Brad, I
would use both lures off a downrigger. They both can be run behind a flasher or
solo depending on how light of tackle you want to run. Good Luck, Capt.
John |
| Q: Are
salmon (and other fish livers) ok to feed to the dogs and cats,,, cooked of
course. Second, you were saying that using a 50lb. leader transmits a better
action to the bait from the dodger or flasher. What about using some of the new
braided or multi strand lines (Power Pro micro filament or Berkley FireLine) as
a no stretch, action transmitting leader? Thanks, John |
| A: Hi John,
Not being a veterinarian, I couldn't really say, however since toxins tend to
gather in the organs of the body, especially in bottom fish, I wouldn't feed it
to my pet. As far as using the new braided lines as leader, we do this all the
time for sturgeon. However, sturgeon don't have any teeth. Braided line frays
very easily. Also, it is too limp to use for proper action. Tom |
| Q: John, I
am looking at the flasher fishing page on your web site and have one question.
Towards the bottom of the page where it says "Distance from Flasher to Lure" it
says squid or flies ---- blackmouth-30 to 34 inches and adult Chinook 40 to 44
inches. I am using the green hotshot flashers and would like to know if this
distance is ok for both the small and big flasher. Thanks so much for the
invaluable information on your web site. After taking your class in Port
Townsend this year I am actually catching fish!!---Cary |
| A: On the
small HotSpot flasher a good rule of thumb is 2.5 times the length of the
flasher. Glad to hear the class helped your performance. Capt. John |
| Q: Hi Tom,
You've helped me out before. I have a couple of questions please. First of all.
I have yet to hook up on a King with a Flasher/Hoochie combination. I hear all
sorts of different variations but the most significant is the length from the
Flasher to the Hoochie. I'm using 40lb mono at 40 inches with a Green Glow Hot
Spot and a Green Spatter Back Hoochie. I also add a strip of Herring and Smelly
Jelly. Can you suggest something different or just keep trying. I've got most
my fish from Fresh Cut plug herring but it's hard to find unless I go to the
Pt. Defiance Boat House. I also have caught all my fish before 8:00 AM fishing
down only 50 - 65ft at the Slag Pile. After 8:00 I haven't had a hit. Should I
be fishing deeper? How deep? Also, I'm trying to learn how to fish the mouth of
the Puyallup. Everyone keeps telling me not to fish deeper than 60 ft. Is there
a reason for this or do you agree with this philosophy? Can you give me any
hints for this area? Thanks for all your help. Terry |
| A: Terry,
Try to lengthen your leader for Summer Chinook to 44 to 48 inches. Summer
Chinook require a longer leader. Once the sun is on the water, Chinook tend to
go deeper. I would suggest you fish from 90 to 150 ft deep. As for your
question on the Puyallup, the reason people fish shallower in this area is that
the silt coming out of the Puyallup River floats on top of the water and the
fish seem to lay just underneath this cover. Watch your electronics as it does
shallow up here. If a lot of gear is going through the area it sometimes drives
the Chinook to deeper water. You might also want to try the area in front of
the Hylebos Waterway. Hope this has been of some help to you. Tom |
| R: Hi Tom, I
just wanted to thank you for the information you provided me a couple of weeks
ago. I put the info to good use. Landed a 24lb and 10lb King off the Slag Pile
the day after receiving your e-mail. Lost another in the "low" teen class. I
appreciate your site and all the information you're willing to share. Terry |
| Q: Hi Tom,
Great site you guys have, wish I knew about it sooner. I have read material
from another salmon pro who uses red Hot Spot Flashers for Kings. In all of
your references you refer to green flashers. My understanding is the red works
best for Kings and green for Silvers. What are your thoughts and
recommendations regarding each. Thank you, Dave |
| A: Dave,
Either color will work. The most important thing that flashers do is create
sound. Secondly, flashers allow you to troll faster and cover more water. The
more water you cover, the better chance you have of catching fish. When we
refer to green flashers, really what we are talking about is glo flashers,
which always glo green. If you are fishing the top 50 feet of water, the chrome
flashers will work, but once you get deeper than 50 feet, you are better off
using glo. But remember, still the greatest virtue of the flasher is the sound
it makes. Tom |
| Q: Hello john this is Gary from Tacoma WA. I was wondering if you could tell me what type of flasher I should use for kings in the sound . I bought one tonight and it's a hot spot original is that type any good? Thanks. I hope to hear from you soon, I know you're busy so catch the fish first. |
| A: That
flasher will work for kings. The top two flashers I use year round are the 11
inch #185 Green Glow and the 11 inch Coyote in green. Good Luck, Capt. John |
| Q: Hi John:
It seems to me when a person is fishing the mouth of a river the fish are very
hard to get to bite. What have you used in these situations to trigger a bite
when nothing else seems to work? Thank You Gordy. |
| A: Gordy,
The fish tend to be a little more finicky when they're holding at the river
mouth and the bite tends to be an aggression bite, not a feeding bite. I like
to pull big baits or lures, something that when it's in their face will make
them mad and they will try to kill it. Good luck, Capt. John |
| Q: Been using hoochies and spoons all season so far and maybe thinking of some plug for kings and silvers in Gig Harbor and Tacoma. Do you have some suggestions and colors? Thanks for the great site!! Bob |
| A: Bob, the
best colors I have had luck with are plain white, glow white, blue and green
spatter back. Capt. John |
| Q: Sir Tom,
where do you buy your lures? I attended your lecture at TOA, 8 Oct 02 anent
chum and read your article in The Reel News, plus your column on today's SU
page. Day before yesterday, I took The Reel News article to Auburn Sports and
Marine, GI Joe's, and SportsCo. None of these store had the lures listed in
your article. Some folks who I've always thought knew everything anent salmon
fishing had not heard of the Michael Lure. So where do I find this stuff,
except in your tackle box?:^) Bob |
| A: Bob,
Sorry about that! With the seasons being so erratic, sporting goods stores are
carrying less and less inventory. I actually purchased my squid at Silver Horde
Tackle in Lynnwood. Also, commercial fishing shops should have them. While
these are my preferred lures, other lures will work. You can use a #35 squid in
green or purple and pull all but six legs off. Black or purple hooks will also
be hard to find, but a can of spray paint can fix that. If you will email me
your address, I will drop some squid and Michael Baits in the mail for you to
try. Good fishing..... Tom |
| Q: Hi John..
Great site you have with lots of interesting information. Being from Canada I
am interested in your remarks on B-2 Mini Glow Squid and what would be the
comparative name in Canada. I use lots of pink squid in various sizes and am
trying to relate if the squid that I am using would be the same as your Mini
Squid. The squid that I use range from 2 inches to 4 inches in both pink
florescent and other colours would these be the same as the squid you
recommend. Garry |
|
A: Glow
white as you can see by the picture it's only about 3 inches long. I rig it
with two 5/0 hooks with the shank of the top hook pushed inside the squid. Hope
this helps. Capt. John
|
| Q: I just
moved to the Puget Sound area from Vancouver, WA and decided to check out the
regulations. It looks like Areas 5-13 are barbless hook only for ALL species
except forage, is this correct ? It appears to me all tackle in local shops
have barbed hooks. Is bending the barbs back with pliers ok, or does one have
to purchase barbless hooks? Thanks, Jason |
| A: Jason,
barbless hooks are required in all marine (saltwater) areas. Yes you can and we
all do bend the barb down with pliers to make it legal hook. Most WDWF officers
like to see the barb bend so you can't see any light under the barb when bent
against the hook. Good fishing. Capt. John |
| Q: Hi John,
Great site. I fish on Lake Michigan. I was in Port Angeles this spring and seen
then big flashers used. I bought a hotspot and a B and B flasher, and some
smell gel in the special mix. I used the flasher with good results. What do you
think about the bait rigs for this inland fishing? Is the special mix smell Gel
good for this water? Would the black box be good for here with fresh water vs.
salt water . I plan on using the bait holders with a 11 inch glow hot
spot with a 55 inch lead to bait. Then a 11 inch b and b with a 32 inch
to fly. Russ |
| A: Russ, I
think the bait rigs would work well in the Great Lakes for Salmon & Trout.
You might try the new Roto Chip bait holder with the e-chip in it made by
Pro-Troll you can see it at www.protroll.com I'll bet it would work well for
you. Pro-Troll also produces the Black Box and I can confirm it works quite
well in the fresh water for trolling. As far a Smell Jelly it works great as a
cover scent, you will soon see on our SU web page a new product later this
month called the Salmon Scenter, it kicks butt on salmon & trout here and
we have some great test reports from the Great Lakes anglers who have orders
pending. On a large 11 inch Hot Spot I would start at 42" inches for a bait rig
and then add more leader depending on if I was getting any short strikes. Tight
lines, Capt. John Keizer |
| Q: I was wondering what kind of line you run on your reels? I've been a fan of Maxima for a long time. I read thru your posts, and didn't see any mention of lines. What are the reasons you choose the line that you use? Cost? performance? Thanks for your time. Rick. |
| A: Rick, both Tom Nelson and myself run Ande line. I use the HiVis for winter fishing and the Back County or Envy Green the rest of the year. The reason we use Ande is that it's tough line and holds up great for all types of fishing, trolling mooching etc. I run 20 pound test for my main line on all my salmon reels. Good Fishing, Capt. John |
| Q: John - I
attended your Port Angeles class a couple of weeks ago. At the class you or tom
mentioned some modifications you make to Silver Horde plugs. I cant
remember what you did. Could you explain them to me so I can alter my
plugs to work better? Also, what was the distance behind the flasher for
a coho killer? do you need the 40lb leader on a spoon, or is 20 ok?
Thanks, Bob |
| A: Bob, what
we do with the Silver Horde plugs is just change out the 2 treble hooks and use
a single swash hook on a bead chain. If your talking about the Atomic Plugs we
cut the solid hook holder off and run the main line through the hole and attach
that to the swash hook. You may need to add a bead to have the hook end up near
the tail of the plug. As far as leader 20-25 pound will work fine on a spoon
since it has its own action. |
| Q: Hi john,
great site! I was wondering if you’ve tried a new flasher I saw in Cabelas
magazine called Pro-Troll Prochip/Hotchip? It looks about the same as the hot
spot but adds electrical volt pulses. Also, can a guy buy just the chip as I
have tons of flashers already! Thanks and keep up the good work. terry t. |
| A: Terry,
Yes we use the Pro-Chip flashers, in fact Tom and I did the testing on them
before they came out on the market. Adding the E-chip to the flasher was my
idea, it work so well that Pro-Troll now offers it on their 8 inch and 12 inch
Pro Chip flashers. Our testing showed it out fished a plain HotSpot flasher 4
to 1. We all hope that in the future that Pro Troll will offer the e-chip in
bulk packs. Good luck and E-chip those salmon. Capt. John |
| Q: Hi Terry,
Your site is truly the best, I use it plenty! Hope to fish or attend one of
your classes sometime. I am preparing some Halibut set-up's for a trip to Vancouver Island this summer. I am fairly knowledgeable on some knots, but having trouble finding one that will join Dacron (#80) to Spectra(#65) effectively. I plan to back up the Spectra with the Dacron then run #80 to #100 mono for leader. What knot(s) can you recommend for this? How does this set-up rate with you pro's? Thank you for your time!! Paul A. Gianera |
| A: Paul, I
think the reason you're having trouble tying the two together is that they
really SHOULDN'T be tied together. As I'm sure you've discovered, there's a
huge difference in diameter between 80-pound Dacron and 65-pound Spectra braid,
and it's always difficult connecting lines of widely different diameters. The
problem may be worse with braids, since they're so limp and most standard knots
don't slip into position like they do with mono. The great size variation
you're dealing with makes the situation worse. My first recommendation is to bite the bullet and spend the extra money to fill the spool with Spectra. Maybe go to 80-pound line rather than 65 so it doesn't take quite as much. I would rather spend an extra $20-30 on line and not have to worry about my knot if I should get into the backing. If you don't think you're going to get into the backing line anyway, wrap a little tape around the spool to reduce the capacity before you fill it. If you still want to use the 80-pound Dacron and the 65-pound Spectra, you'll probably run the risk of the Spectra cutting the Dacron with almost any knot you use. The problem can be reduced (but not eliminated) by doubling both lines. I know people who connect braided lines (of similar diameters) with a plain old overhand (granny) knot! That's usually a lousy knot for fishing line, but if you double the braids over and tie it that way, it's surprisingly strong! You might try this: loop the Dacron over and tie a simple granny knot with the double line. Then loop the Spectra into a similar double line and carefully tie a three- or four-wrap nail knot on the doubled Dacron. If you're careful to work the nail knot tight against top of the granny knot on the Dacron, it should hold well and provide a fairly strong connection. There will be a pretty big lump on the spool where the knot is, but you'll probably have as strong a knot as you could hope for with those two lines connected. Again, though, I wouldn't chance it; I'd pretend like I was an Enron executive and spend the extra money. The peace of mind would be worth it. Spectra lines hold up well if you take care of them, and you can get several years out of them with a little caution. Reverse the line on each reel spool at the end of every season and it could last you four or five years, easy! Terry Rudnick |
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