T
The Jackel
Guest
Hhhmmm lets see last 3 days mooching hit 20, 15, and 11 springs, not to bad i would say although i quit guiding 9 years ago i mooched and didn't troll!!!!!
Power Mooching
- Thread starter SSwilson92
- Start date
And this was locally ? We are talking Sandheads?
T
The Jackel
Guest
Renfrew
Cool, I haven't done that in many years since Active Pass and Campbell River.
Aces
Well-Known Member
My nephew at Peregrine Lodge doesn't have downriggers on his boat. Also Kevin Wiley out of Rupert only mooches.
That's just off the top of my rum dumb head
Aces
Well-Known Member
Yeah but your the Man! If I wasn't guiding I would be mooching here too
T
The Jackel
Guest
When you retire soon you will come back over to the mooching side again, hope your season is going well for you.
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
You can easily power mooch around Vancouver and just because guides aren't doing it doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be done. The Cap is an awesome spot to power mooch... especially before everyone shows up....or there are a handful of boats left.
When the bite is on in small areas....put the curries down and go for it. I can think of 2 distinct areas to power mooch and it would probably be done quite successfully even in 2017.
I'll be impressed when I see you on the rocks of South Arm casting a Deadly Dick.
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
The guys at Langara I have seen w/o down riggers are NOT power mooching - they are trolling.
Mooching is using Herring (usually cut-plug) with a sinker & ensuring that your line is at a 25-45 degree angle; when your line is at this angle you can be sure that the current is moving faster where your bait is than where your boat is so that your bait will have the proper action. Power (or motor) mooching is simply using the motor to achieve at the above mentioned proper angle. Sometimes I am going forward, sometimes I am going in reverse to achieve this. A big advantage of motor mooching is that you can drop the motor out of gear, let the bait sink, then re-engage the motor working different depths.
I learned this back in the 50's & 60's down in Puget Sound where mooching was invented back in the 30's by the Japanese. There is still a mooching derby held in Elliott Bay out front of downtown Seattle every winter - it's called the Tengu Derby.
As mentioned above, it is great when you find concentrated fish. Back in the day we didn't't have downriggers (or color TV, cellphones, etc) & so there were no trollers to contend with. There were probably more boats though as the Seattle shore used to be lined with boat rental marina's & bait houses. Bait was 25 cents a scoop.
Mooching is using Herring (usually cut-plug) with a sinker & ensuring that your line is at a 25-45 degree angle; when your line is at this angle you can be sure that the current is moving faster where your bait is than where your boat is so that your bait will have the proper action. Power (or motor) mooching is simply using the motor to achieve at the above mentioned proper angle. Sometimes I am going forward, sometimes I am going in reverse to achieve this. A big advantage of motor mooching is that you can drop the motor out of gear, let the bait sink, then re-engage the motor working different depths.
I learned this back in the 50's & 60's down in Puget Sound where mooching was invented back in the 30's by the Japanese. There is still a mooching derby held in Elliott Bay out front of downtown Seattle every winter - it's called the Tengu Derby.
As mentioned above, it is great when you find concentrated fish. Back in the day we didn't't have downriggers (or color TV, cellphones, etc) & so there were no trollers to contend with. There were probably more boats though as the Seattle shore used to be lined with boat rental marina's & bait houses. Bait was 25 cents a scoop.
aheny
Well-Known Member
I love mooching, and grab bait whenever I get up to secret cove.
As mentioned the cap is decent for mooching style fishing, but I concur that its not effective around sandheads.
There are simply too many currents, and when there are high enough concentrations of fish, there are too many boats, you'd be getting yelled at all day.
I think the Fraser river area is definitely a case of "when in Rome..."
The fishing is much more difficult than the fish in a barrel style at many lodges at peak season
As mentioned the cap is decent for mooching style fishing, but I concur that its not effective around sandheads.
There are simply too many currents, and when there are high enough concentrations of fish, there are too many boats, you'd be getting yelled at all day.
I think the Fraser river area is definitely a case of "when in Rome..."
The fishing is much more difficult than the fish in a barrel style at many lodges at peak season
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
For anyone reading this thread, feel free to power mooch whereever you like off the Fraser.
The real traffic problems off the Fraser only seem to exist on weekends when the T-10 and Sandheads areas endure a congestion problem. The growing publicity of these areas has turned these areas into a "Cap on a flood tide" situation.
Any person using sufficient weight and a cut plug or whole Herring will not be an encumbrance to anyone with downriggers provided those with downriggers keep a respectful distance away.
There is no written rule that says "Thou shall not mooch when others are trolling" . There are tens of square miles of open water for people to troll around you.
A mooching rod with an 8-10oz. weight and 15-40 pulls out (an average 10' 6" mooching rod has a 2' pull from reel to first guide) will not foul someone's rigger or gear. If it does, either the moocher is "trolling" or the Troller is inside of 80' from you which is too close when there is wide open water. I can think of numerous times when I was one of 5-10 boats fishing an area and someone came inside of 100' from me. Like WHY?
If an individual wants to cut plug off downriggers at 1-1.5 mph that is acceptable as well.
When that traffic jam happens, more fish would be hooked mooching anyways.
I have no problem recognizing another vessel who is moving slower than me or on an intercept course and adjusting my course or tactics to avoid a collision or fouling gear. No one else here should either. But there are many among us here who do.
What was happening right in on the ledge off Sandheads last year was ridiculous.
If I had $100 for every time a fellow Troller put my vessel and their vessel in harms way over the years I'd be much closer to retirement.
As a moocher, your responsibilities are simple:
Be reasonably on top of your lines and use sufficient weight for the conditions. 8-10 oz.
Make your intentions and course clear and fit in. Do not cork the trollers and do not zig zag all over the place in front of an oncoming troller. If Mr. downrigger seems to be headed right for you, hit neutral, and hold your course.
The professionals on the water will have no problems with you mooching as I have described. Trollers clearly have their own issues avoiding collisions as indicated by the number of near misses each year.
Tight lines and keep your eyes peeled for strikes!
The real traffic problems off the Fraser only seem to exist on weekends when the T-10 and Sandheads areas endure a congestion problem. The growing publicity of these areas has turned these areas into a "Cap on a flood tide" situation.
Any person using sufficient weight and a cut plug or whole Herring will not be an encumbrance to anyone with downriggers provided those with downriggers keep a respectful distance away.
There is no written rule that says "Thou shall not mooch when others are trolling" . There are tens of square miles of open water for people to troll around you.
A mooching rod with an 8-10oz. weight and 15-40 pulls out (an average 10' 6" mooching rod has a 2' pull from reel to first guide) will not foul someone's rigger or gear. If it does, either the moocher is "trolling" or the Troller is inside of 80' from you which is too close when there is wide open water. I can think of numerous times when I was one of 5-10 boats fishing an area and someone came inside of 100' from me. Like WHY?
If an individual wants to cut plug off downriggers at 1-1.5 mph that is acceptable as well.
When that traffic jam happens, more fish would be hooked mooching anyways.
I have no problem recognizing another vessel who is moving slower than me or on an intercept course and adjusting my course or tactics to avoid a collision or fouling gear. No one else here should either. But there are many among us here who do.
What was happening right in on the ledge off Sandheads last year was ridiculous.
If I had $100 for every time a fellow Troller put my vessel and their vessel in harms way over the years I'd be much closer to retirement.
As a moocher, your responsibilities are simple:
Be reasonably on top of your lines and use sufficient weight for the conditions. 8-10 oz.
Make your intentions and course clear and fit in. Do not cork the trollers and do not zig zag all over the place in front of an oncoming troller. If Mr. downrigger seems to be headed right for you, hit neutral, and hold your course.
The professionals on the water will have no problems with you mooching as I have described. Trollers clearly have their own issues avoiding collisions as indicated by the number of near misses each year.
Tight lines and keep your eyes peeled for strikes!
casper5280
Crew Member
X2 people are out there to fish and they have every right to fish any way they want just like you if someone is drifting, mooching, or trolling there is plenty of room for everyone.
T
The Jackel
Guest
Dam moochers are a pain in the butt 
SpringFever552
Well-Known Member
Id bet the top boat at the light in Winter Harbour Wednesday and thursday evening was the guy mootching out of a 17ft whaler..his wife wouldn't take her hands off the rod or eyes off the rod tip to even wave at you when we went by..man did they hit a lot of fish
aheny
Well-Known Member
You are aware that you are also in command of a boat, and allowed the other person to come within 100' of you. Maybe they wanted to compare notes...
I'm suspecting you ignored your ability to make a slight change in course and avoid the incoming vessel.
Time on the water is much more pleasant when you make slight moves early, be courteous, and respect the tactics of your fellow boaters.
I make no effort to hide my disdain for entitlement and elitism, in every situation. If you, in your wisdom and experience see an incoming issue, act early. Be the bigger man.
There's another way to live your life, I hope you discover it one day.
wishiniwasfishin1
Well-Known Member
Just so everyone is clear - mooching and power mooching are two completely different things. Mooching is using live bait and a 2-3 ounce weight at anchor.
Power mooching is as described by FM - trolling with weight and a cutplug, whole herring or similar (anchovy in a bait head).
I would love to see the look on the trollers face if a boat was anchored up with livies at the Cap. This is literally the only way people used to fish the Cap in the 80s until down riggers took over.
Everyone would just be hanging out at anchor, nothing happening and the bite would come on. You would look around and there might be 10 boats hooked up or more.
We would pass the time chucking buzz bombs and catch the occasional angry 8 lb coho waiting for the bite. There wasn't really a spring fishery back then at the Cap.
Mooching (at anchor) is great. Live bait was available locally but not anymore.
Power mooching is as described by FM - trolling with weight and a cutplug, whole herring or similar (anchovy in a bait head).
I would love to see the look on the trollers face if a boat was anchored up with livies at the Cap. This is literally the only way people used to fish the Cap in the 80s until down riggers took over.
Everyone would just be hanging out at anchor, nothing happening and the bite would come on. You would look around and there might be 10 boats hooked up or more.
We would pass the time chucking buzz bombs and catch the occasional angry 8 lb coho waiting for the bite. There wasn't really a spring fishery back then at the Cap.
Mooching (at anchor) is great. Live bait was available locally but not anymore.
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northernboi1
New Member
Ted Peck on the "Kenora Cutie" anchored off Passage Island/Seal Rocks mooching up Coho's back in the early 80's ! Those were the days my friend !
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
Oh...I get it.
You're one of those guys who figures "I'm entitled to fish where I want and when I want and I'll just slide right on in where I feel like it and screw what the other guy and everyone else has been doing for the last few hours". "I'm going to horn in here....and f them and I'm here now and they should move out of my way" and "they can be the bigger man".
Ever play that with a freighter? cruise ship? Sailboat? Probably not. Bring on the cameras
For that....
So Why would you do that with when joining in to fish an area?
That's what you're advocating. If you force someone to alter speed and course while (because you could and that's because someone " let you come within 100' "
"Comparing notes" as you say does not mean screwing the other guy.
I'll be keeping an eye out for an old 70's Houston like yours fishing the Fraser mouth.... and troll the opposite direction ..because everyone will soon be going out of their way to troll inside of 100' of your boat and want to compare notes with you and your guests and as you will share your infinite chartering success since you're on the charter 365 days of the year and everyone will want your infinite catching wisdom.
I don't want any of that show.... I'll gladly start mooching the other direction.
