Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rieber on April 01, 2014, 01:47:42 PM
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It's time to crank everyone up with the upcoming sockeye season approaching. Nothing better than the annual flossing for interesting reading.
I like a rod length leader when bb'ing from shore and no more than an 8' leader when bb'ing from a boat. I like 15# Maxima green for both Springs and Sockeye.
I personally like to set up where I need a 2-1/2 to 3 oz betty to keep in close/frequent contact with the bottom.
I prefer to anchor up in high water where there is a good chance of intercepting Springs and usually once the Sockeye open I get my limit of both from the same location. I'll target the Springs but once I get the two sockeye, I pack up and go or just go early if I run out of time in the morning.
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The bait is there, but nobody's biting ;)
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I know. :o It was 50 minutes before you even replied. Is this an indication that we've gotten over this time honoured anual debate?
I don't think so. ;D
Maybe I needed a longer leader.
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I pretty much only fish with flies, so it depends on the river height and current speed.
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I pretty much only fish with flies, so it depends on the river height and current speed.
pffft ... purist ::)
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pffft ... purist ::)
I'm no purist. I just catch enough with a fly rod to satisfy myself. I'm all for snagging sockeye when they come back to the Fraser. Take my limit and go home. If commies and natives can use nets then I see no difference in me collecting meat any way I can. When DFO actually uses a plan to protect ALL fish stocks, including steelhead, then maybe I'll consider giving up methods that are most efficient in filling my freezer.
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I'm new on the spey. Would a 15 ft leader with a t14 mow tip work? And to save money can I just swing a a 4/0 hook instead using a fly? ;D ....Jk jk
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I like to use a 10 ft leader.
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I'm new on the spey. Would a 15 ft leader with a t14 mow tip work? And to save money can I just swing a a 4/0 hook instead using a fly? ;D ....Jk jk
I see lots of spey guys going after salmon in the Fraser. the channel below Peg Leg (Minto Channel?) right off the road seems to be a popular spot. Most bouncers stay away from the fly guys there. Put a little wool on your hook to keep it legal and help keep it off the bottom then you're good to go. That 4/0 would be a little scarey on a spey but can't be any more scarey than 12' leaders and 3/0 hooks bottom bounced on a windy afternoon with the guys stacked up shoulder to shoulder. - what could go wrong?
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I'm no purist. I just catch enough with a fly rod to satisfy myself. I'm all for snagging sockeye when they come back to the Fraser. Take my limit and go home. If commies and natives can use nets then I see no difference in me collecting meat any way I can. When DFO actually uses a plan to protect ALL fish stocks, including steelhead, then maybe I'll consider giving up methods that are most efficient in filling my freezer.
Good to see I can still get a "take" from an well experienced fish like you Ian. ;D
I know if I was as proficient on the fly as you I would stick to fly fishing as well. I personally haven't given sockeye much of a try on the fly. I'm sure it would be a blast to battle sockeye on a single-hander in the Fraser. Once I commit to the sockeye meat fishing, I want to get my limit of socks fast as I can and then get off the water. It's hot and dangerous and I don't like combat fishing anymore. Plus I don't fish where ther doesn't seem to be at least a dozen or so fishermen stacked around each other. I like to be heading back home by 8:00am.
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Because i CAN, I go where I enjoy myself the most. I've caught all the fish I ever need to catch for enjoyment sake alone. I don't need to combat fish so I'm just as happy watching others enjoy themselves, and I stay with my camera. I am happy letting my friends catch fish for me if it gives them pleasure. It is the same with hunting. I've shot all the trophy animals I will ever need to shoot, but I enjoy taking pictures or videos of others doing it.
I would rather work on one difficult trout feeding selectively than catch a bunch of trout by trolling a Wooly Bugger. I don't even care about the size anymore.
BUT, if I am collecting meat then that is what I do in the most efficient method available. It doesn't take a lot of skill to toss bouncing bettys into the Fraser on a 15 foot leader. It just takes the most appropriate tackle. It all depends on the travel lanes that schools of sockeye use. In some places they travel through shallow water close to shore. In other places they are 200 feet out in the current in 10 feet of fast moving water. That all determines what tackle you should use. I have a jet skiff that can move to different locations on the Fraser, so if one place is crowded then I can find another. It is a big river and there is a lot of water to fish if you have an appropriate boat.
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60 feet if there is back casting space. ;D
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It doesn't take a lot of skill to toss bouncing bettys into the Fraser on a 15 foot leader. It just takes the most appropriate tackle.
Ever tried casting a 15 foot leader with a 10 foot rod ? :)
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I like the trusty old spinning reel, On a 9 foot rod rated 25-30lbs. Lined with 60lb braid main line to 15ft of 25lb leader, With a 1/0 hook, good old watermellon Corkie tied onto the tag end (It's more presentable to the fish and entices the to bite more often) And a mixture of green and red wool.
But in all seriousness, Last time I BB The fraser I watched one guy fall into the river, And two 3oz weights go through the windshields of trucks. Can't stand fishing with crowds, But I do go watch, It's a fantastic form of entertainment. And If i want sockeye, I have no problem with going to a fish market and buying it. Since I only keep 3-4 fish a year anyways. I fish as a means to get away, And not as a social event.
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Sockeye season always brings out the best in fishermen. Never fails. I once saw a seagull get clobbered by a bouncing betty in mid flight. Not a good day for the seagull.
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Ever tried casting a 15 foot leader with a 10 foot rod ? :)
It's not that hard to do if you have open space behind you, and you are not in a shoulder to shoulder crowd. Casting a 25 foot leader with a fly rod is more difficult.
But, an excessively long leader is not necessary when bottom bouncing. Like all fishing, it has more to do with line control once it is in the water.
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I use leaders 10-13 feet in length. I like the shorter ones for when I'm targeting springs. If I'm out there with the gear stick then its 80lb braid on my reel with a 30lb ultragreen leader, I am not out there to play around but more on a meat mission. This is probably why I nail my fish in a few casts and then head home. Heavy lines allow you to have ALOT of feel to the hook and hardly any stretch when you set the hook. I'm normally home before the wife and kids are awake
For those of you that want to try and get them on the fly, there is no need to use leaders over 8 feet. The sink tip is what will put you in the zone. I believe I was using a 10' chunk of T14 last time. Toss slightly upstream and then a huge mend and let it swing, you will be shocked at how many you catch while stripping in to re-cast ;)
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Not clobbered any seagulls yet...... but I once witnessed a guy blasting a 10 oz weight with a 12' surfcaster rod from a seaside pier who accidentally hooked and ripped a spectators purse right out of her hand and hurled it out to sea......Lol
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Not clobbered any seagulls yet...... but I once witnessed a guy blasting a 10 oz weight with a 12' surfcaster rod from a seaside pier who accidentally hooked and ripped a spectators purse right out of her hand and hurled it out to sea......Lol
Moral of story.... DON'T STAND BEHIND ANGLERS WHO ARE CASTING!!!
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For some SERIOUS flossing... I recommend these Thai ladies...
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album215/Dentist_2.jpg)
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I saw a guy fighting a sockeye in hope... Brought it up...hook popped out...Betty hit him square in the nuts. He left after rolling around on the ground for 5 mins.
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I am surprised you don't hear of anyone getting seriously injured by one of those 3 oz weights flying back and hitting them in the head.
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I have found anything over thirty feet to be overkill.Just sayin.
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I am surprised you don't hear of anyone getting seriously injured by one of those 3 oz weights flying back and hitting them in the head.
I saw some folks sitting in their boat at Gill Road because the boat owner had just been taken away in an ambulance after being laid out by his own son's side cast across the back of the head. It does happen , a 3 once weight can do a lot of damage .
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There has even been a couple times when the water is high still and only a 5oz will get you down. Wanna get hit by one of those ?! :o
I have seen many lead related issues. Best two happened to a buddy of mine on the same day LoL
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Ever tried casting a 15 foot leader with a 10 foot rod ? :)
The trick is never lift the hook off the water nor have a back cast. I do it this way and I have seen many experienced rods do the same. As you reel in the line with the betty coming out of the water, slowly swing the rod up stream until the hook is between you and the next guy downstream of you but still submerged in the water. Then swing the rod back to the right and pull back barely to get the betty in a centrifugal swing. Pull forward the rod as the betty is swinging up and then forward. This will create a lobbing action of the betty with the full force of the centrifugal action, achieving maximum distance without having to do a full back swing nor an overhead cast. The hook and the long line will never fly backward. The 1st upward pull of the line is very much like a spey guy doing that upstream pull of his fly line right before casting out. The lobbing of the betty will create much distance in the cast because you are using the weight of the betty and not the full back swing which will catch anything under the sun behind you.
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When the Fraser river sockeye fisheries first open up back in (I believed) 1995 I used 3' leader, red corkie with tuff of red yarn and float just like anybody else fishing that time. It usually took a while before I caught my limit. Then a few years later, somebody with a bright idea decided to use 10-15' leader to start b.bing. Being stubborn, I kept float fishing until I was getting tangled up with the b.bers lines and finally called it quits when I got hit by frigging 15' leader with hooked in to my right arm.
If I want a sockeye now, it cheaper for me to line -up at Steveston fisherman wharf to get my sockeye there.
Silex-user
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Same length as steelhead fishing, 12-15 feet.
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Speaking of flossing. Has anyone used the Fenwik Elite tech 14' bottom bouncing rod? If so, what are your opinions? I saw some people fishing them last summer and I was curious.
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Speaking of flossing. Has anyone used the Fenwik Elite tech 14' bottom bouncing rod? If so, what are your opinions? I saw some people fishing them last summer and I was curious.
I took a leaf out of the Brit beach casting fraternities book and experimented last year using a Daiwa Longbeam 14 foot surfcaster on the Fraser together with a Brit type beachcasting rod rest ie one of their tripod style rod rests, it places the rod high enough to get the line at a pretty steep entry angle...I liked using it for bar fishing.
Here's a video link to the particular rod rest I'm talking about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP4v4L1IMmU
Sent off to TF Fishing UK and got mine here in the BC interior within 8 days...great service
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When the Fraser river sockeye fisheries first open up back in (I believed) 1995 I used 3' leader, red corkie with tuff of red yarn and float just like anybody else fishing that time. It usually took a while before I caught my limit. Then a few years later, somebody with a bright idea decided to use 10-15' leader to start b.bing. Being stubborn, I kept float fishing until I was getting tangled up with the b.bers lines and finally called it quits when I got hit by frigging 15' leader with hooked in to my right arm.
If I want a sockeye now, it cheaper for me to line -up at Steveston fisherman wharf to get my sockeye there.
Silex-user
Did the same, don't know how we did it. Now a days, I just flee the Fraser.
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I started using a 4-6' leader but then one year everyone had to start using 10-12' leaders and I can't remember why. I do remember though, once those long leaders came out, within two seasons most of the old timers disappeared from the bouncing crowds. Then within one or two seasons the crowd numbers exploded thru the ozone layer and then the number of jetboats completely over run the river. Then the river ran out of salmon.
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I started using a 4-6' leader but then one year everyone had to start using 10-12' leaders and I can't remember why. I do remember though, once those long leaders came out, within two seasons most of the old timers disappeared from the bouncing crowds. Then within one or two seasons the crowd numbers exploded thru the ozone layer and then the number of jetboats completely over run the river. Then the river ran out of salmon.
ya the recreational fishery had everything to do with the decline of the salmon ::) I remember using 4 foot leaders with centrepins float fishing and catching as many as 40 fish in one outing... and then the Indians started drift netting and spanning half the river with their set nets... bottom line the fishery is and was under managed from the get go.... yah the sport fishery did explode like your saying but its always been busy out there on the popular bars... and to answer this thread preferred leader length is 25-30 feet now and some bars as short as 10-15
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Did the same, don't know how we did it. Now a days, I just flee the Fraser.
I must bump into you quite few times Chris back in good ol ' days. ;D
Silex-user
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ya the recreational fishery had everything to do with the decline of the salmon ::) I remember using 4 foot leaders with centrepins float fishing and catching as many as 40 fish in one outing... and then the Indians started drift netting and spanning half the river with their set nets... bottom line the fishery is and was under managed from the get go.... yah the sport fishery did explode like your saying but its always been busy out there on the popular bars... and to answer this thread preferred leader length is 25-30 feet now and some bars as short as 10-15
Hey General, you were using center-pin reel setup too,Uh? I remember using my Silex and I was almost casting as far as guys/gals using their baitcaster and spinning reel. ::) ;D
Silex-user
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I must bump into you quite few times Chris back in good ol ' days. ;D
Silex-user
All that is left is to watch the videos of the old days.
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Flossing sockeye I use a Maple Leaf emblazoned float. BB weight set to depth, and canucks coloured corky. Green wool soaked in some odour. ::)
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I don't normally target them, but had tried a few times for them in the Fraser with little luck using my usual river set up (sink tip and 3' leader). When hunting for early pinks in the Harrison last summer I was casting to a school of rolling fish, that I presumed were sockeye but hoped a few pinks may be in the mix. After casting pink flies to them for while I switched to my small green sockeye fly on the end of the 3 foot leader tied to the fast sinking tip. I cast out if my anchored boat at 4 o'clock (noon being the bow), and let the fly sink as it drifted down to hang straight behind the boat and began stripping it back. Sure enough the bites started coming. A few were small pike minnow and cutties but I had a few of these takers too:
(http://teacherweb.com/BC/HDStaffordMiddleSchool/Sandquist/Sockeye.jpg)
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Hey General, you were using center-pin reel setup too,Uh? I remember using my Silex and I was almost casting as far as guys/gals using their baitcaster and spinning reel. ::) ;D
Silex-user
I also used my Silex too bad in the good old days when there was lots of space between fishermen. I was only using pencil lead before the betties became popular and I caught lot of spring with that. If you have space to do a side cast, center pins can cast as long as the level winds, but the problem for me is getting older and hate the tiresome long retrieve between casts. So my Silex & other pins I have are only for the Vedder & smaller systems. With the much tighter spacing now, sometimes vertical casts or the 'betty lobbing cast' are the only options without risking pulling the ear off the guy beside you. LOL.
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When the Fraser river sockeye fisheries first open up back in (I believed) 1995 I used 3' leader, red corkie with tuff of red yarn and float just like anybody else fishing that time. It usually took a while before I caught my limit. Then a few years later, somebody with a bright idea decided to use 10-15' leader to start b.bing. Being stubborn, I kept float fishing until I was getting tangled up with the b.bers lines and finally called it quits when I got hit by frigging 15' leader with hooked in to my right arm.
If I want a sockeye now, it cheaper for me to line -up at Steveston fisherman wharf to get my sockeye there.
Silex-user
Back then with less crowd and more spots to choose, me and my old timer friend often would just do true bottom bouncing for sockeye with 2-3 ft leader, a few split shots, and a small piece of coloured sponge. The secret is reading the water and finding a certain configuration of river and flow pattern where sockey will travel very close to shore in what we called a 'sockeye lane'. Once you find that, it is like a sockeye fest. Cast with a small soft metal size 2 to size 4 hook with a short 6-8 ft rod, have a max of 5 bounces, then if no taker, gentle lift and repeat, and often there will be a head shaking sockeye. Of course you do that later in season when the water is clear enough for them to see the coloured sponge. In murky water days, the long rod & Silex were the tools. But it is more enjoying to hook them on smaller lighter rod. Nowadays, unless you are there first light, you can't choose your best spots for this method. Often guys are standing where sockeye are hugging the shore. LOL.
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No leader for me...I go wireless now.
One cell phone call to my friendly FN neighbour and I can get all the sockeye I want for 10$ a piece...delivered.
Extra 2$ a piece to have them them cleaned. :P
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No leader for me...I go wireless now.
One cell phone call to my friendly FN neighbour and I can get all the sockeye I want for 10$ a piece...delivered.
Extra 2$ a piece to have them them cleaned. :P
Haha! but for sure, there most likely will be a glut of sockeye available at a very reasonable cost. No need to snag them ...
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FN don't bleed the fish. So they are not good for sushi/sashimi. BBQ is ok. If FN or even the Steveston based outlets can supply fish which had been bled, I will support Milo's idea. ;) Sockeye fishing is pure meat fishery that cost $$$ for just 2 small (relatively) fish. Can't imagine people driving all that time piling up mileage on their car, spending $20-50 any time on gas, and risking 'hook accupuncture', mosquito bombers, sun-burn (therefore risking skin cancer) and last by not least possible confrontation or verbal squabbles with the next guy... etc etc. Sometime it is funny people drive 1-2 hours to make 2 casts and then head home. Is that fishing? All that for 2 mere little flossed/snagged fished and then get bashed by fellow members here on this forum. Not worth it. So where do you find sushi/sashimi grade sockeye at reasonable prize? ;D
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living in the wack is great. 10 min to boat launch, 2 min boat ride to my spot, set up and have some fun. wouldn't bother if i had to drive for an hour.