Outside of the box, or just a waste of time?

[stones93]

Preface: I have gone up to Langara Island 1-2 times a year for the last 5 years. While there, I motor-mooch exclusively, no riggers.

Last year while I was at Langara, the head guide states "don't try to re-invent the wheel our techniques and advice has been perfected over many years". I believe him BUT, I seems to have OCD when it comes to thinking about tips, tricks and or other methods that will outfish everyone else. Now to the point of this silly post...

1. Has anyone tried using colored brine for their herring up in the charlottes? If so, what colour would work best?
2. I have seen the bait cut in many ways, I am happy with my rolls, so I wont change that BUT what do people think works better? Tail hook loose (unattached)or stuck back in neatly in the arse?
3. Anyone every try anchovy instead of herring up there? (this one is probably a stretch)
4. If motor mooching, any other secrets outside of SLOWER!
5. How about adding scent to the herring?
6. Is dynamite ever used in salmon fishin

Just day dreaming, please take my ideas//questions with a slight grain of salt. I have been accused of getting too wrapped up in the details...just keep your line in the water..I know

 

[Rum Buddies]

when you have the numbers of fish present as you do up there really anything will work. The reason they motor mooch with herring is its cheap and it works, no expensive downriggers, teaser heads, flashers etc. - just provide you with lead, hooks and herring and off you go.

But really anything that catches fish further south will work up there, nothing special or different about the fish, there's just a lot more of them.

 

[stones93]

when you have the numbers of fish present as you do up there really anything will work. The reason they motor mooch with herring is its cheap and it works, no expensive downriggers, teaser heads, flashers etc. - just provide you with lead, hooks and herring and off you go.

But really anything that catches fish further south will work up there, nothing special or different about the fish, there's just a lot more of them.

Yes I realise that what I do up there works. Just wondering if spicing it up could "improve" my success. My avatar pic is actually a 34.5lb that I caught last year to TIE the rugby classic derby (a 3 way tie!!!) Who ever heard of a 3 way tie anyways, I catch tons, just want to be different (and successful).
It is really the coloured brine that has me interested. Just wondering if it would stand out more? Like I said, mostly a useless post about things I wonder about.

 

[FishWhisperer]

Preface: I have gone up to Langara Island 1-2 times a year for the last 5 years. While there I moptor-mooch exclusively, no riggers.

I have fished Langara long before the lodges or OBMG boats. Don't troll. You'll catch cocho. If you want big, use bait, get as close to the rocks as poss (Cohoe Pt., McPherson Pt.), and drift with a 1 or 2 oz kidney weight. Only put the motor in gear to straighten out the boat and keep from drifting onto the rocks. Shake all the black bass(tards) off all morning, just stick it out. After a while, you'll notice the black bass(tards) have moved off a couple hundred feet just before tide change (high), then it's on and crackin'. Stick and stay, make it pay.
...I must add, after the black bass(tards) have moved off, you must notice that they have, you will get the same "nibble" from a monster spring. Very similar. But you have already noticed the bass(tards) have moved off ...right? Strip a couple lengths of line off (bait will try to spiral down), slowly reel and feel the weight with the rod in your hands, then Slam the rod up and set the hook! ...wow, I just had an adrenalin rush typing that.
Bottom line at Langara ...KISS method.

 

[Rum Buddies]

It is really the coloured brine that has me interested. Just wondering if it would stand out more? Like I said, mostly a useless post about things I wonder about.

Never fished the charlottes but I've played with colored brine and dying bait a bunch of times with no noticeable improvement. Really nothing looks more like a herring then a plain old herring, but who knows there's only one way to find out right...

 

[Jammer]

I live in Masset, and have use blue (blueing and blue jello mix) in my brine on anchovies.
I also use a bit of garlic in my brine. Both worked well.
I'm trolling off the riggers, not mooching, however.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Hell-- my last trip to Sandspit, I ran to the west coast through Skidgate Narrows. Trolled with Coyote spoons on the downrigger at 40ft and NAILED the springs right along the kelp. By 11 am I had enough and went chasing lings and butts.... by 12:30 I was limited out. I dont do excessive C&R so I ended up putting the crab traps down and sightseeing.

Thats the way it went all week, except I switched to Zzinger and Pt Wilson Darts if I could do so with out screwing up someone elses tack.

GREAT place to fish.... dont be afraid to try something different..Poppa Swiss has it right... so many fish, damn near anything will work if you time your trrip properly

 

[blackvelvet]

I've fished up there for years, mostly hippa island. I could not imagine anything that could improve upon the non-stop chinook action using just naked herring with a piece of lead 6' above the hooks. One trip (2002 I believe) the first day I noticed that all our bait was half rotted and resembled something I would barely use for crab bait back home, but go figure, the first whole day I caught and released 42 chinook up to 35 pounds, and the 2nd whole day 45 released. All with crappy huge rotten herring just slapped whole on the hooks, no worries about any spin.

Those salmon up there are fattening up for thier long migration home and don't seem to be as picky about a presentation compared to targeting them farther down the path along WCVI.

I've never used a colored brine and IMO your bait of choice in its natural state will work better than any artificially colored bait.

 

[Capt_Ed]

I ran the Lodge at Hippa (CQA) for a few years and I saw every type for brine color and whirly gig gizmo tried by guests that brought their own secret stuff to try. Bottom line was none work any better than a whole herring mooched which is what we taught them to use in the first place. Its already been said but the KISS method really is the best in the Charlottes. Best day I ever saw was 2 guests, unguided ,caught and released 60 in one day.

 

[Sharphooks]

Just anecdotal story: a friend of mine went there a few years ago. Fishing was o.k. but not nuts. He told me he busted out a Pt. Defiance dart in the biggest size they make and never touched a herring his whole trip. After a few days of that, the guides were sidling up to him on the dock and asking him what he was using.

I have been in situations where guys with jigs were basically putting on "how to catch spring" clinics for the bait guys (like me), but I've also seen the opposite.

If there was a bait ban tomorrow and I was forced to chose just one artificial that had to cover all the bases, it would be a jig or a Buzz Bomb and my guess is you could catch enough fish to be happy up there using those

But going nuts with jigs is how I developed bursitis in my right arm, and now I pretty much stick to downrigger fishing......

 

[stones93]

Maybe this will work too!

 

[Dogbreath]

Water around Langara can be quite murky in summer I can't see dyed bait making much of a difference.