NorthWest Kayak Anglers
Kayak Fishing => Let's Talk Kayak Fishing => Topic started by: Harryie on September 20, 2022, 07:39:00 AM
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Hello all! I was wondering if folks have had much success jigging from the kayak for coho. I had a bit of a humbling day yesterday using buzzbombs and different color point Wilson darts (smaller deeper bodied jigs). Lots of trolling folks were getting them but I struck out. So I’m thinking of trying some hootchies as jigs or just big pink marabous. Anybody else have experience with this method? Thanks!
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I know it should work. There's usually clouds of bait w/ bigger marks around them in 100+ FOW just off of Shilshole marina in the mornings before 7AM... I have jigged the everloving hell out of those clouds and only come up with a few snagged herring. Maybe the environment is too target rich for jigs to work with any frequency? Maybe the coho are already plug full of herring? Maybe I'm misreading my FF & the bigger marks aren't bigger fish? Idk. Frustrating to say the least. I'm thinking mooching is better suited for this situation.
Conventional wisdom is to jig baitballs. I've found that darts are the best for getting down to baitballs ASAP.
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Yeah I hear you on the frustration. It makes my head spin. I did have two solid hookups at bush point using this method but I’m thinking that may have been a fluke. Considering trying this flash clip my coworker was telling me about, sounds something you clip on a few feet above the jig and is small but very reflective. Also leaning towards buying a deep diver and trying some arm powered trolling.
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If they were on the same day, two solid hookups isn't a fluke. If they were on different days but the same tide, I'd be real hesitant to call them flukes.
Coho trolling can really suck. If I had a paddle kayak I'd probably spend some time learning how to mooch. Pretty sure you can incorporate forward movement in a manner similar to trolling while mooching. Just keep at it and know that it may take some time to crack the code for salmon from a kayak.
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No personal experience jigging for Sound Coho from a kayak, but have caught lots of Coho off the beach casting buzz bombs and jigs and have see the kayak guys getting them just off the beach (outside of our casting range). Think the Coho are corralling the baitfish into the shallows and will be in a feeding frenzy mode.
That being said, I've heard "motor mooching" is a really great tactic if you don't have down riggers. You might consider that method, but of course it requires using herring as bait as far as I know.
Good luck!
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Thanks for the info! Never heard of motor mooching but have been thinking of putting together a mooching rig. Seems like a productive method all the way around.
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Thanks for the info! Never heard of motor mooching but have been thinking of putting together a mooching rig. Seems like a productive method all the way around.
Sure thing. Hope you find some willing fish! Salmon University has a pretty good explanation on their site regarding motor mooching.
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Figured I'd give a small update. No coho to hand last weekend, but from talking to folks and observing the fishing was pretty slow most of the day. I talked to a few other kayakers and they said casting was the only method they had been producing fish, so I'm gonna go grab a spinning reel today and maybe give area 8-1 a shot tomorrow while I wait for the Snohomish to open. Also, while jigging didn't produce any coho, I did hook up with a super nice wild king that was pretty exciting. Managed to net and release it safely, made for a very fun first salmon on the kayak!