Big Creek

[CFishRun]

I fished Big Creek (I'm new to the west coast) this weekend and almost got sick. Not everyone there was snagging but the general populous, WAS. Lets put it this way. At daylight there was a small gravel bar above a whole and some ignorant people stretched their net across this so salmon couldn't move up and had to sit in the whole below the bar. Then the snagging ensued.

Luckily I didn't witness this (due to a 4:15 AM wake up call at the Shady Motel that never happened- Free room though for the troubles). Legal entities were called but no one showed up. I did find a small coho jack (right at the 15" mark that I let go due to a lack of measuring device) that enjoyed my mepps spinner. I will never go to this God forsaken swill hole ever again.

*Cutting the eggs from a female and dropping them in the water does not ensure they will be fertilized and hatch into salmon. It will add a small amount of nutrients back to the water which may benefit future smolts but really it's a practice that doesn't need to be done. If you want to get rid of your eggs give them to me or sell them to me.

I did travel to the Klatskanine (spelling error for sure) but only witnessed rolling Rogues. MASSIVE. The locals said in two to three weeks it will be filling up with COHO. Might be worth the drive back to Asstoria.

Further details just ask.

 

[FishKiller23]

Yeah pretty much a joke there. I did read a article awhile back about how they didn't have the funding any more so they may not release any more tule smolts.

 

[plucas]

Just hearing about that makes my skin crawl. Sorry you had to witness that awful display.

 

[Troutier Bassier]

So you dident witness the Net thing? How do you know about it?

 

[CFishRun]

A friend of mine from Portland was there an hour before day light and he saw them set the whole thing up. The net the, the gravel bar, the thick sticks and the crank, yank, crank fishing style. I want to stress not everyone there was utilizing this tactic but the majority were.

Dropping a line in dead water holes and waiting until fish run in to it, is not fishing.

Bouncing spinners in current seems and tail outs, is. Mastering the art of a perfectly drifted fly, is. Understanding bottom contours and fishing effectively with yarn, is. Plunking baits in travel corridors, is...kinda boring but it's still fishing.

 

[Airs98]

still vs drift

still vs drift

I have seen a lot of people STILL fishing with corkies for chinook at Kalama and other WA salmon rivers. Is it any fundamentally different from DRIFT fishing for salmon with corkies & yarn? I mean salmons don't eat corkies.

 

[Mike123]

He didn't say that.. He said, "Understanding bottom contours and fishing effectively with yarn, is."

I haven't witnessed a whole lot of Chinook that like to eat corkies WITHOUT bait. Steelhead, yea from time to time. Chinook, more than likely you are lining them. .02cents

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Corkie and yarn isn't fishing! :lol: :lol:

 

[THE JEFF]

Says the jig and float salesman. Give me a break. I have caught more salmon and steelhead than most guys and I am not a snagger. And I primaraly use corkie and yarn with and without bait. I have some of the most violent strikes from chinook,coho and chum,on corkie and yarn. Salmon do bite corkies!!!! All who use them are not flossers,snaggers or what ever you want to call them. Some people are bad and do bad things but to say useing corkies isn't fishing is B.S.Now I hope you can brainwash some of the newer fishermen on this fine board (and it seems to be the majority on here) and sell lots of your pretty jigs but lets at least try to be realistic. Corkies catch fish.

 

[koboabe]

after spending all sorts of cash on jigs/floats, line, lead, spinners... i caught my first steelhead on a light line with some splitshot and yarn.
second was with rubber eggs

both of them bit on the hook too.


I have a few friends who swear by simple tactics of cork and yarn and they do not snag or floss fish.

that being said... I do like fishing with Spinners over drifting yarn/eggs

 

[Mike123]

Steelhead will bite on a LOT of things.
They are more sight oriented. Pretty easy to catch them drifting anything.
That's why I never use bait for steelhead.

Salmon are more scent oriented. They will sometimes bite things out of aggression, but I think they like bait more than anything.. especially chinook.
I just see that adding bait or a lot of scent to your drift rig really helps with salmon!

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Calm down THE JEFF! It was a joke, see the laughing guy next to my post! I also did not say anything about anyone using corkie and yarn to be snaggers. Someone is a little sensitive. :shock: I caught my first steelhead on a CORKIE and pink worm. Also, all of these newer fisherman on here would be much better off learning how to fish for steelhead using a float setup since its easier and for beginners gives a better presentation. I do a lot of videos fishing all kind of techniques and use bait and many other things not just JIGS. Also, corkie and yarn and jigs look similar in the water.

Maybe I sell jigs maybe not, but I tell you what I do do is help these new fisherman with any questions they may have.

 

[FishKiller23]

Lol the reason bobber n jig fisherman say corkies dont catch fish is because they can't feel the bite using corkie and yarn so they use bobbers and jigs instead hahahaha just joking. Nah corkie and yarn will work some times i'll even throw a little bit of eggs and drift those.

 

[THE JEFF]

Im not sensitive, I am just putting forth my opinion. I use many different styles and have used jigs at times, I find it dull, and I hate it when someone brings a bobber to a spot were every one is drifting. I knew you were "jokeing" but In my opinion Most new guys would be better served by learning drift fishing first, then spinners and jigs and after that plugs and other styles. Some days Ill use all of them. But at the end of the day Drifting corkies Catches more fish from the bank in the local rivers than other methods. p.s. I hope you sell lots of jigs. I love free enterprise.

 

[Airs98]

still vs drift, take 2

still vs drift, take 2

Yeah, drift fishing with corkie & yarn is arguably the most effective way to catch steelhead. Jack salmon also like them a lot. However, I am not so sure about the adult salmon. They are programmed to stop eating when they enter fresh water. Perhaps, they strike out of aggression, habit or whatever. My question however is a bit different. Is there much difference if a salmon fishing hole has some current or not. Is still water fishing not fishing, but drift fishing is?

 

[Mike123]

Thats a pretty ignorant statement. I think float fishing can or is equally effective or sometimes even more effective in certain areas. Sounds like your fishing meat holes anyways. From what I see is most meat holes are full of corkie and yarn ONLY fisherman and at least half of the fish are lined. But Im not saying I dont fish in those areas with corkie and yarn. Just a lot of the guys that are are SNAGGERS. There I said it.
BTW... I catch more steelhead drifting yarn flies and glo bugs than any other method. I just don't use corkies unless Im floating bait.

 

[Troutier Bassier]

Just because you Use Corkies Dosent Mean your a Snagger.
You can snag fish with just About Anything. Except for a lure that dosent hook Fish.

 

[Mike123]

Of course it doesn't. Just that for MANY MANY people that is there choice weapon for snagging and lining.. It happens everywhere I go. If you don't see it happening you are blind.

 

[Troutier Bassier]

Of course I see it, Its happened to everyone who uses corkies as-far-as-I-know. Even Me.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

The upper McKenzie is a classic example of this. There are quite a few guys who just know how to floss extremely well and they admit it. Kind of makes me mad when I talk to them and they are like "I hooked five this morning but didn't get any to the bank", then I know its going to be a tough day getting them to bite. :lol: Then again there are those there that are drifting corkies and bait and other gear that gets them bit. It works out for me because they come down to a hole, lose their gear four times, get mad and move on. I sit there and watch for a while then proceed to catch fish.