Plunking the CR

I just wanted to start a conversation about techniques that have been successful for plunking the spring and summer.

I have been doing this for several years and really enjoy it. I finally got out last Sunday and had 2 bell ringers, one ended up resulting in a small hatchery springer.

This is my go to setup for higher water:

65lb. power pro, 40lb Ande leader
Spreaders that rotate on the shaft (custom built)
Black winged/chartreuse spin glos
Prawns cured in hot pink, with some other stuff involved....
Hook, #2 Owner barbless treble (not really sold on this but seems to help with losing fish)
6oz. pyramid

when the water clears up I switch to mylar or white winged spin glos, also in smaller sizes.

I've been tinkering with the brad's super bait with the cork float. last year I tried it plunking on the Cowlitz and got into one steelhead.

One of my favorite techniques as I've become more of a lazy fisherman.. Wait for them to come to me rather than chasing all over the river for them...

Don't forget to spice of those prawns a bit. As the water hits 50 degrees one thing I've done with great success is fillet a sardine side, cut into squares about 3/4" x 3/4" and slide them up on a single hook skin side toward the spinglo then add your prawn below... That rectangular chunk of meat disrupts the current and causes your whole prawn/coonshrimp to wobble as if it were a wiggle wart.. But water temp is a key for the prawns to really start working. I've enjoyed myself more and more sinking my toes in the sand for those summer kings and steelhead... By far the best.

But the summer kings, they take first place for the beach bite with salmon in my opinion. Steelhead a close second..



Keith

I hear that brother.

I still love chasing them in a boat. However, I think the beach bite is underappreciated.

Thanks for the info on sardine. will give it a go this weekend

What are your thoughts on hooks? I have been experimenting a bit....

For me, it just depends on the size of spin glo. 2/0 or 3/0 gami owner cutting point with the barb pinched...

But most importantly, I prefer to use tuffline/spiderwire over mono. It certainly ups the % of fish you land. Plus I always use as much lead as I possibly can when casting. When they pull against the rod and the lead that heavier lead helps cinch the hook in as well.

More than not when I'm plunking I'm running gear with my boat and running 3 set ups and a 30 ounce lead that we custom pour, it's a 4 sided pyramid. But that heavier lead is a huge factor in getting more fish to the beach, IMHO as the pull against all of it, it just keeps sinching the hook in deeper and the fish you do lose I'd bet the hooks rip out of them.

Oh and one other thing, my favorite spinglos are the silver chartruese head, silver orange head and silver green head with black wings. Black wings always for me both salmon and steelhead.

Keith

Good stuff Keith. 30oz pyramid...Holy $hit! I won't be casting that.

Are you sending that out by skiff or fishing Cowlitz with an easy swing.......I've heard the same thing about hooking sturgeon (heavy weight), one fellow I met never used less than 12 or 14 ounces even from boat.............

sounds like he is running it out by skiff

Correct, that's what we use when we run our 3 setups per rod by boat...

Some spots casting is an option but more than 2 setups is difficult and in those situations we're running 6-12oz of lead. But the boat, the heavier the better....

Keith

has anyone ever used herring while plunking? if so how?

This is a great thread! I'd love to try plunking down there someday. I don't have any idea where to even start.

I know some spots that I could help you with, that includes the bonni dam area too.

I have personally never tried it but have seen it done with success. I believe they use a cork part way up the leader in order to float the herring. I remember watching it go down off the beach at Fort Stevens.

JTD,

Shoot me a PM and I can get you going. By no means am I an expert but have had some good success in the past. My favorite time is June. It can be great for steelhead, summer kings, and Sockeye....

I have a body who 2 years back did very well on the Cowlitz plunking the brad's superbait using a cork bobber to bob the SB in the current. I however have not had his success on the Columbia using it.