GS8 - Only one brief capsizing reported - WTG, Everybody!

he might of been giving meth a break because he was mowing down all our food.

He might have just switched over to weed for the night.  He had no shortage. 

It's happening down at the Cove.  Salmon up to 20 pounds have been caught consistently since the opener 3 weeks ago.  The fish have been 60 to 70 feet down, and almost anything has been getting bit.  That's not to say that it's easy to get bit, but if you put in your time with a nice presentation you have a great chance of hooking up a 10 to 20 pounder.

Some common successful bait and tackle:

- Watermelon Apex (WMA) - this is run all alone behind a sinker release, DeepSix, downrigger or banana weight, or you can put it behind a flasher.  The advantages can be less rockfish and lingcod and knowing that you still have an attractive offering even after getting hit.

- Other Apex's known to get hit:  green and pearl, black and white...  Any color could be it.

- Spoons - silver, silver and blue, hammered, shiny...  they work, but, again, you never know what they're biting.

- Brad's Cutplug - pick a color, watch how your leader length affects the spin, pinch a half a chovie in the compartment...

- Herring or anchovies, either with or without a hoochie.

- A hoochie by itself over a slip rig or a single hook

I've said this every year for GS, and it's become more and more important for each of the past few years as the salmon action has picked up:

- consider running gear that will be legal if you catch a salmon, and remember that a very basic bait near the bottom can catch ALL species.  It's taking a chance to go barbless on your shrimpfly and leadhead as you may lose more fish, but salmon have hit those things, and you don't want to have to release a nice salmon because of illegal gear...

Pacific halibut season opens this Thursday, and I'm hoping to be down there for it.  Will report back here on NCKA!   

Really appreciate the info Eric. I'm due for a salmon this year (fingers crossed).
I'm a huge fan of fishing barbless on all my swim baits and hex bars.
I get better hook penetration and I have not noticed any difference between lost fish either way.
Keep the pressure on and you'll be fine.
Plus if you go barbless and are fortunate to get that salmon on your swimbait you get to keep it.

Really appreciate the info Eric. I'm due for a salmon this year (fingers crossed).
I'm a huge fan of fishing barbless on all my swim baits and hex bars.
I get better hook penetration and I have not noticed any difference between lost fish either way.
Keep the pressure on and you'll be fine.
Plus if you go barbless and are fortunate to get that salmon on your swimbait you get to keep it.

Zactly!     I hope you get one, Mike. 

I can't say enough about how disappointing it can be to pull up a salmon on gear that's not legal for that fish. 

Please don't get confused about the circle hook thing here too - that rig is only if you're using bait and not trolling.  In referring to swimbaits, leadheads, shrimpflies...etc., as long as you aren't using bait it just has to be single barbless - not circle and not fixed no more than 5" apart.

Also, remember that it's very common to catch lots of blacks and lingcod while trolling at the Cove.  The winner of the tourney could possibly just troll!  Even the greenies and cabs have been known to hit trolled gear.

Last, I hooked up and fought a large halibut while trolling at like 24 pulls in 45 to 55 FOW...  You never know what will hit, and that's part of what makes the Cove so special.   

Thanks for the tips Eric.

Eric, you sold me early last year. I don't even carry barbed hooks with me anymore when salmon is open. Bonus is fewer lost iron jigs since they dons snag up as easily as the barbed trebles.

I caught a small cabezon trolling for salmon at the cove this year. 

Eric-

Where do you think the best bets for halibut are? I've tried west of the airport to no avail during both incoming and out going tides.

-Murf

Where do you think the best bets for halibut are?

Steve - west of the airport is a great spot for all species, and out past the Whistle is too.  As long as you're in at least 40 FOW you have a chance...

After spending this weekend at BSS4 with a lot of the NCKA family I am more excited than ever for this event.

Where's the countdown?!?!?

link to a timer... cant figure out how to display it mid thread

http://www.tickcounter.com/countdown/2014may17/America+Los_Angeles/050000am/Gimmie%2520Shelter%25208

its getting close!!!!

Im trying to fit in time to get all the gear and mods done!!!! only 18 days left 

cheeeeee hoooooo


Aloha,

Isao

Time to find where the big flatties are hanging out.  Tomorrow are the mini size dabs and maybe a halibut will chomp on one so I know there around.  Then Thursday its the hunt for the big ones.  Oh and Im sure a chrome or two or three ill be caught too.  Perch by the beach too.  I should start my AOTY chase now with a 200pt fish.

So being one of the new guys to fish GS tourny, what I am seeing is go barbless on everything, Jig heads, bar jigs, shrimp flies, ect.  correct?

So being one of the new guys to fish GS tourny, what I am seeing is go barbless on everything, Jig heads, bar jigs, shrimp flies, ect.  correct?

Sarge - remember that song from the 70's, "the Pusher Man"?  I'm not sure it was from the 70's, and I'm not sure it was called the Pusher Man, but it went like this:

"God Damn!  The Pusher Man..." 

When it comes to going barbless and focusing all your effort on salmon, I am the Pusher Man.   

I think the vast majority of participants will fish conventional rockfish/lingcod gear nearer to shore and especially around kelp, and I don't expect many to go barbless. 

I just like to get the message out there loud and clear:  it's very possible to hook a salmon (with as many hooks as we get in the water that day, SOMEONE is going to hook a salmon), so BE READY.

My aim is to help all anglers realize the goal of hooking and legally landing and keeping a salmon, as well as sending a clear message that if you land and keep a salmon you had better have used the legal gear.  No one's looking to get deputized by DFW and start an investigation, but if a salmon catch sounds fishy (witnesses stating it wasn't legal mooching gear/not barbless/treble...etc.) that person should expect some scrutiny from the scoring team as well as possibly affecting a DQ decision.  I'm not trying to get heavy about this, but I feel it's a huge issue that everyone needs to understand:  our club and Gimme Shelter will not tolerate an illegally retained fish as part of a tournament or any other association with the club.  We are honorable to each other, the species we pursue, and ourselves.

I'll step off my soap box now.  Thank you.   

link to a timer... cant figure out how to display it mid thread

http://www.tickcounter.com/countdown/2014may17/America+Los_Angeles/050000am/Gimmie%2520Shelter%25208

its getting close!!!!

Im trying to fit in time to get all the gear and mods done!!!! only 18 days left 

cheeeeee hoooooo


Aloha,

Isao

That's the spirit island boy. Looking forward to getting you and Am on some big fish.