Power Mooching

SSwilson92

SSwilson92

Active Member
Hey all,

I am fairly new to saltwater fishing and I will mostly be fishing around the "Sandheads" area. I have played fish with a big flasher before and it is very different from what I am used to in the rivers and with light fly gear on lakes. Some people have told be power mooching in shallow water can be effective and that there is more feel for the fish. Does anyone have any advice on one of these setups and should i be bouncing right off bottom or just kind of winging the depth? Thanks!
 
Rig up a dummy flasher and just go naked off the downriggers with your herring or chovie in a teaser head. The sandheads will be a busy spot when it opens and you will be moving a whole lot slower than the rest of the pack if you are cut plugging or power mooching. If you are going to do this I would suggest going off the north arm where things are way less busy.

My best spring caught locally was done with naked chovie - very fun
 
el.Pereh said:
Rig up a dummy flasher and just go naked off the downriggers with your herring or chovie in a teaser head. The sandheads will be a busy spot when it opens and you will be moving a whole lot slower than the rest of the pack if you are cut plugging or power mooching. If you are going to do this I would suggest going off the north arm where things are way less busy.

My best spring caught locally was done with naked chovie - very fun
Click to expand...

Never even thought of running a Dummie flasher off the rigger but I guess my bait will be far enough back from the flasher not to interfere. Sweet! Thanks for the heads up. Yea It gets pretty packed out there when they're in thick and I'm sure ill be running the downriggers when everyone's bootin around at mach 10. Far cry from wind drifting in a tinner :p
 
SSwilson92 said:
Never even thought of running a Dummie flasher off the rigger but I guess my bait will be far enough back from the flasher not to interfere. Sweet! Thanks for the heads up. Yea It gets pretty packed out there when they're in thick and I'm sure ill be running the downriggers when everyone's bootin around at mach 10. Far cry from wind drifting in a tinner :p
Click to expand...
It's not only how far back but also how high up above the downrigger ball the release is placed. Be sure you have about 3/4 of distance from ball to flasher as the distance above to place the release. So much for fun to fish naked.......
 
Sounds like tangled lines to me. We all use flashers 36"-72" from the lure. To avoid tangles due to the action of the flasher and lure, won't they need to be pretty far away from each other? I'm picturing a dummy flasher on the downrigger ball with like a 5' leader. And the lure is clipped about 10' up from that. I still thing there would be tangles. Unless I'm missing something.

I'm gonna try a naked chovie or herring next trip out. No flasher.
 
Corey_lax said:
Sounds like tangled lines to me. We all use flashers 36"-72" from the lure. To avoid tangles due to the action of the flasher and lure, won't they need to be pretty far away from each other? I'm picturing a dummy flasher on the downrigger ball with like a 5' leader. And the lure is clipped about 10' up from that. I still thing there would be tangles. Unless I'm missing something.

I'm gonna try a naked chovie or herring next trip out. No flasher.
Click to expand...
I've been fishing primarily "naked" with a dummy flasher for the past 8 years. I learned it from codfather. Catching fish with an 11" in-line flasher just isn't as much fun. Can't remember the last time I had a foul-up of the flasher.
 
Corey_lax said:
Sounds like tangled lines to me. We all use flashers 36"-72" from the lure. To avoid tangles due to the action of the flasher and lure, won't they need to be pretty far away from each other? I'm picturing a dummy flasher on the downrigger ball with like a 5' leader. And the lure is clipped about 10' up from that. I still thing there would be tangles. Unless I'm missing something.

I'm gonna try a naked chovie or herring next trip out. No flasher.
Click to expand...

Use an in-line flasher or flashers such as a Cone zone!!
 
Tailwalker said:
Tangles can happen sometimes (rare for me), but the fun of fighting a fish without all t he flasher drag is worth it. I've attached a diagram of how I do it. BTW, I also put a squid devil or something to the lure/bait to give it some action.View attachment 34297
Click to expand...
Thanks for the diagram! Really makes it easy to visualize.

Anybody doing this notice a difference in what lure or flasher to run vs a conventional trolling setup?
 
I have cut plugged all over Vancouver...weighted rods and on downriggers.

It works. Skip the Flashers....you don't need them.

You're fishing shallow from 30-80 feet anyways but with the tides and currents you will need a 6-8 0z. Weight.

When you are going slowly, the angle on your lines shouldn't be a problem. In among trollers as you will be down and they'll be dragging behind. Just hit neutral if a Troller is coming up on you. An alert person at the wheel will notice you're going slow anyways.

You're going to be Power mooching anyways. medium or large Herring. until 2006 is I rarely bothered with stupid Anchovies and almost always had Herring out. This year, the fish have been small so far so teenager Chinook are probably going to be most common.

However, as for the rest of the trollers as a factor, if you're cutting right into their rotation, expect them to get a bit frusterated with you.

Just get out and fish. If the trollers move in around you....move to the outside of the pack....there are fish there too. :)

A 47 pounder was caught and released by a power moocher a few years ago off the Fraser. (2012) A lot of people don't know that but no one else was around him...

Dogfish may be a problem for you however so keep that in mind....I ran a bunch of Hoochies with scent on them years ago off the T10 (was testing the Smelly jelly paste) and the moment I slowed to dodge a piece of debris or hooked a turn dogfish got on every line...at like 2.5 mph. I must have had tons following me. Dogfish can be a real pain off the Fraser sometimes.
 
If you start mooching amongst a bunch of boats trolling with anchovies expect some weights being launched thru your windshield. Just go find your own ground
 
Went out yesterday evening just to mess around and figure a few things out. It was pretty windy from the SE but there were no other boats out there (sandheads) so I just bombed around fishing 8oz banana weights and spoons with no downrigger or flasher. Had one strike on the green black and white gibbs Gforce but couldn't hook it up in time. Was pretty lumpy out there but nice to have all the space to try a few different rigs. Will likely fish off the downrigger when the crowds are there but its nice to drift around and watch the play on the rod tip. Thanks for the diagram Tailwalker.
 
spring fever said:
Use an in-line flasher or flashers such as a Cone zone!!
Click to expand...
This, and run your herring/chovy/spoon the length of the cone zone above it and you won't ever have any tangle issues. I usually run herring 5' above a cone zone and around 10' back, I like keeping it pretty tight to the dummy myself.
 
Fishtofino said:
If you start mooching amongst a bunch of boats trolling with anchovies expect some weights being launched thru your windshield. Just go find your own ground
Click to expand...

Around Vancouver there is more than enough water to go around and there's not necessarily a "spot" per se where a power mooching or mooching angler/boat can't be trolled around. The problem is that when someone hooks a fish....people start rubbernecking and trolling right into that area upsetting the flow of things. The trick is that they must not troll cross ways to the trollers. The moocher must also assume responsibility for their drift and hold their own and stay on top of their fish. Trollers are as guilty as anyone else of screwing up things in an area.

Sandheads last year was a GONG show and the T-10 got to be a bit much. The Point Grey Bell Buoy- Jericho had tons of room but not tons of fish.

Ultimately, SSWilson92 should cut plug outside the pack if he wants to use weighted rods or get their first to hold in the current in certain spots.

In recent years the popularity of fishing certain areas has really grown....and boat traffic has increased exponentially.

If Sandheads endures another gong show this year....Ports and DFO will close it. All it will take is for someone to lose power at the wrong time and it'll all be over.
 
fishin_magician said:
I have cut plugged all over Vancouver...weighted rods and on downriggers.

It works. Skip the Flashers....you don't need them.

You're fishing shallow from 30-80 feet anyways but with the tides and currents you will need a 6-8 0z. Weight.

When you are going slowly, the angle on your lines shouldn't be a problem. In among trollers as you will be down and they'll be dragging behind. Just hit neutral if a Troller is coming up on you. An alert person at the wheel will notice you're going slow anyways.

You're going to be Power mooching anyways. medium or large Herring. until 2006 is I rarely bothered with stupid Anchovies and almost always had Herring out. This year, the fish have been small so far so teenager Chinook are probably going to be most common.

However, as for the rest of the trollers as a factor, if you're cutting right into their rotation, expect them to get a bit frusterated with you.

Just get out and fish. If the trollers move in around you....move to the outside of the pack....there are fish there too. :)

A 47 pounder was caught and released by a power moocher a few years ago off the Fraser. (2012) A lot of people don't know that but no one else was around him...

Dogfish may be a problem for you however so keep that in mind....I ran a bunch of Hoochies with scent on them years ago off the T10 (was testing the Smelly jelly paste) and the moment I slowed to dodge a piece of debris or hooked a turn dogfish got on every line...at like 2.5 mph. I must have had tons following me. Dogfish can be a real pain off the Fraser sometimes.
Click to expand...
Had to highlight the line in red, i see so many sportsdraggers that are soooo out to lunch it baffles me. For instance the last day out we see the guys rod thumping on the rigger, pops the pin the rod is bouncing all over the place we watched the guy troll of into the distance by this time the fish was gone and his rod is standing tall, we couldn't stop laughing
 
The Jackel said:
Hey grumpy you drinking last night :D
Click to expand...
I drink every night to help me forget about the moochers getting in the way.

Someone has to keep the Liquor board and Captain Morgans in business

Really though I avoid areas where people re mooching if I'm trolling. Theres enough fish for everyone
 
Fishtofino said:
I drink every night to help me forget about the moochers getting in the way.

Someone has to keep the Liquor board and Captain Morgans in business

Really though I avoid areas where people re mooching if I'm trolling. Theres enough fish for everyone
Click to expand...

Well Captain Morgan we have a deal ;)
 
imo power mooching is waste of time, simply not enough fish around anymore and you have to cover ground. Next time you see a guide power mooching let me know lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
How are you setting up spoons?
Replies
6
Views
1K
kingspring
K
D
Lingcod/rockfish in the Victoria/Sidney/Sooke region.
Replies
3
Views
718
kaelc
kaelc
A
Combo suggestions please.
Replies
3
Views
1K
Deepaaaar
Deepaaaar
I
Advice installing aft steering station
Replies
18
Views
2K
searun
searun
O
Lower mainland kokanee fishing
Replies
1
Views
323
Alex_c
Alex_c
Back
Top