Sockeye on the way

I got ONE a couple of years ago. Maybe it was even longer than that, when ever it was they were not open so I had to let it go
 
Hoping someone would be will to share a photo of their Michael Bait set up. I want to make sure I am rigged right. The hooks I was going to use seem big and I’m not positive I’ve attached them to the hootchies properly. I’ve used open ended hooks and attached them to the metal eye of the hootchie but I’m hoping for an experienced sockeye person to confirm..much appreciated!!
 
hootchies have metal eyes now?

Don't over think this one. Take a standard #0 or #1 sized swivel, crimp a 3/0 siwash hook to that. On the other end tie on a #30-40 leader, about 18-24" long. Slide on a Yamashita MP015 hootcie. Tie a bead swivel to the end of the leader. Attach the leader to a flasher. Attach the flasher to your mainline. Troll around at 1-1.5knots. Watch for schools of fish jumping and on your sounder. Once you find them, circle them around and around and you'll get fish.
 
hootchies have metal eyes now?

Don't over think this one. Take a standard #0 or #1 sized swivel, crimp a 3/0 siwash hook to that. On the other end tie on a #30-40 leader, about 18-24" long. Slide on a Yamashita MP015 hootcie. Tie a bead swivel to the end of the leader. Attach the leader to a flasher. Attach the flasher to your mainline. Troll around at 1-1.5knots. Watch for schools of fish jumping and on your sounder. Once you find them, circle them around and around and you'll get fish.
 
Thanks- that’s what I would typically do but the ones I have have metal eyes. That’s why I’m not sure. Check out the photo below. I’m sure I’m missing something obvious!
 

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Those aren't MP015's. They're a smaller size, and will work just fine. Don't over think this, it's about finding the fish. Find the fish, and in that school there will be a couple biters. Once you find a school, just circle it again and again. No worries.
 
Those aren't MP015's. They're a smaller size, and will work just fine. Don't over think this, it's about finding the fish. Find the fish, and in that school there will be a couple biters. Once you find a school, just circle it again and again. No worries.
Thanks but I still don’t have an answer about how the hook attaches to the metal eye.. anyone?
 
you're fine guy. crimp on a siwash hook, tie the other end to your leader, go kill sockeye.
 
Thanks but I still don’t have an answer about how the hook attaches to the metal eye.. anyone?
The eye is the swivel he's talking about. Tie your line to the end that's sticking out and the hook crimps on the other end that's inside the hootchie. I take the whole deal out then reinsert it. I'm guessing you could get a tiny bead and run straight through the whole deal (I do that for larger hootchies) but these come with swivels so just go with it.
 
You need Open eye hooks. Inside the hoochy is a swivel it’s easiest to pull the swivel out, tie your line to one side of the swivel, crimp your open I hook to the other side of the swivel and then slide the hootchie down the line.

This is for the Michel bait hoochies.

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Not wanting to pay the $70 for a premade dummy flasher setup, I'm going to attempt to make my own... Is there a common distance you set the flashers apart on a single string (distance z in the picture).
How do you avoid tangles on the drop? Does the x need to be shorter than y, or will the forward momentum of the boat prevent a tangle here?
Dummy.png
 
Not wanting to pay the $70 for a premade dummy flasher setup, I'm going to attempt to make my own... Is there a common distance you set the flashers apart on a single string (distance z in the picture).
How do you avoid tangles on the drop? Does the x need to be shorter than y, or will the forward momentum of the boat prevent a tangle here?
View attachment 39318
I wouldn't attempt to put flashers in line like that unless they are the free spinning ones. That thing would just make a big huge circular motion that could tangle your stuff. The konezone doesn't have a wide pattern.
 
I'll be fishing the US side of Haro Strait because I'm playing charter boat captain for relatives (can't fish Canadian side)... anyone see schools of the sox congregating in the middle there or maybe even toward San Juan Is? What should I be looking for as signs of schools since they wouldn't necessarily be associated with bait balls?

Thanks! Never caught one in the salt... could be interesting.
 
Not wanting to pay the $70 for a premade dummy flasher setup,

You have four flashers there. At $15 a pop that's $60. Plus all the linkage and the PITA factor of rigging them up and dialing it in... Just spend the $70 for a KoneZone. Or just run one dummy flasher.

What should I be looking for as signs of schools since they wouldn't necessarily be associated with bait balls?

Jumpers. You'll see them jumping around. The schools are usually above 80' in depth. Watch for the jumpers, troll through the area and find the school. These schools are BIG, not a couple dozen fish, more like a couple thousand fish. Once you find a school, you'll get fish.
 
I wouldn't attempt to put flashers in line like that unless they are the free spinning ones. That thing would just make a big huge circular motion that could tangle your stuff. The konezone doesn't have a wide pattern.

Cheers, didn't think of that. I might need to just run them separate or bite the bullet and buy a konzone

You have four flashers there. At $15 a pop that's $60. Plus all the linkage and the PITA factor of rigging them up and dialing it in... Just spend the $70 for a KoneZone. Or just run one dummy flasher.

I already have all the gear to make that, plus the flashers are all interchangeable so the setup is pretty flexible.
 
Not wanting to pay the $70 for a premade dummy flasher setup, I'm going to attempt to make my own... Is there a common distance you set the flashers apart on a single string (distance z in the picture).
How do you avoid tangles on the drop? Does the x need to be shorter than y, or will the forward momentum of the boat prevent a tangle here?
View attachment 39318

I've ran double dummies for chums, never a triple. Ran them 3-4' back on the fin (clipped together) off my cannonball, then I ran my release clip/gear about 3-4' above that. I use the rite angle sure stops so I set my release clip just below the pully on the DR. Gave me enough separation and never had my mainline get caught up in my dummy flashers. Be aware of where your flashers are though as I did get one chopped up in the kicker during a turn as that side. Almost better have them deeper in the water. There definitely is more gear in the water for sure though.
 
FN0682:
The current estimate for the diversion rate through Johnstone Strait has increased to 41% based on the most recent 5 days of catch
in the Area 20 and 12 gill net test fisheries.

So that means there are a couple million-ish coming down the inside of Vancouver Island? Not to get all excited, but there could be a bit of a sockeye slay fest out front in a couple of weeks!
 
FN0682:


So that means there are a couple million-ish coming down the inside of Vancouver Island? Not to get all excited, but there could be a bit of a sockeye slay fest out front in a couple of weeks!

they all came down the inside in 2014.

I was hoping for a few reports from this morning. but looking a little windy, i went to work instead.
 
Just to add to Che's comment ~ sockeye are unique in that they jump on their sides and I'd agree it's one of the best ways to locate the schools. On the sounder you'll see that they travel in tight schools and often show up as long narrow patches. If you run 4 lines you don't really need dummy flashers. Just keep the gear tight. Triple and quadruple headers not uncommon. Such a blast.
 
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