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Topic: "Fish Pills" - anyone ever use these?  (Read 1125 times)

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  • "Being on the water...it replenishes my soul"
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I found these at Cabela's....they looked interesting at $3 a bag. Has anyone had any luck with these?
:smt117
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polepole

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Good for steelheading.  Adds a little floatation to a cluster of eggs.

-Allen


LoletaEric

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When you 'lasso' some roe onto a bait-holder hook (loop in line comes through eye to literally wrap around your roe and be tightened down) you put the Fish Pill onto the (barbless usually) hook and around the shank a bit so it holds the roe in place along with the line loop.  It's a specific method and very effective.  Other than that, I could see using them just as a float to get your bait off the bottom, but their main use is what I have described, IMO. 

$3/bag is a good price.

 :smt001
« Last Edit: August 05, 2013, 09:14:01 PM by LoletaEric »
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  • "Being on the water...it replenishes my soul"
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Thanks PolePole and Eric - I am glad to know I can put these to use. You know how it goes....you go up and down the isles with all of the wonderful lures, dodgers, worms, hooks.......and then you spot something you haven't noticed before!

You never know if it's worth it or not...but these looked cool. Great pictures Eric!

-Cherie
:smt117
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sonoramike

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I watched a guy last year at melones out fish all the power bait bankies. Using only those with procure on them.


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Squidder K

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May also be good for a strike indicator when fly fishing?
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Clayman

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Fish Pill + roe = salmonid candy  :smt003

Like Eric said, it's a great combo for drifting bait for steelhead and salmon in the rivers.  The Pill will help to make your bait a little buoyant so it's drifting right in the strike zone, just above the bottom.  Plus it adds a little extra color to the bait.

HOWEVER, there's a catch with these things: they come off a barbless hook quite easily.  You'll lose your Pill pretty much every time you set the hook, snag up, rebait multiple times, etc.  So then you have these colorful little styrofoam balls floating around (or whatever they're made of).  If you check out any little eddy on the lower Klamath River, you'll see dozens of them littering the surface.  As a result, if the bite is really "on," I'll switch to something that slides on the line like a Corkie.  I start feeling guilty when every time I set the hook I'm basically putting garbage into the river.

So in a nutshell, when the bite's tough and I'm not getting much action, I'll use Fish Pills.  But if I'm getting a lot of bites (say, from smolts and little fish every few casts) and I keep "donating" Fish Pills to the river, then I'll switch to a Corkie.
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I always use them with roe for steelhead.  Make a "taco" of roe around the fish pill and secure with your egg loop.

Bushy

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  • "Being on the water...it replenishes my soul"
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I'm going to ask a novice question - what is a "corkie"? Can you post a pic?
:smt117
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Abdiver

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what is a "corkie"? Can you post a pic?

Basically the same concept except you slide it on your line.



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Abdiver

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Or if you want to add a little flash you can use a Spin-n-Glow.

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The fish pills are made by mad river outfitters out of arcata Ca. Here on the coast we use them for everything. I will take the orange and red ones and soak them in liquid krill and the trout go crazy over them on lewiston. I scale my salmon set up down and drift for them in the current so i can have some practice for this fall!  :smt003


  • "Being on the water...it replenishes my soul"
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Wow, very cool guys. Love the pics - I can't wait to try them!
:smt117
A.K.A. "Pikachu" (according to Rockfish)
2012 Eddyline Caribbean 14