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Zelda was running free, heading to the bottom, when her fall was
interrupted. Something had picked her up on the way down. What had
her wild, seductive, shimmy and shake enticed this time? We wouldn't
know until Zelda brought her latest victim to the surface. Zelda
was just one in this stable of tempters.
Lures
The other beauties had names such as Deadly Dick, Zinger, Striker,
Pirk, Buzz Bomb, Stingsilda, Depth Charge, Spinnow, and they all,
are at times, irresistible. What was the charm they exuded, that
made anything passing by a taker? Perhaps it was the sound, the
flash, the dipping and diving drop, maybe the wounded look.
Whatever the attraction, the above lures are a Who's Who in the
drift-fishers lineup. Drift-fishing or jigging is the art of working
the various spoons, spinners, plastic baits and jigs to represent
a crippled herring, sandlance or other baitfish. Drift-fishing is
an incredibly productive method, and works in both salt and fresh
water. Perhaps, best of all it is done without the weight and added
drag of a flasher or dodger to impede the fight, and the method
is most often done, without the motor running or at least idling.
Being able to fish with light equipment, and the sounds of silence,
make drift-fishing one of the most enjoyable ways to fish.
Catch?
What can you catch while drift-fishing? Well, just about anything
that swims in the ocean and eats, and I mean anything. We may be
targeting a certain species, but a drift lure worked successfully,
will take fish you may not even be able to identify. In fact, we
usually take along an excellent book titled 'Coastal Fishes of the
Pacific Northwest.' That way, we can say with authority, we caught
a 'Red Irish Lord.' That is easier than saying we caught a tapered,
reddish fish, with bumps, spines and warts all over it, was ugly
as sin, and had a face that only a mother could love. Knowledge
is power and when your buddies ask, "What is a Red Irish Lord?"
You can answer "You don't know the Red Irish Lord? Look it
up in the book."
The mystery
There is a beautiful mystery in drift-fishing, as you visualize
your jig working the deep. The tap and the hookset, and now the
wonder of what took your offering. The fight may signal a ling cod
and heavy, but if the run is sustained, maybe a salmon, but the
truth is you don't know for sure, until you finally bring the fish
to surface. We have caught halibut, ling cod, pacific cod, yelloweye
rockfish (red snapper), sole, flounder, cabezon, sculpin, irish
lords, greenling, 11 species of the various rockfish, ratfish, sablefish,
pollock, hake, chum, pink, chinook and coho salmon. There have been
some uninvited guests too, including octopus, skates, starfish,
and sea cucumbers. At times, even seals have mistaken the jig for
a weakened herring.
(All previous issues are stored in the ARCHIVE
for your convenience)
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One instance off a point, three large blips showed
on the fish finder, which we took for possible ling cod. Dropping
the jigs, we ended up with three chinook salmon, weighing 30, 32
and 45 pounds. (Check the photo page for
one of the salmon.)
Crowded
Another time, we were working the lures off a rock
wall, kelp bed, hoping for a couple of delicious kelp greenling
for the evening meal. There were three of us in the tiny eight-foot
dinghy and it was a wee bit crowded. With three guys, a gas tank,
fish bucket, and tackle you get to know your fishing buddies fairly
well.
Bryan had a bite, possibly a greenling when his rod
took a violent sharp dip. Bryan's eyes widened and I told him "
A ling has grabbed your greenling." The rod had a radical curve
and beads of sweat were popping out on Bryan's brow. Bryan looked
over the side and thrust the rod at me. I told him " No, it's
your fish." He shook his head and the look in his eyes and
his inability to speak, told me maybe I should see what was on the
line. Looking over the side revealed a halibut of at least five
feet long. Thankfully the halibut spit up the greenling it had grabbed.
Like any angler we never want to lose a good fish but that halibut
was a little more than we needed for the evening meal and the dinghy
was as I mentioned a mite crowded.
Medium stiff
Drift-fishing is best done with a medium-stiff fishing
rod rated 10-25 pound or 12-30 pound. You need the heavier action
to set the hook on the bigger fish. Hooks of course must be sticky
sharp. The lure should be working directly below the boat. Try to
maintain a 90-degree angle of line to surface and correct the drift
if needed. Rod movement should be a smooth four-foot lift, then
a quick drop, followed by the thump as your lure hits the end of
the line.
Rythm
You get used to the rhythm and if there is a slight
hesitation set the hook immediately as most bites come right at
the end of the drop. Jig the kelp beds and rock walls, underwater
structure for the rockfish, greenling, ling and salmon. Watch for
the birdstorms when the predators below have forced baitfish to
the top. Cast along the edge of the herring ball. That can be one
of the most amazing, adrenaline filled, fishing experience you have
ever had.
Next time you take a saltwater trip enjoy some 'Dances
with Zelda" or one of her friends. You will be glad you did.
Bob
More of Bob's photos on the Photo
page
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