In recent months we've been speaking to many Angler's who are considering their first trip into Rivers Inlet.
For some, this trip represents an absolute trip of a lifetime experience. For others this is the only location they fish and they ensure they're here each and every season.
Rivers Inlet is, of course, where anglers' dreams have come true for decades. With fish topping 70 pounds each season with Good Hope Cannery, Rivers Inlet is the place where you will find the very largest of salmon: The Wannock River Chinook.
One of the most common questions we're asked is: What size of bait must you use to catch a 50 - 70 pound fish?
At Good Hope, you'll find only the very best herring bait of 8-10 inches - caught and packaged by Rhys Davis and North King bait companies. Your fishing time is priceless and we won't let you spend an unproductive minute on the water.
Truth be told, most salmon are voracious feeders during their lives but at the time these fish enter Rivers Inlet they begin a change - no longer feeding for the usual reasons. Common belief is that it's the scent of fresh water from nearby natal streams and their proverbial internal clock telling them to prepare for 'river life'. They begin feeding out of instinct rather than hunger. Often only the most perfect bait - fished at the exact depth will tempt them.
We asked long time angler and Good Hope Cannery fishing guide Dwayne Walkus about the importance of bait presentation.
"You have to make every minute, every second count - and this isn't something new with these fish". When we're fishing Rivers Inlets' Trophy Area (the "Head") we watch anglers who are fishing on their own and with other lodges who are simply lost - they don't have the quality instruction on how to fish effectively. When you come to Rivers Inlet and have big fish at stake - you can't be fooling around and we won't let you make these mistakes".
"Going too fast, weeds on the line, crossing tide and fishing way, way, too far out in the ozone - are all common issues. One needs to pay attention to every detail - exactly how your hooks are placed in the bait, with a prominent, fixed position for each, a clean 'polished' looking bait, the right leader lengths and of course the right depths are all critical. So very critical to success".
Most anglers choose to fish a cut plug style herring bait within Rivers Inlet. It's easy to present and the slow moving 'mooching' style with 4-8oz weights, a 6 ft leader and 5/0 tandem hooks has been common for many years. Cut plug refers to the cutting off of the herring bait's head on two angles - and forcing the bait to spin on an axis directly behind and in line with the weight. There are many, many different way of rigging baits - all to an angler's personal choice. For the most part, a bait with a nice slow flopping roll with one rotation every second works best. Erratic or 'mechanical' looking rolls are often referred to as 'helicopters' and these are the least productive for big Chinook. Make sure your bait rolls with natural movement and often an unnatural presentation can be fixed with the placement and changing of the towing hook's position. Move it from side to side, bend the bait and even try a different cut angle for success.
All told, the very best baits mean nothing if you're sitting at the dock! Stay on the water - make it pay. Keep your baits a rollin' and look forward to our next post when we speak with Good Hope Cannery's Lodge Manager and host Ted Walkus and get his tips for success in landing and releasing those fish over 50lbs!
Tight Lines
The Good Hope Team
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