Siuslaw Sept.27

I didn't sleep much last night, woke up at 3am and could not remember having any dreams, then reality hit me and I stared at the ceiling, at 5:30am I was pushing hooks through brined herring; I like to pre-rig 3 so they are ready to go once I am on the water...

I launched the PA12 at 6:40am and headed up to where we have been slaying kings all month but the kings were gone.  our Chinooks can be spurty; recent rains seem to have sent them upriver.  so I fished downstream past the 101 bridge and along the dunes and I was suddenly in a river full of coho;  jumping and rolling everywhere.  about this time it starts to rain...

so I switch to a pink bell spinner and swing closer to shore and almost immediately, fish on.   an adult coho but not a big one, several jumps, easy fight over to beside the kayak and I quickly decide it is not a jack but only about 24" and maybe 5#, most likely a hen.  we only get to tag 5 wild coho, so I decide to release this one and save tag space for a larger one...it jumps right beside and splashes me, so I ease pressure, then a second jump and the spinner almost hits me in the head...

I had 2 other coho hits on the spinners that didn't hook-up and I went back to herring later, up through the bridge and back to the launch but just no kings on the sonar today...plenty of rain which made being in a dry suit real nice...

heavy rain by 3pm when I left the launch, so 8 hours on the water in a fantastic kayak on a river just full of coho salmon.   cheers, roger

Thanks for the report. Ive been thinking about making a trip to the siuslaw. I thought we were only allowed 2 wild coho this year?

Thanks for the report Roger. I'm still thinking of fishing the Siuslaw this weekend and have been thinking that the Nooks are probably up river with all the rain we've had. 

Thanks for the report. Ive been thinking about making a trip to the siuslaw. I thought we were only allowed 2 wild coho this year?

you are correct, we can only tag 2 total from this group of rivers: Siletz, Yaquina, Alsea, Siuslaw, Umpqua, Coos,
Coquille.  but we can tag a grand total of 5 by catching some from other river groups or from Siltcoos, Tenmile, or Tahkenitch lakes.

we love Siltcoos (it opens Oct.1) and based on our success there last year, and especially with all this rain, I am expecting in October to fill my tag with 5 larger coho...our goal this year is not tag anything under about 28" (8 to 10#)... 

FYI-  Siltcoos, and the other lakes, since they are not open for other salmon and have no hatchery fish, these are "1 and done" fisheries so it can make for very short outings- once you tag an adult, you are done; cannot fish there again until the next day.  you can keep one coho jack but must catch it first, then tag an adult, then home for a beer....cheers, roger

Thanks for the info. I assumed the lake coho counted towards the 2 total. I have fished Tahkenitch for coho the last couple years and caught some pretty good sized fish. I have never fished Siltcoos for coho, but i plan on fishing it quite a bit this year along with tahkenitch. Maybe we can meet up sometime and fish. You think there will be fish in the lakes opening day?

Thanks for the info. I assumed the lake coho counted towards the 2 total. I have fished Tahkenitch for coho the last couple years and caught some pretty good sized fish. I have never fished Siltcoos for coho, but i plan on fishing it quite a bit this year along with tahkenitch. Maybe we can meet up sometime and fish. You think there will be fish in the lakes opening day?

I am very hopeful, these big storms should cut the river through the beach and let the fish in!  We are getting pounded in Florence this weekend.  Last year it was near the end of October that things got hot but last year we had no rain all of September and it was mid-October rains that brought them in.  also, the coho were about 2 weeks early into the Siuslaw this year and in huge numbers, so all things point to good coho fishing in the lakes.

I am planning to check Siltcoos tuesday from the kayak...I will post what I observe/catch.   cheers, roger

I also spent some time on the Siuslaw yesterday, fishing mainly across from the port and along the big dune west of the bridge. Like you said, fish jumping everywhere. I was using a pink blue fox, which has always worked well for me, but didn't get a bite yesterday. I did however catch a crab and a sculpin! I think the approaching storm affected the bite as few fish were being caught.

I also spent some time on the Siuslaw yesterday, fishing mainly across from the port and along the big dune west of the bridge. Like you said, fish jumping everywhere. I was using a pink blue fox, which has always worked well for me, but didn't get a bite yesterday. I did however catch a crab and a sculpin! I think the approaching storm affected the bite as few fish were being caught.

I had a crab hook-up also, male that was just a little too small to keep....hey this storm is going to blow out the river but Siltcoos should be fine for opening, I am heading there Tuesday to check for coho, you in?     roger