springers

[klickman]

Thanks for the tip and the pictures I will try it and it looks like it would be easier to wrap the sardines. Thats the same quickfish we used only ours had the color on both ends.                   

When you rig your kfish use a barrel swivel on the tailhook eye for your larger plugs k15 and k16's.  If you are running k14's or smaller and also mag warts use a beadchain swivel off of the front hook eye.  Hope this helps

KLICKMAN

[buckhorn2]

What size hooks do you recomend that I use.

[HawkenBob]

Before you go switching to siwash hooks let me ask a couple more questions.
Are your rods laying almost flat when in the holders?

Are your rods moderate and slow or fast to extra fast?

Here is why I ask. When a fish hits the plug he immidetly starts shaking his head. If your rods are high angles or too soft it will be too much give and he will just keep shaking. In this cold water he's probaly not being as aggressive as say 48 to 50 degree water. So he shakes and shakes cause he dosent feel a pulling resistance, as well he isnt getting deep on the plug causing the plug to come free.

By using fast, but preferebly extra fast rods layed flat almost he immediatly feels the resistance and turns and runs hooking him in the corner of the mouth were he should be hooked. When he turns he is setting the hook with the drag tension, not a floppy, soft rod.

Dont pick it up if its just bouncing up and down, let him turn and burn. And really set that hook deep in the corner.

We always say, dont pick it up till its peeling drag. Keep your drag about 6 to 7 pounds. You will tighten a bit as you go...

K-15's have exellent trebles. Rarely do I see twisted hooks. I know trebles work against eachother but if ya let em turn and burn you will be fine.

If your already doing all this then try Siwash. Id say 5/0 to 6/0.

Good luk out there. Dam counts are finally rising!

[HawkenBob]

Anther hint if your using soft rods is to gun the trolling motor. This makes him feel resistance and he turns and burns. This is especially inportant when using single hooks. Even in my drifter, I hammer the sticks as soon as the plug rod smashes.

[GigPig]

Hey Buckhorn2 when are you going to use herring???   

[buckhorn2]

GigPig when you get out there and catch me some. We caught a couple on herring but it rained and blew the first 2 days and with the top up the wind blows you and it;s hard to troll so easier to use quickfish and cook elk steak on the barbeque. Holler if you and Joe come clamming .

[klickman]

I would use anything from a 4/0 for your smaller plugs up to a 7/0 on your k16's.  The owner cutting pt. siwash hooks are incredible I don't think you can go wrong there. 

As for using a faster action rod I have to dissagree.  Yes you want backbone in a good plug rod but you want a softer tip so your plug will get the most action and when a king grabs a plug they will mouth it for quite a bit.  You want to let them eat it and then turn with the plug.  if they feel a bunch of resistance from the rod they will spit the plug more than they would with a softer rod.   

nice fish, I sure miss springers

Klickman

[fc2038]

buck--- nice lookin fish congrats.

[HawkenBob]

"As for using a faster action rod I have to dissagree.  Yes you want backbone in a good plug rod but you want a softer tip so your plug will get the most action and when a king grabs a plug they will mouth it for quite a bit." 

Ahhhhh, thats why the HSR series from Loomis is soooo good. Extra fast backbone, light action tip. Transmits the plugs action but dosent slow it down like a stiff board of a rod or a slowwwww action rod. This could be a thread in itself. But not knowing, or using specific plug series rods its up for discussion and opinion. So I agree with you too. You have to have a light tip. I should have went into more detail...

Hence my usage of GL3 HSR 1021's. IMO, best plug rod ever. Gl2's are good too, just a bit slower in the tip from the fiberglass mix.

[huntnphool]

Great info guys, keep it coming.

[klickman]

Hence my usage of GL3 HSR 1021's. IMO, best plug rod ever. Gl2's are good too, just a bit slower in the tip from the fiberglass mix.

Yep I agree.  I don't own one but I have fishe them before with a friend of mine.  Very sweet plug rod. 

I will be trying a 10'6'' shimano cennan this year on the kenai with plugs.  A friend of mine ran one last year and fell in love with it.  Plenty of back bone and a very spongy tip. 

Klickman

[cohoho]

As for twisting, I don't have alot of time here (one summer) but I know the numerous, numerous kings I have caught in AK in the previous 10 years have twisted any double set of trebles into a a lever against each other and quite a few pop out.  Last year while springer fishing I saw three or four (guide) boats all lose fish right next to the boat over and over.  All double treble set up and we didn't.  I am not trying to stir it up but lost too many super kings to let it happen to me again.....  The rods agree got to have that flex tip and huge amount of back bone.  Rods preferred can go on forever and forever on what is the best, everyone has their favorite.   

Now does anyone back bounce eggs here for kings? Off dipsy divers?  Wiggly Warts?  FIshed Kwik fish alot, but sometimes went to wiggly warts, alot smaller in size, mainly in pink or bright orange..... When the bite wasn't there...

[HawkenBob]

Regarding the Kenia I believe its a different situation. I mean your using a K-16 with a 50 jet diver in 6 to 8 feet of water. The things are dredging. From what I know they do it to slow the action down because lord knows the Kwickie alone is easily diving that far.

This last weekend we used K-15s with a 50 rigged slider style and 50 or so feet of line out and had no problem dredging bottom in 30 feet of water in Camas. Its nice cause you can move thoughout the lines especially later in the day when there thinning. Just stayed on the kicker with the TR1 engaged. Just watch the anchor lines below.
Gonna try it again once there are more fish in the river. Like Friday hopefully.

With a 50 jet and a plug the rod becomes more of a nil point imo.

Cohoho, can you shed more light on the Kenia style and why they use the 50 with a k-16?

[cohoho]

I hope I didn't state it in the previous , but not using the dipsy diver with big K-15, it alone is good for the shallower water of the Kenai, where we used dipsy was with eggs back bouncing through holes.  Used it extensively on very fast rivers like the Klutina south of Glenallen.  For some slower rivers like Deshka and sloughs used a #5 or #6 vibra fox with a pink blade as slow as you could possibly reel then slow down right....      It produced every time, well as Kings go everytime...      But also with just a big spinner corky and eggs too, again back bouncing through holes.  I just don't here eggs being utilized here very much???  Are they?  Man that is what I want the TR-1 set-up sweet set up for sure.  Fish on and good luck Friday, going to try and get out Sat for some action...

[HawkenBob]

Backbouncing Bonni pool with eggs is the biggest producing area on the Big C. 1000 boats a day limiting. But, you have to wait for the counts to go up bigtime. The 25th thru the first week in May should be bonkers if the run is late and it comes back with high numbers as predicted.

Its a 40 foot deep turbulant area so 12 oz weights and wrapped eggs are the norm. Dont wrap your eggs and there gone in about 5 bounces as its constant, never stop arm raising. the boat is going down so fast you cant rest. Grueling on the arm but limits galore! I mean up to 600 fish a day checked during peak.

Its getting later and later every year as the run timing backs up every year.

When the counts get into the 1000 a day get your egg game on.