lining fish

[Browntrout5]

I have been reading a lot of threads touching on whether or not a salmon will actually take your flie, eggs, etc.... with the intention of eating it. Some say fish that are hooked in the mouth or face could have been lined. I have been thinking a lot about this and just wanted to add my opinion. I think we will all agree that if we use a large diameter leader we dont hook nearly as many fish. When we downsize to 4,5,6,7 pound lines, or some type of flourocarbo with a small diameter we increase hookups dramatically. My butt section on my leader I use is 10' long and 10lb diameter. I am sure this a fairly normal set up. Wouldnt the butt section lay horizontal or flat across the river, thus lining the fish? It just seems that if you were actually lining fish, you would continue to line fish if your leader was 5lb test or 10lb.Its not necessarily the leader that lines the fish its the butt section. Am I wrong with this? The size of the leader wouldnt make a difference. I just think if the hookups increase with smaller diameter line, it would give some credibility that the Salmon actually do "take" your offering. I have always found the fish I accidentally snag are ones where I felt pressure on my line, I pull my line free or set the hook because it felt like a take and fish on. I am not sure if I did accidentally line it. Last year I snagged a fish after yanking my fly loose from a snag. I was hooked on rocks and gave it good yank and when my fly snapped free, I hooked a salmon. I guess snagging fish is almost inevitable some times. I just wanted to add my two cents.

[woolybugger65]

I guess snagging fish is almost inevitable some times. I just wanted to add my two cents.

BT5, i don't think you meant to state it this way. maybe you meant "lining a fish..". anyway, everyone has an opinion on this topic. as long as we don't lift or rip everything else is OK with me. i believe you can't help but to line a fish sometimes. man, some of the techniques i've seen used on the river are very effective, although not as blatant as ripping, they are questionable.

[toolmaker66]

Funny how you mention about freeing your fly and getting a salmon. Down here on the susquehanna river when jigging for walleyes seems like a majority of the bites come right after I get the jig wedged and when it pops loose I get a hit. Not sure if it is reaction from a following fish and the sudden urge hits when it thinks the meal is getting away? Sometimes I think I miss trailing fish because I don't retrieve fast enough. When the water is clear you can see them following the jig but by the time you see it it is too late to give it a good escape like pull. They simply go back to deeper water. Found i get more by giving it a good hard jig a time or two while retrieving. Know it's a little off topic but that sparked my memory.

[champlain fisher]

Smaller line makes it harder for the fish to see giving them lees time to move out of the way. If you are presenting and not jerking your bait through the water and you got a fish hooked in the mouth then don't worry about if you think it bit or you lined it. Even when fishing to them(not jerking your rod) you are going to foul hook some but more will be hooked in the mouth than in the motor(tail). Some fish will strike but with the amount of yankers and plunkers the fish are more into finding cover:eek: than striking at something. Go out and fish to them and enjoy the thrill of hooking and fighting the fish, if you know the fish is foul hooked either break it off or let it go after landing it. Once I know that the fish is foul hooked I break it off to avoid getting flack from the DEC and not take away from others fishing time, IT IS ONLY A FISH. It depends on the angler as to what they want to do when they have a foul hooked fish on and thats their choice. If I am standing waiting for someone fighting a foul hooked fish I will say that fish is foul hooked as they are tying up the pool or run with a fish that is not legal to keep even if they want to.

[woolybugger65]

i can't begin to tell you how many times i've waited for someone fighting a foul hooked fish. it jumps out of the water and you see this huge piece of sponge right on the tail. i might be wrong but i don't think they usually smack it with their tail first before snapping at it.
i have to laugh when you tell them it's a bad hook and they say it isn't. the only one laughing is the DEC when that fish is beached!

[Salmonfan]

As to whether or not the fish bite, I'd have to say "sometimes". I've seen them come up and grab it, but I think it's more out of irritation - as far as I know they stop eating. You can trigger a strike, but it needs to be presented in such a way as to get the fish mad at your bait and bite out of (for lack of a better term) anger. I've seen alot of questionable tactics from people who are just gunning to tie into the salmon as they run, but if you're trying to do things properly, I don't think you'll have any problems with EnCon people. And like CF said, if you've got it in the mouth then you're OK, whether lined or a strike, as it's still a legal hook up. Either way your on the caboose end of a freight train heading upstream, have fun!!!:)