Cutting down a hoochie to size may quite possibly be last thing an angler would ever think about doing.  However, it should be the first thing a blackmouth angler should consider as the average size of herring within the Puget Sound will be between 3 to 4-inches in length. This is due to a high natural mortality of older herring in the 5 to 7-inch lengths.

   Scaling down is very important not only in “matching the hatch,” but in being consistent when fishing hoochies for blackmouth.  Why?  A good example would be your buddy (usually on the opposite side of the boat) hitting fish after fish on spoons (smaller in size) every time you’re out on the water trolling around every color under the sun, scratching your head, and going fishless with your favorite hoochies.  This is frustrating and it generally has nothing to do with color or leader lengths, but size (silhouette) itself.  I have heard numerous instances of this and personally seen it time after time.  Scaling down is quite often the answer to productivity.

   If you decide to scale down, the most important thing to remember is to taper the hoochie’s tentacles.  This will give a more natural lifelike appearance (see photo) instead of cutting the tentacles/twinkle skirt flush giving a paint brush effect.  This will also allow the hoochie to swim (breathe) better in the water.  Hoochies in the 3 1/2 to 3 3/4-inch range seem to be just about perfect for most applications and it is better to error on larger than smaller sizes. Once the hoochie is cut back too far, it becomes too bulky to match the natural’s silhouette and therefore becomes less effective.  If this becomes the case, other lures may be presented or I’ll switch to a mini hoochie and Spin N’ Glo combination (see below).

   If you fish blackmouth, give this a try.  You will be pleasantly surprised as well as rewarded with a lot more fish by adding this new dimension to your hoochies for blackmouth.

2) The Slow Roll.

   The “slow roll” offers a unique and different look than the standard hoochie swimming through the water and a super quick way of modifying your hoochie.  Since the line is coming off the hoochie at an angle, the hoochie will slightly pull away ‘off center” and often turnover (spin) very slowly giving “a slow death cripple” appearance.  Before you tie on your leader to a snap or flasher, simply poke a small hole in the side of the hoochie’s head midway between the nose and eye with one of hook points and re-thread the leader through the hole.  If you no longer want to fish the hoochie this way, just re-thread through the nose. A few things to note if you decide to use this modification:

     a)  The overall length of your hoochie will increase approximately 1/2- inch.  The front of the twinkle skirt sets lower in the head and the end of the twinkle skirt extends past the tentacles of the skirt.  This will not hinder your catch ratio for the larger returning fish however, the extra length may result in a lot less hits during fall and winter.  This will become even more apparent after the herring spawn when there are a lot of small young herring in the area.  As a general rule of thumb, I typically scale down hoochies to 3 1/2 to 3 3/4- inches for blackmouth.

     b)  Be mindful that the hoochie skirt, although a tough vinyl, is thin and fishing the hoochie in this manner may cause a small tear.  If this happens, you can continue to use this method by simply utilizing the opposite side or re-rigging through the nose and fishing normally.

3) Adding noise.  Unlike spoons, cut bait, or plugs, hoochies have no built in action of their own and therefore do not produce strong vibrations like the aforementioned lures/bait.  For the most part, anglers do quite well fishing a hoochie by itself.  However, these anglers may or may not know there are numerous ways of maximizing the overall effectiveness of their hoochie in the water with the aid of adding accoutrements.  It has been my experience over the years that these “additives” have really racked up impressive numbers of fish compared to leaving the hoochie “naked.“  To this end, I am a strong believer in adding a little more noise to excite or anger the fish, especially to the hoochie itself and there are several ways to accomplish this:

(Killer combinations!  Top to bottom- Sekiu Silver Slayer, Captain Downriggin Special and The Admiral)

   Without a doubt my favorite way to add noise and this is what started the Captain Downriggin’s revolution- the B2 Squid and Spin N Glo (Captain Downriggin’s Special) combination!  The Spin N Glo places extremely powerful vibrations in the water, and coupled with the bulbous face/body providing a slight undulation to the body of the hoochie, you’ll be hard pressed find a more deadly hoochie.  The Captain Downriggin’s Special is my number one “go to” hoochie year around.  It has rarely failed me when the fishing has been tough.

   The Spin N Glo is nothing new to saltwater fishing.  In fact, anglers on Whidbey Island have been pursuing winter run steelhead for decades using mini hoochies and appropriate sized Spin N Glo’s casting into the shallow waters off the beach.  Adding a smaller Spin N Glo to a full sized hoochie is also deadly for catching returning coho August to October.

       b) Spinner blade

(Spinner blades can be added to the tail hook to mimic baitfish tails.  The paddle tail version (upper) was completed by inserting a size 2 willow leaf blade before tying over the tag end of the line to complete the knot on the hook.  In the below version of an aft spinner blade, a clevis and size 2 willow leaf blade was guided on to the line, a small 3mm glow bead was added and secured with a size 2D Mason connector.  The connector was then cut in half.)

   One of the oldest modifications to hoochies has been adding a spinner blade.  Spinner blades produce vibration and movement in the water via vacuum from behind spinner blade causing the blade to spin.  The larger the blade and surface area the more vibration and unfortunately more vacuum.

   Blades come in numerous sizes, shapes and colors; however, the most important attribute in choosing a style and size is using a blade large enough to produce the maximum amount of noise yet small enough as not to create a ton of vacumm (pull).  Too much vaccum will cause the flasher to rotate in a smaller degree of arc or flatten out altogether.  Thus acting as a dodger effectively killing the desired maximum amount of action and noise from the flasher itself.

   Over the years, I have experimented with nearly every shape, size and color available.  The shape and sizes I found to work the best is the single willow leaf blade in sizes 2 and 3.  For trolling with a spinner in front of the hoochie I prefer size 3 buffered by a 3mm or 4mm bead.  If you’re an angler that prefers the gel or paste types of scents, I would recommend buffering the spinner with a 5mm bead to keep the blade from sticking.   If you tie your own leaders, a size 2 is perfect for running a blade from the rear (as pictured).  These can be exceptionally deadly as blades placed in these position mimic tails of baitfish!  For blade color, I always use glow in the dark blades.

   Two noteworthy items of caution… If you decide to purchase willow leaf blades from a lure component retailer, make sure you purchase “willow leaf” as some will be marked “double willow leaf.”  The double means: “twice the blade width.”  Please remember, more surface area, more vacuum.

   Lastly, there are a few hoochies on the market with spinner blades already incorporated however, you’ll want to pay close attention before you purchase. Many of these hoochies, designed for casting, are manufactured on wire forms and/or weighted thus too heavy to troll behind a flasher properly.

       c) Rattles

   I am not sure why this little secret hasn’t taken off, but glass rattles offer a lot of loud “clinking” and “clanking“ under water.  Like most lure components each manufacture offers a wide array of sizes and with glass rattles there is no need to be overly concerned with different sizes as this setup (pictured) will be embedded within the hoochie once the skirt is drawn down towards the hooks.

   There are various harnesses on the market that hold the glass rattles in place however, these are not very conducive to rigging on the salmon hoochies. The easiest way I have found is sliding small latex tubing (bow sight tubing works the best) down onto the leader than then adding the glass rattle.  It is very important to use a small tubing cut to the same length as the rattle as this will safely secure the rattle within the tubing.  (In the illustration the tubing is cut short to allow the reader to view the glass rattle in the tubing.)  This will also allow the end of the tubing to contour to the edges of the rattle.  Be sure to lubricate the leader when sliding the rattle/tubing down the leader into position.  Without lubrication sliding the latex tubing will cause friction burns and weaken the leader.

       d) Smile Blades

   Smile Blades from Mack’s Lures have hard yet flexible plastic wings that are well known to lake anglers pursuing trout and kokanee.  I started experimenting with Smile Blades on hoochies in 2004 and was immediately surprised with the results.  These in-line wings produce virtually zero drag in front of the hoochie therefore more than one blade can be used if desired.  Additionally, the speed of rotation can be varied by simply bending the wings.  If a quick rotation is desired the blades can be folded back towards the hoochie and vice versa for a slow rotation- open the blades a part.  Having experimented a lot with different rotation speeds, I found a slow rotation with a larger blade was the most effective (see B2 Squid above).  The wider surface of the larger blade pushes a lot of water and produces a visible undulation and slight quiver to the hoochie which blackmouth love.

3) Scent holder

   Years ago Grandpa Morry had a collection of wool yarns in his old wooden tackle box.  The yarn was tied in an overhand knot above a twinkle skirt and was the catalyst for holding liquid scent.  This was an excellent idea as liquid scents would immediately disperse once the hoochie hit the water without something to absorb it.  Not much has changed in the last 30-some years except I use Glo Bug yarn now and often tie a flash type of material with the yarn during the overhand knot process.  Flashy materials such as Krystal Flash or Flashabou are an excellent choices as both are soft and supple, but also rugged enough to hold up to many fish.  Each come in colors, width, and reflective qualities to numerous to mention.  Ultra violet materials are now available for anglers desiring to dress their yarn/twinkle skirts.

    Other reasons for using yarn would be devising and building hoochies with some unique color combinations that the fish or anglers don’t see often.  One of my best summer hoochies is a white skirt and chartreuse yarn- both colors are phenomenal during summer here in the South Sound.  Additionally, I like the bulk yarn provides to the hoochies- more closely matching the natural.  Lastly, perhaps the yarn adds more time for the hooks to find some flesh should the fish hit forward of the hooks.  Last year, I landed a fish with a mouthful of yarn and the hooks were buried just beyond the gill plate on the outside of the fish.  Whether or not the yarn was the contributing factor for hooking the fish, I do not know, but it is good to know that I had a hoochie with “a little extra something” that possibly helped catch that fish.

   When you fish hoochies in this manner there are a few helpful hints to prolong the life of these “fish getters:”

       a)  Always use a liquid scent in the yarn.  Gels or pastes will become lodged deep within the yearn and are a bugger to clean at the end of the day.  Any residual scents left in the yarn will transfer to the skirt and quickly spoil.  Rotten or spoiled scents are not very attractive to fish.

       b)  Liquid detergent such as Lemon Joy will do a great job of dissolving residual liquid scents and give your hoochie magical powers that no one can  explain.  (Lemon Joy is used by many fresh and saltwater guides throughout the Northwest for cleaning gear.  It is also thought to contain "unexplained" attractant qualities).  Always rinse and allow the yarn to air dry before putting away.

       c)  Carry a small pair of cheap, but sharp scissors in the boat.  Scissors offers easy trimming of lines and hoochie tentacles, but importantly, the ability to cut back and neaten unraveled yarn. You can also cut the yarn to any length desired.

4) Thinning down a hoochie skirt or “Starfishing a hoochie skirt”

(Every third tentacle has been removed.)

   “Starfishing a hoochie skirt” is nothing more than removing tentacles from the skirt to thin down the appearance and allow for the underbody to stand out. This would be practical if you use glow twinkle skirts/beads or colors and reflective materials that you want to make more visible to the fish, e.g. adding yarn.  Additionally, “starfishing allows the skirts to swim (breathe) exceptionally well without the tentacles sticking to one another.  How much do I thin down?  The answer is up to the angler although those that frequently “starfish” will remove every other third, fourth or fifth tentacle.

5) Modifying the appearance.

   Every so often, an idea so simple comes along, that it makes one wonder, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Captain Randy Doucet of Northwest Fishing Charters shared his little secret with me a couple years back.  The story goes, Randy had walked upon his son, a bass fisherman, dipping his plastics in a product called Spike-it.  The results were so striking that it lead Randy to experiment with hoochie skirts.  The dyed skirts were an instant success for blackmouth fishing in Northern Puget Sound.

   The true beauty of working with these instant dyes are now even more color or unique combinations are available to the angler.  By far light colored skirts will highlight the dyes to the fullest.  Once in the water, these dyes are beautiful and highly visible, not to mention provide an extremely “fish catchy” appearance that sends chills up my sides every time I place one in the water.

    Working with these dyes are super easy as there is no mixing or drying time.  Simply dip the portion you want dyed and remove.  The dyes should dry within 10-seconds or so.  At this time, you’ll notice the tentacles possibly stuck together if you dipped them.  This is a normal feature of working with acetone based dyes and the tentacles are easily separated with a needle.

   I am currently aware of two manufactures providing these instant dyes, Spike-it by Spike-it Outdoors and Quick Coat by Component Systems, Inc.  Both can generally be found at nearby retailers and provide great color selections, but you’ll find that chartreuse, green and hot pink the best colors to work with for salmon.

   If you are interested in booking a trip with one of Washington's finest charter skippers, contact Captain Randy at www.NWFishingCharters.com 

6) Herring filets or Bait strips

   At every seminar I have conducted, the questions always arises, “How do you rig herring filets on your hoochies with the unique tying of the hooks?”   I am not one for messing with herring because of the extra cost, smell, the work involved in brining, and above all, the mess.  However, if I were to use filets I would rig them exactly as I have done with Berkley’s Gulp strips pictured.  This leathery sponge-like material is tough, disperses plenty of scent, and stays on the hook.  It can be used over and over again by simply placing the strip back in the packaging at the end of the day and available in all the great salmon catching “flavors” to include: herring, anchovie, sardine and often overlooked squid.

   If you choose to use fresh herring, I would recommend fileting first and then adding them to a simple brine of 2 ½ gallons of non-chlorinated water and 4-cups of rock salt to toughen up the filets.  Can’t find non-chlorinated water?  Simply leave tap water out overnight to evaporate the chlorine. If fresh herring is unavailable frozen will work just fine.  However, add 1-cup of powered milk to ensure the meat tightens (firms).  Once brining is complete, small strips or 1-inch triangles (as pictured) can be cut.  I personally feel the triangle out fishes the strips due to the width of the cut creating a “paddle tail” effect in the water.  You and I may not notice the extra movement, but rest assured the fish do.

   There's no question, adding herring or bait strips to the hoochie will increase your odds.  However, you don’t need a large piece of meat like most would think. The olfactory sense of a salmon is incredibly acute and they will have no problem finding the hoochie regardless of the size of bait attached.

(Hoochie skirt cut and pulled onto a Bait Biter.)

(A Berkley Gulp " herring filet" inserted in a Bait Biter.)

(Note:  Bait Biters come with a exterior portion (fin) that allows the clip to rotate.  This fin was removed to allow hoochie skirt to slide up in to the clip.  Although this clip no longer rotates as designed, the head shape coupled with 50# leader material provides a very unique action to this lure behind a flasher.)

7) Additional additives

(Top to bottom- A transparent UV skirt over chartreuse needlefish skirt (unnamed), Melon Felon and Blueberry Tart)

   Prehaps you’ve seen them on the retail shelves- B2 Squids under the tentacles.  I started experimented with triple glow B2 Squids as inserts in 1998 for a little extra added glow to my presentation.  Surprisingly these hoochies were an instant hit with blackmouth in Marine Area 13 that fall.  Unfortunately ultra violet wasn’t “full swing” yet and I had to experiments with various colors and glow in the dark skirts.  These variations were met with mixed results until 2003 when I tried a triple glow B2 and the new milky white “Purple Haze” skirt.

   The combination of glow and ultra violet, the original Blackmouth Candy, kept up fish for fish with my Captain Downriggin’ Special on side by side testing.  When the newest of ultra violet skirts became available in 2006, I again began to experiment with various color combinations.  They were immediate “go to” hoochies for my pro staffers.  Today, Captain Downriggin’s colored B2 Squid inserts are mixed with ultra violet solution before pouring into the mold.  With ultra violet added and their extreme overall brilliance I decided to unveil the Target Series to the public in 2007. (The Target Series also includes triple glow B2 Squid inserts.)

   Originally I had approximately 30 various color combinations to choose from, but have scaled down to a baker’s dozen of the best fish catching colors which includes three versions of the Blackmouth Candy.  However, there is still plenty of room for experimenting for anglers!

   Another example of an unique insert is pictured. A transparent UV skirt over a chartreuse needlefish hoochie- a deadly combination of ultra violet and glow in the dark.

8) Tricked out hoochies

   When I sat down at the computer to order a bunch of salmon plugs from Tomic‘s website one evening, a lure on their website caught my eye- the TNT. As I read through the rigging instruction, it had mentioned the use of adding a hoochie to entice coho.  Fair enough, being a tackle junkie, I ordered a half dozen different colors.  Although coho season was months off, I decided to experiment with the TNT/hoochie combination for blackmouth once the lures arrived.  Unfortunately, after 5-years I have yet to try this combination for blackmouth or coho!  I am not sure why, but I can only assume something else sparked my interest along the way.  However, four summers ago, I was browsing through the tackle box one exceptionally slow morning on the water (doing the head scratch) and decided to tinker with this contraption.  Instead of adding a smaller 3-inch hoochie per Tomic‘s instructions, I chose a full 4 ¼-inch skirt in hopes that a big Chinook would fall victim.  The large skirt made the bait a full 5-inches long and ready to do battle.  My downfall was spending another 25-minutes tinkering with leader tying, lengths and trolling speeds as this was a big bait (with drag) to troll behind a flasher.  I eventually settled on 6-feet of 25# leader material with two 6/0 hooks for maximum action (wiggle) and a slow troll.  With a quick drop on the downrigger, I sat back down in the chair and the cell phone rang.  It was my now ex-wife giving me the “when you coming home routine” (see there’s a reason she’s my ex-wife) when the rod slammed down.  She got the “call you right back” from me which didn‘t go over too well when I arrived home!

   With a quick look to the top view of the TNT, you’ll notice three holes in the front portion of the lure.  These holes are designed for the angler to experiment with different trolling speeds and action.  Placing the leader through the first hole (closet to the lip) an angler can troll reasonably fast without the lure rolling over.  The second hole offers a little more action, but you’ll have to pay close attention to your trolling and current speeds.  The final (third) hole gives the lure a tremendous amount of action however, trolling speeds are greatly reduced to approximately 1.5kts- about the speed the flasher starts to rotate.

   My standard 50# leaders will not work effectively on this lure.  Because of the wobble action and drag, a smaller diameter leader material is required.  I tested various diameters and settled with 25# to provide the maximum amount of action and help aid in the bone crushing strikes. Finding a leader length was a little time consuming as I have never used a lipped lure and a flasher together.  My biggest mistake was starting with normal leader lengths instead of longer lengths and cutting back.  Needless to say I spent time tying leaders.

   With the myriad of other lures at my disposal, I had a hard time placing this lure on the line for some reason, but as a last resort tried it anyways.  Wasn’t I surprised!  In fact, I did manage another fish within the hour.  To this day, I give the “Dynamite Hoochie” (TNT and hoochie combination) a chance or two every summer when the fishing is slow.  So far the catch ratio has been pretty good despite the conditions…

   Admittedly I haven’t spend much time trying to master this combination with other test fishing taking place; however, I do know this combination works and has plenty of potential. Perhaps someone with more time than I can perfect a presentation a share his/her results with us.

   Another unique hoochie combination is adding a skirt to lures such as the Apex or Pro Troll’s Sting King. Since the Apex comes in various sizes I have had an opportunity to do more experimenting with this combination than the aforementioned lure because I can scale down this combination to smaller 3 and 4-inch total lengths.  Again, small leader diameters and longer leader lengths behind the flasher are required.  I’ll be sure to update this article when I am completed with the testing phase.