Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[chris gadsden]

Worked on this with the Chilliwack Progress and shot the photo. Thanks to "The Master" for providing an insight to the issue. http://www.theprogress.com/news/321633981.html

[halcyonguitars]

I don't get it.

If they want people not to bottom bounce, why don't they just ban it outright, instead of 'strongly discouraging' it?

[poper]

I don't think they can, or it would have been done by now.

[Gone_Fishin_]

I don't think they can, or it would have been done by now.

Can someone explain why the Department of Fisheries can not ban bottom bouncing. They ban barbs and enforce single hook why not bottom bouncing ? what is the difference, how come they can ban no bait but not fishing methods? bait is a fishing method, barbs, triples.. all fishing methods.

What is so hard to type it out in the regs saying "no bottom bouncing" is it that hard for them to do. I just don't understand how they "can't" do something, when they already do whatever they want and tell us what we can and can not do.

Just doesnt make sense and i shake my head...

[Flubberdubber]

Anything can be "BANNED", the real key is enforcement! With a  limited number of enforcement officers and soooooooooo many people who just don't seem to get it, limits are going to be tested. I have spent countless hours on this river observing the GONG show that is sockeye "FISHING" and maintain that the best is,  "IF" you are going to allow it then sell a limited number of tags similar to a hunting tag to eliminate the sheer number of buffoons that show up to the slaughter, or simply put a leader length limit. But once again it all comes down to enforcement!

[DionJL]

Can someone explain why the Department of Fisheries can not ban bottom bouncing. They ban barbs and enforce single hook why not bottom bouncing ? what is the difference, how come they can ban no bait but not fishing methods? bait is a fishing method, barbs, triples.. all fishing methods.

What is so hard to type it out in the regs saying "no bottom bouncing" is it that hard for them to do. I just don't understand how they "can't" do something, when they already do whatever they want and tell us what we can and can not do.

Just doesnt make sense and i shake my head...

A barb or bait is easily defined. Can you define "Bottom Bouncing" in a way that is clear, concise and doesn't overlap with any other methods of fishing?

[DanL]

A barb or bait is easily defined. Can you define "Bottom Bouncing" in a way that is clear, concise and doesn't overlap with any other methods of fishing?

Perhaps you wouldn't need to. Maybe you could implement a set of gear limitations that renders flossing more or less ineffective. ie. something similar to the 'anti-snagging regulations' they use in Oregon and Washington states but aimed at non-selective harvesting methods like flossing.

[Flubberdubber]

Short leader = no SOCKfish

[Electroman]

Short leader = no SOCKfish

Exactly. Make a max leader length. Easy breezy.

[halcyonguitars]

Makes sense...

[Rieber]

Bottom Bouncing is not going to be banned - bottom bouncing is a very effective means of getting your bait down to the intended targets. You bottom bounce a dew worm on a 4' leader for walleye in the Columbia River. Cast out and retrieve in with a bouncing manner instead of just dragging it in and getting snagged.

Leader length is the issue along with the practice of casting upstream and allowing the current to sweep the leader across the zone. We used to get sockeye with 6' leaders but it was still flossing at times and people started making leaders longer all the time to now. 15' leaders are now seen - or at least a few years ago. I also remember catching sockeye by casting with a 3/4 - 1oz weight and 6' leaders downstream and then slowly retrieving green wool even bouncing it in up the slack water. The sockeye would chase it down and bite it. Yes there were several snagged on fins.

But you can do a similar maneuver with a sinking flyline single hand or spey. Just more expensive to lose/damage a flyline.

Look all hope is not lost - there are less long leader flossers out there today than this time of the season last year and the years before. We see more compliance all the time - so feel good about this. Laws and practices don't take immediate effect right away - they never do. This will take a few more years.

What baffles me is how people can say this is somehow acceptable once sockeye is opened.

[buck]

Leader length restrictions will not stop the interception of sockeye. When sockeye were opened years ago we were using 3 ft leaders with great success. DFO does not have the manpower to check the leader length of every angler on the river.  However, if it were bar fishing only and you were observed bottom bouncing/flossing you then could be charged. It would not take long for the word to spread.

[ByteMe]

Bottom Bouncing is not going to be banned - bottom bouncing is a very effective means of getting your bait down to the intended targets. You bottom bounce a dew worm on a 4' leader for walleye in the Columbia River. Cast out and retrieve in with a bouncing manner instead of just dragging it in and getting snagged.

But you can do a similar maneuver with a sinking flyline single hand or spey. Just more expensive to lose/damage a flyline.

I absolutely agree, as a fly fisherman we can pull off the same maneuver with a heavy sinktip and 9ft leader or more if need be to have the same effect as BB. As Rieber said I think the line has to be drawn with the leader length

[chironomidking]

I had the good fortune to visit the Skeena last week and was able to fish a couple of evenings.  Brought my fly rod and was rewarded with several sockeye, a coho and lots of pinks.  Coho and pinks took the fly but I believe I flossed all the sockeye.  Sadly, everyone else fishing were flossing using the "Fraser River" technique but instead of betties, they use large pieces of pencil lead with 10 foot plus leaders.  The best one I saw was a person doing the Alaskan Flip and Rip which proved to be the most effective way to snag the Sockeye - he was even able to snag 3 steelhead.

[VA7DDP]

Exactly. Make a max leader length. Easy breezy.

Well now you've just stopped fly fisherman, as they use 9-12ft leaders