****GUIDE JOSH LEACHE’S TRICKS & TIPS
January 3rd, 2010
FEBRUARY EDITION BY JOSH LEACH
By Guide, Josh Leach
In the past 10 years, side drifting for steelhead has taken over for most boat fishermen & guides. Side drifting, or gliding, is very effective because you can cover a lot of water quickly. It also allows you to present the bait, dirfting naturally, for the entire length of a run or hole.
A naturally drifted bait is very hard for a steelhead to resist. Side drifting (gliding), when done from a driftboat, is a team effort: The anglers have to both cast exactly where the oarsman says to cast….you must place the baits 5-7 feet apart and at the same distance from the boat. The oarsman works hard to keep the boat in position so it doesn’t push or pull the lines out of the (intended) slot.
When it comes to gear I like to use spinning outfits for side gliding (drifting). These are much easier for rookies (beginning anglers) to cast accurately versus a baitcasting outfit. For rods; I like a rod rated from 6-12# test and one that is 7′6″ to 8′6″ (short by other methods and standards). There is no need for long rods such as 9′ or 10′ in a driftboat and you will only find yourself playing swords with the other anglers in your boat.
On my rods I run reels that hold between 100 & 120 yards of a 12# monofiliament. This is preferrably a high-viz mono so it’s easier to track. The steelhead will not mind the high visibility of this as a main line….so long as I run a flourocarbon leader. (This is the only way to go for leaders.) In low and clear water I will go as low as 6# flourocarbon. I will go as high as 10# in murkier flows. Any regular drift-fishing bait of your choosing will work at the end of your line: Rags (any number of variations), pink worms & eggs are my favorite to use.
The “KEY” to side gliding, and what is so very important to remember, is to get the bait to “glide” down the river. (Dragging a drift bait behind the drift boat is not side drifting.) You want to ‘tick’ bottom every 2-5 seconds. That is what works best in my experience. In order to maintain this recommendation I strive to keep the lines at a 60-45 degree angle…downstream of the boat (this allows for quick up river rowing reaction when neccesary.)
If you put these tricks to use, I’m sure you will demystify the side-drifting technique. IF you still can’t get it down, just give me a call or ping my website through this fine blog you are reading here now…Allaroundangler.com.
Best of luck,
Josh Leach of Josh Leach Guide Service (offering drift boat, big river sled and water fowl guided trips in full or half day options….)
Any parathesis were added by h3llcat for clarification. Some words, sentence structure was changed from it’s orginal submission per my discretion. Thank you. Site Founder
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JANUARY 2010 EDITION:
JANUARY 2010…JOSH LEACH
When I first started fishing out of a drift boat at the age of 15, plug fishing was the most popular technique for catching salmon and steelhead from a drift boat. It is still on of my favorite ways to catch fish, especially if it is slim pickin’s. I’ve had a chance over the years to hone my skills and I’ll be sharing a few tips and tricks on rigging that I hope increase the amount of fish on the end of your line.
PLUGS
When I fish plugs in the tributaries I flat line them without divers or lead. All I do is tie the duo-lock they come with to the end of my top shot. The plugs themselves I will change the hooks from treble to siwash. Siwash hooks seem to hold the fish better once hooked, not to mention it is much easier on natives when you have to release them. My most popular plugs are Extreme Kwikfish in sizes K13, K11, and K9. I also use 9900 Tadpollies and Hotshots in sizes 25, 30, and 35. Pinks, purples, oranges and metallics are all good producers, but on the rivers I fish Pink gets the most playtime.
DIVERS & BAIT
There are two primary ways to rig a diver with bait, fixed in line and sliding. I use both, but tend to prefer sliding.
A Brad’s Magnum Diver is a great choice for a fixed in line rigging because it adds action to your bait and doesn’t dive once you are hooked up. The only draw back is it doesn’t dive as deep as a Jet Diver. You don’t want your leader any longer than five feet or you’ll find yourself snagged up a lot. The Brad’s is a great choice for shallower water and pink worms or flies.
Jet Divers are my go to diver for holes over six feet deep. I like to rig these sliding so I can play with leader and dropper lengths. I’ll tend to use bait instead of worms with this rig. A new plastic bait, Gulp 3” Ghost Shrimp, should work very well instead of using live Sand Shrimp. It will be easier on the fish and the wallet than the real deal because one bait will last multiple fish and the fish will not swallow it like the live ones. Thread them on your leader straight and you’re in business.
Another rig that is also very effective is called the “Wacky Rig” by a few of my friends and I. Instead of using a Jet Diver, use a plug. It wont dive as deep as a Jet Diver 20, but a K13X will dive to 15’ with a bait and 75’ of line. What I like best about it is you have the best of both worlds, plug and bait in the zone. Just be sure to follow the regulations on how many hooks you can use. Plugs work just fine with a tail hook and you only need one hook for your bait. Give it a try, you might be surprised with the results.
JOSH LEACH IS A SALMON, STEELHEAD & STURGEON FISHING GUIDE SPECIALIZING IN THE OREGON NORTH COAST AND THE COLUMBIA RIVER…..BOOK HIM TODAY TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME A MORE EFFICIENT ANGLER.