Dissapointing day with the pinks indian arm

[ashtonspoutine]

I havent been a member here for too long, and I dont think Ive read anything about the vancouver area, but here's my day anyways.

So, I moved to BC a few months ago. When I first arrived, the most important thing on my mind was fishing for salmon. I had no idea when I moved here that there were 5 species neither. That confused me a lot...in my mind, a salmon was a salmon was a salmon. So I joined this forum, and 2 others that I will not advertise for here. On all 3 of these forums, I was extremely excited to catch the pink salmon. Why? Because I was told by numerous people that they have had days of 30,40 even 60 catches in ONE day!!! I was like :happy: :happy: :thumbup:

However, today was my first trip to the indian arm for pinks. I arrived at 8 am, and left at 9pm. I caught a grand total of zero. Since my bro didnt catch any neither, that puts us at -1 in my books.

What did I do wrong?? When we arrived this morning, there were fish everywhere! Jumping left right and center, they took an hour off of their acrobatic routine from 2pm to 3pm but it was going full fledge afer than again. So I can imagine that someone can really have a good time catching these fish, I can even see how someone caught over 60 in a day, but what the hell did I do wrong????

I used the smallest pink buzz bomb.
For the first 5 hours, I was simply casting and retrieving. My retrieve was fairly fast because I saw other people doing that.
When the jumping stopped, I slowed my retrieve down. Still nothing.
Around 5pm, I saw these 2 guys (one in particular) that kept hooking into fish every 20 minutes or so. I saw him cast, let the buzz bomb sink to the bottom, then he'd lift his rod tip, retrieve the slack and back to the beginning. I tried doing as he did, but still no luck.

Are pinks picky eaters???
Was that just my misfortune and had the wrong school of fish??
For those who have had days of 30+ fish, is it in the technique or were the fish just really, really aggressive and hungry??

Anyways, Im dissapointed, but Ill be back on friday. Cant let one bad day of fishing keep me down...

Any tips or advice is appreciated

tight lines

 

[Steelyslayer]

Once they past the mouth of the Seymour lockjaw sets in heavily. Most of the fish caught at Cates park are either snagged or flossed. I have been workingacross from cates for the past month and a half. Go after the fresher ones around the mouth of the Cap.

 

[finaddict]

quote:Originally posted by Steelyslayer

Once they past the mouth of the Seymour lockjaw sets in heavily. Most of the fish caught at Cates park are either snagged or flossed.

Completely disagree with SS here. Pinks remain active feeders and biters all the way up the arm. I have watched them swim after flies and lures up to 20 yards out of the school in order to grab the offering. Many times there are two or three chasing down the presentation.

 

[Rum Buddies]

by the sounds of it, you spent at least 5 hours(maybe the whole time) fishing your buzzbomb incorrectly. It sounds like you were fishing it like a spoon.

 

[Last Chance]

A heavy red bodied 1 oz spinner sometimes helps entice 'em to bite in the very few events that are NOT feeding.

 

[ashtonspoutine]

Hey Poppa Swiss, that was exactly what I was doing. Big mistake I guess?

 

[Dayto]

up and down , up and down and make sure you match the buzz bombs to the tide conditions as well .

Good lucks,

 

[tubber]

Raise your rod tip slowly, then lower it quickly, buzz bombs and zingers spin while falling and attract fish. This can be below the boat or casting. 4 inch ones cast farther and pinks will hit them. Welome to BC, you'll get them eventually.

 

[Rum Buddies]

like the others said - buzz bombs only have an enticing action when they are in a free fall. You can create the free fall in 3 ways:

1. raise your rod tip(steadily, don't whip it) about a foot or so then quickly lower the rod tip to the water. Strikes will happen on the free fall. Also every dozen or so lifts you can do a really big drop to call out to far away fish, but don't over do that one.

2.Cast the lure out and do the same jigging motion as above but reel after each drop to take up slack and keep it moving towards you.

3. if you're not sure what depth the fish are at, you can simply free fall the lure to the bottom, hitting hard any time there is a change in the speed of the lure. Reel up to the top fast and repeat until you find the right depth.

casting out and reeling it straight in is like dragging a stick through the water and expecting strikes. Also look into some heavy pink spoons.

 

[flytyer]

Dont forget----Pink for Pinks, try trolling around with a pink squirt hoochie as well.if you dont have a down rigger just add a 4-6 ounce weight and give yourself 12-16 pulls. try different speeds---they will find you

 

[ashtonspoutine]

Wicked info guys. im happy i found this forum. Will try again tomorrow and will post results.

 

[Steelyslayer]

Finnadict, when there are 50+ guys from shore a dozen or so boats at all time and only the odd one is getting hit in a school of a few thousand. Dont get me wrong they still bite all the way up the arm and even in that other place....

 

[ashtonspoutine]

SUCCESS!!!!

Yeah! Thanks to everybody for their info.

My bro and I caught 2 each! I hooked into my first fish about 30 minutes into it. It was a big fat male! A real big boy on my trout rod. I ran me around the boat 2 times! Man was it exciting!! I couldnt believe it at first...I started a slow lift of my lure then felt a tiny bit of resistance, so I set the hook and BAM I was in a fight!! My bro and I probably looked so disorganized! I was fighting it and he was following behind me with the net, trying to look over my shoulders to see the fish! Like two kids, too impatient, just had to see the fish!!

Anyways, I know there are bigger fish and bigger fights to be had, but I certainly did enjoy this one. My first salmon on a lure. wow!

Thanks for all the info again. I wish I could give some of my own. Maybe in a few years, Ill be the one helping some rookies catch their first pink on a lure.
tight lines

 

[flytyer]

Patience grasshopper, job well done. It only get better.

[8D]

 

[Last Chance]

Around the boat? I thought you were fishing from shore. Drag a couple of bright pink spoons with a bit of lead ahead of them around, takes the work out of casting for pinks.