agree or disagree with flossing

[jbball50]

We'll usually use 3-4 ft leaders all the time fishing creeks/rivers for salmon and steelhead. But last year we were down at the mouth of the Toutle fishing the Lewis River and weren't catching anything. There was a person that was right above us and getting tons of hook ups and my dad changed his leader to what he was using, which was a longer leader, 7-8 ft long. Needless to say he finally hooked up with the fish and caught it, in the mouth, just saying like Scott says, you could floss with any length of leader and hook outside the mouth or snag fish. Just matters what rivers you're fishing and how deep the holes you're fishing are more than anything with the length of leader needed. With respect to flyfishing this one is always funny to watch haha.

JN-GYabDpi0&feature=related

[scott080379]

I have yet to fish a full year on the rivers. So my .02 is this: I think flossing is a form of snagging. I was taught that when you felt ANY sort of pause in your drift to set the hook. WHAT?!! It did take me awhile to kind of understand between a rock or whatever to really know if it was a fish or not. I still don't know. It took me several months to really get dialed in with this method and I have "caught" a lot of fish this way. So until they make "flossing" illegal then people will keep fishing/snagging. OR underwater footage of a Salmon run with guys/gals tossing long leaders and small corky's or long leaders and just yarn or long leaders and a bead. If there is undeniable video evidence of a fish taking one of these offerings voluntarily, then this will shed some light on this topic.

Very well written Jens, thanks for your input

[Shane]

I think 5 foot could b conseiderd flossing. I think the longer the leader the more drag on the corki causing it to hit bottom. Fish tend to sit on the bottom n rivers.Thats why beads r illigel becuse they make your hook sink to the bottom. They have been trying to make it to where u cant use any thing longer then 5 feet but they have been fighting over this for a couple of years. Racfish when your planking u cant use anything less then 12in as it says n the book under anti snagging rule- Weights may not b attached below or less then 12in above the lure or bait. This goes for drift fishing to. Not sure if u were awhere of this just leting u know.

[flinginpooh]

Beads illegal? hmmmm I think alot of people are gonna need to change fishing styles. Flossing is slowly retrieving line and every few cranks giving it a hook set, in the hopes your gonna get a fish in the mouth. You may catch one in the tail oh well just let it go. Thats flossing. If your using a longer leader cause its 7 ft clear as day vis on the water to get your corkies away from the weight then that is not flossing. I know alot of people on here have fished for along time and some of you for not very long. But there is people that are misinformed for sure. Read anything written on steelhead fishing that is from a reputable source. Longer leaders when low and clear. Shorter leaders when vis is low and rivers higher. Hell even G loomis talks about there rods able to handle the longer leaders of summer. Cmon and learn you can not floss steelhead anyhow. If your gettin them its in the mouth or if your really unlucky it will be in the tail. How many of you honestly seen a foul hooked steelie? Foul hooked is anything behind the forward gill plate. I will guess the answer is maybe 4 people or so. Ive not seen one foul hooked yet and Ive been fishing rivers for nearly 25 years off and on. Chum yes, pinks for sure, maybe a boot of a king stacking up at the hatchery but a steelie? Nope.

[cogitator]

superrrr long leaders beyond 4 feet

Doesn't this definition makes all fly fishermen flossers?#-o

No they use a different presentation.

Don't take this as an endorsement of flossing, but explain to me the difference in a fly fisherman using a weighted line, (sometimes adding a split shot), a 7 foot leader and a large salmon fly. As apposed to a guy using mono with a weight attached, a seven foot leader and a piece of floss on a hook.
I'm not trying to be a wise guy and I don't think I have ever used a leader longer than 3 feet to fish the rivers. But, I seriously don't see the difference that I mentioned above.

[flinginpooh]

There is no difference in the presentation of the bait. Just the style in the way its fished. But youll never hear of a fly guy calling another fly guy a flosser. It will go on this way forever. I can say this to everyone though, if your catching fish the way YOU fish then good for you. I know I catch fish the way I fish. Not everyone will fish the same. And really it seems that fishing is closer to religion then I ever realized. You believe what you believe they believe what they believe and then them over there will believe what they want. Ill still do what I do and believe what I believe.

[Shane]

Iv seen 3 steelies that had been foil hook this year alone at the cow.2 of them where my buddys one in the back the other n the tail both let go. The other was on the other side of blue creek n the stomic. Talk to one other that said he had foil hooked 2 n the same spot and walked with 2 n the mouth.

[Shane]

I dont call reeling your line slow and jerking n hopes of a fish flossing thats snagg fishing. C 2 much of that at the skookum. Doing anything u can 2 get your hook 2 the bottom where the fish sit n hopes of it draging it n front of his face is flossing 2 me.

[kinghunter]

I can say this to everyone though, if your catching fish the way YOU fish then good for you.

I have to agree with pooh, but as long as it's done legally. Obviously if you are purposely jerking every couple of seconds then your snagging, but if your waiting for that bite feeling and then you set the hook then that is perfectly legal as long as the hook is in the mouth. No one really knows if the fish are actually biting from hunger or just being POed.

Is there any captured videos of fish actually biting corky/yarn or even yet how about float and jig? I think Mike Carey said it best on the previous post (last year), no one really knows if fish actually bite the jigs, maybe it just a matter of having the right depth and size/color (not to scare the fish) it could be just floating into their mouth. But you know what WHO CARES. As long as you are catching fish your way legally, it really PMO when others think they are better when they don't fish with leader no longer than 3feet and label all others snaggers.

[cogitator]

I can say this to everyone though, if your catching fish the way YOU fish then good for you.

I have to agree with pooh, but as long as it's done legally. Obviously if you are purposely jerking every couple of seconds then your snagging, but if your waiting for that bite feeling and then you set the hook then that is perfectly legal as long as the hook is in the mouth. No one really knows if the fish are actually biting from hunger or just being POed.

Is there any captured videos of fish actually biting corky/yarn or even yet how about float and jig? I think Mike Carey said it best on the previous post (last year), no one really knows if fish actually bite the jigs, maybe it just a matter of having the right depth and size/color (not to scare the fish) it could be just floating into their mouth. But you know what WHO CARES. As long as you are catching fish your way legally, it really PMO when others think they are better when they don't fish with leader no longer than 3feet and label all others snaggers.

I used to guide in Alaska and at most of the good fishing holes I had an observation point (usually a tree). I personally have watched fish move over to intercept a corky or floss and open their mouth to take in. I had never heard of flossing until I moved to Washington.

[wolverine]

True flossing is an art. More fish are accidentally flossed than people are willing to admit. A good flosser can do it with a 12" leader. It's all about reading the travelling lanes. Too many people that don't have a clue get all up in arms over "flossing". They need to spend their energy on getting rid of blatant snagging.

[scott080379]

True flossing is an art. More fish are accidentally flossed than people are willing to admit. A good flosser can do it with a 12" leader. It's all about reading the travelling lanes. Too many people that don't have a clue get all up in arms over "flossing". They need to spend their energy on getting rid of blatant snagging.

AGREED:cheers:

[Brian253]

i say to each his own. it is just up to that person whether or not to keep a fish that has been ilegally hooked that puts them in the wrong. sometimes the only way to get into fish is to lengthen a leader, or you can waste time fishing a 2 ft leader with fears that someone else might call you a "flosser". Who cares, do your thing man. and agreed with pooh again, if your trying to floss steelie good luck, i fish globalls on a longer leader and have had both kings and steelie slam my hook, and yes in the mouth. Is this flossing? no its not, its just getting your presentation where it needs to be.

[curado]

i agree as well

[racfish]

By reading what everyone is writing sounds to me as a jealos fisherperson not catching a darn thing then pointing the finger at someone else because they are catching.Every one of us has a different flossing technique.We all assume that someone flosses thats why they catch. I love the flossing debate.Basically flossing is a way to catch fish.The state says its legal,but the same state says you cant kill a sqwahfish.Ive seen fights breakout over this same debate on other sites.Why dont fisherpeople just mind their own business or get the huevos to turn in the flossers. Document their techniques then get involved by reporting the snagging.Thats where most of us cry out "Its really not my business,Idont want to get involved".Go out get a petition written up and get signatures to bring it to a vote. If youre not willing to pursue it then leave it alone.Its easy to type whatever on the puter ,its alot more work to actually bring it to the states attention.I use long leaders when I need to and invite people to get in my face about it when they want ifin they got the huevos to try.

[scott080379]

Well said racfish

[racfish]

Two years ago Id watch guys Troll very very slow out by my parents home down along the lake. I know they are going for sockeye. I reported them. I told the wardens that they just might be trolling for cutties but I told them the gear I saw and at that speed. I was booted off another fishing site for doing this.From my vantage point and thanks to a high powered telescope I get very accurate boat lic. numbers.Hehehe. I got booted for having the huevos to report POSSIBLE violations.Am I wrong in doing so?

[scott080379]

No you are not.....those who do fish and not follow the regs are the ones who will get but hurt about this crap.

[jens]

Good points everyone. Glad this isn't getting ot of hand. I fish with long leaders when the Salmon are in, I know what I am doing. I will "man up" and say I have never felt a fish take my offering voluntarily. The feeling of a take is a rubberband like feeling and guess what? "Fish on!"

Now coming from mainly fishing jigs this past year, I am really trying to get a visualization of how a jig can float into a fishes mouth. I struggle to find the logic there. Anyone?

[HOOKEDONFISHING]

I use a about a 6ft leader and a small corky when I drift all of my fish have been caught in mouth legal. Like Jen said I also wait for my line to stop moving set hook. Out at Reiter prettymuch everyone drifting has about 6ft leader. I haven't seen any foul hooks out there on steelhead. I used to use like a 2 ft leader didn't have much luck though.