Mooching alternatives?

[tlingitwarrior]

Curious if anyone has tried mooching with anything other than cut plug herring? On a work charter in Homer last week we were killing them with a hootchie with a small piece of herring. Extremely effective, but then again I have caught silvers on bare hooks.

[Kardinal_84]

Curious if anyone has tried mooching with anything other than cut plug herring? On a work charter in Homer last week we were killing them with a hootchie with a small piece of herring. Extremely effective, but then again I have caught silvers on bare hooks.

They seem like they hit anything if you find them. I especially like the heads off a cutplug on a single hook. Rig it to spin and it works awesome! We caught about half of our fish on hoochies with a tiny piece of herring. I put on tailpieces off a green label herring that were less than an inch long on a single bare hook and it seemed to work great.

When we cleaned the fish, we found tons of sandlances but also pieces of cut herring, cut plugs, and whole horse herring with the tails cut off. Man, they were just eating ANYTHING! I'm sure its not always like that. but it seems when a lot of fish are around, their competitive instincts will make them hit just about anything. It's amazing to think these silvers spend less than 2 years in the ocean and get so big. Eating machines!!!

[Paul H]

When mooching for silvers I fillet the herring and cut the fillets into ~1" wide strips. Have landed plenty of fish that way.

Then again, I've also used jigs, buzz bombs, spoons and spinners.

[FishGod]

As Paul mentioned, I've caught them on everything from spoons, jigs, plastics, and hootchies. Chartreuse green hootchies are my favorite. Lately I've been filleting my sardines and herring and then cut the fillets into offset square portions or diamond shapes. Put that on a single hook and it spins like crazy and works wonders.

[Frostbitten]

Mooching with a Brad's Bait has definitely proven effective.

[Sobie2]

I understand they might not make them anymore but I just bought some.

Sobie2


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[BrownBear]

...mooching with anything other than cut plug herring?

Oh yeah. In addition to cutplug and hoochies with herring, we use tube jigs (especially white or chartreuse) with and without herring strip within, flies, rigged herring strips, small marabou jigs, softbait lures and more. Plastic worms, especially in pink or chartreuse can be deadly beyond your dreams.

If it's at the right place and moving, it will get their attention whether they hit it or not. When my brother visited from warmer climates he brought some rubber frogs as a joke. Tried them mooching, and caught silvers!

[c6 batmobile]

Couple weeks ago I used a squid jig that they were destroying but I had to switch it out because it really needs a hook closer to the top. I switched out to a P-line laser jig with a bright green back and they wore that out too. Made my hands smell a lot less without having to bait hooks.

[akfisherman]

I was fishing last summer and I didn't have my favorite mooching rig with me so being the McGyver that I am.....I tied a couple hooks on to my Visa card and bam! I was on fire. Ripping silvers out of the water like a machine. After a bit my buddy did the same thing....but nothing nada not even a nibble....after I limited out I checked his setup and he was using an American Express....I quickly explained to him that visa is accepted world wide and not everyone excepts American Express

[healerf18]

Haha. I wonder if a Capital One card would have worked - "What's in your wallet?"

[AK2AZ]

I understand they might not make them anymore but I just bought some.

Sobie2


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These are available at B&J's as of last night...bout a dozen on the shelf for those that are interested.

[Garyak]

These are available at B&J's as of last night...bout a dozen on the shelf for those that are interested.

I'd suppose that herring threaded inline, as you've pictured before and used on that charter we were on last summer, would be pretty slick for mooching or even casting from shore.?.

[AK2AZ]

I'd suppose that herring threaded inline, as you've pictured before and used on that charter we were on last summer, would be pretty slick for mooching or even casting from shore.?.

Absolutely Gary but it is a lot of work with several people fishing and when the bite is hot. I normally go bait-free unless I am anchored.