Barkley Adventure Station – Fishing Blog

Next to bait, the Hootchie is one of the most popular lures on the market today. It
is a relatively cheap, clean and easy method of attracting and landing salmon
in almost any environment. Radiant Lures Ltd. has spent a lot of time and effort
in bringing out new color patterns (such as Radiant originals like the Army Truck,
Tiger Prawn, Alligator and Peanut Butter) But like all tackle, color isn’t everything.
The right technique will improve your average catch, which in turn improves the
fun.

Here are some proven techniques that will improve your catch.

First of all when you purchase your new Hootchie and take it out of the package,
make sure that the hooks are balanced. (one facing up and the other facing down)
The hooks used on most manufactured Hootchies are optimum for the lure due to
their light weight and strength. Radiant uses a pair of 3/0 92553 stainless steel
Mustad Hooks tied in tandem and have proven to be very reliable. It is very important
to make sure that the hooks remain balanced throughout the career of the Hootchie.
Check it every time you catch a fish as no doubt the action of reeling in a lunker
will invariably twist the hook(s) in the knots.

Another key to your rig is your
choice of a quality flasher. O’ki makes a super Flasher called the "Big
Shooter" which has nice Ultra Violet reflective
qualities, has a great rotation and is well built. The Big Shooter quite nicely
compliments your Hootchie and is made in many Hootchie matching colors.

Leader length. This can make or break your fishing outing. For all Hootchies that are
rigged properly, 36 inch leaders are the best bang for your buck. A quick way
to get the right length is to use your O’ki Flasher as a measuring stick. The
O’ki Flasher is 11 inches long so wrap your line lengthwise three times to give
you 33 inches then add the length of the swivel, ring and snap on your last wrap
for a total of 36 inches. Pretty simple, but effective. Use the same length of
leader when using Radiant Squirts and Radiant Mini Squirts as the centrifugal
force with these popular lures is the same as the Hootchie.

We do have to talk a bit about color, as it will be key to your formula for success. Combined with
the above mentioned techniques, and the right color combination, the Hootchie
will not let you down. There are thousands of different colored and species of
squid in the Pacific Coastal waters, and they all change color depending on water
temperature, mating seasons and other climatic changes. So the color that works
today may not necessarily work next week. Have a good selection of Hootchies
in your tacklebox. Change your colors often when unsuccessful. A switch in flasher
color can also help.

We have found and now scientific evidence suggests that ultra
violet light is a medium that aquatic animals reflect and are attracted to. It
is proven that the only source of light that penetrates the deep is Ultra Violet.
With this in mind, Radiant has put more emphasis on Hootchies and other tackle
that reflects Ultra Violet light. We have now found that the lures with Ultra
Violet qualities are out fishing the non-reflecting Ultra Violet lures. The Radiant
Tiger Prawn Hootchie, which is a huge reflector of Ultra violet light, was Radiant’s
best seller in 1998. The Radiant Ultra Violet Army Truck Hootchie was the lure
that caught the winner of the 1998 Port Alberni $6000.00 Fishing Derby, and the
Radiant Ultra Violet Alligator Hootchie won the same $6000.00 Derby in 1997.

Another
interesting tip is the fact that nearly all vinyl baits are rigged with mylar.
The mylar really works well for the salmon up to 30 pounds. However, if you’re
fishing for trophy fish, remove all but one or two strands of mylar. For some
reason over the years most of the big Kings caught on Hootchies have only a couple
of strands of mylar or even no mylar at all.
Another thing to remember when you just have to use a single hook rig with your
Hootchie. Don’t use a swivel and don’t use salmon hooks as this will cut your
catch performance by 50%. Use a 2 inch piece of Radiant tubing in clear or the
new ultra violet pink and snell a single 4/0 stainless Mustad hook. The tubing
will protect your leader from sharp teeth. Make sure your hook is back near the
end of the Hootchie legs. This single hook set-up is great for releasing undersized
fish or catch and release enthusiasts. The single hook set-up is commonly used
up in Alaska to catch Coho (Silvers).

Try not to buy the cheap, loose vinyl baits
found in grab bins in some stores. You get what you pay for. These are usually
fingered by dozens of individuals and become stained and tainted by oils only
after a short period of time. This also goes to say that you should wash all
your gear in clean fresh water after use.

Radiant Lures has also developed a new
rig that will enhance your Hootchies performance. The Gun Barrel is an Ultra
Violet bait holder that acts like a dinner bell for those trophy fish. The Gun
Barrel is easy to use and you only have to load it once or twice during your
excursion. The Radiant Gun Barrel simply attaches directly behind your O’ki Flasher
and the "washing machine" action of the flasher
causes the gun Barrel to slowly release the scent, which in turn flows over your
Radiant Hootchie. These devices can be filled with all types of scent including
salmon eggs, Charlie White’s X 10, squid or other bait fish pieces. The Gun Barrel
has many other applications one of which the Radiant Big Game Hootchie which
is another story.

he only thing left to talk about is how to get your Hootchie
and flasher down deep. There are several proven methods, but the best method
is by way of Downrigger. Scotty makes a premium downrigger that has been very
effective over the years. The nice thing about these units is that when you get
a fish on, there is no weight to battle with, which ultimately reduces the overall
feeling of reeling in a fish. Fish at depths depending on where you are. Change
you depths frequently if not successful. A slip weight is also effective. You
can get them in many sizes and perform quite well. Another manor of getting your
tackle down is to tie a swivel 10-20 feet in front of your flasher and clip a
bell weight to the loop. Not as effective as the other techniques but will work.