How to catch salt water kings without downrigger?

[Western]

I'm curious on ways to catch saltwater kings without using downriggers. Should I try locating bait fish and mooching? I've had luck trolling for silvers with divers that can get down 30' to 50', but I'm assuming this isn't deep enough. Most of my early season fishing will be out of Seward and Whittier. No plans to hit Homer until July. If anyone has a good method and a general location to try it I'd appreciate the help.

Thanks

[sayak]

Why not...

... use banana sinkers in front of a flasher? I know plenty of folks who have success with that method trolling for silvers in K-Bay.

[AK2AZ]

... use banana sinkers in front of a flasher? I know plenty of folks who have success with that method trolling for silvers in K-Bay.

I`ve hooked kings with this rig...and a shark too.

[AKCAPT]

No downrigger?

I would say if you are going to try to fish Seward for early kings, you should find some way to troll. use a sinker release, cheapo downrigger, deep six...Something to get to where the fish are. Mooching or using a weight and a flasher in Seward will be way more of a crap shoot than keeping your baits in the right zone and covering some ground at the same time. Can you mooch Kings? Yes and I know of several people who have done well in the spring doing just that but it is the exception, not the rule. If you can afford the gas for your boat, you can afford a cheapo clamp on downrigger and a 6 pound weight.

[sayak]

AKCAPT is right.

You can buy some Cannon clamp-on downriggers, cannon balls and releases for relatively inexpensively. They work adequately, and will get you down to the fish... though not in style.

These are at Cabelas for about $75 each:

[CanCanCase]

I've had the greatest luck dragging a whole herring rigged behind a deep-six diver in early spring. Whole herring behind a banana sinker is tried and true for spring kings in many villages near Juneau... then again, that's not exactly fishing out on the big water... protected rocky bays and coves with heavy tidal flow.

-Case

[fishNphysician]

This is my poor man's downrigger.



If you choose the diver option, these are the best money can buy.

http://www.oldsaltytackle.com/

Click on "PLANERS" near the top of the page.

I prefer the No. 4 planer with the 8 oz. ballast... they'll dive to 100+ ft. I have used these trolling for salmon in the open ocean, the Columbia River estuary (Buoy 10), Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, and Neah Bay.

[T.R. Bauer]

While other have commented on buying a cheap downrigger, heck if you paid thousands for the boat what is a few hundred on a quality scotty or cannon downrigger? After all, the good ones last decades and take lots of abuse. If you are going to even get one, spend the money and get one you will enjoy using for years.

[AK2AZ]

There happen to be 2 for $150 on Craigslist right now. I picked up my Unitroll 4 electrics for $250 for the pair...list around $1,300 ea. Sometimes people don`t know what they have and if you pay attention you can clean up.

[fishmaster]

If you are fishing in cook inlet around Anchor point to Ninilchik, you dont need Down riggrers. I usually fish in 20' to 50' of water near shore. If the tide is running use more weight, as Kings are usually near the bottom. I like using flashers for Silvers but I have better luck without them for kings.
Anyway thats what I do
Good luck

[Western]

Thanks for the advice. I have an old set of downriggers that came with the boat, but have never used them. Suppose I should figure them out, buy the weights, clips, etc. and get fishing.

When is the best time to start prospecting for kings out of Seward? Maybe I should ask "when should a person start getting serious about heading down there".

Thanks

[AK2AZ]

As soon as the weather gets stable I would go. My bay boat is now 24" deep after yet another 8" last night and the ocean boat is going through surgery or I`d be out there next week.

[mmusashi2k]

Halibut rod downriggers?

More in the interest of saving room in my small boat, I wonder if anyone has ever tried or considered using a hali' rod with perhaps a 4# weight or so as a downrigger? I tried the search function and was unable to zero in on this topic although I'm sure it's probably out there. Should I start a thread on this?

[AkKings]

This works well for me,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKYjn...layer_embedded

[Gundog]

If you have a heavy rod (halibut rod) you could use it like a down rigger with a big canon ball weight and down rigger release then hook up your salmon rod on the release. A down rigger would be better but I sure wouldn't let it stop me from fishing if I did not have one. A diver would work also depending on how deep you want to fish.

Mike