Stickbait Success
Losing fish is inevitable when fishing for river salmon. here are a few things you can do to boost your odds of netting more fish this season.
As I sent my lure flying toward another likely spot on northwest Michigan’s Big Manistee River, I continued to talk to my fishing partner while he rowed the boat, keeping it in good position for casting. After snapping my bail shut on my reel, the lure pulled into the current and I watched it disappear into the log-choked depths of the river. I tried to anticipate a strike at any moment. As I cranked the reel, I could feel the lure’s rhythm pulsating up the braided line, through my rod and into my hands. In mid-conversation, I was awakened by a savage strike followed by an immediate 30 yard downstream run. “Don’t let it get in that logjam!” I heard my friend say frantically, as he tried to row the boat into a better position to pull the king away from the log-packed outside river bend.
As the fish doggedly ran toward the logjam, I tightened the drag on my reel like a man playing Russian roulette, squeezing the trigger. I cringed at every tick of the drag knob, and tried to turn the big salmon back into the middle of the river. After a few smaller, strong-willed runs, the rod tip swung back above my head without tension. I reeled fast in case the fish had turned and was making a run directly at me, but it was gone. As my lure appeared in sight I could see from a distance that the hook was bent, unable to withstand the torture of a king. After the fishless trip, I started replaying the scene in my head and obsessively tried to analyze what had gone wrong for the rest of the day.
“FISH ON!!…fish off.”
We’ve all said it in one form or another, sometimes followed by a burst of expletives. No one practices “strike-and-release” fishing on purpose. Fishing with stickbaits for kings in the rivers of western Michigan is nothing new, but what percentage of fish hooked actually make it into your boat? Captain Larry Raney, owner and lead guide of Premier Angling Guide Service (www.premieranglingguideservice.com), has been guiding for salmon on the Big Manistee River for over 15 years and sets the bar at 60 percent hooking to netting ratio for a successful day.
Keep in mind that salmon do not feed once they enter the river. In theory, they are attacking our lures because of their territorial instincts. Sometimes this instinctive strike is savage, other times it is only a mere tap so your hooks better be sharp. A good hookset with a dull hook isn’t impossible but it is improbable. “That is probably the biggest key for keeping fish on is a sharp hook” said Raney. Keep a hook file on your boat or in your vest and sharpen up anytime after your hook point comes in contact with a log, rock, or after hooking a fish. You want your hook to cut through flesh, cartilage, and bone as effectively as possible. Inspect your lures regularly for rust and if you notice any corrosion, replace the hooks. Another thing to regularly inspect is the eye screws that the split ring attaches to, “They get twisted up in the net when you’re messing with them or when you’re pulling the hooks out of the fish. You’ll crack the back of the lure sometimes and if you’re not paying attention you’re going to lose one.” Raney warns.
The next time you catch a king, take a close look at its mouth. Run your finger along its jaw and feel how hard its lips and how abrasive its teeth are. A king salmon’s mouth is hardcore. Now, take your favorite lure and push one of the points of the treble hook into the fish’s mouth in various locations. You will find that it is a far from effortless task to penetrate the fish’s super bony mouth past the barb and into the bend of the hook. How many times have you boated a king just to have the lure fall out of its mouth?
Other things to take note of when you get a king in the boat are: where did you hook the fish? Upper or lower lip? Side, front, or corner of the mouth? Front or back treble and how many points of the treble actually hooked the fish? These are hints of how the fish struck your lure and what you may have done right to get it in the boat.
Don’t Bring a Knife To a Gun Fight
“Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight” and “Never send a boy to do a man’s job” are adages fitting to the use of stock stickbait hooks to battle river kings. Most stickbaits come with inadequate hooks for battling kings in logjam filled Lake Michigan tributaries. Bent hooks and lost dreams are frequent on the Big Manistee River, where 25 miles of log choked water offers some of the best salmon fishing in the Lower 48. When it comes time to steer one of these torpedoes out of a logjam you’re going to need a hook strong enough to withstand some weight. A Storm Mad Flash Thunderstick Deep Jr. comes with size 6, 1x strong hooks. Multiplying this times no-stretch 30lb Power Pro braid, a stiffer rod, and an 18lb king can equal trouble. These hooks will bend before your line breaks and it only takes a slight flex in your hook to lose a jacked-up king.
There are many good options available for replacement treble hooks. Hooks less than 3x strong may not provide the power needed to turn a king’s course when it runs toward a big logjam. According to Raney, regardless if you’re using Thundersticks, Shad Raps, or Reef Runners, “The biggest thing on any of them is changing the hooks.” Raney prefers size 6 hooks on Jr. size Thundersticks and size 4 hooks on Original size Thundersticks. “I like a size six better than a four, there’s not as much leverage on them. When fish get that treble hook, if it’s not hooked in the corner of their mouth, or way back in their mouth somewhere, without a swivel on that split ring that hook is basically a big leverage point.” Also, Raney prefers size 6 hooks because their smaller wire diameters penetrate better than larger hooks. Raney prefers Mustad UltraPoint TG76BLN and Eagle Claw 4x Strong L934 treble hook replacements.
Siwash hooks have been around for a long time, however the eye doesn’t line up and additional split rings are required to orient the hook. Owner has a single replacement hook on the market that has the eye parallel to the bend making it ideal for stickbaits and other lures. A better hookset may be possible because a single hook allows for the use of a wider gap and singles have less potential to snag in heavily obstructed, wood-filled rivers.
Salmon Don’t Fight Fair
Another key factor in boating more kings is how you fight them. Raney has his customers fight salmon with the rod tip low, decreasing the angle from fish to rod. “I fight them with a low rod. I have my guys keep their rods low to the water and sometimes the tips in the water to keep the fish down low. You can turn them a lot easier. If you hold that rod up high when you’re fighting a fish, you’re pulling those fish up on an angle and the river current is pushing the fish backward at the same time. But if you drop your rod low and pull sideways against the fish, now you got the fish straightened out and you’re pulling it more streamlined through the water.”
Many fast action rods provide little in the form of shock absorption and when paired with no stretch braided line it is possible to be too quick to set the hook, ripping the lure from the fish’s mouth. Raney uses medium to medium heavy 8’6” St. Croix Avid rods loaded with 30lb PowerPro braid and recommends that rod choices have a softer tip. The longer rod length and soft tip act as a shock absorber when fighting fish with no-stretch braided line.
A good hookset is a major element in boating any fish. A lot of variables go into the hookset equation: angler experience, hook design, hook size, and hook sharpness are a few. Kings seem to always have that knack for slammin’ your lure when you’re not paying attention and then they try to rip the rod from your hands and beat you with it, all within the first few seconds of battle. But Raney cautions that it is possible to be too quick to set the hook on a Thunderstick orginal, “On an Original I tell them don’t even set the hook because you don’t have to on an Original – you just give ‘em a little jerk when you feel them bite.”
Setting drag is dependent on the strength of your tackle system and river obstructions like logs and rocks. As long as I have a good hookset and obstruction free water, I loosen the drag slightly and let the fish run a bit. If anchored, I’m ready to lift anchor and drift downstream to long-running fish. Raney uses a nontraditional approach to drag setting in his boat, “I keep them real tight. Unless I’ve got kids in the boat because I don’t want them ripping the rod out of their hands. I always tell them to hold the rod in front of the reel. A lot of guys will reel it back with the foot of the reel between their fingers, I don’t do that. When you’ve got a tight drag I have seen the rod almost come out of people’s hands.” And once the fish is on Raney does not loosen the drag. “If the fish starts heading toward the wood I tell them to grab the spool and don’t let them run.”
Stickbait fishing for kings is an addicting, adrenaline filled sport second to none. This season, don’t let inadequate tackle limit the amount of fish you net. Sharpen and upgrade your hooks, get the right rod for the job and regularly inspect your tackle. Losing fish is inevitable and it adds to the challenge of fishing for river kings, but if you take the time and money to improve your stickbaits and equipment, you can increase your odds of putting fish in the net consistently.