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Topic: How long before time for cohos in the Snohomish River?  (Read 3800 times)

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JasonM

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Location: Snohomish
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 282
Pinks are starting to wind down, and I'm starting to get interested in catching something new and bigger. How long before it's time for coho salmon to start up the rivers and what's the best way to fish for them in a kayak?


Tinker

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  • Kevin
  • Location: 42.74°N 124.5°W
  • Date Registered: May 2013
  • Posts: 3304
I expected the worst, but it was worse than I expected...


JasonM

  • Lingcod
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  • Location: Snohomish
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 282
Thanks, Tinker. I saw that WDFW overview page but would also appreciate advice from those on this forum specifically for the Snohomish River. It seems like the runs up the river are happening later this year than normal.


JoshPA14

  • Herring
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  • JoshH Hobie Pro Angler Fishing
  • Location: Camano Island
  • Date Registered: Jul 2017
  • Posts: 44
There are some fish in there right now, not a ton yet, but more are pushing in with this weather. Another week or 2 and it should really pick up. I'll be out Saturday for my first time this year after them. Tidal areas troll for them with either a plug or spoon. If you are jigging, cast and retrieve, or floating a bobber, look for froggy areas where some structure creates a pool, specially on the outgoing tide. They tend to find those slow spots to rest before heading up farther. I prefer trolling the lower part of the river because coho tend to move a lot more than pinks do. Pinks will come in and can spawn anywhere from the mouth on up, all of the coho scoot upriver.


JasonM

  • Lingcod
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  • Location: Snohomish
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
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Anyone have any luck with cohos in the Snohomish this weekend? They closed pinks on Friday and I think the run was mostly done anyway. Now that I have a pedal kayak, I'm expecting it to be a bit easier to troll. I need to pick up the right gear to do this with, though. Right now, I have a total of one salmon-appropriate artificial bait that's not pink, a 50/50 Elgin's spoon. I have also never trolled a for any kind of fish, much less salmon, so any pointers to tutorials (written or video) would be greatly appreciated.


JoshPA14

  • Herring
  • **
  • JoshH Hobie Pro Angler Fishing
  • Location: Camano Island
  • Date Registered: Jul 2017
  • Posts: 44
2 popular methods are trolling spoons like a dick nite or the God's tooth. Use the same set up that you use for casting for pinks. Snap swivel hanging down from your mainline, then add 2-3 feet of leader hanging down from the snap. I put another snap on the end of that leader, then attach the dipsey weight. I typically use 3/8 - 1 ounce, depending on how much water there is. I use leader to the weight so that I can hopefully feel bottom with the weight before the lure gets hung up. Again about 5 feet of leader to the spoon. Popular coho colors are 50/50, green, yellow, orange, 50/50 blue, and frog pattern. This goes for both God's Tooth and Dick Nites. You want to troll just fast enough so that the lure is wobbling side to side. It should act like a dodger does when trolled at the right speed. If it is spinning more like a flasher, slow down. The other popular method is to use plugs like a Brad's Wiggler. no weight, just attach directly to your main line, or you can use a swivel with 5 foot leader. These will dive down on their own to about 7 feet. Again, troll slowly. I carry lots of different colors, golds, greens, purples and pinks. On the lower part of the river you really don't have to work holes. I try and zig zag back and forth as I am going up or back down the river. These fish are moving pretty much straight up to the Sky. They don't really stop and hang around much on the Snohomish. Work a lot of water, and if you get on fish try and follow them up. I dab any lure I am using with Mike's Lunker Lure Krill scent.

Remember that going against the current your troll will be barely moving, the current is doing most of the work for you. With the current you are going to be going faster to get your lure to move.

I was out Saturday, and it was pretty quiet. It should start to turn on any time now though.


JasonM

  • Lingcod
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  • Location: Snohomish
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
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Thanks again for all the info you've provided, Josh. I owe you food/beverage of your choice sometime.  :occasion14:


JoshPA14

  • Herring
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  • JoshH Hobie Pro Angler Fishing
  • Location: Camano Island
  • Date Registered: Jul 2017
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I am getting a little concerned about the run size this year. It's supposed to be good for the Snohomish, but not many fish yet. Hoping the rain supposedly coming this weekend starts pushing fish in. 8-2 and area 9 have been closed, but I have seen them netting the crap out of 8-2 recently right in the lanes the Snohomish fish push through. I plan to hit it hard for a few weeks after this weekend.


JasonM

  • Lingcod
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  • Location: Snohomish
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I went out tonight mostly to test some new additions to my  new kayak. I put in about 4:30 at Rotary Park and trolled downriver to just before the highway 2 trestle, and then turned around and came back. I tried trolling a 50/50 elgin's spoon and a chartreuse Dick Nite spoon rigged as you suggested. I'm really happy with the new kayak and the modifications that I've done to it, but the cohos weren't there. I saw a total of one fish on the fish finder that looked big enough to be a good size coho or king, and never saw a single salmon roll. I did catch two fish, though. They were both the same species and about the same size, which was just a few inches long.



What kind of fish is that? I caught one about the same size on one of the first couple times I chased salmon in the Snohomish river, too. Whatever species it is, it likes that 50/50 Elgin's spoon.  :D
« Last Edit: September 26, 2017, 09:04:33 PM by JasonM »


skidlybo

  • Perch
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  • Location: Lake Stevens, WA
  • Date Registered: Sep 2014
  • Posts: 70
Looks like a sculpin/ bullhead.  Great lingcod bait. >:D


JoshPA14

  • Herring
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  • JoshH Hobie Pro Angler Fishing
  • Location: Camano Island
  • Date Registered: Jul 2017
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Yup, Sculpin. I've caught a few of those.


Trident 13

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  • Location: Kent
  • Date Registered: Jul 2016
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Just a suggestions, things like this make good free crab bait for the winter season as well as for lings when the time is right.  I keep fish heads and some flatties frozen just for that.


JasonM

  • Lingcod
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  • Location: Snohomish
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 282
Just a suggestions, things like this make good free crab bait for the winter season as well as for lings when the time is right.  I keep fish heads and some flatties frozen just for that.
Thanks, but I can keep fish heads and other stuff for crab bait (assuming that I ever get around to crabbing in my kayak). I've never seen a ling in person and aren't sure when I'll work my way up to fishing for them. I'm not even sure if keeping these when caught in the river is allowed. Even if it is, I would rather let these little guys go to amuse some other salmon-less fisherman/woman another day.  :D


JasonM

  • Lingcod
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  • Location: Snohomish
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 282
I am getting a little concerned about the run size this year. It's supposed to be good for the Snohomish, but not many fish yet. Hoping the rain supposedly coming this weekend starts pushing fish in. 8-2 and area 9 have been closed, but I have seen them netting the crap out of 8-2 recently right in the lanes the Snohomish fish push through. I plan to hit it hard for a few weeks after this weekend.
I'm starting to think that you're right, Josh. I have seen a few reports of catching cohos pretty far up the rivers, but no one commenting about cohos entering the river and getting caught low in the river. I'm worried that I've either missed a very small, early coho run or they're getting netted before they can get to the Snohomish River.


JoshPA14

  • Herring
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  • JoshH Hobie Pro Angler Fishing
  • Location: Camano Island
  • Date Registered: Jul 2017
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Fish are trickling in the river and have been stacking up at the crab bar area. So few fish pushing in the lower river is tough, and the fish that are stacked up at crab bar are lock jawed. River needs a good rain bad to get fish to flush in and to drop the water temp so the ones in there will get on a bite. Really hard to say how many fish there are out in the salt because 8-2 is closed as is 9, so no way to get a gauge, but you would think that more should be pushing into the river than what has so far.