Many of you in the Vancouver WA. viewing area have asked Scott to show his programs in our market.

I have help Scott obtain 4 viewing times starting this week to be shown on channel 11

The schedule is as follows:

Monday 6:30 pm
Tuesday 10:30 pm
Friday 9:00 pm
Saturday 7:30 pm

This week's show is "Firstcast Jigs on the Wilson River."

In the next 3 weeks the following programs will be shown:

Winter steelheading on the Umpqua
Steelheading on the Clackamas with Dave Johnson
Willemette River Sturgeon.

Due to the scheduling differences between the Portland and Vancouver Public access channels the programs in each viewing area are different, so if you start to discuss a program, remember that the other cable channel is airing different segments.

Scott and I hope to have this resolved by January 2002 so the same shows are aired in the same week.

Remember that the programs in Vancouver will be shown on channel 11

Giz...

[ 11-19-2001: Message edited by: Gizmo Man ]

Hey thanks Gizmo and Scott! Which of the 2 jig shows we did on the Wilson is it - steelhead, or chinooks (with my egg curing segment)?

This TV program is a lot like Fisherman's Heaven in that it is mostly local fishing for salmon and steelhead, and occassionally sturgeon. Many times with top local guides. And 30 minutes of commercial free fishing and info. Not 22 minutes with 8 minutes of commercials as in network or national cable bass shows.

RT

RT,

Thanks for the Plug. This show is the Steelhead on a Jig Show we made last year on the Wilson, which we did pretty well as I remember.

The balance of the shows consist of Fishing & Hunting trips we've made over the past year, but all of them relate to the "Season" or what is happening today.....Sturgeon, Winter Steelhead, etc.

Check out the website for more details at..

www.hottamaleoutdoorshow.com

Thanks,

Scott

I would be very interested in watching this show is it possible for Washington viewers to see it or is it only broadcast in Vancouver?

Hey Hottamale1, I posted this over on The Columbian newspaper's forum after you posted about the show over there. I guess you never seen it. Maybe you'll see it over here.

Here's part of my original post from over there:

"Hey, so is this Vancouver Cable Access digital or just regular cable. I don't have cable nor do I know anything about cable, so it's probably a stupid question. My neighbor fishin' buddy has regular local cable though, so maybe I could see the show over at his house. We live in the Battle Ground area by the way."

Gizmo Man you'd know too, wouldn't you? I don't want to make an a** out of myself going over to his house flippin' their tv to channel 11 at 9:00 Friday night to see if the show is on. Thanks.

Watched it again last night.....Great show....Three real experts doing their thing.

KB: The show is on regular cable chan. 11. I live in Ridgefield and get it so I will assume that your friend should get it in BG.

Giz...

Ok, thanks. I was over there today and flipped to channel 11 when nobody was lookin'. There was some Mexican Evangelist on that was speaking in spanish. I looked in the tv guide for Friday at 9 pm and it said community access, so that must be when it's on. I'll try and watch it over there. Thanks again.

KB: Look at the schedule of viewing times shown in my first post. If you looked today, it is not on. Check Frid or Sat. nights for next showing.

Giz...

Great show guys! Seen it for the first time tonight. It really made me a believer about the effectiveness of jigs and even more so the pink worm. I will make fun of you and the pink worm no more RT. I have some cork floats like what you guys were using (they were fixed floats, with the little red pins that go into the cork, right?) and I got a lot of them maribou jigs, but you guys were all using schlappen jigs (right?). I've been trying these maribou ones from the store and they really don't hold up in the water. They're crap. Looks like I'll finally have to order some from First Cast. Maybe some from Silent Approach/Rainbow while I'm at it.

I just have a couple questions for you guys. First, at what angle do you actually have the jig hanging when you cast? Straight down like a regular hook, or at a 90 degree angle to the line? Or does it matter? Probably does for that pink worm trick-so it stands straight up. Liked that idea. What pound test were you using with the jigs? Bigstew had on 8 (glad you didn't lose that dandy 13 pounder, Bigstew!)if I remember right, but what about the rest of you? Did you ever break off on snags using the float/jigs that day? Also, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of rods/reels were you using? Probably not all the same, but I wanna know what the pros are using. Thank you.

This jig stuff is really starting to interest me. Might just become a hardcore jig angler someday.

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: Krome Brite ]

Krome Brite

Glad you liked the show. All of the jigs we used that day were 90 degree jig hooks. Threading the pink worm onto the jig head and leaving the tail at a 90 degree angle really works great for steelhead. Steelhead tend to really hit it hard. Stew was using 8 pound test but I believe we were using 10# test or larger. I like using heavier rated line for winter steelhead so I can put some pressure on a fish and bring it in sooner if necessary.

We were just using your typical spinning outfits that day along with longer float rods. You should carry a few jigs with you this winter and give them a try. You might be surprised.

Mark

KB, I've modified my technique somewhat since that show. That day I was using 8# mono but have since switched to braided dacron. I now use 14lb Fireline which has roughly the same diameter as 6lb mono. I tie the jig directly to the line using a double improved clinch knot.The braided line is low stretch so if you keep the slack out of your line to a minimum you can really set the hook well. Jig hooked fish are almost always hooked in the top of the mouth which is very bony as you no doubt know. I use a 10' 6-17 lb rated TH Custom rod with a Shimano Stradic 4000 spinning reel. I am currently experimenting with the Thill Premium Steelheader float that clips right on the line instead of the round cork and so far the results have been good. Mark sells these pretty cheap so check out his website. The Schlappen feather really comes alive in the water so check some out if you can.
Good luck

KB,

I think I had made the change from 8 lb. Max UG over to 10 lb. Izor Platinum line for that April taped show. I'm very impressed by that mono. But I am about to change my spinning reels over to what I have on my level winds, which is 30 lb. Power Pro superbraid in drab green color. It's great line. With a little water color you can get away with tying the jig straight to the braid. When real clear I would use a small # 12 black barrel swivel and use about a 30+" 8 lb. mono leader. You can still use a fixed float this way, as well as an inline slip float. >

The unique brass heads First Cast Jigs uses (in chrome nickle plate or brass finishes) are just great. Unlike the lead jigheads which have the eye loop to tie onto right on top of the heads, the First Cast heads are extended a little forward of the eye loop so they sit horizontal in the water instead of the common 45 degree angle; with shallapen feathers, pink worms, or whatever. This aspect along with the flash of the shinny non-chipping heads make for great jigs - with superior Owner hooks. We seldom lose large nates or chinooks with these jigs. It's really a fun and productive way to fish. And saves eggs for more colored water days - although they will also work in colored water. Keep after it and you'll become a convert.

[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: RT i ]

I am awaiting my latest bobber and jig "weapon". It is a TH Custom Rods Rainshadow 1143 spinning rod in 9'6". A lot of guys talk about the need for at least 10' length for your rod and I myself use a 10' TH rod.The reason I went to a shorter rod is because I primarily fish small north Oregon coast streams and I believe the 9'6" is just fine. In fact I believe that my fishing buddy RT has the same rod he purchased from TH. If I were fishing a larger stream like the Clackamas or Sandy here in Oregon then the longer rod would definately be in order. I am putting an Okuma Epix 30 on this rod and will use either the Power Pro or Fireline braided on it. Like I wrote earlier I tie directly to the main line with the double improved clinch knot and have not lost a fish yet. Check your knots though!!!! The great thing about this type of fishing is the ease of releasing any native or dark fish that has been hooked. Almost always they are hooked in the top of mouth or even throughthe beak! The chinook that I got on the HTOS was a beak hooked fish I believe. This is a great way to fish and our season for winter runs extends through April with native fish comprising most of our catch.
The Owner hooks used on our jigs makes for an even larger advantage so give them a try sometime you'll be sold.

Actually mine is the TH1164 - 9.5' line rated 8 to 17 lb. I used it for the fall transition when chinooks, coho, and steelhead all three are being caught. It's plenty strong for the big fish and has a sensative light tip for the smaller fish. It will be the same when both early summers and springers are in the river together. Great rod.

RT

Thank you very much for all the info guys. So RT and Stew fished TH rods. Huh, they must be pretty good then. Still don't know what rods Scott and Mark fished with though (or reels and RT's reel too)? Or was Scott filming most of the show and didn't fish? I really didn't notice because the neighbors were talkin' about how good you guys were during the show. Shhh, quiet, I'm trying to watch! I was also watching RT really carefully to make sure nothing was edited out (like him slipping on the pea gravel and starting to fall-yeah I caught that momentous loss of balance there RT). BTW, good job on the part you filmed with Mark and Scott and the jigs. Good zooming too. You must not be an amateur camera man.

Anyway, just trying to get as many options as I can about the rods. Lamiglas, Allstar, TH (are they sold in any stores up north, like Bob's Sporting Goods in Longview?-still haven't been there, but soon I hope), GLoomis (a bit spendy for me), and some of the other name brands they sell in the local sporting goods stores like Fenwick, etc. Since I probably wont fish larger systems with the rod, I'll probably get a shorter jig rod-probably a 9'6" one.

With the reels, I've heard a lot of good things about the Okuma Epix and the Shimano Stradic you mention Stew. And not all the comments I heard were from this board. But I also read a few people's posts on here about the Stadic being a not so good reel (I think that was the model spinning reel they were talking about?).

As far as the line goes, thanks for the brand suggestions. When I get a good jig rod, I'll be sure to check into them and use 10 to 15 pound line on my reel for winter steelhead, maybe the kind with the smaller diameter (is Spiderwire one of those too?-a few guys I know use that and swear by it, but not for jig fishing). 10-15 pound line should be okay right? I don't want to use 8, after seeing that 13 pounder Stew played. Geez, you must have had that on for half an hour? Don't get me wrong, I like using light line too, and playing fish is fun, but I like to know I have a chance at landing a big one. Also, Stew and RT, you said you started using the dacron. I think I'd much rather just have one knot, so I'll probably stick with the mono.

RT, I thought those brass heads were neat when I seen the jigs up close on the show. The ones I bought from the store had worn down heads after the first cast (no pun intended) when they scraped on a couple rocks. That brass wont come off though, that's a good thing. I suppose the brass weighs a little more than lead too? Do you pour molten brass into molds with the jig hook to make your jigs, Mark? Is that how you do it?

About jigs working in colored water. Do they really? I seen a guy come down to the river and pitch a big pink maribou with float a couple times when the river was high and off color after the rains. He never got a bite, but only stayed there for about 5 casts. I would think if you just used really big flashy jigs and heavier floats like he did in the winter time when the water's high/off color, you could hook some fish.

BTW, Stew, you caught a chinook that show? I never seen that? The last fish hooked on the show, which if I recall was yours, was a 12-13 pound steelhead, wasn't it?

And last but not least, I think you guys were trying to explain to me how the jig is supposed to sit in the water, but I still don't understand. Takes me a while to process some things ya know. Is the jig supposed to hang in the water like this (jig is the unbroken horizontal line, fishing line is the vertical dotted line):

|
| =line
|
|_____ =jig hook

or is it suppose to hang like this (jig is asterisks on vertical line, fishing line is broken vertical line):

|
|
|
|
*
*
*
*

??? I know this is stupid of me to make this silly screwed up drawing, but I need a visualization. I think it is the first one. Am I right? Thanks for any info you can provide.

BTW, I think this is a new record for the longest written post by anyone in Piscatorial Pursuits history. Do I get a prize? Just kiddin', doubt it is that long.

Krome

For years I used a $49 rod and reel combo and caught a ton of fish with it. It collects dust in my garage now but still works fine. You have several options to choose from when selecting a float rod. Depending on the rivers you fish, a 10' rod would probably work fine. Longer rods give you a lot more line control and you can really set the hook with them. RT and Stew each have a TH rod and I have a custom made D&E rod that I use for float fishing. There are several blanks to choose from and you really can't go wrong with either choice.

Most jig hooks have the 90 degree bend that allows the jig to sit just like your drawing. On my salmon jig hooks I use a 60 degree bend hook that actually has the hook point sitting lower in the water compared to the 90 degree hooks. I honestly don't think it makes that much difference.

The Chinook Stew is talking about is a second show we taped a few weeks ago for Fall Chinook. I believe it was Stew's first Chinook on a jig. Right Stew? I had just ran my pink/white jig through the same slot and the fish followed it but didn't take it. Then Stew walks in and gets a bobber down with a cerise jig. All caught on film. The river was low and clear.

Give jigs a try and fish them with confidence. Winter steelhead are a blast to catch with jigs.

Mark

Actually that was my third Chinook on jigs. Two weeks prior I got two chinooks and a steelhead with you Mark. Be looking for another jig show coming up on the Wilson this winter season. We got Scott his first chinook on a jig and now he is hooked.

Stew

That's right bud, you did get into a couple nooks and a steelie a few weeks before. You had the hot rod that day.

Mark

OK. Thanks again guys. I think I get the jig angle thing now.

BTW, are you ever going to tape any shows up here in WA? Particularly on SW WA streams. That'd be cool. Oh, I don't know, I won't mention any streams, but you guys know the more well known ones up here in SW WA. There's a few spots on these rivers with no people, kinda like the Wilson, at the spot you were at. Hey, you could even fish some "zipperlips" up north. But that's what you'd have to call them on tv, "zipperlips."