fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
Hey Guys.
Every once is a while it's cool to change things up a while and try to figure out ways to make a rather quiet and uneventful day a good day. As an experienced and professional guide, I know my stuff...or at least I think I know a thing or two...
One thing I've always done with good success is fish plugs (always for mature springs) with the 6 inch and 7 inch size. I can recount a few days where flashers, 'chovies, cut plugs, hootchies and spoons did sweet FA..and after swapping to good ol' Tomics we'd cover more area (fishing fast) and find a spring or two and "pull the rabbit out of the hat" so to speak when a fleet of boats didn't do diddley. Not that a well presented bait wouldn't have found those fish..but sometimes fish just aren't "on the bite" or around...so...plugs have been effective as a means to find fish you otherwise wouldn't. I remember one day up at Langara 4 years ago when I snuck up for a trip and it was slow by Langara standards and I put on a few faves of mine and it didn't matter which..it was fish on, fish on, fish on...and it resulted in outfishing the fleet that afternoon...as a matter of fact I've done the same thing off the Sunshine Coast/Texada, and Vancouver a few times with Mature fish.
However, lately I've been running smaller 4" and 5" plugs for feeders in Mid and Lower Georgia Strait and GETTING NADA. As a matter of fact, I've decided to test out a few theories and figure out what the bleep is going on...running half the rods with 4 and 5 inch Tomics with the bead chain method, and the pulled pin method, the tow bar tied...and EVERY time it's the rods with spoons...flasher or no flasher catching the fish..after about 3 fish worth of that nonsense, off come the plugs on the one side and on go the spoons or other lures which start hooking fish too. Wondering what gives? I've tried FAST, regular trolling speed, close off the clip, LONG off the clip. Colour selection has been with the standby 168's, 600's, 700's, and the most popular ones. and a few others, and you can be assured my hooks are sharper than most people ever file 'em... but still Nada...if I were off the West Coast I'd be hooking a few...I've been there and done it a few times for feeders.
Wondering if because the fish are so bait/action starved in Georgia Strait if the fish haven't "clicked" in on certain aggressive feeding habits yet?
WHAT plug colours, tie methods, speeds, etc..and experiences have you guys out there had for Winter Springs in the 9 to 15 lb range?
If anyone has any suggestions or answers..I'd love to hear it.
Wondering what I'm doing wrong (if anything)
Every once is a while it's cool to change things up a while and try to figure out ways to make a rather quiet and uneventful day a good day. As an experienced and professional guide, I know my stuff...or at least I think I know a thing or two...
One thing I've always done with good success is fish plugs (always for mature springs) with the 6 inch and 7 inch size. I can recount a few days where flashers, 'chovies, cut plugs, hootchies and spoons did sweet FA..and after swapping to good ol' Tomics we'd cover more area (fishing fast) and find a spring or two and "pull the rabbit out of the hat" so to speak when a fleet of boats didn't do diddley. Not that a well presented bait wouldn't have found those fish..but sometimes fish just aren't "on the bite" or around...so...plugs have been effective as a means to find fish you otherwise wouldn't. I remember one day up at Langara 4 years ago when I snuck up for a trip and it was slow by Langara standards and I put on a few faves of mine and it didn't matter which..it was fish on, fish on, fish on...and it resulted in outfishing the fleet that afternoon...as a matter of fact I've done the same thing off the Sunshine Coast/Texada, and Vancouver a few times with Mature fish.
However, lately I've been running smaller 4" and 5" plugs for feeders in Mid and Lower Georgia Strait and GETTING NADA. As a matter of fact, I've decided to test out a few theories and figure out what the bleep is going on...running half the rods with 4 and 5 inch Tomics with the bead chain method, and the pulled pin method, the tow bar tied...and EVERY time it's the rods with spoons...flasher or no flasher catching the fish..after about 3 fish worth of that nonsense, off come the plugs on the one side and on go the spoons or other lures which start hooking fish too. Wondering what gives? I've tried FAST, regular trolling speed, close off the clip, LONG off the clip. Colour selection has been with the standby 168's, 600's, 700's, and the most popular ones. and a few others, and you can be assured my hooks are sharper than most people ever file 'em... but still Nada...if I were off the West Coast I'd be hooking a few...I've been there and done it a few times for feeders.
Wondering if because the fish are so bait/action starved in Georgia Strait if the fish haven't "clicked" in on certain aggressive feeding habits yet?
WHAT plug colours, tie methods, speeds, etc..and experiences have you guys out there had for Winter Springs in the 9 to 15 lb range?
If anyone has any suggestions or answers..I'd love to hear it.
Wondering what I'm doing wrong (if anything)