from Mack ’ s Lure with our anchovies . The one that produced the most was the color “ moon jelly ” followed by green . This dodger is sleek compared to most other dodgers . By using a 48-inch leader the dodger was able to “ sling ” back and forth providing plenty of flash and erratic movement but not interfere with the anchovy .
Bait The baitfish itself needs some attention . They are very oily and since they are smaller than herring it is best to brine them to toughen them up a bit . A bed of rock salt is an excellent and simple way to toughen the soft baitfish . A water-based brine also works well and you can brighten your baits using this method . Sea water mixed with some sulfites and salt , along with a bluing agent to keep them bright , is all you need . My fishing partner and I would have a small container with our brine premixed . We added our anchovies as needed allowing them to thaw in the brine . Since the hood protects the bait you rarely have to switch them out until bit . Unlike cut plug herring that often tear or fall apart after trolling for a while , the anchovy stays intact together allowing you to fish them longer . When you pick up your gear and head to another spot it ’ s always good to check your bait . Most often you can keep the same bait on . Because it takes more time to rig up , it is best to have three or four pre-rigged and ready to fish . Keep them in your brine along with the other baits and when you find that bait ball and the bite is on you can simply snap on the new pre-rigged anchovy to your mainline or dodger and get back to fishing .
Both herring and anchovies have their place when it comes to salmon fishing . Fishing plug cut herring is an art in and of itself , and it takes time to get good at it . I ’ ll say the same thing about fishing the anchovy hood . The good news is that once you find a bait ball and realize it is not herring the Chinook or coho are after , but instead the slender anchovy you will be glad you revived the anchovy hood .
Here are the two anchovy helmet options with metal wire and without .
Rigging the Anchovy Hood
Step 1 Using a tandem hook leader with the hooks tied about two inches apart , run the leader through the hood and then insert the anchovy head into the hood and use the provided pin or toothpick , running it through the eyes of the anchovy and both sides of the hood .
Step 3 Put the lead hook through the anchovy . For a tight roll keep the hook close to the hood . For a slow roll put the hook closer to the tail .
Step 5 Leave the trailing hook if you wish to have the trailer set back .
Step 2 Push a toothpick into the small hole on the hood that is in front of the lead hook . Snap off end once it ’ s firmly embedded . This will allow you to pull tension on the leader and create a bend in the anchovy .
Step 4 Pull on the leader until tight and you have the correct bend to cause the role you desire .
Step 6 Insert the trailing hook into the opposite side of the anchovy to secure the hook and provide a point if the bait is grabbed by a salmon from the other side .
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