The Flying C

For the past three weeks, I have fished for salmon in the Sacramento River for an hour or so from the banks using Flying C.  Today is my twelfth trip!  Unfortunately, I have not hooked a salmon yet.  I  managed to hook a 5-inch bass :-(

Since the season is winding down, I am sharing what I have learned from talking with successful fishermen:

Ultimately, you need to be there while the salmon are swimming through.  This could mean anytime during the day.  The guys with the most success spent 6 to 8 hours per day fishing!  Wow, that's hard work.

Cast your Flying C out as far as you can and wait until it hits the bottom.  Typically, it is between 8 and 14 seconds at the location that I have been fishing.  I have recognized how the line slacks off when the lure hits the bottom.  Finally, until today, I realized what it feels like when the blade of the lure is spinning.  When the lure hits the bottom, I snap my fishing pole to get a tight line and feel the blade spinning before retrieving.  I have learned to retrieve as slow as possible as long as the blade is spinning.  However, when it is near the banks, you must reel in quickly or risk loosing your lure due to snag.  It can be an expensive lesson since each lure costs around $7.00 each, unless you get it on sale.  I believe I have contributed three spinners to the river thus far.

Finally, every fisherman has his favorite Flying C.  I do not believe the color matters very much.  I have seen salmon caught with all different types of Flying Cs.  However, all the ones that were used have 7/8 oz weight, so the size does matter.

This morning, I met a fisherman that has landed 23 salmon this season from the banks.  The one he caught this morning, half an hour before I met him, is around 15 pounds.  He said the one he caught yesterday weighed in at 34 pounds!!!  He showed me a picture of it, and it is huge!

Here's the lure that he was using that has landed 11 salmon!

Check out the teeth marks on the lure!