Hey Joe, long time to see,
Being that Im not a "pro"

Oh I forgot to mention that the leader length was exactly 30", not 29" not 31: exactly 30".
I also used a Sampo swivel on the mainline. Oh my God it was Firewire (uh-oh now I've exposed I use a braided line)

Nice to hear from ya Joe, as usual you do a fine job of articulating yourself as a valuable resource.

Peace Off

Talljeeper

This just in.......

Fishing hook size report....

Gamakatsu Red 1/0
Pinched barb, with a slight custom twist (Thanks eyefish Doc)

Snagger indeed.......

I thought I recognized you in the meatline picture vhawk posted...isn't that you in the yellow jacket

Peace Off

Talljeeper

I agree with you about the snaggers and the fools who think that is the only place to fish on the river, they have to swim the river to where they are going, right? And it really makes me mad when these idiots come down there thinking they own the river and certain "spots" and chase others off with weapons; let me tell those people that do that to me will be in a world of hurt, if someone is going to pull a gun or weapon on me they had better kill me because I won't show any mercy on them with what I do to them.

Talljeeper I use a rigging pretty close to what your running. Except I hate braided lines. Save them for the salt or trolling. 5 feet of braided line in a favorite hole is about as helpful as 5 ft of razor wire.

Yea I share everyone elses skepticism regarding the use of 5/0 hooks. Those aren't even legal for chinook fishing in some states. Plus I find that 3/0 and 4/0 hooks straighten out easier then sz 1 or 1/0. Anybody else notice that too? I can put a heluva lot of pressure on a fairhooked fish with a size 1 hook.

And I don't know how useful 10 pound leaders are. They don't serve much use when your fishing near structure. I love fishing the minefields. A few logs keep the horde away, attract hawgs, and keep The Yakima Bait Company busy making corkies.

12 pound clear Yozuri fluoro copolymer for open water, 15 pound clear for the minefields. Maxima if the water is offcolor.

Seems that people are spreading out some. God there are alot of fish in that river. I landed 3 fairhooked fish, busted off a few tail hooked, got tons of bumps. The bobber and bait worked ok, but I get a kick out of feeling all those fish swimming and bumping my line. I went back to bottom drifting.

Good idea on the braid, V. I think I will reconsider its use.

This setup I typically use for swifter water and a float setup. I love the braid for mending.

Thanks for the feedback on the float/drift setup.

TJ

If your not likely to snag up, and your bobber fishing I think braid is a good tool. I've just had too many instances where people were using 2/0 hooks and 60 pound braid in a snaggy hole. Makes them unfishable until low water when I can pull out all the lost line.

Braid sucks when your in a meatline drifting and you get tangled up with another person. The stuff knots up soo dam easy. The worst charlie foxtrots I've seen involved braids at Blue Creek.

As I recall 5/0 hooks are illegal to use in the skok.
the rules say that it is nonboyant lure restriction and the size of a 5/0 hook is over
the 3/4" opening allowed a 3/0 Gamakatsu is 11/16"
(for those who cant mesure too good thats a 16th over 5/8" and a 16th shy of 3/4") so arent you all bending the rules if your useing a 5/0 hook??
a 4/0 gamie is ahair over not enough to call it though.
Jim

Yeah...that real light gear...10 lb mainline, 8 or even 6 lb leader, small hooks. I love to hook and play a 20 lb. or better fish for 20 minutes or so, to exhaustion, so when I release it, it floats belly up and drifts downstream. Pretty sportsman like and ethical too. Nothing beats that. Don't knock the guy who's using heavier gear as long as it's legal and within regs

i use a 9'6" certi-pro, 8-12lb line rating, 10lb main line and 8-10lb leader and land fish a whole lot quicker then anyone else on the river.

but there is no need for 25lb line and 4/0 hooks. thats just over kill. unless you are fishing around purdy creek in the trees.

I'll give some their due...maybe some are just not as proficient with lighter tackle. So what? I don't prefer it myself. Overkill? Some do that, I agree. I admire someone who can tame a big fish with light gear in a short period. But, how many times has it happened that fish are pushed too far? Point being...don't knock the guy using heavy gear. What does it matter, if it's legal? I myself use medium gear. I catch a few...I lose a few. Its called fishing, not catching.

yeah your right about that. i think that the thing that i hate most about it is the fact that when the people using that heavier gear then me break off. i hook it and have no chance in hell of getting my light gear free. yeah thats the thing i hate about it. i use the heavier gear around purdy creek and when nessacary.

but i'd much rather use light gear cause its a hella of lot easier to break off a foul hooked fish when you are using 10lb test.

cause theres nothing like dragging a foul hooked fish in, exspeacially when it takes for ever sometime too. just to watch them float belly up. YEAH I COULDN'T RESIST THAT ONE

i started off with 12lb main and 10 lb leaders for the first few trips, too many pigs lost to logs, indian net sticks(i guess that's what i'll call them), pilings, etc...currently running 16lb and tournament and 12 lb ande premium leaders, switch back and forth between double #2s and single 1/0, some leaders on the short side, some on the long- neither too extreme....fished w/ eggs a few times, did well when i did, but i'd only toss eggs if i can find some unmolested fish...i've fished some of the hoglines though latley, my buddy is about to be sent to new orleans anytime(lieutenant jack) and for some reason prefers to fish by the masses close to the bridge, so, that's where i've been, needless to say the eggs have stayed in the backpack and 75% of my hookups are corner of the mouth, outside in..did have a biter yesterday though, single orange cheater, no yarn, inside the gums, top left....you know what you're getting into before you get there, it's almost like i've accepted semi-bad manners there and just let it go....i try not to pay attention to others, do my own thing, and go home happy

Phil,

Get ahold of me by private IM sometime and I'll show you two some better holes. There's no reason to fish by the crowds unless you want to socialize. My GF, her sister, and her 9 y/o nephew all limited out in 2 hours on Saturday. Nobody was in view half the time. I was 200 yards from a huge meatline.

I still love the Skok, even with all the crowds. I shouldn't even complain about people stacking up on each other because its leaving all kinds of solace for me.

Vince

want to be fisherman fish the skok the kings are by wasteand onlu saw one school of silvers that i wished would have slowed down we hooked a ton of fish but choose to keep a few silvers only in our group, yes once a year i venture down there enjoy the day only to remind myself as I leave that it will never change a I wished I would have gone to the@#$%#!! Thanxs fly and fishhead5 was fun!!!PEACE

thanks for the offer vhawk, but i know that whole river from the mouth way up past the campgrounds(before somebody chimes in, i know you can't fish for salmon above 101 but there is some real nice trout and steel water up above)...sometimes i just choose to fish amongst the crowds, often times i will find productive water to have all to myself, i guess it just depends on when and with whom i'm fishing with...i will send you a pm though soon, we can probably learn something from one another anyway...later, pac

VHawk, I was there that day. I came over as you were leaving, and talked with you about how you were catching fish after fish. You left your eggs with us, Thanks. He is lagit (sp.).

I fished the same run he was in after he left and hooked up with a couple of nice fish. I was there with 4 other friends, and none of them were doing good in the hog line. They came over one by one and when it was all said and done, we all went home with a fish. doing.

I fish in the line for a while, then I like to get out and explore for those unpressured fish. I usually will find fish in between the the lines. Once you hook a fish, the lines seem to come to you, and then it is time to move on.

Thanks again for the tips Vhawk, maybe I will run into you on the river again, I will say hello.

"Lagit"? I paid you to say I was superfantastico. I want my $2.75 back.
I remember chatting with ya. Glad to hear you scored on some fish. If you follow that fork of the river downstream you'll find even more fish then you could imagine.
I think a large crowd has some sort of psychological gravity. I respect those few who can break away from its pull, and find their own waters.


BTW Roll your bait balls in Smelly Jelly, Sand Shrimp flavors. Its been the flavor of the week.