I'm catching some fish on meat, but........

[slickwater]

Ok. We got six salmon on Fri. 4 were on meat using a 8" fishcatcher. Best speed was 1.8 at the ball. But as it got later in the evening the meat bite just about was non existence.

So my question is: Should I pull the meat when it gets closer to dark and all spoons or maybe flasher and flies instead of the meat rigs?

Same thing happened last night. But we only got 4 with 3 on meat. We are also getting quite a few knock offs and not hooking those at all.

[ALLEYES]

Your knockoffs were more than likely coho. They like to swipe at the bait with their mouths closed, injure it and come back to eat it.

[mayvillemark]

Do your meat rigs glow? That would be the only explanation I could thinkof for your meat shutting down prime time.

[mattmishler]

First thing in the morning I like flies first thing, little more aggressive and little easier. As soon as the bite dies its all meat on divers and chute

[Gnarf]

meat seems to work during the day for me so i dont bring it out till my starting spread slows down.

[tltorrice]

Here is what I do. I always run at least one meat rig, sometimes 2. I prefer some type of glow rig. I believe meat brings fish into the spread. Even if i don't get hits on the meat, the rest of my spread does better with meat in the spread. Most of the time meat produces. If i want to cheat, I will have meat day and just run all meat rigs. That is a lot of fun!!

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

Nice post Tom, where does the "tangle factor" boat name come from? Just fyi, Matt made some good points, when the early bite dies, use meat. It's best for me at slack times, later morning, early afternoons too. We took two quick screamers last nite in about 15 minutes on meat, about 9pm, then she died approaching sunset, so Rick is pretty right on that score. Btw, Rick, where are you fishing? Thanks.

[tltorrice]

Thanks Ed. The name comes from putting more lines in the water, that increases the Tangle Factor.

[slickwater]

First thing in the morning I like flies first thing, little more aggressive and little easier. As soon as the bite dies its all meat on divers and chute

I'm not worried about morning fishing. Just late afternoon and evening. On Sunday we started fishing and 4:00pm and caught 4 kings before 8:30pm and then no more king hits on meat just a couple small lakers at prime time from 8:30-9:45. Do I need to speed up at prime time so my spoons are working better? Or is where I'm fishing not having a good spoon bite? I'm not seeing other boats catching very many.

[slickwater]

Here is what I do. I always run at least one meat rig, sometimes 2. I prefer some type of glow rig. I believe meat brings fish into the spread. Even if i don't get hits on the meat, the rest of my spread does better with meat in the spread. Most of the time meat produces. If i want to cheat, I will have meat day and just run all meat rigs. That is a lot of fun!!

How do you keep from tangling when running all meat rigs? Everytime I have run 2 meat rigs next to each other I always get a tangled mess. Oh I keep forgetting, should I run 20# on my rods instead of 17# when I get some of the 12" flashers for meat rigs?

[slickwater]

Do your meat rigs glow? That would be the only explanation I could thinkof for your meat shutting down prime time.

On Sunday both meat heads were UV heads. And the fishcatchers, one was white glow and the other was green with blue tape.

[tltorrice]

On the downrigger I run Big Al's flasher. I keep my wires on 1 1/2 and use an 8" fish catcher. Make my turns slow. Try to keep good separation.

[slickwater]

I think when I run two next to each other the flasher get tangled with the line blow back from the other rigger rod. I run flashers 20' back. Should I run the higher flashers farther back.