# Salmon Mooching



## TopHat (May 20, 2015)

Hello. I’ve been reading about Pacific Salmon fisherman using a technique called mooching. I am a Great Lakes fisherman. Would this technique work for freshwater? It is where you attach inline weights 4-6oz and sort of drift using live bait. One concern would be that the fish are less concentrated and therefore trolling is the superior way to find them on the Great Lakes. Does anyone have experience with this type of fishing? Thanks!


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## Scott Hogan (Aug 27, 2020)

So I have the same question lol . Years ago I went to Washington and my great uncle passed away and had all those inline weights poles things to catch them I figured instead of using down riggers they used them to troll deep. I'm actually going to try it this week wouldn't see why it wouldn't work. We use meat rigs . They have swivels on them so won't tangle!


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## TopHat (May 20, 2015)

There a lots of cool youtube videos about them doing it out West. I kayak fish a lot so it would be really cool to try this instead of trolling with inline weights. Could probably do two rods at once different depths.


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## Scott Hogan (Aug 27, 2020)

I wouldn't be afraid to try anything! Fishing is always changing . But there's always the ok timers didn't have even close to the stuff we have now a days and they cought plenty of fish


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## Grinnell (Nov 20, 2019)

Well, my buddy just got a ten pound steelhead on a big golden shiner. We were kinda mooching. Drop weights down- brought up through the water column. Pretty fun. I’m interested in the technique as well.


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## Scott Hogan (Aug 27, 2020)

Grinnell said:


> Well, my buddy just got a ten pound steelhead on a big golden shiner. We were kinda mooching. Drop weights down- brought up through the water column. Pretty fun. I’m interested in the technique as well.


I'm going to try them today but with a plug or spoon behind it see if that works trolling them


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## fisheater (Nov 14, 2010)

Interesting topic. I do know the pier guys do fish live alewife. I am thinking trolling speeds would be slower, but that may not be the case, as alewife are pelagic.
Staging salmon can be a challenge, another tool in the box could be handy. Maybe a few alewives in a roll troll are in the future. However if I well to go through the effort to run bait, my rig would have beads and spinners in front and a stinger in back.


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## Scott Hogan (Aug 27, 2020)

We are fishing manistee lake today they work with trolling with lures on 3 pike lol


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## J K Raff (Jul 28, 2020)

When I was in Alaska in 1972...We used inline keel sinker..about 3oz...frozen Herring..on a 2 hook Herring harness...slow trolled...sometimes with a Herring dodger..or just drifted bottom fishing..without dodger...
We caught everything that way...salmon..halibut...rockfish...shark...


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I know a guy who mooches for Kings @ Lake Michigan. He's got the rods, reels - everything you need. He said he likes the 1:1 gear ratio, so you can feel the fish fight better. He catches plenty of fish. He also used everything else you can use to catch Salmon, lol.


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