My son and I will be heading for the Manquam this weekend looking for Chum/Coho/Springs. We're rookies, and looking for advice for short float rigging. We were planning to go with 20lb. monofilament line (Berkley Big Game) , foam floatm 1-2" of pencil lead, 15lb leader (about 2' long), #1 barbless hook with green/pink wool above a small gooey-bob. Sound OK or are we missing something? Thanks.
Rigging for Short Floating Chum
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Sounds right DBN. The trick to short floating is in the technique more than the rigging though. You need to fish up off the bottom, I found particularly for the chum on the squamish/mamquam system it worked extremely well. By short floating it will be easier to avoid accidentally snagging the tired fish that have colored up, and target the fresh chromers that should be showing up in good numbers soon.
For those chum, I like to keep the weight at least 1-2 feet off the bottom, even 2-3 feet off the bottom if lots of darker fish are around. As for colors of wool, etc...mix it up. Try different colors, often one works better than the rest.
Not sure how the run is shaping up as of yet, might be a bit early still for the bulk of the run, but good luck to you, and let us know how you do.
Hope that helps,
rib
For those chum, I like to keep the weight at least 1-2 feet off the bottom, even 2-3 feet off the bottom if lots of darker fish are around. As for colors of wool, etc...mix it up. Try different colors, often one works better than the rest.
Not sure how the run is shaping up as of yet, might be a bit early still for the bulk of the run, but good luck to you, and let us know how you do.
Hope that helps,
rib
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Today when I was at the local shop and I got to see the first part of a DVD that is being produced with the beginner/novice angler in mind. The DVD should be completely finished and out in the stores for next month. From what I saw :thumbup: it was well done and explained everything.
Much appreciated Ribwart. But how do you judge bottom depth in movign water? I assume just trial and error, raise weight if you feel it bottom dragging. Our first time out was last year in the Mamquam, and we were bottom bouncing (with short leaders) like many others; from reading recent posts it sounds like this was not kosher.ribwart said:
Trial and error yes, of course, but also visually. It only takes a second to feel the bottom, reel in and shorten up by 1-2 feet...Visually you can often get a good idea how deep a stretch is by the slope of the shoreline into the water, and if visibility is good you can often see bottom. This last bit applies specifically to the mamquam, you will be able to see the bottom there in most spots. I find while fishing the squamish/mamquam that I usually set my float at an average of about 2-3 feet deep for the squamish, and only about 1 foot deep for the mamquam. There are exceptions, but that should provide you with a rough idea.
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when is it expected that the main run will arrive this sounds quite exciting
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Float(6" wrap around foam)- weight(2.5" piece of pecil lead sliding on mainline)- swivel- 2 foot leader of 12 pound maxima.
To the end of this attach a purple/cerise sclappen jig and you will be hooking Chums aplenty.
Try and keep your JIG(not your weight), at least 2 feet off the bottom, even if you have to have your float touching your weight. You will foul hook none if you fish this correctly and they will come up pull your float down and all you will have to do is lift up hard and your "fish on".
http://www.bentrods.ca/sites/bentrods/uploads/Chum jigs.jpg
To the end of this attach a purple/cerise sclappen jig and you will be hooking Chums aplenty.
Try and keep your JIG(not your weight), at least 2 feet off the bottom, even if you have to have your float touching your weight. You will foul hook none if you fish this correctly and they will come up pull your float down and all you will have to do is lift up hard and your "fish on".
http://www.bentrods.ca/sites/bentrods/uploads/Chum jigs.jpg
What Bentrod describes about keeping your jig 2 feet off the bottom, (if that's what you choose to use, and they do work), keep in mind if you are using a terminal item that is neutrally buoyant, like wool, the same rule does not necessarily apply. Obviously the jig is heavier than your wool, so in keeping to the "shortfloating" concept, keep your jig "short" too...
Whatever you decide to use, switch it up if it is not working. Jigs work well, as do other items. As with the "shortfloat rigging" question you began this thread with DBN, it's the technique that counts. Stay up off the bottom, you'll snag bottom less, and you'll snag less fish. They'll bite. What a novel idea.
How you fish will directly affect how you catch...
Whatever you decide to use, switch it up if it is not working. Jigs work well, as do other items. As with the "shortfloat rigging" question you began this thread with DBN, it's the technique that counts. Stay up off the bottom, you'll snag bottom less, and you'll snag less fish. They'll bite. What a novel idea.
How you fish will directly affect how you catch...
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as Bentrod says, do not worry if your float, and your lead are touching, as generally I fish like that, in about 40" of water, with an eighteen inch leader. the only difference, with all due respect to Rod, is that on the Squish, they love pink jigs. Make sure that you use a good quality hook, as those brutes are more than capable of straightening a poor quality hook. Again, you will not foulhook any fish like this, and the fish pretty much set the hook themselves.
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My jigs are available at
Reaction fly and tackle
Berrys bait n tackle
Chilliwack Dart and tackle
Army and Navy- Vancouver, New West and Langley.
As for the color, my friend who guides the Squamish consistently outfishes everyone with the Purple/Cerise(hot pink) schlappen, as do we in the valley, were talking a testing ground of many guides fishing everyday here.
Some days the other colored Chum jigs we sell will out produce the Purple /cerise. All of our jigs are tied sparsley with only schlappen feathers, that is the key, BREATHEABILITY BABY.
I did the Pink marabou deal for years on Chumlies and they work well, but they will not even come close to a correctly tied and colored schlappen JIG.
Give it a try OGO.
My hooks are heavy wire 60 degree bend gammies and they WILL NOT bend.
Good luck up there with the chumlies.
This week we landed a 20lb doe Chum and had a buck that was approaching 30 lbs, these Fraser Valley Chum are brutes.
Reaction fly and tackle
Berrys bait n tackle
Chilliwack Dart and tackle
Army and Navy- Vancouver, New West and Langley.
As for the color, my friend who guides the Squamish consistently outfishes everyone with the Purple/Cerise(hot pink) schlappen, as do we in the valley, were talking a testing ground of many guides fishing everyday here.
Some days the other colored Chum jigs we sell will out produce the Purple /cerise. All of our jigs are tied sparsley with only schlappen feathers, that is the key, BREATHEABILITY BABY.
I did the Pink marabou deal for years on Chumlies and they work well, but they will not even come close to a correctly tied and colored schlappen JIG.
Give it a try OGO.
My hooks are heavy wire 60 degree bend gammies and they WILL NOT bend.
Good luck up there with the chumlies.
This week we landed a 20lb doe Chum and had a buck that was approaching 30 lbs, these Fraser Valley Chum are brutes.
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whatever you do dont use the usual 12 ft leader with wool , with a 3 oz bouncing betty , takes the fun right of fishing , u should be able to slay chum short floating 2-3 feet off the bottom ! have fun with your kid, you guys will be onto the chum , maybe even hit a "ho or spring , good luck
Thanks to all of you experienced guys for the advice. We used green wool for chum successfully our first time out on the Mamquam last year, but will give your other suggestions a try. Newbie question: Bent Rod, I though jigs were siimply hooks wiht a small coloured lead at the top, what do you mean by "breathability"? And does colour really matter much when the fish are in the mood to bite? Cheers.
Understood Bigmike. We did botom bounce (but with a short 2' leader) our first time last year, and while this worked we did snap a couple of old dogs and lost some rigs on the bottom. Will be short floating this time. Thanks.bigmike2020 said:
G
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·Isn't it a No. 1 hook on the small side for chums? I've always used 1/0.
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