On our recent fishing trip to British Columbia, Rob’s mate Sandy yells out over the rumble of the twin 500 hp Caterpillar diesels, “Snap, pass me that hoochie and the dodger”.
“What the hell is a hoochie? Or a dodger?” I thought to myself. I had no idea what he meant. With blank look on my face, I had to apologise, “Sorry mate, I’ve got NFI what you’re talking about!”
Sandy rolled his eyes and patiently teaches us the lingo of salmon trolling in B.C.
Hoochies – A hoochie is a small imitation squid lure. Those we used were only small –about four to five centimeters in length. Best colours are red or pink. The lure was rigged with 2/0 to 3/0 sized hooks.
Flashers and Dodgers – These are fish attractors rigged between the lure and the downrigger release or attached separate from the fishing line on the downrigger weight. These attractors flash and vibrate, imparting an erratic action to the lure. The difference between a flasher and a dodger is the way they run through the water. A dodger has a side to side motion while the flasher spins with full 360 degree rotations.
Bombs or Cannonballs- these are the large lead weights that hold the downrigger line deep in the water. The vary in size from around 10 lbs ( 4.5 kg) to 15 lbs (6.75kg). They come as a round ball - exactly like a cannonball or in various shapes with fins or wings. These are heavy and will make a real mess of toes or the boat deck if dropped.
FishMax Sockeye Salmon Fishing Tip No. 1 - Less is more with these hoochies. Try thinning out the lure's skirt to leave only 4 to 5 strands. Sockeye have even been caught with just a few strands of red yarn tied to a red hook.
FishMax Sockeye Salmon Fishing Tip No. 2 - Troll slowly - the slower the better. Aim for a trolling speed of 1.5 to 2 knots.
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