Chasing rainbows

[splashhopper]

should I float fish , toss spinners , or bottom bounce ?

 

I have a few places in mind and have no clue how to fish the timber for rainbows.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

Splashhopper

[BillM]

Timber is a lot of fun.. I'd probably float bags and try to keep your presentation right above the wood. You'll get snagged, but not as much if you are bottom bouncing.

[Rod Caster]

I was gonna ask you the same thing.

[Dozer]

First off, make sure you have strong line, you wll be trying to horse the fish out of the wood for sure, especially if its clear water they love diving into the wood work.

 

I always prep myself the night before for log jams ( I only fish wood when the water is clear and I've fished the pools thoroughly ). I always pre-tie a bunch of leader line, swivel, hook setups. More time out of the water tying line means less fish.

 

I'm not sure where you fish, and what the water will be like, as I mentioned before I love log jams in clear water, they produce fish, always. Last week fshing on a Sunday evening on (*#@$(*@!, the fsh were pressured hard all day and people were saying no fish. Worked the wood for an hour and hooked into two fish, lost them both to old line from two years ago, but what to do.

 

What works well for me is white mesh, salmon roe, under a float, and have a few sizes of roe ready. I drift a few feet away from the jam for a few drifts, then as close as possible to the wood. I've talked with a gentleman once about fishing clear water wood and he told me he hooks the fish lightly and coaxes it out of the jam into safer water... hahaha, good luck with that, thats tough without startling the fish.

 

Bring a few flies as well, prince nymph, sometimes bead head prince nymph is a killer for me.

 

Another thing thats worked well for me is if 'm standing up river and floating down into the wood, is letting my float get right up into the wood and then pulling back on an angle and letting t float back into the wood, repeated over and over again, works pretty well for me.

 

Best advice is remain stealthy, stay low, approach slowly, especally if the surface isn't "roughed up" up by the current and structure.

 

Happy hunting, keep us updated!

[Rustic-Fisher]

Short leads, and bulk shot your weights (placed heavier near your hook) many times when drifting the timber your window of opportunity is small so getting your presentation into the strike zone fast is critical. Drifts are usually shorter and make sure you have loads of hooks and patience you'll need both. Its a challenge but worth it!!

R

[dave524]

Beef up the tackle, get a skunk pattern flatfish or Kwikfish, work it back in under and around the timber on a tight line from an upstream position and hang on !!!

[ChrisK]

Where I steelhead I also have some timber and it produces fish time and time again. You just have to figure out the currents or lack of and give them what they want and presto,success !! In my particular situation the timber is in a tail out on a small bend in the river so there is a natural undercut there which allows the fish to stack up under it. I run my float starting up stream of the timber and guide it along so it ends up on the edge of the timber and the presentation more than likely just under the leading edge or close to it. Last week it was flies that worked for me,mostly stone fly presentations. Water was stained so detail in the flies wasn't important but location of my presentation was. Week before spawn was the bait of choice so I guess what I'm trying to say is mix it up and find out what they want through trial and error and learning to read the water doesn't hurt either but that will come in time through the trial and error part...

 

Good Luck !!

[splashhopper]

Thanks for all the suggestions, now if the rain doesn't get too goofy where I am going I might have a chance trying a new technique or two.

[SRT8 smoker craft]

I call log jams rainbow recliners the love just haning out under the wood I usually just trot my bait under the leading edge of the wood.

[hurraylien]

i like spinners to work the wood they are also good at the top of a run.#2 mepps gold or silver has been working well for me lately

[asdve23rveavwa]

Haven't read all the replies yet, but, right off the bat---I wouldn't bottom bounce timber, you are just asking for a world of frustration. Start with a float presentation, but, don't be afraid to toss a small spinner or two.