TIPS & TAILOUTS
Salmon Mooching
Cali-Style
EGG WEIGHTS AND CIRCLE HOOKS MAKE IT EASY
FOR SALTWATER ANGLERS
Californians have mooched with circle
hooks for years and the technique
has become a fine tuned art form.
When the regulations changed I was
running charter boats full time and
mooching for salmon was our bread
and butter. It took some time to beat
the learning curve, but the key to
success was an open mind, a fleet of
charter boats, and 25 passengers per
day to help fine tune the rig.
The rig I have found to be most
productive and successful for salmon
mooching with circle hooks is relatively
simple. Start with a fine wire
circle hook that is thin in diameter,
sharp and easy to set into the fish. A
6- to 8-foot leader in 15-pound test
works best. The use of egg weights
is a unique and controversial part
of the rig. The mainline used can be
30-pound braid or 15- to 20-pound
mono. A 7- to 9-foot rod with slow
action works best. A sufficient reel
used for saltwater with a smooth drag
and an end bearing that can adjust for
a stiff free spool setting is good.
Personally, I like to use the Eagle
Claw 197L hooks, but Gamakatsu
and Owner also make good circle
hooks for mooching. The key with
hook choice is a thin wire hook; the
hook set cannot be too dramatic so a
subtle hook set must get the hook to
penetrate. When the bait is threaded
I like to start at the eye and come out
1 inch before the tail along the lateral
line of the bait. After the bait is
threaded the hook eye should rest just
inside the eye socket of the bait. I use
two dental rubber bands to prevent
the gills from flaring open and they
pinch the head tight to open the gap
of the hook. The leader is then halfhitched
around the bait’s tail twice.
These suggestions are key to the
success of this technique.
The weight I prefer is a round “egg
weight” ranging from 2 to 8 ounces.
The weight of course depends on the
depth of the fish and speed of the
drift. There are many reasons why
I like the egg weight. For starters
it slides on the line compared to a
fixed weight and prevents spit baits.
It doesn’t tangle with the other lines
and it rolls over other lines like a ball
bearing. When battling a fish, and the
net comes out it will not get tangled
in the net as your fishing partner
takes a stab at the fish in rough windy
conditions. It takes only a minute
to cut off and retie a new weight on
when it’s time to increase or decrease
weight sizes. If you cannot tell, yes
I don’t like the plastic sliding sleeve
weights. The plastic sleeves tangle
and catch debris in the water and
hang up on jelly fish. Try the egg
weights you will enjoy them so much
you may find they work for all species
and techniques that require lead.
The mooching rod and reel is a
personal choice and I think most
salmon fishermen may have their
own opinion. I will recommend a
long, parabolic slow action rod. If
I had my pick it would be fiberglass
rod that is 9 feet long and rated from
12 to 20 pounds. The reel should
have a smooth drag and the free spool
option should be adjustable to mooch
in free spool with the end bearing
tight enough to hold your weight. A
soft clicker is important if you soak
your bait in free spool.
Bait of choice in these parts is a
large juicy anchovy. Herring works
well also and holds up in adverse conditions
a bit stronger than an anchovy.
In this area salmon seem to prefer
anchovies but take both baits. If you
are into scents, then juice the bait up.
I do believe fresh anchovy, sardine
or herring oils increase strikes; and
the strike tends to be more aggressive
with scented bait. In areas where
circle hooks are not required consider
trying the egg weight and threading
your bait the way I outlined. I think
you’ll like the results. MIKE BAXTER
6 SALMON THE TAILOUT & STEELHEAD JOURNAL
38