Mooching 101

7

777

Member
So we're making a camping trip to Hornby Isalnd this weekend, and my girlfriend won't let me bring the big boat. I'm thinking of bringing my 8 foot zodiac and a couple rods. I was thinking of bringing some 6 or 7" anchovies and trying mooching, although I've never done it before.

Is it too steep of a learning curve to try to learn to cut cut-plug and mooch with no instructor? Should I just stick with buzz bombs and zingers?

When mooching with a cut plug, do you need to brine the bait first? Could I just put whole anchovies in a teaser head with an inline banana weight and mooch that way?

Any info is appreciated...

cheers, 777
 
Should I just stick with buzz bombs and zingers? Totally up to you

When mooching with a cut plug, do you need to brine the bait first? Again totally up to you. I would :)

Could I just put whole anchovies in a teaser head with an inline banana weight and mooch that way? Of course
 
Look for bait busting on the surface and put a buzz bomb down about 12 pulls and give 'er!!
You can always do a power mooch with some brined herring that are cut plugged for sure...
I would stick with Zingers and Buzzbombs myself.

good luck and let us know how you do...
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate the quick responses! I think I'm leaning towards mooching with 'chovies in teaser heads, as I know what i'm doing with that. I get the impression that a guy can mooch with pretty much anything...including large spoons. Is that the case? I'll definitely grab my buzz bombs for when i get bored of not catching anything.
 
Certain gear needs certain speeds. Cut plugs along the kelp beds around Tribune will produce a wide assortment of fish for you.
 
We will have a 4 hp motor, no rod holders or down riggers. Stupid question, but when when fishing with banana weights a guy just uses the bait, right? There's no way to keep a flasher down without down riggers?

Thanks FA, i expect the ladies will be spending their days at Tribune, so trolling or mooching there would be perfect.
 
Most of the lodges in the Charlottes have their guests use straight cut plugs with banana weights and it doesn't seem to hurt the results. If chovies are the ticket for bait fish then definitely use anchovies with teaser heads. if you happen to have a reel with a line counter it is a big plus so that you have an idea of how deep you are fishing and can replicate the depth if you get a bite.
 
Like before downriggers, you can use flasher with a slip weight, but you need to let a fair bit of line out.
 
Ken J said:
Like before downriggers, you can use flasher with a slip weight, but you need to let a fair bit of line out.
Click to expand...
As long as you have a motor and don't need to fish too deep the combination of a diver, inline flasher and herring is pretty hard to beat (especially near kelp beds). I'd use a delta diver (or similar), a hot spot inline flasher and a two hook leader with a choked herring. The choked herring will hold up longer than a cut plug but done properly you can get a similar roll.
 
Don't forget that back in the day when they used weight,metal flasher and bait......there was lots of drag.....and the rods they used were a lot beefier than today's downrigger rods.....
 
Thanks Carpe! Do guys on the inside (like pender) use herring or chovies usually? I've got some big herring like spoons i'll be sure to bring.
 
Buzz bombs and zingers do great around hornby. Pink striped zinger is usually hot this time of year.

If weather is calm you can take a left out of trib and jig off flora. Fishing has also been good right off trib
 
seadna said:
As long as you have a motor and don't need to fish too deep the combination of a diver, inline flasher and herring is pretty hard to beat (especially near kelp beds). I'd use a delta diver (or similar), a hot spot inline flasher and a two hook leader with a choked herring. The choked herring will hold up longer than a cut plug but done properly you can get a similar roll.
Click to expand...

Very cool. Thanks. I hadn't heard of a choked herring until now. That looks like a bit fat mouthful for a 25 lb spring. I can't wait to try some of these things. I'm starting to think the down rigger/flasher/anchovy around sooke is boring.
 
dfrase said:
Buzz bombs and zingers do great around hornby. Pink striped zinger is usually hot this time of year.

If weather is calm you can take a left out of trib and jig off flora. Fishing has also been good right off trib
Click to expand...

Great, how far out off Trib would you fish?
 
I'd say at the depths you are going to be fishing at without downriggers you should fish with just a banana weight and meat. Run cutties or chovies and just cruise fast enough to give the bait action. No need for flashers. 6oz weight, 5-10' leader and bait will work wonders if the fish are around...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
buzz bombs and zingers for sure, but bring a herring jig and if you find bait jig some and mooch them live, take a bucket of u do this, you an also cut plug the live bait which can really work well with the fresh blood scent. i definitely woiuldn't cut plug anchovies but trolling them in the teaser heads should work as stated above. i would definitely try and jerry rig a rod holder or 2 if you can.

cheers and gl nicnat
 
Much appreciated. gentlemen. Unfortunately I brrowed a friends Johnson outboard, and it performed like a borrowed Johnson...we didn't get off the dock. A guy I was speaking with rented a boat, and got into a teenager chinook, around the corner towards Heliwell, and released an undersized chinook mooching. I really appreciate the info from everyone, I will add them to my repertoire around sooke.

777
 
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