Heads up giggers and flossers!

[salmonriverjohn]

Changes are coming for those that would rather snag/floss than fish. It has finally been implemented on the trask, and is being scheduled for three rivers next year, and possibly the Salmon river also.

While I would agree that bites can be had using corkies, it's the way they are being used by those that have no ethics that have, and are useing them to snag thats ruining for those that use them as a legitimate lure.

This is posted in updates in your ODF&W rules, and reads as follows:
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Trask River

Fly and bobber fishing only from Cedar Creek wooden boat slide (RM 10.9) downstream to Loren's Drift wooden boat slide (RM 9.0) from June 1 to July 31. Note: Bobber angling gear must include a bobber and a leader no longer than 36-inches. Any weight (except the bobber) may be no more than 36-inches from the lowermost hook when suspended vertically. The leader below the bobber must remain suspended in the water column and not resting on the river bottom.

Also, this from three rivers for this year:
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Three Rivers - mainstem

June 1 through June 30, use of leaders longer than 36-inches is prohibited. Hooks are limited to no more than 1 single-point with 3/8-inch gap width (approximately size #2) or smaller.
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This is flat out a result of snagging/flossing. We have now lost the ability to use corkies and/or lures on the Trask, and it will probably be coming to a river near you soon,,,, thank a snagger next time you see them doing it!

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[KONE KILLER]

Not like that will stop them... It has been banned on the Washougal as well, but they never get any of the people at the bridge that do it.... They could make $$$$$$ if they showed up, walked down the line, and handed out tickets...
Almost cried for a big ol' chinook that was snagged in the tail, trying to swim away, but getting pulled in backwards... All hes trying to do is get him a little piece of fin...
Glad I swing flies as well as flip a bit of gear...

 

[salmonriverjohn]

This new law was inspired by the local State police that are at wits end with the situation Kone Killer. They now have the blessing of the judges and prosecutors. The two local game wardens that patrol these areas are avid fisherman and hunters that absolutely detest snagging/flossing of any kind. They are already seeing an impact on the slobs. When hit with a major fine, restitution, loss of gear and revocation of rights, it doesn't take long for the word to get around. All I can say is that it's about time.

The real loss is to those that have also lost the use of hardware. The issue seems to be that when stationary corkie snagging is taken away, the slobs were switching to spinners, what a shame that the actions of those that lack the ability to take a fish ethically have robbed others of theirs.

Take a look at a previous post in the fishing section>
Giggers, flosers and snaggers.

 

[KONE KILLER]

The only thing I dont get and just thought of is my leaders for fly fishing are 7'+ depending on the river I am fishing. 36" wont work very well for fly fishing....
Ohh well, not like I catch much any ways....

 

[coastal steelheader]

As much as I hate to see it, but having this spread all over OR and WA is probably a good idea

I'll miss like hell not being able to use corkies, cheaters, or okies but too many guys are abusing it. What drives me nuts is that you can go to you tube and these same assclowns will post vids of them flossing and noone nails them.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

My 1st Steelhead fell to a pearl/pink "lil" corkie around a half a century ago while drift fishing below Oxbow park on the Sandy river, but the way they are being used to floss fish down here on the coastal streams (and many other areas) has nothing in common with the way they were designed to be fished.
The slobs that come down and put a hollow core weight directly on their line and loosely crimp it around 40 inches or so are flat out poaching, and they know it. The salmon swims across the line and it either cross's their tooth line, pectoral fins or tail. The fish has only one motion, and that's forward. When they accelerate forward because of the line, the hook/weight flow to the fins or face which ever and you now have a foul hooked fish.
It's illegal, unethical and has no place on our waterways. The so called fisherman that use this technique are usually found fishing together, and the most common thing you'll hear when one gets hooked anywhere near the head is "right in chops" its Disgusting. They have ruined it for all that wish to use them legally, and now, wait for it,,,,,,, they will have to learn to cut bait, or go home. This should at least be interesting.

 

[coastal steelheader]

The problem is that guys who do nothing but floss have it down to a science. I've seen them use fixed weight with a foot leader, fixed weight with five and six foot leaders. I've watched them peg a toothpick into their corkie so it stays next to the hook (they would watch the corkie float under the surface and when it dipped they jerked. Worked pretty well even though all the fish came in tail first). When that doesn't work they just throw on as many trebles as they can find and rake it across the hole. The one thing I rarely see is fishermen calling these guys on their actions - and yes I'm as much to blame as anyone. If we chased these guys out of the holes or confiscated their gear this might end. I'd much rather see these things happen than fishermen turning into a bunch of snitches with 911 on speed dial.

 

[slightly disturbed]

I read it and I do not see where it says you cant use corkies. If use use gear you just have to use a bobber. corkies with eggs is deadly no matter what way you fish them. And they have started bearing down on the creeps at Big Creek. And I for one am stoked on that

 

[salmonriverjohn]

I believe your correct slightly disturbed, but the aim is to stop the flossing/snagging that's been getting rampant lately. I do think it's going to be tough to fish a corkie below a bobber, they tend to float.

 

[slightly disturbed]

small corkie with a big glob of eggs. The real problem is with people from "elsewhere" using buzz bombs. those things are deadly. and even with all the rules with no enforcement the lawbreakers will never stop.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Update: Its now official, next year ALL stationary corkie fishing has been banned on the Salmon river from the upstream deadline to Knights park at the mouth. Also all spinners must have a single siwash hook only. The assistant DA (Marsha Buckly) from Lincoln county is fully on board with prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law any and all game violations, so bring your check books if you want to risk it, the counties broke and could use the donations!
Hats off to the OSP wildlife officers that spearheaded this new law.

 

[fry]

"gigging and flossing" yikes, that just sounds ghey.

 

[coastal steelheader]

What do they mean by stationary corky fishing? Can I still drift corkies with yarn?
What about using cheaters and okies?

 

[salmonriverjohn]

What do they mean by stationary corky fishing? Can I still drift corkies with yarn?
What about using cheaters and okies?

Yes, you can still drift them, its when its on the bottom waiting for them to swim through the line that's been made illegal.
The actions of those that use this method to foul hook fish has brought this upon all of us. As I've been told, only spin and glows will be allowed to be used as a stationary lure.

It's regrettable that those of us who have chosen to ignore ethics, have taken a legal method of fishing and have used it to poach, "snag" fish to such an extreme that a law had to be implemented to ban the method from use.

If one has spent much time on the rivers here on the coast, they have witnessed this type of tactic in use. The Idea behind this method is that the fish having no reverse gear, swims into the line and accelerates causing the line to hook it anywhere from the head to the tail. Very few are actually hooked in the mouth while doing this.

If the fish does get hooked in the mouth, it's considered a "legal" catch, and there in lies their justification for using this method. If the ratio was one fish foul hooked out of twenty, this wouldn't be an issue, but the reverse is true. The foul hooked fish is dragged in sideways, backwards or whichever way its hooked, fought to exhaustion and in many cases kept.
When the behavior becomes a wink and nod method among those at a hole, it quickly becomes the accepted normal practice. Many young first time fisherman are seeing this as the way it's done, and the lack of ethics and regard for the fish and or the law grows.

I'm far from a bible thumping, died in the wool Izaak Walton purist, and while I hate to see new laws implemented, this is one that we have brought on ourselves through complacency and acceptance.

Its actions much like this that get shooting places closed, roads gated off and private lands closed to access. If the "Bubbas" and slobs of the hunting, shooting and fishing world are allowed to act unchallenged in this manner, this is how it far to often works out for the rest of us. It's a damn shame, but true none the less.

 

[marty8587]

Yes, you can still drift them, its when its on the bottom waiting for them to swim through the line that's been made illegal.
The actions of those that use this method to foul hook fish has brought this upon all of us. As I've been told, only spin and glows will be allowed to be used as a stationary lure.

It's regrettable that those of us who have chosen to ignore ethics, have taken a legal method of fishing and have used it to poach, "snag" fish to such an extreme that a law had to be implemented to ban the method from use.

If one has spent much time on the rivers here on the coast, they have witnessed this type of tactic in use. The Idea behind this method is that the fish having no reverse gear, swims into the line and accelerates causing the line to hook it anywhere from the head to the tail. Very few are actually hooked in the mouth while doing this.

If the fish does get hooked in the mouth, it's considered a "legal" catch, and there in lies their justification for using this method. If the ratio was one fish foul hooked out of twenty, this wouldn't be an issue, but the reverse is true. The foul hooked fish is dragged in sideways, backwards or whichever way its hooked, fought to exhaustion and in many cases kept.
When the behavior becomes a wink and nod method among those at a hole, it quickly becomes the accepted normal practice. Many young first time fisherman are seeing this as the way it's done, and the lack of ethics and regard for the fish and or the law grows.

I'm far from a bible thumping, died in the wool Izaak Walton purist, and while I hate to see new laws implemented, this is one that we have brought on ourselves through complacency and acceptance.

Its actions much like this that get shooting places closed, roads gated off and private lands closed to access. If the "Bubbas" and slobs of the hunting, shooting and fishing world are allowed to act unchallenged in this manner, this is how it far to often works out for the rest of us. It's a damn shame, but true none the less.

Amen!

 

[coastal steelheader]

I second that Amen

As I mentioned before there is an entire flosser subculture here in WA, and its grown because fishermen have become complacent an unwilling to say anything. Hopefully that changes, but I'd also love to see some proactive steps taken on the part of WDFW. It's well known that certain rivers are nothing but flosser conventions (Skokomish comes to mind) but you rarely see anyone busted for it. I'd love to see the game wardens do some kind of sting and nail a bunch of these guys, then make examples of them. Take their gear, take their vehicle, and give them nice big fines and make stupidity painful for once. Do that on a couple of rivers and I'm betting that flossing will be kept to a minimum.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

It's happening here now coastal steelheader. We have a local OSP officer that hates poaching as much as I do. Both he and his predecessor are local legends around here. Trooper Kehr has an ability it would seem, to be in three places at once. That is of course if you believe the snaggers that he keeps real nervous. He has a penchant for leaving with confiscated gear and trading it with the violator for a summons to appear in court. That's where it really gets good, the local Asst. DA pushes for prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, and the judges have fallen into agreement.

Notice is being served that it will not be tolerated any longer and the word is spreading like wildfire. There has been push back and teeth gnashing by those that will have to change their tactics or leave. There was even a small contingent of so called fisherman that who employ this tactic that showed up at the meetings and pushed for a small section of river to be left open to them to use this technique, but to no avail.

It took several years to get the Dept. fish and game on board with the changes in rules and increased fines, but by attending meetings, making calls and emails, you CAN make a difference.

We have established garbage cans and port a potties in areas that were once covered in trash and excrement, and those areas are coming around. We have placed discarded fishing line receptacles that have been put to use, it's always amazed me how many people throw fluorocarbon and monofilliment line into the brush,!@&*!

Through word of mouth, many have gotten on board with the idea, that together, we can change the behavior of those that would otherwise ruin it for all of us. If you have a good F&G officer that is willing to take the calls and take it on, people will start to help, and eventually the ball starts to roll and grow.

Many Thanks again to OSP senior Troopers, Kehr and Hathaway

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Well, new for 2013. The Salmon river is now officially off limits to those who choose to fish corkies thanks to the poachers that just couldn't help themselves. From August to December 31st you can no longer fish in any other method than Bobber and bait, fly fishing or a metal based lure with a single hook. We all owe a great big thanks to those among us who ruined it for everyone. Attention snaggers, it's still legal to snag Carp, why don't you head down to the slews and stay off the rest of the rivers before this happens everywhere?

Actually I think it's a good thing though and would personally like to thank Oregon state Senior trooper Ryan Kehr for pushing this through, he was as frustrated about this as most of us fisherman were. And while I hate to see a new law being instated, this one was brought on by those who lacked any ethics or morals regarding tactics, property trespassing, throwing their trash everywhere, and lack of respect for property owners. As such they have ruined it for those that chose to fish using this method correctly.

Now watch out because these lowlifes will be migrating like a horde of locusts to a stream near you since they wrecked it there.

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

I love the coastal rivers and fish mostly on the Nestucca, Wilson & Trask. I do not even know what some of these techniques are let alone know how to rig/use them. I wish there was some sort of hopper that I could dump all my gear into to be filtered; so that only legal equipment comes out.

I usually pass on the Salmon River at 101 because of the parking situation.

 

[44mag2ndamend]

Wow its getting fierce out there, sorry to hear that they are ruining it for ya. I usually get enough fish in the spring to feed myself into the year.