Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Krisandluna on October 31, 2015, 10:12:12 PM
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I'm new to fishing for salmon and new to the vedder so I was wondering if anyone had any tips to catching coho? I've read so many articles, watched tons of video (especially by Rodney) but, still have not caught a coho, not even seen them.
I've been lucky enough to encounter some fishermen who share a wealth of info with me pertaining to catching all other species, which I've had lots of luck, but coho is on my Bucketlist and I cannot seem to even find them.
People say, " look for frog water, rolling etc" what does that mean? I've been fishing the tail of pools, calm waters, early mornings, spoons, roe, beads, spinners all with no luck.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated (what type of line, how many lbs, whens the best time, what type of water, anything.....) as I want to at least feel one on my line before the season is over!
Thank you!
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Sent you a pm. hope you got it. Everybody deserves to get at least one coho.
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I did! Thank you, just figuring out how to reply :)
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I did! Thank you, just figuring out how to reply :)
If you are not a subscriber, I don't think you CAN reply.
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If anyone can help, it would appear that the LS is the guy for the job. His catch photos are humbling.
I'm unfortunately in the same boat as Luna. Many trips but nothing to show for it...I know if I keep at it I'll get something eventually. I just hope I haven't missed the peak run!
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I hear ya. I've been after them since March, and I've only caught three, one of which had too many fins for the table.
I have a very low success to failure ratio. Far as I can tell, I'm doing everything right, using the right stuff, at the right place, at the right times. Some folk just catch more than others.
Still a few fishing days left I hope, once this water from the sky stops...
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I hear ya. I've been after them since March, and I've only caught three, one of which had too many fins for the table.
I have a very low success to failure ratio. Far as I can tell, I'm doing everything right, using the right stuff, at the right place, at the right times. Some folk just catch more than others.
Still a few fishing days left I hope, once this water from the sky stops...
You're lucky if you're getting any. I haven't even seen one up close, just pictures....
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me neither. multiple trips with nothing.
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----> the OP, relax.
You are a new angler, don't expect everything to come together at once.
If you have watched all the videos and followed all the threads you probably have enough of an idea to be in the ball park to catch fish. From your description of where and how you are fishing you have the right idea. Give it 1-2 more years and you will find you are starting to catch these fish. Enjoy catching other species, the accumulated knowledge and experience you gain, and more time on the water, will pay off in the end.
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I hear ya. I've been after them since March, and I've only caught three, one of which had too many fins for the table.
I have a very low success to failure ratio. Far as I can tell, I'm doing everything right, using the right stuff, at the right place, at the right times. Some folk just catch more than others.
Still a few fishing days left I hope, once this water from the sky stops...
Didn't get a sniff my first season, hammered em early and often the next, and then didn't get my first one till late October this year... which was quickly followed by 12-14 more in the next two hours. Fish a lot of water, fish slow water, fish close to the bottom, vary your retrieve (if you're chucking spinners spoons or flies). You'll be tailing chrome soon enough.
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The two bits of advice I gleaned from everyday's posts that were the most helpful (more than colours, gear, etc) were to switch up your retrieve until you find something that works, and switch out your gear if you make five swings through a run without getting a hit. Coho are, in my experience, either totally lock-lipped or really aggressive, and if they're gonna hit what you're chucking at em they'll hit it the first or second time they see it. Fish aggressively. Mix it up. Try new retrieves, new lures.
I bought all types/colours of gear early on and would run everything I had through fishy water at a variety of speeds until something got hammered. After a season, I have two colour patterns of spinners and two patterns of spoons I use almost exclusively, and they do really well for me. I have a couple go-to types of retrieves I use for different types of water. It really only took a season and a half of serious, dedicated experimentation before I had the confidence and knowledge to go out and know I was going to get into coho.
However, that coho frustration isnt totally in my past just yet. I just started fly fishing this summer and haven't gotten one on the fly rod yet this season. It's humbling to feel like I'm starting all over again, but looking forward to a whole new world of knowledge that will open up to me.
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No offense but this thread is a great example of what's wrong with anglers these days. Too many people looking for the quick answer to catch fish. Best advise is to just keep going out there. Even if you're not catching look for people who are and take notes.
Also if you're this frustrated finding coho I highly suggest you don't try going for steelhead lol
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However, that coho frustration isnt totally in my past just yet. I just started fly fishing this summer and haven't gotten one on the fly rod yet this season. It's humbling to feel like I'm starting all over again, but looking forward to a whole new world of knowledge that will open up to me.
Ha! Looks like I'm getting all my frustrations out of the way at once then:)
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No offense but this thread is a great example of what's wrong with anglers these days. Too many people looking for the quick answer to catch fish.
Got nothing nice to say, don't say it.
OP is looking for tips to can help her in her future trips, not a short cut like those so-called experienced anglers always choose to believe. You can go out and keep doing the same thing, and not catch any without knowing why. To say that one should just keep going out there, that's probably the most useless advice which can be given. What if OP ends up watching someone long lining fish and successfully bringing in fish?
Here are some of my recommendations.
Personally, I find coho salmon in tailouts, stagnant pools, or waters where very little disturbance can be found. Coho salmon are easily spooked, especially when the river level is low, and more especially in rivers where fishing pressure is high. If you are fishing the Chilliwack/Vedder River system, you'll need to be familiar with the spots, which ones work best at what river level, which ones work best during which part of the season, etc. Over time, you develop a system and start reading the hydrograph, and pick your spots based on your past trips.
Fishing at the right times of the day is key. I like to be at the river before dawn so I can be at the spot where I want to fish before others get to it. Sometimes the bites occur at first light, but more often than not I find the bite suddenly starts an hour after first light for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If first light is not possible, then try the evening hours. Lots of time, during coho and steelhead season, the last couple hours before dark are the most quiet times on this river. Take last week for example, I had more success fishing in the evenings than early in the mornings because fishing pressure was almost absent in the evenings.
Using the right method. Float fishing with good roe is what most tends to stick to, but I've had way more success by casting and retrieving a spoon or spinner. Last Friday just before the river blew out, we fished a run where around ten other anglers were also working on. Most stuck to the tailout where it had been producing earlier in the week, by fishing roe. Only three fish were caught between the ten or so anglers. We chose to stay further upstream in the head of the run and flicked a spoon 20 ft out and retrieved as if we were bass fishing. That yielded four coho in about an hour.
You'll have another month to experiment, coho fishing should be good right until the end of November as long as the river comes back to shape. Lots of fish are still being intercepted in the Fraser so there should still be fresh fish coming into the system.
Good luck!
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Try not to get too discouraged. Coho are the most difficult to catch of the salmon species. I remember one year where I caught more steelhead than coho on the Vedder! Anyway, the advice given here is spot on. Also, I like to use as light (stealthy) of gear as possible. Mainline of 12 or even 10 lb Maxima Ultragreen, clear floats, small weights, fluorocarbon leaders, and small hooks. Fresh cured roe is the ticket and will be much more productive than store bought roe. Rod and others have already talked about other presentations including hardware (spoons/spinners). I have also picked up coho using sparse wool ties in peach/pink when the roe is not working.
To exacerbate the problem, I believe we're experiencing a low coho return this year. The coho fishing for me has been far less productive than the last five seasons. Sure there are a few guys who are catching lots of coho, and that's great to see. But these guys are on the river every day and probably know it very well. There will always be certain spots that will hold coho. Anyway, this year I've retained 14 hatchery fish, released about a dozen wild and a few jacks, with a landing success ratio of about 50%. This will equate to about 50 coho hooked so far on the Vedder/Chilliwack. Not bad, but there have been times in the last few seasons where I've hooked that many fish in just a couple of mornings.
In the end, experience will pay dividends. Get to learn the river and holding spots. See where coho are being hooked and what people are using (hopefully not flossing). Fish away from the spring holes. Most of all, have fun! :)
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One thing I forgot to mention is the coho "bite" or strike. I can count on one hand the number of times my float dived on a coho. Often, the float will just bobble or slow down. Any unnatural movement of the float (esp. if short floating) will likely mean a fish has just taken the bait. So don't expect the float to dive when a fish bites. I suspect that many novice anglers miss the strike because they do not recognize when a fish has taken the bait. This is particularly true when fishing bait such as roe. Hardware, on the other hand, will tend to illicit an aggressive strike resulting an a "float down!". It took me a long time to be able to detect the slightest take. Also, resist the urge to go "bass-masters" on the strike. Just gently, but deliberately, lift the rod tip and that should be good enough to set the hook. People who violently raise their rod tip resulting in missed fish and a "ripping" effect on the water's surface may only result in spooking the fish.
Anyway, good luck and have fun!!!
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Get out on the water. I have never really targeted coho, only going out 3 or 4 times specifically for them, and nothing.
I have landed two on the fly, one on a squidro in December (bronze wild and no fight) and the other was chrome and surprised the heck out of me as i was cuttie fishing. Both cases where the same, the fish was caught in frogwater. For those using flies, streamer fishing for cutts is pretty much the same as streamer fishing for coho. They will hit the exact same flies. The one I caught that was chrome was hooked while I was using a 6#, 8lb test on an intermediate sink line and a streamer. That same set-up 4 minutes earlier caught a cuttie in the same area. I also hooked what I think was a larger cutt but lost it. I used the same for all of them.
A buddy then went back to the same spot next day and pulled out 2 coho on the same streamer again.
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Got nothing nice to say, don't say it.
OP is looking for tips to can help her in her future trips, not a short cut like those so-called experienced anglers always choose to believe. You can go out and keep doing the same thing, and not catch any without knowing why. To say that one should just keep going out there, that's probably the most useless advice which can be given. What if OP ends up watching someone long lining fish and successfully bringing in fish?
Rod, this type of post has come up how many times so far this season? You put out a great article at the beginning of every season and there's already been numerous posts on this. OP even says they want a coho before the end of the season so they are looking for a shortcut. Even just using the search function will bring up hundreds of past posts on catching coho the right way. If they take that info and head to the river then it's just a matter of time.
Gotta remember this is fishing, not catching.
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What is frogwater please? Google no help...
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What is frogwater please? Google no help...
Think of a ditch or pond, water that has very little flow or movement.
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No offense but this thread is a great example of what's wrong with anglers these days. Too many people looking for the quick answer to catch fish. Best advise is to just keep going out there. Even if you're not catching look for people who are and take notes.
Also if you're this frustrated finding coho I highly suggest you don't try going for steelhead lol
I agree with you, however I'm not looking for an easy way to catch, I simply asked for advice/tips, not asking for exactly where or how to do something. I generally feel that my set up is correct (IMO), but I have no feedback to confirm this, I have been searching new spots, hiking for hours, buying different gear, chatting with a few fishermen but all to no luck on coho.
I thought this site was for asking questions and getting help which is what I'm asking, not for spots where I can just dip and snag them as I please. I am genuinely wanting to learn what I'm doing wrong, or perhaps get more tips that work for others that I can apply to my fishing trips. I was always taught there is no harm in asking :P
I'm hoping for a coho before the run is gone, but if it doesn't happen, that's fine, I'll have another chance next year.
And, no, I have no interest in Steelhead, yet, I know that they are difficult and probably WAY out of my league. I'm happy with what I've caught so far, I just think it's good to have goals.
I went out trying to catch a Spring this past month and was fishing in the pool with all these guys, everyone was getting them but me. There were 3 men that were the nicest individuals I've ever met, I was doing everything correct except I didn't know when I had a bite, that is what was preventing me from catching any. They took 5 minutes out of their day and showed me what to look for and when to set the hook, I caught over 6 springs that day - kept 1. I was 90% there but just needed help to be successful.
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One thing I forgot to mention is the coho "bite" or strike. I can count on one hand the number of times my float dived on a coho. Often, the float will just bobble or slow down. Any unnatural movement of the float (esp. if short floating) will likely mean a fish has just taken the bait. So don't expect the float to dive when a fish bites. I suspect that many novice anglers miss the strike because they do not recognize when a fish has taken the bait. This is particularly true when fishing bait such as roe. Hardware, on the other hand, will tend to illicit an aggressive strike resulting an a "float down!". It took me a long time to be able to detect the slightest take. Also, resist the urge to go "bass-masters" on the strike. Just gently, but deliberately, lift the rod tip and that should be good enough to set the hook. People who violently raise their rod tip resulting in missed fish and a "ripping" effect on the water's surface may only result in spooking the fish.
Anyway, good luck and have fun!!!
Great tip! Thank you! I just learnt how to do this for Spring, so perhaps it is different with Coho, perhaps my set up is too heavy?
Cheers!
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Rod, this type of post has come up how many times so far this season? You put out a great article at the beginning of every season and there's already been numerous posts on this. OP even says they want a coho before the end of the season so they are looking for a shortcut. Even just using the search function will bring up hundreds of past posts on catching coho the right way. If they take that info and head to the river then it's just a matter of time.
Gotta remember this is fishing, not catching.
Read the article and other posts, but I think the "talk" that is discussed is gibberish to me. Like frogwater or "rolling water", I have no idea what that looks like, so I google it, still doesn't make sense. And then "flies", I had some fishermen say they tied flies, and it was cotton, but I thought flies were well, "tied flies, that look like bugs". I'm just trying to get clear information that I can make sense of. No shortcuts, just goals. Goals are healthy ;) a few weeks with the right techniques, I'm sure I'll at least have a bite, which I'm happy with.
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Think of a ditch or pond, water that has very little flow or movement.
Thank you! That makes total sense and I have assumed that, but now it's good to know I was right about that :)
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hey ive sent a few emails not sure if you have received them?
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I guess ending with "as I want to at least feel one on my line before the season is over!" wasn't the best use of words. It's not that people are mean, just that they've put in years on the river to get successful so they might be a bit tight lipped about giving tips to someone on the internet who's just starting. Might take a season or two before you get one. Stuff liking asking about frog water and line are fair questions.
The reason everyone is telling you to just get out there and keep fishing is that it's hard for us to know what you're doing wrong without seeing how you are fishing and what water you are fishing. If you've read the articles you're probably pretty close but even the smallest thing like how much roe is on your hook can be the difference between having a huge day and getting skunked.
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hey ive sent a few emails not sure if you have received them?
No, I got the one and nothing else...... I replied, did you get that one?
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Thanks...
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Got nothing nice to say, don't say it.
OP is looking for tips to can help her in her future trips, not a short cut like those so-called experienced anglers always choose to believe. You can go out and keep doing the same thing, and not catch any without knowing why. To say that one should just keep going out there, that's probably the most useless advice which can be given. What if OP ends up watching someone long lining fish and successfully bringing in fish?
Here are some of my recommendations.
Personally, I find coho salmon in tailouts, stagnant pools, or waters where very little disturbance can be found. Coho salmon are easily spooked, especially when the river level is low, and more especially in rivers where fishing pressure is high. If you are fishing the Chilliwack/Vedder River system, you'll need to be familiar with the spots, which ones work best at what river level, which ones work best during which part of the season, etc. Over time, you develop a system and start reading the hydrograph, and pick your spots based on your past trips.
Fishing at the right times of the day is key. I like to be at the river before dawn so I can be at the spot where I want to fish before others get to it. Sometimes the bites occur at first light, but more often than not I find the bite suddenly starts an hour after first light for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If first light is not possible, then try the evening hours. Lots of time, during coho and steelhead season, the last couple hours before dark are the most quiet times on this river. Take last week for example, I had more success fishing in the evenings than early in the mornings because fishing pressure was almost absent in the evenings.
Using the right method. Float fishing with good roe is what most tends to stick to, but I've had way more success by casting and retrieving a spoon or spinner. Last Friday just before the river blew out, we fished a run where around ten other anglers were also working on. Most stuck to the tailout where it had been producing earlier in the week, by fishing roe. Only three fish were caught between the ten or so anglers. We chose to stay further upstream in the head of the run and flicked a spoon 20 ft out and retrieved as if we were bass fishing. That yielded four coho in about an hour.
You'll have another month to experiment, coho fishing should be good right until the end of November as long as the river comes back to shape. Lots of fish are still being intercepted in the Fraser so there should still be fresh fish coming into the system.
Good luck!
Wealth of information, thank you! As much of your video's and articles :) I appreciate you and everyone taking the extra moments to give any tips or at least confirm what my guess is correct.
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We are a free country and this is a web site set up to share info and educate those who need info. So feel free to ask questions. Those who are willing to share, will share. Those who won't, they can just ignore the request for info. I don't see the OP has done anything wrong here as a newbie of sort asking for some general info from experienced members. He stated that he had tried hard to catch a coho. It is not he hasn't gone to the river at all. It is one thing to search the site for archives of threads on coho, it is another to ask question on the most current fishing condition on coho fishing this year and the specific challenges related to this year's coho run, and have some feed backs on questions asked. Those who won't want to share can just move on to other threads.
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Read the article and other posts, but I think the "talk" that is discussed is gibberish to me. Like frogwater or "rolling water", I have no idea what that looks like, so I google it, still doesn't make sense. And then "flies", I had some fishermen say they tied flies, and it was cotton, but I thought flies were well, "tied flies, that look like bugs". I'm just trying to get clear information that I can make sense of. No shortcuts, just goals. Goals are healthy ;) a few weeks with the right techniques, I'm sure I'll at least have a bite, which I'm happy with.
I wouldn't call wool a fly . Generally flies can imitate bugs, but also eggs or fry or have nothing to do with imitating anything alive just pure imagination of whoever ties that "fly".
My advice would be to arm yourself with as many different lures as you can and try them during your trip. Also try different depths. Some guy catching above or below may have used certain depth that doesn't apply to your spot .
Just experiment.
Last weekend I had to change the depth while standing in the same spot just because river was getting less water flow.
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I actually tie egg patterns with wool. I tie in a few short pieces with a few wraps of thread across the middle. I then use a needle to "pull" the wool apart and fluff it up, then I trim into the shape of a single egg. I sometimes add a bit of white fur to simulate milt.
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I learned a lot from this thread, thanks
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The perfect end to this thread would be a photo of a freshly bonked 'ho caught by Luna.
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I have had very poor season for coho as well , most fishers in my area use roe or maybe wool ( probably because they have no roe left ) , i have roe and have only caught coho here in the river with roe
i watched a guy take a coho with a spinner under a float on the weekend , i have no confidence with that , i wish i did , any advice on that would be greatly appreciated
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Or a nice wild coho, gently released. ;)
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I have had very poor season for coho as well , most fishers in my area use roe or maybe wool ( probably because they have no roe left ) , i have roe and have only caught coho here in the river with roe
i watched a guy take a coho with a spinner under a float on the weekend , i have no confidence with that , i wish i did , any advice on that would be greatly appreciated
I have had a bad season for Coho as well. Hopefully it will change real quick. I have used both roe and Colorado's, and I am the opposite of you. Every Coho I have ever caught except for one has been on a Colorado. I try to change my depths when they are not taking my blade.
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Do you float the blade like you would with roe or do you cast and retrieve to get the spinner or blade moving or a combination of the 2 , kind of cast downstream and bring the lure through a zone ?
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Do you float the blade like you would with roe or do you cast and retrieve to get the spinner or blade moving or a combination of the 2 , kind of cast downstream and bring the lure through a zone ?
I am using a center pin reel, I cast it up stream and let it drift. Every single strike I have ever had has been at the end of my drift. I am sure the more experienced guys on here can elaborate on what works best.
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Drift it just like roe or a jig. Once it gets downstream from you a bit, you can hold your thumb on the spool just a tiny tiny bit and it will increase the action on the blade while still having a fairly natural drift.
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Or a nice wild coho, gently released. ;)
Challenge accepted! 8) :o
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I'm new to fishing for salmon and new to the vedder so I was wondering if anyone had any tips to catching coho? I've read so many articles, watched tons of video (especially by Rodney) but, still have not caught a coho, not even seen them.
but coho is on my Bucketlist and I cannot seem to even find them.
I've been fishing the tail of pools, calm waters, early mornings, spoons, roe, spinners all with no luck.
I was on the familiar situation as you Luna.
Fairly new river fishing for salmon. I've caught pinks, chums and a dirty old spring.
Fished for 4 hours yesterday morning at the Vedder. I finally caught my very first coho.
It was a nice chrome hatchery doe coho. I used pro cured chum roe. It was a very light hit, but i managed to set the hook and kinda horsed it in cause i was too excited .
So Luna, it can be done. Just try,try, try and persevere.
Good luck out there and tight lines.
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Drift it just like roe or a jig. Once it gets downstream from you a bit, you can hold your thumb on the spool just a tiny tiny bit and it will increase the action on the blade while still having a fairly natural drift.
I kind of figured you need to hold it off a bit to get the blade working , need to end your drift into the pool where the fish are , so i have been doing it correct , just need to keep trying
Thx
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I am using a center pin reel, I cast it up stream and let it drift. Every single strike I have ever had has been at the end of my drift. I am sure the more experienced guys on here can elaborate on what works best.
I am using a level wind , but that is a good reason to get a center pin :)
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Went out this morning. Everyone caught coho but me :-\ tried roe bags and everything else. Didn't even have a bite.... Well .....that I could tell.
At least I got to see coho in real life, lol. That was a plus.
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I am using a level wind, but that is a good reason to get a center pin :)
Short float a hammered silver (not nickle) Colorado blade in a No.3 (clear water) or No. 4 with a drag free drift. I use a level wind and feel there is no need for a pin, unless of course you want a pin. I have very rarely feathered the spool to induce movement in the blade. All the fish I have caught (coho and steel) have been on the drag free portion of the drift. The Colorado's do not have much weight to them and the blade moves enough in the water without the need to impart movement. However, this is not a good technique for flat frog water were there is not enough water movement to drift the set up or to move the blade. You would be better off fishing a spoon, spinner, roe or fly in very still water. Just my experience, YMMV, and slightly swinging a blade in tail outs may work as well as halcyon suggests.
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got my first ho the other day on the veder what a thrill !! so much fun
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/noahvdwatt/IMG_0009_zpsfr6m4lsr.jpg) (http://s428.photobucket.com/user/noahvdwatt/media/IMG_0009_zpsfr6m4lsr.jpg.html)
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Thanks Knnn , I was using a copper #3 blade , i will pick up a silver one , the weekend is a comin
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I am using a level wind , but that is a good reason to get a center pin :)
I have both and there is no difference when drifting float . Reason for using center pin as main rod for me is the bigger challenge when fish is on the hook.
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I have both and there is no difference when drifting float . Reason for using center pin as main rod for me is the bigger challenge when fish is on the hook.
The difference is you can fish slower moving water with a more natural drift with a pin rod. And as far as a bigger challenge at first yes, but once you learn how to do it effectively you'll find yourself reaching for the level wind a lot less. Especially after landing a few steelhead on the pin .
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Went out this morning. Everyone caught coho but me :-\ tried roe bags and everything else. Didn't even have a bite.... Well .....that I could tell.
At least I got to see coho in real life, lol. That was a plus.
Have you tried using spoons and spinners? I believe we fish different systems as most of the ones I'm on have a bait ban, but there's no reason why metal wouldn't be productive in your area. I know Rod uses it from time to time, judging by his posts. I find that smaller brass spoons are really productive for me this time of year, and one big benefit of them is that you can work fast and cover a good bit of water. Chuck it across river, reel in just enought to keep it from getting hung up on the bottom, and occasionally give a light twitch or two. I really like spoon fishing for 'hos, it's been a productive technique for me and it allows me to work all kinds of water. You might even have an advantage on your system if the fish are seeing bait all day.
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The difference is you can fish slower moving water with a more natural drift with a pin rod. And as far as a bigger challenge at first yes, but once you learn how to do it effectively you'll find yourself reaching for the level wind a lot less. Especially after landing a few steelhead on the pin .
I fished a pin for a couple seasons and then went back to the level wind.
What can I say,im lazy.lol
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True that firstlight. Seen that show at hot rocks and davidsons many a time years ago! Laziness that is!
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Have you tried using spoons and spinners? I believe we fish different systems as most of the ones I'm on have a bait ban, but there's no reason why metal wouldn't be productive in your area. I know Rod uses it from time to time, judging by his posts. I find that smaller brass spoons are really productive for me this time of year, and one big benefit of them is that you can work fast and cover a good bit of water. Chuck it across river, reel in just enought to keep it from getting hung up on the bottom, and occasionally give a light twitch or two. I really like spoon fishing for 'hos, it's been a productive technique for me and it allows me to work all kinds of water. You might even have an advantage on your system if the fish are seeing bait all day.
Haven't been out too much this season, but from seasons past, from what I've seen guys using spinning rods for spoons, spinners and twitching jigs do really well for coho. It's really too bad for me I dislike using a spinning setup on the river.