Mooching questions

So much good info in this thread, Thank you!
Also salmon newbie here.  Would a Daiwa VIPA196 8' 10-25# be noodle-y enough to mooch or would it be too al dente and only fit for trolling? 

I can’t speak for the rest of the state but locally, two things really killed mooching (on the larger fishing front).  The mandated use of circle hooks was widely unpopular amongst the greater sportfishing fleet. Party boats host peeps of all skill levels and not all are able to adapt to the concept of holding still and not setting the hook. Also, the disappearance of massive congregations of baitfish.  Mooching was usually best when large schools of anchovy were allowed to cluster up and hang out together for a couple weeks.  Fish were able to really school up and hang with the bait.  I think the inshore conditions are not really hospitable for these larger schools to build up anymore.  I’ve also heard, especially in Monterey, that the seiners fishing forage fish were pretty adept at locating the bigger bait schools and seining them or breaking the schools up before they really have a chance to stack up into xxl size schools. 

Since the bait gets scattered, trolling is an effective way of covering water and finding the fish.  You can still mooch them when you find the bait, it’s just a bit harder to get on a ball with feeding fish.  If you’re in a hot bite in a general location, and find bait, mooching would be a fun and effective way to target them.

good  info - thanks, and the quote is awesome

so maybe troll till you find a bait ball, mooch some, or trooch the whole time.

sounds like my style of fishing   is this anymore or less effective than trolling?

There’s no question about it. I’ll put 5 bucks on it. In general, over a lengthy period of time and distance covered trolling will catch more fish than mooching. As mentioned, much higher chance of coming across schools of salmon vs staying in one spot.

For me, the fun of mooching is hitting the jackpot where everything lines up. Bait, drift, salmon, my presentation, and the ensuing fight.

If you want to catch, you should probably troll 

sounds like my style of fishing   is this anymore or less effective than trolling?

If you want to catch, you should probably troll 

yep, that makes sense.

Right on guys! You all have answered so many of my questions. This forum is awesome. Thanks a lot to everybody and their advice

Yay mooching. I’ve given it a serious study over the last two seasons. Any reel should be fine including your Avet. Check, on a bendy rod. Think a 10-15# rod, noodle. Need that bend to keep tension. Light mono. I use 20#. Some go as light as 15#. My leader is 17# fluro. Again want that stretch. Light drag. Like 2# max. Takes a lot of nerves fighting a 20# salmon at 2# drag from a standstill!!! Wind wind wind no line come, until mr hook nose decides to charge my yak then gain gain gain, oh we meet eye to eye then he swim swim swim away taking more line and we rinse and repeat. Oh my heart is pumping just thinking about mooching!! It takes patience but give it a try. Come join us otw this fall. We will mooch, drift and tell stories and banter since we will have no where to go in a hurry 

Im in!

And yeah, I'd love to get out there with some of you Bobo salmon slayers to watch and learn

I was thinking about picking up a Lami Classic Glass. Maybe a CG 86 MHC - Classic Glass 10-20lb 8'6" or a CG80GH. Something along those lines. A guy was showing me a x-11 in the 10-20 wt  8'6" (I think). Any thoughts on the x-11 vs the glass? Are there any favorites out there?

Right on guys! You all have answered so many of my questions. This forum is awesome. Thanks a lot to everybody and their advice

Yay mooching. I’ve given it a serious study over the last two seasons. Any reel should be fine including your Avet. Check, on a bendy rod. Think a 10-15# rod, noodle. Need that bend to keep tension. Light mono. I use 20#. Some go as light as 15#. My leader is 17# fluro. Again want that stretch. Light drag. Like 2# max. Takes a lot of nerves fighting a 20# salmon at 2# drag from a standstill!!! Wind wind wind no line come, until mr hook nose decides to charge my yak then gain gain gain, oh we meet eye to eye then he swim swim swim away taking more line and we rinse and repeat. Oh my heart is pumping just thinking about mooching!! It takes patience but give it a try. Come join us otw this fall. We will mooch, drift and tell stories and banter since we will have no where to go in a hurry 

Im in!

And yeah, I'd love to get out there with some of you Bobo salmon slayers to watch and learn

+1 Stealth patrol

Dang...that ski might surf Bo like a boss...

anyone have a good website or YT vid on the best way to rig for mooching? not as much for the rod, but the actual rig and how to rig the anchovy

I didnt the part you also need Circle hooks or must have missed it, I apologized. I like Trooching both RCG and Salmon. I'm trying this new method that so far I find it successful. Believed it or not, Im using a size one (1) circle hook. When I was tying my rig at the campsite, I was ask if Im going for trout hahahaha. Nonetheless, its producing. Oh Im using Shimano Calcutta 400. Works great.

Im using a size one (1) circle hook.

Dude that is awesome,  I am converting to some circle hookage, I use them for live bait mostly but trooching w circles was working great too, but I was using 1/0 lol. Easier to keep them on especially going barbless, hali kept shaking them still, but thats the game.

I also tried live lining those sardines at the cove w a circle hook but all I caught w that was a silver, perfect corner mouth hookset but I couldnt release it in time I ended up breaking the leader right at the eye, so he has a sweet lip ring now lol.

Hey guys thanks for the information  .iam gona head out tomorrow am & tooch we will see what i can find .happy fishing

One kind of rig for mooching:  As someone mentioned above, "threader" - it's a 10" or so wire-like needle with an open eye, like a hook, on the end.  You attach a leader to a circle hook, then snag the top few inches of leader in the threader eye and push the threader through a dead anchovy from nose to tail pulling the leader through the chovy until the hook is at the head, then put a tiny dental rubber band around hook and head to hold the hook in place and to keep the gills closed, take a half-hitch around the tail,  then tie the leader to the swivel at the end of your mooching (banana) weight.   Part of a wine cork on the sharp end of the threader makes it safer to stow and easier to spot the threader in your tackle box.    Have several leaders/hooks made up and ready to go.   And be ready to reel  in like a maniac when  a big one hits it from below and it feels like you've lost the sinker and rig. And have a light drag for when the fish goes the other direction a few seconds later.  And a big-ass net for the final act of the opera.

One kind of rig for mooching:  As someone mentioned above, "threader" - it's a 10" or so wire-like needle with an open eye, like a hook, on the end.  You attach a leader to a circle hook, then snag the top few inches of leader in the threader eye and push the threader through a dead anchovy from nose to tail pulling the leader through the chovy until the hook is at the head, then put a tiny dental rubber band around hook and head to hold the hook in place and to keep the gills closed, take a half-hitch around the tail,  then tie the leader to the swivel at the end of your mooching (banana) weight.   Part of a wine cork on the sharp end of the threader makes it safer to stow and easier to spot the threader in your tackle box.    Have several leaders/hooks made up and ready to go.   And be ready to reel  in like a maniac when  a big one hits it from below and it feels like you've lost the sinker and rig. And have a light drag for when the fish goes the other direction a few seconds later.  And a big-ass net for the final act of the opera.

This is the method the local tackle shop taught me to use.  One problem I've been having is putting the rubber bands on.  First, it seems to require a lot of handling of the chovy and then it gets all mucked up and damaged.  Second, it seems really difficult to get the rubber bands to stay in place without just rolling off the nose.  Any tips there or is it just practice?  Also, I've been threading through the eye and out the tail.  Is there a better entry point that would help my rubber band situation?

I’ll usually mooch with herring as it’s a much sturdier bait.  I’ll even mooch with a cable baiter so when I troll for a bit I’m not wrecking my presentation.

Small diameter old cheapo laying around monofilament works also in lieu of rubber band/half hitch. One tied at head end and one at tail. Two overhand passes in initial knot mitigates slippage.