Plunking Cowlitz Steelhead and Salmon

Transcription

1 Plunking Cowlitz Steelhead and Salmon Plunking: This is a rather laid back method of fishing. It is a term used for still fish from the bank of a river with access to a bar with deep enough water where you can plunk your rig into. Most veteran plunkers prefer an area that they can access the river and can be next to their vehicle (especially if it s raining). Preferred locations most likely will be an area on the lower reaches of a river where you can set you plunking rig in a travel lane where steelhead or salmon will be traveling. Plunking is most commonly used when the water level has risen substantially, hopefully has begun to recede, but may still be rising, and the clarity has changed from that wonderful steelhead green, to chocolate milk with maybe a hint of green leftover. It is a fairly simple fishing technique and works well for both steelhead and salmon. In this technique, you understand the fish will be on the move and you try to find a good location to intercept them. You use a heavy rod and line, use enough weight to keep your terminal tackle stationary, attach a large and gaudy attractor and bait and scent to a large hook, pitch the whole thing 2-10 feet out from shore, and wait for a bite. Despite the adverse water conditions, the fish will find your offering by sight, sound, and smell, and on occasion, will aggressively attack it. Plunking is basically still-fishing from the bank. Areas such as inside turns or current seams should be good places to look If you do a little scouting around you will probably find evidence of other plunkers such as old camp fires or tracks in the sand. Chinook will come up and mouth a plain Spin- N-Glo, so you have to be ever watchful of the rod tip. Steelhead on the other hand will hit with abandon most of time, so look for a bouncing pole and probably a very lively fish jumping on the other end of your line.

2 What You Will Need Typical Plunking set-up Rigging for Plunking: Because you will be fishing in a turbulent, fast moving river, you will need stronger gear to fight your fish. A rod rated at for lb line and capable of tossing 6-8 oz weights is in order. A sturdy reel, either spinning or level wind, and a 15-20lb test mainline should be used. Most plunkers still use mono but super braids should also work. As for the reel you want one that will hold at least 150 yards of line. Nothing like hooking into a big ole Springer and see him head on downstream towards the Columbia with you in tow. Basic Spin-Glo Rig: The most common method used by many is to use a Spin-N- Glo. There are several ways to rig this. Start by using a 30" snelled egg tie leader (10-15 fluorocarbon preferably).* First thread a 5 or 6 mm bead onto your leader (to protect the knot). Then thread the Spin-N-Glo on. This will be your leader to the bait. You can then either use just the Spin-N-Glo alone or with eggs, sand shrimp or prawns. * You probably should make up complete spare setups, as usually it is easier to tie these up at home than on the river. Preferred colors for the Spin-N-Glo seem to be chartreuse, pearl pink or orange. Sportco, Auburn Sports or Sportsman s Outlet are good locations to shop for these in quantities. These are manufactured by Worden s and you can check out the entire product line at Size is a matter of water clarity. If the water is high and muddy you will probably want to use Size 0 or 00. For most other conditions a size 2 or 4 will work. Rig a second bait/lure on your line: Where the regulations permit, you may want to add a second setup to your line. You can do this by adding another threeway swivel inches up your main line and attaching another terminal setup. The common way to do this is to have your natural bait on the bottom and a plug (such as a Wiggle Wart) as the higher offering. Beware that it is more difficult to cast without tangling, and more of a hassle to keep from fouling.

3 Hooks: The best hook size for fishing with Spin-N-Glo depends on the size you are using. For a size 00 or 0, use anywhere from a 4/0 down to a 2/0 octopus or similar salmon/steelhead type hook. For the size 2 or 4 drop down to a size 2/0 or 1/0. As for hook color you can use a stainless hook but using a colored hook such as red can t hurt. Swivels: You can attach this leader to either a 2 or a 3 way swivel, depending on your preference as to how to attach the sinker. If you want it as a slider, use the 2 way and put the upper swivel eye on the mainline slider above your terminal swivel or snap. This is also a good location to put a 5-6 mm bead to help protect the knot. Some fishermen prefer to use 3 way swivels. If do, however, you want to run the sinker on a dropper. Then use the 3 way swivel and tie it as your terminal end of the mainline. Weights: Droppers to the sinker should be 8-12 and of a lighter leader material so it can be broken off if the sinker snags up without loosing your lure. Sinker weight will vary with the current, but usually from 6 to 8 oz. is sufficient. Sinker styles most often are either a pyramid or river type. Most situations a 6 oz one should work. The idea is to use a heavy enough sinker to hold the lure on the bottom. Locations: Plunking works best in pools of slower moving water, or if possible, at the seam between the faster water and the edge of the pool's slower water. Chinook will come up and mouth a plain Spin-N-Glo, so you have to be ever watchful of the rod tip. One place to look for would be the slower moving water directly upstream from a riffle. Pole Holders: Most plunkers use a rod holder set into the river bank. In this gravel, you may need a large hammer to drive it in. You should then consider getting a little bell to attach to your rod tip as a signaling device, as many times you may get complacent and not be attentively watching the rod tip 100% of the time. You can purchase a ready made one at Sportco or you can make your own from a 1 ¼ PVC pipe with one end cut off at a 45 deg angle. Scent: Then there is the question of scent. Do I use it or not? Well, salmon and steelhead have a very good sense of smell. It sure does not hurt to add some egg scent as an extra attractant. Another thing is that many use a few inches of yarn along with the eggs (red and chartreuse are common). This can add a color, but more importantly it serves a dual purpose of supplying a source for your scent to soak into, and if the fish just bites but lets go quickly, it may possibly get it's teeth tangled in the yarn enough to not let it get away before you can set the hook. Also some people swear by using WD40 as a scent and even as a source to cover up human scent.

4 Bumper or Bait Loop Knot Cut line into lengths 6 inches longer than your intended leader length. 1. Put end #1 into eye of hook from top 2. Hold end #1 against shaft and wrap 6-8 turns down shank with line from just above eye 3. pinch last wrap with finger tips to keep coils tight 4. grab end #2 and put though eye of hook from shank side until approximately one inch sticks out of eye 5. With fingers that are holding line coils around shank slide them to also pinch the line from end #2 against shank 6. grab line that wrapped coils around shank and wrap four more coils along shank over the top of line end #2 that is pinched against shank 7. Keep coils tight and pull line end #2 until slack line is taken out of hook 8. For double hooks slide another hook on line where you want it spaced above the first hook and repeat steps 1-8 Other plunking tips: Here are some other things to consider or try while you are standing around waiting for a bite. Get comfortable: Since plunking is a passive technique, you will be standing around most of the time doing nothing. Bring something comfortable to sit on. You may even be able to bring your car/truck close enough to the water to sit in it. Bring a book to read or if you are fishing with a friend, bring a deck of cards. You get the idea. Be safe: Even though you are fishing from shore, you need to be mindful of water surges from upstream, unstable footing, and if you venture into the water for any reason, recognize that the water can mine under your feet and cause you to lose your footing in a moment's notice. More than once a fisherman has had to be rescued from an island that was wadable at the start of the day, but after several

5 hours of rising water, became trapped. Recognize that the shoreline may be unstable as you chase a run-away fish down river, and under no circumstances, should you take a step into the water where you can t see the bottom. Yes even when you are plunking, you should wear your PFD. Stay warm: Make sure you have plenty of layers of clothing and bring something warm to drink. Because you are standing around and not exercising, you don t generate the body heat you would in other situations. Stay dry; try to bring a change of clothes and boots/socks if necessary. Check your bait frequently: Often there s a lot of debris (leaves, grass,,etc) in high water conditions that can mess up your rig. Further, you may suffer some line twist or have your bait fall off or get nibbled away. Don t keep your bait in the water much longer than minutes without retrieving, adding more scent, and casting again. Talk to an old-timer: They know where the fish are and usually are the best at plunking. Most are more than willing to strike up a conversation and offer some good tips. Rod Holder: Either make one or buy one, but it is far better than using a rock to prop up your rod at the shore s edge. Most will also add a little height to your rod making it easier to keep your line tight. I once saw a guy prop his rod up with a rock and retire to his truck to wait for a bite. A little while later we saw him chasing into the water as his rig was being pulled into the river by a fish. Not only did he get wet, he lost the fish but was lucky enough to save his rod and reel from the river monsters. Link to Cowlitz River / Tacoma Power Website: Cowlitz Fish.net