Slow water tailout fishing?

[my2labs]

I often fish a run where a riffle ends on a turn. The faster water that runs the riffle continues to the outside of a wide run which creates a tailout from the bank to the faster water as it rounds the bend. The tailout water has basically no drift to it and the small drift that it does have carries my bobber in a circle back up the river. I hope my description makes sense.

I could just post exactly where Im talking about and many of you would know the exact spot but I don't want to name river spots in my posts as many of you have suggested that it may not be a good idea.

Anyway, how the hell do you fish that slack water? I see fish roll in it all day and the only thing I can do is plop a bobber directly on top of the fish or cast and retrieve a spoon or spinner through it. Neither of these methods excite me though as bobber is loud as it slaps the water and my spoons have no swing.

I have interchangeable tips on a single handed fly rod and was thinking about using a floating tip with a fly. The water seems to slow for any sink tips and drift fishing it is impossible……

Is this plunking water?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!! This forum has helped me a lot.

 

[eugene1]

If you're in a drift boat just back down on the spot while back trolling diver and bait or plugs.

If you're bankin' it, seems like bobber and bait or jig should get you in the zone?

Good luck,

 

[Toyracer38]

I have a spot just like that on one of my rivers. I bobber fish the close seam, then just work the slow water with spinners and plugs. Actually had my greatest hookup at that spot. Was casting a plug and could see something following it. So I slowed my retrieve, the fish was taking shots at it, but wasn't finding the hook. I ran out of line and the plug popped up on the surface. Bam, Fish on! The plug was literally three feet from me since I was waist deep in the river. Dumb Coho Think the fly rod approach could be a killer in a spot like that.

 

[jamisonace]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but I don't think I would call that a tail out. It seems like you are describing a seam next to an eddy.

Bobbers would be my tactic but only when I'm salmon fishing.

To me tail out is an area where the water is speeding up and is usually prime holding water for steelhead.

Again, I could be completely misunderstanding what your describing.

 

[jamisonace]

I had a coho hit my plug on a retrieve in similar fashion this year. I was pulling up to bring it out of the water and bam! Dinner.


"I have a spot just like that on one of my rivers. I bobber fish the close seam, then just work the slow water with spinners and plugs. Actually had my greatest hookup at that spot. Was casting a plug and could see something following it. So I slowed my retrieve, the fish was taking shots at it, but wasn't finding the hook. I ran out of line and the plug popped up on the surface. Bam, Fish on! The plug was literally three feet from me since I was waist deep in the river. Dumb Coho Think the fly rod approach could be a killer in a spot like that."

 

[rippin fish lips]

Throw number 5 Spinners. Bright and dark! Fish em low and deep and fish tthose boulders that break up the surface.

 

[my2labs]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but I don't think I would call that a tail out. It seems like you are describing a seam next to an eddy.

Bobbers would be my tactic but only when I'm salmon fishing.

To me tail out is an area where the water is speeding up and is usually prime holding water for steelhead.

Again, I could be completely misunderstanding what your describing.

I think you are correct. A seam separates the fast water from the eddy.

 

[my2labs]

Do you just cast the spinner and/or spoon and retrieve it like you would while trout fishing? (near the bottom of course) With no current, there is no swing and I am just not very confident in this retrieve without current technique for steelhead.

 

[my2labs]

I have a spot just like that on one of my rivers. I bobber fish the close seam, then just work the slow water with spinners and plugs. Actually had my greatest hookup at that spot. Was casting a plug and could see something following it. So I slowed my retrieve, the fish was taking shots at it, but wasn't finding the hook. I ran out of line and the plug popped up on the surface. Bam, Fish on! The plug was literally three feet from me since I was waist deep in the river. Dumb Coho Think the fly rod approach could be a killer in a spot like that.

Do you just cast the spinner and/or spoon and retrieve it like you would while trout fishing? (near the bottom of course) With no current, there is no swing and I am just not very confident in this retrieve without current technique for steelhead.

 

[my2labs]

Throw number 5 Spinners. Bright and dark! Fish em low and deep and fish tthose boulders that break up the surface.

Whats your retrieve like with no current to swing?

 

[troutmasta]

Thats some of my favorite bobber water. Throw a jig out and just let it circle you rarely have to recast cause it just cirlces. Watch it as it goes up river against the seam in the back eddy.
It'll go down.

 

[Toyracer38]

I cast into the fast water and start my retrieve from different spots, through the dead water. This way I cover it all. What ever your throwing needs to be close to the bottom, so adjust your retrieve speed. Spots like this aren't my favorite, but when you know they are holding fish, you do what ya gotta do to get at them.

 

[my2labs]

Thats some of my favorite bobber water. Throw a jig out and just let it circle you rarely have to recast cause it just cirlces. Watch it as it goes up river against the seam in the back eddy.
It'll go down.

I actually had one rise next to the bobber at this place last week. It's only like 3 ft deep and I am concerned that the bobber scared it. Nice to hear that I just need to be more patient.

Ever had one take it as it makes it way upriver?……or just as it circles back down the seam?

 

[my2labs]

I cast into the fast water and start my retrieve from different spots, through the dead water. This way I cover it all. What ever your throwing needs to be close to the bottom, so adjust your retrieve speed. Spots like this aren't my favorite, but when you know they are holding fish, you do what ya gotta do to get at them.

Thanks for the advice. Ill give it a shot in the morning. I just rigged up my floating tip on my fly rod as well. I think Im gonna set that in there first as I approach and Ill move to the spoon or bobber method second.

 

[OnTheDrop]

I actually had one rise next to the bobber at this place last week. It's only like 3 ft deep and I am concerned that the bobber scared it. Nice to hear that I just need to be more patient.

Ever had one take it as it makes it way upriver?……or just as it circles back down the seam?

I hook fish in back eddys often when the bobber is heading up river. BUTTT, that really only happens when I'm using bait. The jig doesn't present itself right when its heading up river.

 

[my2labs]

I hook fish in back eddys often when the bobber is heading up river. BUTTT, that really only happens when I'm using bait. The jig doesn't present itself right when its heading up river.

Thanks. I'm determined to pull one out of there.

 

[Native Fisher]

Sounds like a good spot to bobber fish, or simply toss in an unweighted glob of eggs. Often times I will tie a hook with eggs on a dropper off my jig,

 

[Steelheader4Life]

I hook fish in back eddys often when the bobber is heading up river. BUTTT, that really only happens when I'm using bait. The jig doesn't present itself right when its heading up river.

Exactly! Good bobber and bait water for chinook but if you're talking about steelhead I would find another spot. Although I have caught steelhead in every kind of water there is, eddy's are better holding water for the salmonoids.

 

[meluvtrout]

stand up stream of the tailout, take the bobber off, use minimal weight, cast downstream, let your lure/bait swing right in front of the fish.

 

[Toyracer38]

Well inquiring minds want to know. Did you have any luck?