PINKS IN THE CANAL

ok, i have a wild idea.

would a spoon/jig/spinner/ buzz bomb suspended under a casting float work for pinks? i know that it's a proven method for chinooks and one or two others species of salmon, but i've not heard of anyone using it for pinks..

think it'll work?

So is your idea to cast, then retrieve to provide the lures some action?  Or are you thinking of casting and just letting it sit out there?

Here's another one.  Instead of a casting float use a small party balloon.  You can't cast it far but let the wind/tide take it as far as you want.  With an offshore wind I've sent them out many hundreds of yards with my surf rod and large spinning reel.  It is almost a troll on the way back.

Allen,
Thanx, i thot as much but wanted verification.

Demonick,
 the idea is to suspend the jig/spoon/whatever just above the bottom and drift it thru the predominant run channels letting the subsurface currents impart the action to the lure.

works the same whether you're using a float in a tidewater or a balloon in surf. tho if i recall, most balloon fishermen are suspending live bait and are trying to get it out beyond the breakers.

Cast and let it sit.  It doesn't take much to give a mirabou jig some action.  A little ripple of the surface is enough to move the float which will impart action on the jig.  This method keeps your jig in the zone longer since your jig don't sink to the bottom and rest or you aren't just reeling/retrieving through as fast.

There's something about sitting back and watching a bobber go down ...   

-Allen

Only problem I see with the bobber and jig route at the canal is that when they come in they come in hella shallow.  you can see them moving across the surface.  so fare 90% of what I have caught has been as soon as the jig hits the water.  and most of the hot spots around the bouys are less than 10ft deep.  the best spots are less than 5 ft deep.  I have tried the bpbber and jig off and on ane will still keep trying because like allen said there is nothing cooler that watching that bobber go under.  I am going to pick up some heavy pink jigs like buzz bombs or point wilson darts and if the fish are not at the hatchery I am going to paddle north looking for them on the fish finder and hit them with the heavy jigs,   that is one of the tips from the salmon university websites bit on the pinks.   looks like good tides this weekend I will be out saturday around 1600 for sure and maybe friday and sunday also.   plus I have monday and tuesday off so I will most likely be hitting them then also

I marked quite a few fish from 100'-120' on the FF strait out from the hatchery last sun.

Me too,  that is why I am going to get some heavy jigs,   although I found out they have rock fish in the canal also fished through a big school of fish right at the point just north of the hatchery and pulled out 2 rock fish.   if you remember where that big group of boats went last sunday and just parked that is where they tend to spool in about 30-60 ft of water.  so it they are not coming into the hatchery that is a good option.  dont forget that some kings are already coming in last time the pinks where in we hit 3 kings of out schools of pinks. until last year we beached it so we are still learning the hot spots there

Only problem I see with the bobber and jig route at the canal is that when they come in they come in hella shallow.  you can see them moving across the surface.

That's where the bobber and jigs shine as you can just suspend you can just suspend you jig in the zone.

-Allen

I was wandering if there were many kings that return to that hatchery. Were the few caught hatchery fish, or just a fluke? Good to know there are rockfish in the area as well. I have never caught one, but I love adding new species to the portfolio. ¿  <º)))><