# favorite technique when salmon have lock jaw



## wdf73 (Sep 14, 2009)

For the past few years I have been patting myself on the back thinking I knew a lot about salmon . This year I am finding fish who have been hit so hard they begin to move away from a lure when it is still a distance from them.
So I am curious, what are your go to tactics when the tried and true does not work?


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## STEELnICE (Dec 4, 2007)

Stoneflies, brown crickets, algae imitations, these are the real tried and true for salmon. You're not fishing unless you're fly fishing :evilsmile


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## Bear4699 (Aug 24, 2008)

Go to lighter Line Dude if you are Fishing 10 or 12lb go to 6 or 8 fluorocarbon


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## wdf73 (Sep 14, 2009)

Algae imitations! Of course, why didn't I think of that?!!!  I'll get them now for sure! I always wondered what the big gobs of green yarn on a treble hook was supposed to represent.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

wdf73 said:


> For the past few years I have been patting myself on the back thinking I knew a lot about salmon . This year I am finding fish who have been hit so hard they begin to move away from a lure when it is still a distance from them.
> So I am curious, what are your go to tactics when the tried and true does not work?


 To just try something different....anything....a smaller flatfish or spinner, maybe a night-crawler or wiggler....just something different. Keep at it! Sometimes a crawler is the ticket. Also, be stealthy.


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## ratherboutside (Mar 19, 2010)

Top three

1. Michigan fly.
2. Yarn ball on a 5ft plus leader behind a heavy split shot. 
3. Two fly system. Weight fly in the front, 10 ft leader to a giant streamer. They always hit the back fly. Weird. 

Seriously though sometimes fish just dont bite. Thats why they call it fishing not catching. Try new things and new locations.

Sent from my C771 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## kaniff89x (Sep 18, 2006)

If it's not a feeder, lengthen your leader!

I know a lot of guys say that kings are not line shy and usually they are not. However, this year I was running some heavier braid to the leader and I could see them moving out of the way. I changed the setup and ran an extra 6 feet of 17lb mono to the weight, kept the leader the same length, weight and flies in the same position and the fish didn't "avoid" the presentation. I suspect they were picking up on the braid, which is 20lb fireline fused. 

A lot of times changing to something totally different fly-wise is good. Think about skein, it makes little to no sense to use a chunk of that (other than smell the fish would never recognize what it truely is) but it works better than most presentations especially when bobber fishing is a good option. Next year I am going to try a jig head and gulp minnow under a bobber in some good bobber holes just to test that theory.


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## Waz_51 (Jan 10, 2010)

The go-to for non biting salmon?

Tie a big treble hook to your 80lb test mono leaving a 6" tag end...tie a 2oz sinker to that tag end and wrap the tag line around one shank of the hook a couple times...cast into your desired hole, reel in with a fast retrieve, and hold on!


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## Waz_51 (Jan 10, 2010)

Seriously tho, skein under a bobber...you can't go wrong


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

Treble hook. Tie on some line to the bottom and crimp on some shots. They are going to die anyway, lol


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

Seriously I just go through my boxes if they willnot bite I just go home.


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## Waz_51 (Jan 10, 2010)

Trout King said:


> Treble hook. Tie on some line to the bottom and crimp on some shots. They are going to die anyway, lol


Lmfao, great minds think alike!


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## RobW (Dec 6, 2012)

I always try to bring some tasty beverages along. When the fish are just plain off, the next best thing is to enjoy said beverages in my favorite place to drink them...


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Waz_51 said:


> Seriously tho, skein under a bobber...you can't go wrong


Actually, you can. There are lots of days where they'll flat out refuse skein. I had a coho the other day that completely ignored a pink bag. Even moved away from it. Swung an orange bag in front of her, but trotted my bobber to let it get out and away. She charged it like something possessed and took it within 3 feet of the bank. Awesome sight. All around, spawnbags will outfish skein a lot...


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Trout King said:


> Seriously I just go through my boxes if they willnot bite I just go home.


 x 1,000

Kings can be very fickle once they are in rivers. Sometimes they simply won't bite for days. They have no need to feed once they get ready to spawn. Try back in low-light conditions, first and last light. Try fishing in the dark. Bright sunny days aren't usually great for river Kings - although once in a while they are crazy good.


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## Waz_51 (Jan 10, 2010)

ausable_steelhead said:


> Actually, you can. There are lots of days where they'll flat out refuse skein. I had a coho the other day that completely ignored a pink bag. Even moved away from it. Swung an orange bag in front of her, but trotted my bobber to let it get out and away. She charged it like something possessed and took it within 3 feet of the bank. Awesome sight. All around, spawnbags will outfish skein a lot...


I've never had any problems!


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

Two micro ivisa fin grabber flies on a 12 foot fluorocarbon leader.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

ausable_steelhead said:


> Actually, you can. There are lots of days where they'll flat out refuse skein. I had a coho the other day that completely ignored a pink bag. Even moved away from it. Swung an orange bag in front of her, but trotted my bobber to let it get out and away. She charged it like something possessed and took it within 3 feet of the bank. Awesome sight. All around, spawnbags will outfish skein a lot...


I have to agree. I fish a lot and bags have ALWAYS outproduced skein for me. Sometimes color of netting is the trigger. My last trip we hooked about 35 fish on chart and like 3 on all other colors. I always carrt pink and chartreuse no matter coho kings or steel. Peach is a killer on steel too.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Waz_51 said:


> I've never had any problems!


You also probably only go a couple times a fall too. I live close by 3 small tribs, and bags kick the shizz out of skein. I fish often. Believe me, I'm all aboard the skein train, have been for years. I fully believe it's THE best way to hook the most biters you possibly can. No other technique for salmon is even close. However, I've saw chunk refused only to get immediate hookups running bags through.



Trout King said:


> I have to agree. I fish a lot and bags have ALWAYS outproduced skein for me. Sometimes color of netting is the trigger. My last trip we hooked about 35 fish on chart and like 3 on all other colors. I always carrt pink and chartreuse no matter coho kings or steel. Peach is a killer on steel too.


Yup, all this bro. Chartreuse, red, pink and orange are my favorites for kings. I just got back from fishing the East side, and outfished the guys running skein. All locals...


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

jerrob said:


> I go get ****faced at Barski's and try again tomorrow.


 Probably the most sensible approach.


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