Showing posts with label gear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gear. Show all posts

Monday, April 9, 2012

Drift Fishing - How to Drift Fish: Steelhead and Salmon

I grew up drift fishing. It's a technique used by all fisherman, no matter the species, to catch fish. This should be one of the first techniques any fisherman learns. The idea is to give your bait a "tumbling" presentation as it floats down the river. You can find some information about rods here under my Get The Right Fishing Rod  post and a reels here under my Get The Right Fishing Reel post. Lets start with a shopping list:

Hooks: 
  • For steelhead from size 2 to 1/0. Salmon 2/0 to 4/0. DO NOT buy cheap hooks. Spend some money. This will prevent the hook from bending out. No one wants to loose a fish to that. Also learn how to tie your own egg loops. Get yourself a leader storage container. Tie a bunch of pre-made leaders and be ready to go fishing. Egg loops are important to keep bait on. You can find out how to tie your own egg loops here: Link

Floats: 
  • This isn't bobber or floats. This is corkies, foam balls, cheaters, and anything that keeps your bait suspended of the bottom. 

Weight: 
  • Hollow core is the best here. Fill your box with assorted lengths. These can be easily snipped so that you can adjust the amount of weight you need to get to the bottom of the river. A snap swivel with a tag lead is the way to do it. About 1" of tag line is good to crimp your weight too. Thread the tag end through the hollow core and crimp it with a pair of pliers. This way if you snag bottom, you just pull the weight off without loosing your set up. It keeps your rigging time low and keeps our rivers free of line. Remember keep your rivers clean.

Swivels: 
  • There's a couple different swivels you can use as far as the weight goes. You can do a 3 way swivel, tie your tag line to one eye and your leader to another. Or you can do a snap swivel that slides up and down your mainline with your mainline and leader connected to a barrel swivel. I prefer the snap swivel method with a bead between my snap swivel and barrel swivel. With a free moving weight, your bait can adjust to the contours of the river bottom. 

Line and Leader 
  • It's good to stick to a mono line throughout the set up. This isn't like float fishing where your main line isn't in the water. Mono appears invisible in the water. Steelhead and Salmon can be line shy, especially in clear conditions. 10-15lb is good for Steelhead. Salmon depends on the species. 20-25lb is a safe bet. 
Corkie's, yarn balls, and foam float balls


Weight, swivels, beads and hooks. The Basics

Pre tied egg loops with corkies attached. Good to be prepared.


When you cast your freshly tied drift rig out, cast slightly upstream, but not to far upstream. If you cast to far upstream you'll hit bottom to fast and your bait won't be in the sweet spot. You want to "feel" your weight tagging the bottom as it drifts out in front of you. It's important that its tapping the bottom. You don't want it sitting on the bottom dragging through the rocks. If your properly fishing a drifting set up, it will feel like your "ticking" the bottom. This is ideal. If it drags or hangs up, reel in, snip some weight off your pencil lead, and try again.

Your presentation should resemble "food" tumbling through the current. If your weight is snagging on the bottom your bait is essentially stopping on the bottom, not appearing "natural." This is a proven technique and works. Once you've perfected it, you'll be pulling in more fish in no time. But remember practice makes perfect. It can get frustrating in the beginning.

For other tips and advice, check my links below. Not only is it informative, but will get you going in the right direction!

USEFUL LINKS

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Gear: Tackle Boxes, Tools, and Storage

As a beginning fisherman, it becomes a daunting task making sure your ready to go fishing. Packing light can make or break a trip. The idea is to pack light, but not to light, making sure you have everything you need. Nobody wants to haul a full size tackle box around with them when trying to walk river banks. And if you get invited on a boat; no one wants you to bring the entire store with you. Pack light, pack what your fishing for, and be ready to go.

While I was looking for a bag to carry my tackle in, I came across a huge selection. It seems that it's all about brand choice and the bells and whistles that you like. One brand stuck out to me though. Spiderwire. Why Spiderwire? There bags are in a good price range. Only one bag at local retailers cost over $100 and its the big daddy. Something you would keep in your trunk or garage. The bag I picked up was $29.99. It comes with one big box and you can fit three small boxes on top of those. Or one small box and a medium box, or two large boxes, or... well you get my point. You can swap a lot of tackle out of this little guy. The pockets are very specific. Let me give you a break down:


  • Sunglasses Pocket
  • Line/Leader Pocket
  • Protected Scent Pocket (so if it leaks, it stays contained)
  • Leatherman Holster
  • Shaped Pocket for Tackle Boxes
  • Rear Pocket for Miscellaneous 


Not to mention the other smaller pockets for your pliers, scissors, stringers, etc. This pack holds a lot. And would you believe me if I told you it was a sling pack? And its only $30? This little thing is amazing. It's light and great for walking conditions. It held everything I needed. And then some. I was even able to put two 1 liter bottles of water in the back pocket without the bag feeling "bulky." I could keep this on my back all day. With the sunny conditions, sweat wasn't an issue. It was very breathable. I'm really happy with this bag. No back issues or complaints from me.

Protective Scent Pouch. Keeping the Scent in so it doesn't get out.

Good bag designs.

Plenty of box storage in pre-fitted pockets.


Tools


There are some essential tools you must have to be a successful fisherman. Below is a list of things you should always have in your bag.


  • Long Shank Needle Nose Pliers
    • Used to remove hooks from fish. 
    • Crimp weights
    • Cut weights
  • Fingernail Clippers
    • Cut tag lines
    • Cut braided line
  • Small Scissors
    • Cut tag lines
    • Cut braided line
  • Nitrate Gloves
    • Protects your hands from scents and dies
  • Leatherman
    • All purpose, duh
  • Pen
    • All fish caught in Oregon MUST be recorded on the harvest tag
      • Keep a cheater card with you to know how to fill out your harvest tag properly
  • Stringer
    • Stay away from plastic ones here, braided rope is much better for the environment
  • Fillet Knife
    • Filleting your fish while its fresh is important
  • Plastic Ziploc Bags
    • Store row, otherwise known as eggs
    • Store fillets
  • Grocery Store Bags
    • Pick up your garbage!
      • If you see garbage pick up a piece, it helps keep our rivers and streams at there best
      • If your a smoker pick up your butts! No one like seeing a shore littered with cigarette butts! 
      • Please keep Oregon green by picking up for yourself. I can't stress this enough
  • Lighter
    • You might ask why this is important. Simple. Survival. If your friend falls in freezing water you can start a fire. If you get lost you can start a fire. You can start a fire to signal people, you can start a fire to cook food. People get lost, people get cold. Be safe. Be ready. 

These are just the basics and are must haves for any fishing trip. All of this can be picked up at local fishing stores. Remember, shop local, they have the best advice.


Spiderwire Utility Box Sling Bag Information: Spiderwire Utility Box Sling Bag

For other tips and advice, check my links below. Not only is it informative, but will get you going in the right direction!

USEFUL LINKS





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