Will this Sockeye gear work ?

[Peterman]

Ive missed out on the sockeye fishing for the last few years... and I picked up this gear from a place on the Sunshine Coast that was going out of business..Maybe 5 years ago, but Ive never tried it...
Its a gibbs sockeye set...
I havent seen it sold anywhere else, looks interesting but will it work?
I know the usual set ups everyone uses but this stuff looks a little different and interesting...

 

[Cuba Libre]

yes.......................

 

[eaglemaniac]

Looks okay, but check your leader lengths. I like 27". eman

 

[trendsetter]

Yes. I have a couple of those flashers in white and red. They work great for pinks as well as sockeye.

Short leaders as mentioned too.

 

[Peahead]

Yes X4
The only thing I'd change is I'd pull that smallish siwash hook and swivel and change out to a steelhead style hook in 5/0 or 6/0 black or red (gami or better quality hook) . the heavier guage metal is important.
(Some guys like the siwash and the commercial guys use them - just as long as the hook is big)

 

[Degree of Freedom]

yes...24" leaders

 

[SteelyDan]

Yes, me and the old man used to slay them with the pink set in the early 90's by the coal ports

 

[Olde School]

as already said, make sure leaders are short, we sort ours into small tackle boxes: 17" 20" 23" and a few at 26"

 

[Peterman]

Ok, all good information,

No what test leader is preferd? 40lbs mono and 80lbs florocarbon?

Ive got a bunch of larger steelhead style hooks, however they are all chrome... are they no good?

 

[Degree of Freedom]

I use 40 lb mono. some guys swear by a certain hook color for sockeye. I've used chrome, red, and black and caught sockeye on all of them. That being said, last year we did very well with red hooks in our squirts, but we only used red so I don't know if the color made any difference. I don't find hooking them is the problem...it's getting the little f$%ers in the boat that I struggle with!

 

[trendsetter]

40 or 80lbs will work. I have used both with similar results. As long as it's stiff enough to transfer action to the hoochie and whip it from side to side when the flasher rolls.

Honestly, sox are the second easiest salmon to catch (after pinks). As long as you have red/pink/bright flashers, short leaders and something pink/red on the end of your leader you will catch some. Those hoochies you have I would trim off the tentacles so it's a small lure. Soxs like small and sparse hootchies.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Hoochies are good, and siwash will work. In my experience, Canal sox are more finicky than Fraser sox. Never hooked an Alberni one on a siwash, and I've tried.

As for those flashers, they should work. I ran one a fair bit during that super sockeye run a few years ago up in the Broughton. Never did get a sockeye on it, though I did pick up some other species. I'd try them all if I were you, but be ready to change up.

 

[profisher]

The hootchies with the glow white head work great so you have those. I don't fish those colour flashers for Sockeye down here. I have one flasher colour combination that I run...all the same on all 5 rods. I'll give you a damn easy clue....Sockeye are attracted to other Sockeye. My 5 lines look like a Sockeye school....not a big one but enough to work.

 

[trophywife]

yes , as stated tho cut your tentacles shorter, trim off at least half an inch to and inch

 

[Sea Ranger]

One more little trick is to remove every second tentacle to help thin out the hootchie. Commercial fishing we use to wire the hootchie to the hook to stop it from riding up the leader when a fish would bite.

 

[high tide]

Yes,
try leaders of 40 Lb. though to revolve well behind the flasher and leader lengths of 18 to 28 inches ......... you should get some. And yes the guys have a good point, remove some legs off the hootchies, I use 6 to 10 legs depending on style of hootch.

Good luck to you.

HT

 

[Peahead]

I use 40 lb mono. some guys swear by a certain hook color for sockeye. I've used chrome, red, and black and caught sockeye on all of them. That being said, last year we did very well with red hooks in our squirts, but we only used red so I don't know if the color made any difference. I don't find hooking them is the problem...it's getting the little f$%ers in the boat that I struggle with!

I prefer red or black hooks and I believe chrome hooks don't do quite as well. Generally speaking you can expect 50% of soc hook ups to be lost - you can improve your boxed ratio with style of hook and size of hook- initial hook up will happen with almost any hook but watch many more of them swim away if your hook is too small!
Small sparse squirts (with the odd shorter tentacle) I do beleive is better however when you are in a school of biting socs it really doesn't matter - I always chuckle when soc fishing is hot and heavy and guys are going on about this apex or that hootchie. The more important things I beleive are : stay on the school, have lots of flash close and TIGHT, keep some flash down at all times and watch them follow !... slow speed and those big hooks and voila ! I prefer to imitate a school of socs with my flashers as well ( great tip)
In pink years here off the Fraser and in the harbour it also really helps to recognize on your sounder what a soc school looks like as compared to pink school - very different. Love the HD sounders.