By utilizing fishing floats and stops for salmon in tidewater rivers, many anglers adapt the techniques used in mooching to a relaxed, pre-spawn type of fishing.
This method is used all up and down the west coast, from the estuaries and river mouths of the warm waters of California right up to the cold waters of Alaska.
Fishing with long lines and floats can be a lot of fun for a group of people, and for this reason many guide outfits will arrange for a day or two out on the wide river mouth for their clients.
The scenery is wonderful, the tackle is simple, and if the salmon aren???t biting there is always the chance for some good trout fishing towards the end of the day. When the salmon are biting, though, the excitement levels run high.
The floats used for tidewater fishing are generally bobbers, which are baited with eggs suspended just above ground level under the water. Most anglers use a couple of different egg cures among their tackle, because variety is the key to success when you are out after salmon.
Although not very complicated, tidewater fishing in this method does require the correct usage of fishing floats and stops for salmon, along with the other rigging used. Stops can be purchased through a sporting goods store or the guide outfit, or you can simply create your own stop in a line by tying a good knot in it. Stops are used on the water end of the float in order to set the depth of the bait, so it???s a pretty critical piece of equipment.
You???ll also want to included some weights and swivels as part of your tackle on this set up, with your leader running off of one side of the swivel and a light weight set on the other to hold the depth you want. Don???t use the same depth on all the lines out of the boat at first; instead, wait until you see where the salmon are biting at and then rig your lines accordingly.
Tackle, bait, line length, and the right floats and stops for salmon fishing are all important if you want success fishing the spots up and down the west coast where salt and fresh water begin to mingle. These areas offer up a wide range of successful fishing tactics, as the salmon have not yet had their spawning instincts totally triggered; the flesh is still tasty, and best of all they are still eating normally.
It???s really the only chance an angler has to adapt the popular mooching method to a fresh water environment.
