[coho_killer]

might as well get a jump on what are hot hootchies for around vancouver! i never had sucess with hootchies ever and lost all faith in them! can someone shed some light on best hootchies for around vancouver as well as leader length and color flasher for i will give them one more go this upcomming salmon season! thanx so much!

C.K.

 

[skunked]

for springs army truck/ glow green/ splatter green/ white green getting the picture , or down deep run purple haze . flasher color i like light green or gold when the water is murky . leeder length is between 32" to 44"

 

[coho_killer]

it was the leader length i was having a problem with! short for hootchies and long for spoons and bait?

 

[bigjay]

48" inches is about standard for springs. As short as 18" for Sockeye fishing. 24" is the usual for coho. But leader length is also effected by how far the hoochie is from the downrigger clip or weight or planer. On a planer or deep six I tend to have a shorter leader as diamiter of the flaser rotation is less ( there is only 6' feet from the deep six to flash). I use 24" to 36" for that. The other thing you want heavy line as light line twists more easily and imparts less action.
Have fun, Jason

 

[coho_killer]

thank you bigjay!!!!!!

 

[high tide]

Coho Killer, fishing around Van and lower gulf Islands I have been hootching it for 30 years now. I have to say the most success for springs I have had has to be White and Green combinations in various shades. I keep several in my boxes, also Army trucks, Black and whites, Purple combo's and pure whites both plain and Glo type, blood and bones. I have found for springs, 36 to 54 inch leaders with 25 or 30 lb. leader have worked for me. I use the 3 1/2 or 4 inch standard hootchie, use either a 3/0 to 5/0 siwash off a bead chain through the middle or leader with beads to keep the 2 - 3/0 to 5/0 single hooks tied in tandem in line no further than the lowest part of the legs. Standard large hot spot style Flashers in green silver, red silver,blue silver,Chrome abe and als, but have several different flashers as well. I usually rig 1 or 2 rods with bait, and the other 2 with either hootchies or spoons. If getting dogged out on puppys I gas the bait and use plastic or hard ware the whole way. I'll set up 4 different depths (off bottom and up in winter and spring months) at the same time as well I use several different combo's until we hit some then change things over. I have found I have begun to troll quicker then I use too and am finding more success, look how fast the commercial and guide boats go and that will tell you. Rules all change for socks and coho, but your main stays around here will be springs anyway. Best of luck to you.

 

[coho_killer]

and thanx to you too high tide i'll write down all the info i've gathered here and try my luck once more with hootchies and try the different combo colors and leader length i sure hope my luck changes because bait does catch alot of fish but alot of fish consists of everything that eats bait! and to come home smelling like fish and have nothing to show for it makes my wife think if i'm really going fishing at all! lol thanx again!!!!!!

 

[high tide]

Coho killer, bottom line as you know is you use what you have caught them with in the past, that is not to say I always have success with them. There just one of the tools in the chest. Finding and staying with bait especially this thime of year is SO important. Then match the size to the bait....get a legal one , kill em and see what it's been eating. Soon, off south/west Bowen in the straight, bait should start to show, out there you will NOT find the bottom, find the bait and fish with them. I have confidence in hootchies because of the success I've had but.....they are not the end all be all. I have scored some of my largest fish with them both locally, up coast and the island. All time's of the year. Tight lines.

 

[coho_killer]

high tide we usually fish 4 rods out of our boat i'll make sure i try a hootchie on one of them for sure weather it be the higher line or lower the other line will be rigged with the good o'le anchovie! and at the boat show in abby lastweek i seen a wicked brine for bait i guess it's more like a food coloring but it looked good, came in 6 different colors green and purple looking the best!gonna have to try it!

 

[Fishaholic]

id watch the 4 rod thing, if you fish them all with flashers? epsecailly on the big springs that can be a little much for them. i found i would do better with 2 rods compared to having them stacked. i fish 3 downriggers now with 2 flashers out and a herring or spoon on the other one (usually middle) and seems to produce well

 

[high tide]

No doubt that flying 4 rods can be a challenge in stronger tides, but when done correctly is effective as schools will follow or stay with you at times and you can pick up double or even triple headers, on socks weve had all 4 rods with fish on. If you are going to stack with flashers, seperate the clips on the rigger by 15 feet or so, put the flasher and bait or lure back 20 or more feet. You can go closer but takes some practice and know how. This time of year the water is clear and flashers are not needed on spoons, teasers or holders, cut plug, whole baits with rolls adjusted etc. If I could get away from flashers when trolling I'd drop them in a heartbeat!! They do produce action thats for sure.

 

[Fishaholic]

i agree stacking the gear can be great way to get any of the smaller fish (especailly sockeye). i was more solely referring to the mature springs :wink:

 

[bigjay]

I'm new to stacking line, but so far have not had any problems with them getting tangled. I was wondering if the top or bottom line should be further from the clip then the other. All the books say the bottom one should be longer? But I find having them the same lenth has not caused any trouble.
Teaser flasher, does anyone ues them? And do they out fish a line with flasher on it? I could see them being a great help when fishing for big chinook in the fall... say putting a tomic or big herring or anchovie right on the bottom teaser flasher a 6' feet up on a clip and above that another 6' another lure, so you have a bunch of gear right near the bottom. has anyone tried this?
Have fun, Jason

 

[skunked]

i run a teaser flasher 1 meter back off my downrigger ball and my spoon one meter up and three meters back with no flasher when a fish is on you know right away even in a tide rip no flasher drag , i run stacked lines like this with no tangles , just lower the rigger line at half speed .