Wanted: Coho Mentor

I'm looking out at the week upcoming and we've got sun, sun, and more sunny days.  I've cleared my calendar for the rest of the week (I've got no job to get in my way for now) and I'd love to learn the art of the "Kayak Coho".  So with locations from Tacoma to Anacortes in mind... anybody going out there this week?

Fishin-T

Hey tom charles here how about kayak county park for silvers?

If you do anything in Tacoma area, let me know.  I looking for an excuse to try out my new SOT.

Coho can be closed mouth non-biters once they get close to their natal streams and begin staging for the run upstream, and can then defy and frustrate any mentoring, until they want to bite again. They jump all around you and won't bite. Just give you the middle fin. then out of nowhere, a "bite" happens.

Conditions permitting, I am going to attempt a first go-out in my Tarpon 140 along the S Jetty at the entrance to Grays Harbor (launch at Westhaven State Park) on Wednesday. I'll be tossing jigs and soft plastic stuff for Black Rockfish and Lings. I've fished from the jetty countless times, and fished the same water from a skiff, so I sort of know what I'm doing.
Wind forecast looks to be reasonably light and from the South, and there's plenty of time to get launched and out along the N side of the jetty by low tide. Fish the incoming. I'm hoping that the swell size and direction are going to be user friendly, too. Any other intrepid kayak fishin' fools are welcome to join me.

I've got the logistics for this completely figured out (more or less). For example you would only want to do this on an incoming tide, preferably starting at the low change, and when the winds are reasonably light and blowing from a southerly direction. Moderate W or any NW or N or NE or E winds are wrong for this.
 Also, You don't want the swell to be hitting from the NW, nor a big one from the W. Also, a big SW swell can wrap in. Larger swells can break on the relatively shallow bar that has formed about halfway out just off the N side of the jetty, and one has to be aware of that, too.
I have the benefit of looking at it prior to launching and making my final decision, as I live only 7 miles from the parking lot.

If it looks too formidable to attempt, I have a couple of alternate plans up my sleeve. One (the most interesting) is to attempt fishing for Coho in the South Channel of the Chehalis River. This is actually out in Grays Harbor. Stronger winds can be a bummer out there. That would be a launch about an hour and a half before high tide, so we could get organized and paddle out there and fish just before, during, and just after the tide change (the bite).
I haven't done that before in a yak, either. I'd probably be trolling herring behind a flasher the same way I do in Willapa Bay. No downrigger is necessary for this. I have found that letting line out for trolling while paddling is sort of a drag if you have to do it a lot, and herring need to be checked and changed regularly. But I am willing to try this. However, its so much easier to troll for salmon from my john boat, that I sort of consider trolling for salmon in the Harbor or Bay from my yak as sort of a novelty.
 
I was thinking of jetty fishing and working kelp beds for bottomfish when I got my Tarpon.

I would much rather go fish for Rockfish and Lings along the Jetty this Wednesday, though. The windows of benign, conducive conditions for this are few and far between, making any window that opens a higher priority than other, more readily available opportunities such as salmon fishing.  Its also easier to do (cast and retrieve jigs instead of trolling herring), much greater likelihood of catching fish, and you take home much better eating fare (I can only eat so much salmon before I get tired of eating it, but I never seem to tire of eating rockfish, lings, halibut, greenling, etc.)

Anybody want to go? Reply here or PM me. Thanks. Yow, I have to bail now and get to work before it gets too hot out. I'll check back here this evening.

A few of us are headed out to Brown's point this Thurs morning. My main goal is to put coho in the boat on the fly rod, but if things are painfully slow I'm always game to jig for flounder. I can't promise we can teach you a thing, but it should be a good time on the water.

  I'll probably be out in the A.M on Weds and Fri as well as Thurs. As long as I'm not catching fish I figure I'll not catch a LOT of fish. As for mentors, the fish are doing a fine job of it for me. I don't know that there is anything I could tell you other than to get out and do it.
 
Chris

I was out at Richmond beach trolling for coho on Sunday, 7:30am-1pm, and ran into (figuratively) Zee.  His unfortunate advice was that I was trolling too slow and needed to troll at 2kts (2.3mph) or better.  Did that for another 4 hours and got 5 shakers, 1 flounder, more buff and better cardio function, but no coho.  They were streaming in at 25-100 feet, closer to the surface than on Friday (50-150').  I passed a lot of boats trolling in the 6 hours I was out there in 60 to 600 FOW and I only saw 1 fish taken right at the low slack at 12:30 PM. 

I trolled with an 8 ounce banana sinker, a Kozone flasher, another dodger, large hoochie, small hoochie, coho killers, and coyotes.  No action.

Lots and lots of bait fish boiling the water.

I was out at Richmond beach trolling for coho on Sunday, 7:30am-1pm, and ran into (figuratively) Zee.  His unfortunate advice was that I was trolling too slow and needed to troll at 2kts (2.3mph) or better.  Did that for another 4 hours and got 5 shakers, 1 flounder, more buff and better cardio function, but no coho.  They were streaming in at 25-100 feet, closer to the surface than on Friday (50-150').  I passed a lot of boats trolling in the 6 hours I was out there in 60 to 600 FOW and I only saw 1 fish taken right at the low slack at 12:30 PM. 

I trolled with an 8 ounce banana sinker, a Kozone flasher, another dodger, large hoochie, small hoochie, coho killers, and coyotes.  No action.

Lots and lots of bait fish boiling the water.

I meant to hang out a bit more but my time on the water was over as I hit it at O'dark thirty. Yeah coho trolling is not for the faint of heart. Fast, fast, fast 2.5-3 MPH. You'll notice that most boats won't even use their kicker motor in the sound . I got a few coho shakers (22" and 23" CNR'd) but nothing more substantial. I saw a few other nets fly but only one landed.

DN lets meet up next time to talk coho trolling a little more.

Z

I meant to hang out a bit more but my time on the water was over as I hit it at O'dark thirty. Yeah coho trolling is not for the faint of heart. Fast, fast, fast 2.5-3 MPH. You'll notice that most boats won't even use their kicker motor in the sound . I got a few coho shakers (22" and 23" CNR'd) but nothing more substantial. I saw a few other nets fly but only one landed.

DN lets meet up next time to talk coho trolling a little more.

Z

You got it.  I think the next time I can break free is Sunday morning. There is a 6am low tide.  Early morning incoming tide!

Tide wise, this looks to be a tough week. Best tide scenario is a big long ebb with a slack just after sunrise. That said, I wish i were on that side of the mountains this week. Might drag the family to MA7 on Saturday, for an attempt at coho and crab.

Some time next week, steelhead should be on the menu. Some 15,000 are supposed to be headed to the Methow!

I should be at Westhaven State Park by 9am, getting ready for my first attempt to stain my new Tarpon's hull with fish blood.   Low tide is 9:45ish.
I installed the flush mount tubes behind the seat yesterday. Only thing I'm missing is a depth finder, some pool noodle, and any stuff that I don't have but will wish I had once I'm out there, whatever that stuff is. Gonna keep it simple and toss some jigs, etc. This is my first actual go-out and fishing trip... the "maiden voyage." I might play around with the boat for a bit, practicing re-entries before I load fishing gear to paddle out and fish. I'll be wearing my old wetsuit. Water temp was 60 F yesterday. South winds and 6' W swell today, shouldn't be too bad! Launch zone is out of the surf area in the corner of Half Moon Bay near the Westhaven parking lot.  I'll post a report.

I should be at Westhaven State Park by 9am, getting ready for my first attempt to stain my new Tarpon's hull with fish blood.   Low tide is 9:45ish.
I installed the flush mount tubes behind the seat yesterday. Only thing I'm missing is a depth finder, some pool noodle, and any stuff that I don't have but will wish I had once I'm out there, whatever that stuff is. Gonna keep it simple and toss some jigs, etc. This is my first actual go-out and fishing trip... the "maiden voyage." I might play around with the boat for a bit, practicing re-entries before I load fishing gear to paddle out and fish. I'll be wearing my old wetsuit. Water temp was 60 F yesterday. South winds and 6' W swell today, shouldn't be too bad! Launch zone is out of the surf area in the corner of Half Moon Bay near the Westhaven parking lot.  I'll post a report.

Busting a cherry!  You staying inside or going outside?  Looking forward to your report.

Tide wise, this looks to be a tough week. Best tide scenario is a big long ebb with a slack just after sunrise.

We had that tide this morning in my 'hood. Unfortunately it looks like the coho aren't here in numbers quite yet. Although with the 50+ boats out this morning you'd never know. Saw about 3 boated but pretty sure they were pinks as they looked in the 3 pound class.

Z