INSIDE FISHERMEN: BUZZ RAMSEY

Four o’clock in the morning, and while the world is sleeping you’re loading your equipment and supplies and getting ready for another fishing day. A moment later, you’re watching the sunrise in the front row. All calm and quiet around you. Preparing the bait while the breeze hits your face and after a short (or long) wait, you have a beautiful salmon in your hands. What better way to spend your life than doing what you love?

Salmon. / Source: Escott Sport Fishing Instagram account @escottsportfishing.

The Pacific Northwest region is one of the best places in the world for fishing. It offers an extraordinarily rich and nurturing location for salmon, but you can find many more species while enjoying the most beautiful sunrise and is the favorite location for recognized salmon anglers like Buzz Ramsey.

Ramsey has been the image of Northwest salmon and steelhead fishing for many years. Born in Toledo, Oregon, raised in Portland and being a Fisherman´s son, he has spent a lifetime fishing and you actually can watch him upstream and downstream the West Coast all year round.

Buzz Ramsey at the Tiller. / Source: Outdoorlife.com

Buzz is a cold-water sport fishing expert specializing in sport fishing for steelhead and salmon. Also he’s a regular columnist in Salmon Trout Steelheader, Northwest Sportsman and Alaska Sporting Journal’s magazines. Throughout his career, Buzz has conceived and authored several  how-to-fish fishing reports offered by companies like Luhr Jensen and Pure Fishing, and the more recent Know How Reports offered by Yakima Bait Company of which he is Brand Manager.

He has helped design and market many fishing baits and related products and is now a brand himself. Among many others, The "Buzz Ramsey" name and image have been used to promote and brand the Berkley's Buzz Ramsey designed Air IM-8 Graphite fishing rods, the Luhr Jensen K-11 X Kwikfish, the Berkley Gulp! Sand Shrimp, and the Gulp! Salmon Egg Cluster. Lures design and testing are a large part in Ramsey’s legacy.

Fishermen use many methods to catch salmon, but Buzz offers many tips and additional tricks to salmon anglers. From his experience and years in the water, he has come up with his Basics for Buoy 10 (one of the most productive salmon fisheries in Oregon).

Buzz is also a hall-of-famer for The Association of Northwest Steelheaders and The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame. His lures are among the most popular in the market, and are incredibly fun to use.

We get excited when people come to Haida Gwaii just to try one of his renowned techniques for fishing silvers. We must thank all of our local fishing celebs for their continual support of our beautiful sport.

Dreams come true. So if yours (like mine) is fishing, find a rod and bait and go ahead!

Fishing rods: Does size matter?

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room. Yes, size does matter. When speaking about fishing rods, the type and the size you use in saltwater fishing can help you ensure your catch of the day or make you go home with nothing at all.

Some people, especially fishing newbies, enter stores and purchase the first rod that catches their attention. However, this often proves to be a mistake.

In the past, fishing rods were just sticks that used to dangle a string. They ended in a hook that what people would use for alluring fish with the hope that one would eventually bite. Fortunately, things have changed with time. There are now specially designed rods for each fishing activity. Starting with innovative materials such as graphite, fiberglass and bamboo, modern day fishing rods help anglers to have a more accurate cast and a better control of fish fighting.

For beginners, the most common move is to buy a combo kit. They normally come with around 3 types of reels (i.e. spinning reels, spin cast reels or drag reels) and hooks that adapt to a single rod and use them in different fishing scenarios. But, even with a full kit, inexperience could prove costly. You might just return home empty handed and with broken fishing equipment.

Here are some useful tips to use when shopping rods for saltwater fishing.

Offshore/ Onshore/ Pier Fishing, big fish:

If you’re an adventurist and care for bigger, heavier fish, the best option for you is a Fast Action Rod. The ‘Action’ refers to the rod’s flexibility. In this case, Fast Action Rods are longer and only flexible at the tip of the shaft, while the rest remains rigid. This is great for fishing Salmon and other big fish because they are sturdy and can stand heavier weight and weathers. They work great in deep and shallow waters but they are not suitable to catch smaller fish because the cast is too long and the line too heavy.

Offshore/ Onshore/ Pier fishing, medium fish:

A Medium Action Rod is preferred by many anglers regardless of their experience because of its versatility. This type of rod is flexible along its upper half and is good for both offshore and onshore fishing. It is the best option for fishing in areas surrounded by trees. This rod allows both long and short casts (in a reasonable range). It’s good for medium sized fish while it’s not as accurate for big fish as a Fast action Rod. However, they are adaptable to deep and shallow waters.

Shore fishing/ Pier fishing/ Shallow waters, small fish:

When fishing for smaller kinds of fish, Slow Action Rods are the way to go. These are completely flexible, providing shorter, gentler casts. They are perfect for very small, small, and small-to-medium fish onshore. Because it offers almost no rigidness, this rod doesn’t stand strong winds but it’s a beginner’s best ally.  It allows inexperienced fishers to cast like the pros after a little practice.

No matter what you have in mind, the best is to be prepared for whatever type of fishing you want to do with a proper equipment size to get the job done. We will soon be talking about the right reels for making the best of your fishing experience.

Escott Sportfishing offers you all types of saltwater fishing gear, and the advice of the experts. Book your fishing adventure in advance with Escott Sportfishing and enjoy the excitement of saltwater fishing.