Getting Skunked On The Salmon River

Just got back from the Salmon River in Pulaski NY. As you can see from the above image you know what happened.  If you are unfamiliar with the term it means I got nothing – not even a bite. I got majorly skunked. I drove in around 10 AM and went to the South Trestle Pool. It was super busy and I was standing truly standing shoulder to shoulder with anglers. This is known as combat fishing. I was using my new rod from Zebco Genesis. I used my NYC subway training to get into the line of fisherman. Just stare ahead and just slowly walk in and people just start making room for you.

Everyone was pleasant and helpful. At first I tangled with a few fishermen because I could not get the swing and overhead flip but everyone was nice. I got the hang of it but I was not catching anything. Everyone around me catching fish except for me.

I then walked to the left where there was more room and I tried to perfect my swing and overhead flip. I had no clue what I was doing and for a few hours all I did was the swing and watched others catching huge fish. There was one guy who was standing on a rock in the middle of the pool that seemed to be hammering them. He said he could see the fish. I tried to see the fish but I could not see them. In the past we could feel them go by and we could see them jump and surface but I could not see the fish.

Then I decided to sit down and watch. Here is what I learned.

1. You need a longer rod. My current set up Zebco Genesis was too short. The people that seem to be catching fish were using a longer rod and it seemed because of it they had a better reach. Because of the length of it you could do the swing and overhead flip and be back in the water. One thing I have noticed is that you have to be efficiently placing your line in the water to catch fish. Because of the length of my rod I was in the target zone.

2. Seeing the fish. I thought that they must be making it or they have some strange powers that gives them the ability to see fish. Maybe you have to have lots of experience but regardless you have to be able to see fish. I will have to work on that.

3. Lots of tying and retying. It seemed like the people who were catching fish were constantly getting snagged on a rock and having to retie. I thought getting snagged was a newbie move like me but as I watched these guys were catching fish, casting and snagging rocks and retying. What was different from what I was doing is that they were doing this very efficiently. They would break off and then retie with spools already set up.