As March turned into April and the Salmon Season progressed there is high voltage running through the veins of the Northern California Salmon Fleet. With Memories of huge, hard-fighting Chinook Salmon from last season, it's hard not to have high hopes for the current season.
Visions of happy customers carrying 40-60+# limits of fish off the boat make the 1999 season most memorable.
Many wonder why the the fish were so big and plentiful. Was it El Nino? Doubtful.
The combination of some key variables was probably the reason 1999 was such a successful season. Currently these same variables are aligning themselves to mirror last years memorable season.
The waters offshore are teeming with feed, Krill, Anchovies, Herring, Squid, and Shortbellies are found in huge numbers off the Deep Reef, Farallon Islands, and Cordell Bank. Unlike warm water years, the above areas seemed barren, the ocean is plankton-rich from upwellings. It is a safe bet that hundreds of thousands of Chinook Salmon are bathing in this rich flow, fattening up for the April 15th Salmon opener.
Another variable is the fact that there are less calendar days to fish Salmon. We lost two weeks in April this year. Back in the day when every charter boat only trolled, the season opened in February. So now we can legally fish 7 instead of 9 months. Less anglers hours equals less Salmon caught. Ultimately, this means more fish each season.
The most effective variable is the mandatory use of circle hooks. This regulation was implemented two years ago. Unlike "J-hooks" (Octopus style/ Salmon/Steelhead style), circle hooks contribute greatly to a much lower mortality rate when releasing under-sized fish. This means that released fish have a much greater chance of survival so they can grow to more desireable sizes. Due to the lower mortality rate rate circle hooks have, threatened runs of Salmon have a better chance of completing the spawning cycle. That is why the early season size minimum is 24", thus helping to protecting the winter run fish. Circle hooks also aid in the survival of released Coho Salmon.
Although circle hooks have many positives, the fact is most anglers dislike using them. There is minimal confidence in using them and I think I know why. The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) made the use of circle hooks mandatory when drift fishing (Mooching) for Salmon, it happened to be a poor year for Salmon fishing. The year before was El Nino. Unlike this winter, there wasn't a lot of food in the water. Alot of the Salmon were skinny and the fishery was weak. Although fishing was good (Limits throughout the summer) the size of the fish were smaller. The thrill for fishing Salmon was low. Many of the regular customers lost interest and thus lost the perfect opprotunity to hone their skills with circle hooks.
Now last year was highlighted by big numbers of large fish. In June of 1999, if the Salmon wasn't 30 pounds it didn't get a second look. The fish were big and mean and fishing Salmon was exciting again. The problem was that because the 1998 season was "weak" I'd say that last year was the first time anglers used circle hooks and cared about end results. There was frustration and actual disgust for circle hooks. Alot of bites were missed and many fish were lost. Unlike a gut-hooked Salmon (very common when using "J-hooks"), the *1998* version of the Chinook was jaw hooked. They were mean and had the moves that you don't see from a fish that is gut-hooked. Fish were lost for various reasons. Unlike fish that come right up to the boat, get netted, then "wake up" once they are on deck. Jaw-hooked (circle-hooked) fish fought like they were possessed.
Day after day I'd shake my head after boxing six fish out of fifteen hookups. It was exciting and frustrating at the same time. Ten or more fish on at once and after playing them for a while one, then two, then three, four, five, and 6 were lost. Day in and day out this scene was repeated. I realized why this was happening, sometimes it's difficult to get the hang of new techniques. It happened when anglers were introduced to mooching , there was a lot to learn. Unlike trolling where you basically let the boat set the hook, mooching involved certain techniques to be successful. As soon as people got used to mooching, they loved it. Now many may not totally agree with my beliefs but read on....
In most cases changing styles of hooks don't force changes in techniques, it does when when using circle hooks for Salmon. The reason: The way a Salmon bites a mooched bait forces you to gain the proper reflex from the fish to properly engage the hook. Circle hooks are designed to hook the fish as the hook slides around the jaw of the fish. This is why they are so popular on Long Range trips. The hook is embedded in the corner of the jaw , thus leaving the line away from the line-chaffing teeth. The thing about live-bait fishing for Tuna is that when the Tuna picks up the bait and runs the fish sets itself up for for the ideal hook up scenario which is having the fish swimming away from the angler. That is the key to success with circle hooks, get the fish to swim away. Unfortunately, with mooching, that's easier said than done.
Once the fish is hooked, old "laxed" techniques will end in defeat. With circle hook fish you have to mind your "p's" (Pressure and Position). Always keep pressure on the fish and always know it's position in the water. Keep the fish straight in front of you (No angles, No tangles) it will minimize the chance of tangles and any possibilities of slack if the fish turns. These techniques aren't new, they are the way of fishing the Southern California boats. It's the only way to fish down there. If you want to land trophy Salmon, it's the way you will need to fish. With the upcomming season just weeks away, I anticipate many anglers having to utilize this fishing style. A couple of laps around the deck is all it takes and you will be able to increase your hook-up to catch ratio.
A Big Pill to Swallow: Mooching has become very popular in the last 10 years. The use of lighter tackle, the serenity of a drifting boat, and mooching's effectiveness in catching are a few reasons. However this method of fishing is deemed "a dirty fishery", because of the high mortality rate in released and lost fish. This high mortality rate is a local problem not experienced in the Northwest where they "motor-mooch". Because of appalling mortality figures National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) put pressure on CDFG to find a more "fish-friendly" hook. Many of you saw them conduct their study on the Mako Shark a few years ago. After testing countless of currently available hook models as well as many prototypes they decided the circle hook would be implemented. Not only was it very fish-friendly in where the hook was embedded. Hundreds of thousands of dollars went into the study in order to find a pacifier for the NMFS. So contrary to some beliefs, CDFG isn't trying to anger the fishermen by new hook and size regulations. They too , along with thousands of Californians, want to save this popular fishery. This gear change has brought a lot of tension in the sportfishing industry, a tension that has created controversy. According to a reliable source at CDFG if there is wide-spread noncompliance of current regulations, mooching for Salmon will be banned. This means we must accept and perfect the use of circle hooks. We do know that there are thousands of anglers that were still using "J-hooks" last year. The guilty ranged from the charter skipper to the weekend skiff fisherman. Let it be known, if CDFG shuts down mooching, it's because of those who refuse to obey the law. So let's try to embrace this new gear change, it's a fact that every fishery that introduces circle hooks ends up praising them for being great for their fishery.
Now that you understand why, I'll go over favorite hooks, rods, and reels as well as the techniques in making you a circle hook believer and make your Salmon fishing a success
