Ocean Salmon 7_20_08

I'll tell ya, I started into one of those windy monologues full of humorous observations and daring if sometimes iffy prose but decided that I'm just too tired to finish one of those.  So, here's my report in a nutshell:

- Fished the ocean today for about 4hrs.
- Went out to 50' depths (about a mile and a half)
- I had 1 driveby that about broke my rod.
- Kykfshr hooked up and probably would have capitalized had his diver released.
- Saw a hundred porpois (they don't look as scary on the fish finder as I'd expected)
- Marked some nice schools of salmon!

Our start was a little too late.  I think if we'd been on it at dawn, we'd have come in with limits.  Something to think about for next time.

Glad to hear someone got out this weekend.  Thanks for the report Spot.  What were you fishing with, herring?

Brian

Looks nice out there. Good to see someone getting out.

What were you fishing with, herring?

Brian

We were both pulling Coyote spoons.  Kykfshr had the standard power boat set-up of diver/flasher.  I was running a 4oz. cannonball without flasher.  Given the slow speed of troll I think I may have to try the diver/flasher set-up. 
Oh yeah, I definitely need to employ a snubber out there.  The ferocity of the takedown was unlike any I've had in a river or bay. 

So Spot,

You never mentioned where you were fishing out of.  I've been waiting to hear the coho are closer in before I start taking salmon gear out.

Greg

So Spot,

You never mentioned where you were fishing out of.  I've been waiting to hear the coho are closer in before I start taking salmon gear out.

Greg

Hey, you're right Sniffer, I never mentioned it....  Hmmmm  Guess you'll just have to go fishing with me to find out.      When we leaving?

From what I hear, the Coho have started to move in.  I wish I could confirm it with a catch!  Anywhere north of Cape Falcon is game if I read my reg updates right.

The whole coast is open for coho!  For the Falcon to CA/OR boarder we're at 34% of harvest for the last week.
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/Regulations/OceanSport2008.asp

Coho counts: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/index.asp

The whole coast is open for coho!  For the Falcon to CA/OR boarder we're at 34% of harvest for the last week.
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/Regulations/OceanSport2008.asp

Coho counts: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/index.asp

Awesome News!

You heard him boys.  Now what are you waiting for?

Arg!  Time off from work would be my biggest hang up (that and limited big blue fishing experience).  I've got a couple dozen brined herring sitting all lonely in my freezer!

I had some success last year doing this.  My go to rig was a 3-8 ounce banana (mooching) sinker, 3-5ft mooching rig leader  and a 4 inch hootchie with a herring bait chunk for flavor (easier to fish than trying to get cut plugs to roll right while paddling).  Sometimes I put a small "Fish Flash" rotating flasher between the weight and the hootchie but it didn't seem to matter much and it added drag.

I would paddle at a fast/moderate clip, then coast or drift for a breather then repeat. Often got bit when drifting or just starting to paddle again. Depth was anywhere from 6-25 pulls (go shallow in the early morning then deeper as the day goes by).  Even got one when I marked a school on the finder then dropped it down (line counter reel helps) and drifted over the school while slowly raising and lowering the rod tip.

Never hooked a chinook (they run deeper then coho) but the ho ho's are fun and tasty 

Get out there and get some, its not that hard!

Pelagic Paddler, a friend of mine down in Nor Cal (the imfamous "Mooch" of NCKA and member of the Ocean Kayak Pro Team) likes to call your technique "Trooching", a portmanteau of the words "troll" and "mooch".  Because of the shallow nature of coho, I can see it being very effective.  Thanks for the tip.

Brian