Pump Handles ??

[Mike M]

I probably watch to many Youtube videos this time of year waiting for spring salmon fishing to start. Salmon Candy (Russell G.) talks a lot about Pump Handles for Trout & Salmon. Looks like he's running Heavy lead balls attached to main line using OR-16 clip. Lead balls could be 10oz on a dropper line of about 12 inches. His bait is usually a Flasher Fly looks like 20-30 feet behind the OR-16. Sends it back 90-110 feet and attaches to Inline Board. If anyone could give me anymore info on this technique I'd appreciate it. Thanks, Mike

[sherman brown]

if he drops the lead ball so he can freely fight the fish in my opinion this is not being a good sportsman. That is the only way I've seen lead weights like that used. it usually has an inline clip that attaches the weight to the line, then when a fish hits it releases the lead ball which drops to the bottom of the lake. so many better ways to get the lure down without filling the lake with lead.

 

using an inline weight like the ones at rednekoutfitters.com they have them from 1 oz up to 6 oz. these work great for getting fairly deep.

 

another great way is to get the lite bite slide diver and the 7 oz kit for them. then if you want to get deeper use wire line. I use them like a dipsy and do not use the slide part I lace my leader through the block in the back and then I just tie an O=RING to my leader and I'm ready to tie a lure on and start fishing., actually, just a regular slide diver would work on salmon. but for walleye on Erie, the lite bite is priceless for releasing on small fish.

[jckjr8]

I've used snap weights many times up to 10oz. Only lost one lead do to my error. I think they are a great option if fishing solo. It allows you to take the weight off and still reel the fish in close to the boat to be able to net it. I think it's a cheaper alternative to lead core or copper. 

[sherman brown]

On 2/29/2024 at 12:26 PM, jckjr8 said:

I've used snap weights many times up to 10oz. Only lost one lead do to my error. I think they are a great option if fishing solo. It allows you to take the weight off and still reel the fish in close to the boat to be able to net it. I think it's a cheaper alternative to lead core or copper. 

I agree totally with what you're saying. A clip-on weight doesn't release the weight like the rigs I was talking about. Back when I was fishing Lake Michigan for salmon to many guys didn't have riggers and used the drop weight setup to get them down. they were designed to release the weight when a fish hit.

 

I don't have any problem with anyone using inline or clip-on weights. 

 

good luck out there and here's wishing you a very great season this coming season.

[Mike M]

There is no dropping of lead weights on lake bottom in (Russell G. Salmon Candy) pump handle method. I did find it on Youtube. He explains it in detail.

[chinook35]

I used this rig as an extra line for years. A 16 or 24 oz lead ball on a three way swivel. The weight is attached to the swivel with 1 ft of mono ( 20 # test )

it’s killer on LT. 
I use wire line and a roller rod with a cv30 convector reel 

let out line slowly till you make contact with the bottom and reel in  a few cranks. Put rod in rod holder down the chute and the wave action will make your rod look like a “ pump handle “

I don’t use it as much as I used to. I don’t target mud chickens on Lake O 

I’ve caught board fish at the national LT derby on Seneca with it 

[Cat Power]

IMO Russell's method of lead weights is old school thinking.  Will it work, yes. 

 

A much better mousetrap is to use Lure Jensen Deep Six divers on braided line with line counter reels.  Works much better, with the only downside being the cost of the divers (Not really a big deal for most salmon fisherman).  

 

Try it you will like it.

 

Deep Six™ | Luhr-Jensen (rapala.com)

 

 

[13owhunter]

I run torpedo divers on braid from time to time.  Same concept as a pump handle but they have a lot less drag than a round ball and they come with a dive chart so you have a pretty good idea where you are running at.  You can get pretty deep with the big ones.

[Zinger11]

I run pump handles on my 300 copper so I  don't  have to have 4 and  5 hundred set ups. I also have smart troll and know exactly how deep they are. Just like every set up they have there days