anacortes salmon derby

[big fish lite line]

this year I'm going to try to catch a salmon or two to enter in the salmon derby.
I really dislike trolling with an engine and also I don't have downriggers rigged up.
any tips? thanks

[Anonymous]

I think mooching is the technique that would work best for you. I'm not really a moocher but recently went out with SlimySlab and had a great time mooching in Elliot Bay. The one thing that will help you catch fish is a good fishfinder. Trolling is great for covering water and can pull in a fish from a good distance. Mooching works great when you are near or on top of the fish so you need to find them first. I found the following article covers the technique fairly well, I would vary my retrieve speed to see what works best. My father reported that the last time he was out on a charter boat, you just brought the herring up as fast as possible and that would trigger a strike. I suppose you could also use a Crippled Herring Jig or a Point Wilson Dart in place of bait. If you want an expert to teach you the ropes, I've been told that Keith Robbins of "A Spot Tail Salmon Guide" service is excellent.

http://www.how-to-fish.com/mooching_for ... how_to.htm

[big fish lite line]

oh yeah I forgot anybody know what depth to fish at this time of year?

thanks G-man that artical was informative

[A9]

oh yeah I forgot anybody know what depth to fish at this time of year?

thanks G-man that artical was informative

I'm assuming its a Blackmouth derby, so your best off targeting the bottom of the water column. Blackmouth are typically down within the bottom 10-20 feet of the water column, which is why trolling right off the bottom is a productive technique for targeting these resident kings.

But as always, watch your electronics and if you see bait or are marking fish, try and get your gear to that depth.

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If you think trolling is lame then jigging is your game!

Although I spend most of my time trolling I do love to jig from time to time. I would not suggest mooching this time of year since matching the bait may be a bit hard with frozen herring. Jigging can be very productive if you pay attention to your location, depth and time of the tidal cycle. Most productive times will be about 1 hour before, during, and one hour after the “change”. Unlike mooching, most of your strikes will come when the jig is fluttering down and while you have a bit of slack in your line. Pay attention and if your line stops set the hook. Blackmouth are noted to be bottom feeders so spend most of your time in that zone. Terry Rudnick has a great article about jigging on the “Salmon University” website. It can be a great learning tool and worth your time. The link to it is: http://www.salmonuniversity.com/ol_Jigg ... dnick.html.