Mooching Kings in the salt

[kgpcr]

Wondering how many of you have mooched Kings in the salt. What did you use? any tips?

 

[Daveinthebush]

On PWS we usually catch them incidental to fishing silvers. So, if we stop to mooch them, whatever is rigged for silvers gets used. The only difference is depth, 100-120 feet.

 

[NorcalBob]

Do it all the time. Very effective in locations you know there are fish. I typically troll to find them, and then mooch for them when I find them. Mooching rigs are very simple, a weight on a sliding sinker rig, tyed up to a 7 foot mooching leader with tandem hooks (where legal, otherwise single hook). You can buy pre-tyed leaders anywhere, but simple to make on your own. Bait is plug cut herring. I put in ball bearing swivels above my weight and below my weight on the leader to prevent twist. Weight is dependent on current/depth where the fish are. Anywhere from 2 to 8 ounces, but I typically go as light as possible. I use lighter lines on my mooching rigs, typically 15 #, but I go up or down depending on conditions. Pretty simple stuff.

 

[kgpcr]

Do it all the time. Very effective in locations you know there are fish. I typically troll to find them, and then mooch for them when I find them. Mooching rigs are very simple, a weight on a sliding sinker rig, tyed up to a 7 foot mooching leader with tandem hooks (where legal, otherwise single hook). You can buy pre-tyed leaders anywhere, but simple to make on your own. Bait is plug cut herring. I put in ball bearing swivels above my weight and below my weight on the leader to prevent twist. Weight is dependent on current/depth where the fish are. Anywhere from 2 to 8 ounces, but I typically go as light as possible. I use lighter lines on my mooching rigs, typically 15 #, but I go up or down depending on conditions. Pretty simple stuff.

Thanks for the response! i have mooched silvers many times so its really the same. For silvers i have a blue chrome diamond jig that is lethal on silvers. i will try and see what kings think of it

 

[4merguide]

First king I caught in the salt was a 30#er that slammed a chunk of herring when we were fishing for halibut in about 20' of water.

 

[tlingitwarrior]

Have mooched for salmon for 30 years. The best way to fish IMHO. Lots of Youtube videos on the subject from folks around Vancouver Island and SE Alaska. Biggest piece of advice I can give is when you get the bite, DO NOT set the hook. Reel down to load up the rod, then you can do a light to medium hook set. Mooching is all about moving that bait through the water column. My bait is never stationary for more than a second. Silvers are like girls from my hometown of Valdez....they'll hit anything. Kings are much more selective and bait presentation is key. Reels with line counters can be very helpful. Good luck.

 

[Fish Witch]

I've caught a lot of kings mooching. Best was in a small bight on Culross across from the Ester hatchery back when they raised kings. Got 5 in less than an hour. I also caught one while halibut fishing on the bottom in 300' of water on my halibut rig with a circle hook. Really weird fight. Couldn't tell what it was until I got it to the surface.

 

[mark knapp]

That sounds like a lot of fun, I've never done it but I read an article in Fishing Alaska where a guy would find structure near rocky shores, in relatively shallow water, that held kings and mooch there.