Well, see, the issue is that I am in TN and all the rigs are in WA.
Ok, tri-swivel with home made round ball weight on one side (we fished Grassy and were using 1.5 oz, 2 was too heavy, 1 too light, when we used to fish spaghetti, it was faster, so it was a 2 most of the time but if the water was up it would take a 3 oz). On the other is some commercial net hanging line for about a foot with quarter inch size oakies on each side (this is to keep the sinker from destroying the line and also provide a little buoyancy to the line to keep it off the rocks). Probably 8-10 feet of leader. A red and white spin-n-glo like the one pictured here except small, probably half inch I guess, unless the water is horribly dirty and then this might need to go the next size or two up.
Then a red bead and then two little round disks (I don't know where these come from) to keep the above from getting tangled on the hook and spinning the hook (if you lower it in the water and watch, the spin-n-glo should be able to spin and the hook should remain still.
On the hook is yarn probably between the size of one pea and two peas. This is the best match to the color that I could find on a quick search online.
Now, I know what is coming. 8 FEET OF LEADER!!!!!!! You are snagging them because you are flossing them. Except the numbers show that not to be true. Granted, if there are a lot of fish in the river and you know what you are doing, you are able to feel the line going through the mouth sometimes. Don't set the hook. Even if it seems you have a fish on after that, just let it get off which it will do with a quick head shake (that hasn't happened in the last two years to me in the 10 days per year I was up there but my dad has said with some of the large groups coming in now it is happening sometimes). The length of the leader is more a result of where the fish wish to strike and protecting the gear. If you are in shallower water, shorter leader is fine because the lure should be closer to the bottom and you won't likely won't have huge rocks. Given we are usually fishing in 10-15 feet of water where we are casting, that spin-n-glo starts out about 8 feet up, halfway to the bottom, and slowly sinks as it goes downstream so that when you get to the sweet spot it is at the right depth. We used to use significantly shorter leader, like 2-3 feet and still caught fish so if you feel better doing that, feel free. The reason we went a little longer is because with 2-3 feet of leader, your hook and spin-n-glo bang hard into too many rocks and after about half hour of fishing your hook is very dull and you go through 3 or so spin-n-glos in the course of a day, at least we did up at spaghetti (may it rest in peace, I miss that bar). With the longer leader, hooks only need to be sharpened a couple times a day and you don't destroy the spin-n-glo (although the fish might do their own damage to it)
You have to make sure the spin-n-glo spins good. The water can't be too slow. It also seems to only work on rocky bottoms although not too big of rock as the sinker will get stuck too often. I don't know if the fish prefer rocky bottom or if the sand slows the sinker down or speeds it up so that the rig doesn't fish right. I've never done well on sandy bottom though so I think it is a fish preference.
It also doesn't seem to catch the really small sockeye. They will hit it but they won't get hooked. However, it often hooks the large sockeye, 10-14 pounders and they hit it hard.
And HOLD ON! More than once my wife has about had the pole taken out of her hands because she wasn't ready but she didn't grow up fishing like this. I had the "hold on to the pole right and tightly all the time" pounded into my head since I could walk pretty much.
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Topic: Best snagging day ever!!!!! (Read 38561 times)