Trolling v. Mooching

[salmonegg]

Here's the age old debate.... Do bigger salmon get caught using the mooching method or by trolling? Would love to hear from you as this board could use a little activity. I'm not looking for the sometimes 'motor mooching' or any other term that is a 'combined' technique might be called. I'm searching for the fishermen that use the same method week-in and week out. The purists if you will. What's the most important aspects to your methods? leader? solid tie? slip tie? spoons? hoochies? flasher? dodger? live bait? fresh herring? cut plug? But most of all the PROOF... Who catches more fish? Can you talk us into using your method? Please post your comments and answers here and get your tide and regulation/licensing information here for all 50 states on salmonegg.com !
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[davetclown]

I am not sure of the term mooching,

I do a lot of trolling, with much sucess. probably better than most.

I use a number of different riggs depending on what I am targeting.
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[theangler]

I've only been out salmon fishing once (AND HAD A BLAST!!!) and am not famliar with mooching either. Care to give us an education, please?

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/7/size/big/cat/502"][/url] MY SOLO SALMON
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[salmonegg]

[left]Yeah, " mooching " is what we call it around here... Mooching can be done without a motor. The idea is to get the bait down to the fish, without the big flasher or down riggers, that trollers use. This technique is will catch King salmon and Coho. The herring should be cut plugged so it has a spin. If your herring doesn't spin you aren't going to catch fish. A sharp knife first lays right behind the gills of a semi-frozen (thaw in bait solution) bait fish from dorsal to ventral surface. Then the knife blade rotates to establish two angles in the bait: a 45 degree toward the tail end and, as well, a 45 degree angle toward the lateral flank that rests on the cutting board. In one clean slice, cut the head off. If the cut has been performed correctly, the angled face causes the cut plug to spin in the water. Use the knife to n twirl the guts from the body cavity, leaving the opening skin intact. Be gentle with the bait to keep the scales intact. Before dropping your bait make sure it spins properly next to the boat. If your bait comes back tangled frequently try putting a one ounce rubber core sinker a foot in front of your sinker on the mainline.The bait should be dropped to the bottom and then reeled up from the bottom slowly. When fish takes bait reel slowly until tight line and set the hook hard. Fish on and around bottom structure changes, clean side of tide rips or hering balls. Presentation and scent is everything ! WD 40 removes human scent well. Drift with the tide, in or out and work the water column from top to bottom until fish are found. Proven method... Give it a try. [/left]
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[salmonegg]

Nice fish.. where did you catch that?

Attention : here's a local tip, Puget Sound... Fishing report says Cayote Bank is good for early springers now. That's great news!
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[theangler]

Hey, Thanks for the info! I haven't tried it but seems like a great way to get on the fish!

I caught'em in upstate New York (almost Canada) on the way back from my sisters wedding. It's funny because 8 years earlier I caught a huge Brown fishing with my brother on the way to his wedding. His wife wasn't real understanding about us being late and muddy but we caught 4 great fish![][][][]
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[davetclown]

thanks,

I dont use that method, my brother does, him and his buddies fish of a bridge or dam and to top it off they use a stick slip bobber. he claims to do well, he always has smoked salmon on the table.

he of corse thinks my way of hooking up strange. I like sandy bottoms and fish from shore, casting up streem and allowing my line to bobble down the river till the line has gone to a near streaght down from me. I do well with that method my self. I am hoping to down rig "troll" a couple land locks up from the bottom of my lake.

with out a current I think you realy need to troll a bit.

so I would have to say that location and aplication has a lot to do with your production. they all have merrit. It just depends on where you are fishing.
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[salmonegg]

Ok - I will pick a side. I think trolling produces more fish if you are fishing larger areas..? We'll , I guess that's what we're doin' because if we weren't, it would be called "catching" ... you decide. Jump in, guys.
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[kevinkay]

Hi all,

It's nice to see that the Washington board has a moderator now, so I won't have to spend all my time on the tube board. Anyway, I grew up in Grays Harbor, and have salmon fished that area and out of Westport since I was old enough to hold a rod. While trolling does allow you to cover a greater area, I would say that mooching produces the most, if not biggest fish. This is especially true if you have several anglers working their bait at the same time. For an extreme example, take charter boats out of Westport. They all almost exclusively mooch and tend to have excellent results.
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[salmonegg]

Hey Kevin,

Thanks for the post. I knew there was more then just me fishin' these waters. I haven't been down to the 'big water' fishin out at West Port very often but always had a great time!
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[kevinkay]

I don't get down there much anymore either now that I live in Seattle. But, on a plus note, plenty of good lakes and rivers in this area to keep me busy.[laugh]
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[salmonegg]

[]
How about the rest of ya weighin' in ?? Maybe someone would like to start a bottomfish post... as we get ready for the salmon fishery, the "linging" as been pretty good in spots I'm hearing ! ? ! Anyone want to share? Certainly there more of ya out there. Well, maybe thats it.... your OUT there fishin' and don't have time to post. Come on... we won't BITE! Thanks

-salmonegg
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[kevinkay]

It would appear that we are the only Washington anglers. That's kind of .[unsure]
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[davetclown]

dont dispair, there are hundreds of anglers out there looking for a forum to belong to and just havent found this one yet...

spread the word...[]
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[salmonegg]

There's more of us and they ARE coming! Thanks for the support,too.
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