There are several different techniques used for salmon fishing, and for each technique there are strategies and equipment employed that may not work in other situations. This article will discuss the topics of the technique of mooching and center pin reels for salmon fishing.
Mooching
Mooching is the most relaxed way to go fishing for salmon; all you are doing is sitting in a stationary boat, drinking a beer, watching the clouds, the waves, and the tip of your rod. The action comes when you see that bend on the tip and it’s time to fight a fish.
Mooching is pretty appealing to many anglers as it is probably the least costly of the various boat fishing techniques, as well as being versatile. Just because it is tempting to sit all day long and contemplate life doesn’t mean you have to; you’ll probably find ample opportunity to cast (provided you’ve brought along the right gear) as well as jig up some of your own fresh bait.
The key to success in mooching is finding the right spot for salmon fishing. This will depend both on the time of day and the species of salmon you are out after; a general rule of thumb is that the bigger guys like chinook will swim at deeper levels. The best rods for mooching are the longest ones you can get; 10 and a half feet or so will keep the lines separated. Mooching and centerpin reels for salmon fishing are not very compatible, as we shall see in our next section.
Center Pin Reels
Some say that center pin reels were developed specifically for salmon fishing; to be more specific, they were made for fishing salmon out of streams and rivers. While they will be effective for casting in an ocean environment, the reality is that the fine precision of these reels means a lot of dollars go into their creation and are reflected in their price; you don’t want to risk them in the harsh salt water where mooching takes place if they aren’t built for saltwater environments.
Center pin reels are built to retrieve a lot of line with ease; one turn of the handle will keep the reel spinning for several minutes. There is no drag or gear ration built into centerpin reels, so it is just you against the fish. As with all reels, centerpins are designed in several different capacities; large rivers will require more line and thus more capacity, while smaller rivers and streams don’t need as large a reel for success.
A case could be made that mooching and centerpin reels for salmon fishing represent two different sides of the wide spectrum of salmon fishing; center pins require very active involvement on the part of the angler, the fish fighting on the other end of the line, with the reel eliminating some of the effort and time it takes to retrieve a line. Mooching, on the other hand, is passive fishing. Both involve the skill of an experienced angler to be successful, but very different levels of activity and are very different from using saltwater spinning reels for salmon fishing.
