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Before
you go out the door you grab that other tackle box, the one
with the heavy weights, the large, gaudy attractors, your
heavy plug rod, a chair, and out you go. Like most of us,
you have decided not to let a “little” weather
get in the way of your fishing, but instead, you will just
have to use a different technique. Today you will be a plunker.
Plunking
is most commonly used when the water level has risen substantially,
hopefully has begun to recede, but may still be rising, and
the clarity has changed from that wonderful steelhead green,
to chocolate milk with maybe a hint of green leftover. It
is a fairly simple fishing technique and works well for both
steelhead and salmon. In this technique, you understand the
fish will be on the move and you try to find a good location
to intercept them. You use a heavy rod and line, use enough
weight to keep your terminal tackle stationary, attach a large
and gaudy attractor and bait and scent to a large hook, pitch
the whole thing 2-10 feet out from shore, and wait for a bite.
Despite the adverse water conditions, the fish will find your
offering by sight, sound, and smell, and on occasion, will
aggressively attack it. Plunking is basically still-fishing
from the bank.
Locating
the fish - The fish will be on the move upstream.
They will seek out a path of least resistance, avoiding the
fastest turbulent water, and preferring areas where there
is less debris in the water. Small streams and tributaries
will often clear first, and the fish will tend to stop where
they find some clear water flowing into the main river. Otherwise
the best place to find the fish is very close to the shore,
often less than five feet from the shoreline and in water
that is less than three feet deep. Some say that if you are
wading into the river when plunking, you are likely to be
standing where the fish are traveling.
You may
be able to intercept the fish in several other areas as well.
The fish will travel along the inside bend of the river where
the water is moving the slowest. In addition, they may seek
refuge in pools and eddies that have less debris, ie sticks,
leaves, and silt in them. Definitely look for rocks large
enough for the fish to rest behind.
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Rigging for Plunking – Because
you will be fishing in a turbulent, fast moving river, you
will need stronger gear to fight your fish. A rod rated at
10-20 lbs, a sturdy reel, either spinning or level wind, and
15-20lb test line are in order.
There
are many ways to set up for plunking. One way is to attach
your main line to a three-way swivel. For the weights, attach
a 18-30 inch length of lighter pound test line with a snap
swivel at the end, and attach either a pyramid or pancake
shaped weight via the snap. Be prepared to use heavy sinkers;
it’s not uncommon to need 4-8 ounces of lead to keep
your rig in one place. There are two reasons for attaching
your weight via a snap swivel. First, it’s easier to
change weights as you dial-in to the appropriate amount, and
secondly, I have found that the weight can abrade your line
if attached directly, causing you to lose it. The final connection
is for your leader and bait. Because I usually use a spin-n-glo
with my terminal tackle, (see below), I attach my leader to
the three-way swivel with a snap swivel, to avoid line twist,
and use 18-24 inches of heavy leader, 15-20 lb test mono line.
The picture below shows two typical setups.
Typical
Plunking Rigs
The
Sliding Rig shown here yields a
drect connection between your main line and terminal tackle.
Shown below is a #1 hook with an egg
loop and a spin-n-glo and two small beads that serve as
a bearing. Use a large glob of roe or shrimp connected through
the egg loop.
The
Fixed Rig uses a three way swivel.
Shown here with a Sponge
Float and a #1 hook tied with an egg
loop. Use a large glob of roe or shrimp connected through
the egg loop and put a generous amount of scent on the Sponge
Float.
Some
guys will attach a removable bell to their rod tip to signal
a bite. I find them a nuisance especially when you are rushing
to pick up your rod, set the hook, and begin fighting your
fish and you have to first stop to remove the bell from your
dancing rod tip. I prefer to use my eyes rather than my ears
to detect a bite.
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Terminal
tackle – Plunking is no time to be shy
with your bait. The larger and the more gaudy the better.
The attractor of choice for plunking is the spin-n-glo.
Not only is it large and brightly colored, it spins in the
current creating a vibration and sound that attracts fish.
The spin-n-glos come in many colors, with fluorescent chartreuse,
white, and hot pink being good starting choices. Depending
on the water conditions you can even use multiple attractors.
Some use two spin-n-glos in tandem, and you can use Sponge
Floats or corkies and yarn in front of your spin-n-glo.
Don’t be afraid to use contrasting colors. Make sure
to use beads to separate your combo setups so they can act
as a bearing. Most fishermen also use a larger hook, 1/0 or
2/0, and some even use treble hooks.
Some fishermen
fish plugs from their leader. Flatfish, kwikfish, spinners,
and Wiggle Warts can all be fished on a plunking rig. Note
that you will probably need to use a slightly longer dropper
for your weights and more weight to keep the plug in place.
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Bait
& scent – Natural baits, roe, shrimp,
and worms work well for plunking. A larger presentation is
useful. A whole sand shrimp or a half dollar sized piece of
roe work great. Because your bait is subjected to swift currents
and debris floating by, spawn sacs to keep your bait intact
and Sponge
Sacs also work quite well. See our discussion on baits
here.
Scents
greatly enhance your fish catching ability when plunking.
Creating a “scent trail” behind your bait will
often attract a fish. A heavy, and frequently replenished
dose of scent on your bait certainly helps. You may also want
to fish different baits and scent in combination. Using a
sand shrimp and egg scent or visa versa is a good starting
point. Don’t be afraid to change scents during the day.
If one doesn’t work, try another. For more discussion
on scents, click here.
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Fishing
from shore – It couldn’t be any
simpler. Just toss your line into the river straight out or
slightly down stream, 5-10 feet, tighten the slack from your
line, place your rod in a rod holder, and wait for a bite.
Look to make sure that your weight and leader don’t
tangle. If your bait is running correctly in the water, you
can often feel the motion from your spin-n-glo and your rod
tip may vibrate slightly. That’s about all there is
to it. You will want to check your bait fairly frequently
to make sure it isn’t mucked up with debris and to add
more scent. Fish traveling upstream will usually grab your
bait and just keep going so you will see their bite quite
easily on your rod tip.
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Other
plunking tips – Here are some other things
to consider or try while you are standing around waiting for
a bite.
- Get
comfortable – Since plunking is a passive
technique, you will be standing around most of the time
doing nothing. Bring something comfortable to sit on. You
may even be able to bring your car/truck close enough to
the water to sit in it. Bring a book to read or if you are
fishing with a friend, bring a deck of cards. You get the
idea.
- Be
safe - Even though you are fishing from shore,
you need to be mindful of water surges from upstream, unstable
footing, and if you venture into the water for any reason,
recognize that the water can mine under your feet and cause
you to lose your footing in a moment's notice. More than
once a fisherman has had to be rescued from an island that
was wadable at the start of the day, but after several hours
of rising water, became untraversable. Recognize that the
shoreline may be unstable as you chase a run-away fish down
river, and under no circumstances, should you take a step
into the water where you cant see the bottom. Yes even when
you are plunking, you should wear your PFD.
- Stay
warm – Make sure you have plenty of
layers of clothing and bring something warm to drink. Because
you are standing around and not exercising, you don’t
generate the body heat you would in other situations. Stay
dry; I always bring a change of clothes and boots/socks.
Don’t build a fire! Lot’s of guys build a fire
on the bank and hang out all day. That is strong incentive
to not move – see “Be prepared to move”
below.
- Be
prepared to move – Some rivers drop
fast after a rain so conditions may change through the day,
don’t build a fire and stay put in one spot all day
unless that is what you want to do. If several hours have
gone by, consider moving to a different location. If the
water level has dropped or some color has begun to come
back into the water, consider changing over to drift
fishing.
- Check
your bait frequently – There is often
lots of debris in high water conditions that can mess up
your rig. Further, you may suffer some line twist or have
your bait fall off or get nibbled away. Don’t keep
your bait in the water much longer than 10-15 minutes without
retrieving, adding more scent, and casting again.
- Talk
to an old-timer – they know where the
fish are and usually are the best at plunking. Most are
more than willing to strike up a conversation and offer
some good tips.
- Rod
holder - Either make one or buy one but it
is far better than using a rock to prop up your rod at the
shore’s edge. Most will also add a little height to
your rod making it easier to keep your line tight. I once
saw a guy prop his rod up with a rock and retire to his
truck to wait for a bite. A little while later we saw him
chasing into the water as his rig was being pulled into
the river by a fish. Not only did he get wet, he lost the
fish but was lucky enough to save his rod and reel from
the river monsters.
- Rig
a second bait/lure on your line – Where
the regulations permit, you may want to add a second bait
to your line. You can do this by adding another three-way
swivel 18-24 inches up your main line and attaching another
terminal setup. The common way to do this is to have your
natural bait on the bottom and a plug as the higher offering.
Beware that it is more difficult to cast without tangling,
and more of a hassle to keep clean.
- Plunk
from a boat – Plunking is not limited
to the bank. You can move your drift boat just outside of
suspected holding water, drop your anchor, and cast towards
shore. Note that you may also be able to back bounce your
bait through suspected holding water or pull a plug if you
can keep it close enough to shore.
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