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[CohoJake]

Ok, so I tried searching past threads for this and had no luck.  I know that having coho steal roe from my hook is not a problem I alone have.  I am wondering what people's opinions are about whether, after putting the roe chunk in the bait loop (or before), do you put the tip of the hook through the roe chunk?  I can't see what the fish are doing, but I imagine a good part of the time they are avoiding my hook completely.  Thoughts?

[Rieber]

Stop wasting roe.

I find big gobs of roe often get shredded in the cast and impact into the water. Let change of hook up as the hook gets lost in the roe. Little scavenger roe thieves go to town on drifting big chunks of roe. I think the bigger the roe offering the quicker it disappears. Different with bar fishing though - at least for me.

Seriously, I find little bites of roe much more productive. nothing bigger than the tip section of my thumb is my max. If I use a roe sack, no bigger than 5 mature Spring eggs per sack but never less than 3 for me. For super clear mid day water, I will use a single jensen egg.

[CohoJake]

Stop wasting roe.

I find big gobs of roe often get shredded in the cast and impact into the water. Let change of hook up as the hook gets lost in the roe. Little scavenger roe thieves go to town on drifting big chunks of roe. I think the bigger the roe offering the quicker it disappears. Different with bar fishing though - at least for me.

Seriously, I find little bites of roe much more productive. nothing bigger than the tip section of my thumb is my max. If I use a roe sack, no bigger than 5 mature Spring eggs per sack but never less than 3 for me. For super clear mid day water, I will use a single jensen egg.

I also find little bites of roe more productive, but that doesn't mean the fish don't miraculously avoid my hook on a regular basis.  I think by "Let change of hook up as the hook gets lost in roe" you mean leave the hook tip out, yes?

[Rieber]

I also find little bites of roe more productive, but that doesn't mean the fish don't miraculously avoid my hook on a regular basis.  I think by "Let change of hook up as the hook gets lost in roe" you mean leave the hook tip out, yes?

Fish avoid your bait because your presentation isn't right. I used to think scent had a lot to do with it but after testing (not on purpose - to be honest) with gasoline splashed on my hands after a careless fill up, coho and springs took my offerings. Why - because of the presentation. I know on days when I felt my reel dragging or knowingly making sloppy drifts or too deep, the hook up rate was zip. Adjust the float short- well off the bottom, short drifts with minimal amount of line on the water and the hook up rates went right up to what was expected.

The other thing to consider is you may not be recognizing light takes. This tends to happen with lead heavier than you need and when the fish a feeling a little skittish. I know from first hand experience, once the bite goes soft, its very difficulty to detect light takes if you don't have near perfect line management.

Sloppy presentations will not get you much fish but there are always exceptions.

Oh ya, big roe needs big hooks. I like using #4's and 2's so my presentations are always small  . (let me clarify this - my fishing presentations are small )

[rustybee]

Fish avoid your bait because your presentation isn't right. I used to think scent had a lot to do with it but after testing (not on purpose - to be honest) with gasoline splashed on my hands after a careless fill up, coho and springs took my offerings. Why - because of the presentation. I know on days when I felt my reel dragging or knowingly making sloppy drifts or too deep, the hook up rate was zip. Adjust the float short- well off the bottom, short drifts with minimal amount of line on the water and the hook up rates went right up to what was expected.

The other thing to consider is you may not be recognizing light takes. This tends to happen with lead heavier than you need and when the fish a feeling a little skittish. I know from first hand experience, once the bite goes soft, its very difficulty to detect light takes if you don't have near perfect line management.

Sloppy presentations will not get you much fish but there are always exceptions.

Oh ya, big roe needs big hooks. I like using #4's and 2's so my presentations are always small  . (let me clarify this - my fishing presentations are small )

Great post. Should be a sticky.

[dave c]

Try using a small tuft of wood above your roe. The wool may momentarily get caught in their teeth on the take giving u an extra half second or so which may result in a favorable hookset and fish to the beach.  Works for me!

[TR78]

Great advice. I also feel if the fish are not aggressively taking your presentation. You need to adjust to match. Lighter weight. Shorter float. Keep it tight. It works. Also wool is a great compliment to most presentations.

[Spoonman]

.....I cut my roe  rectangular off the skein flap and pass the hook(#1) through it twice folding it so the membrane is on the outside before I wrap the bait loop around it..I always use wool with it and try to leave the hook point sticking out...still get robbed lots....coho do that...and as others have said bite detection requires special attention and sometimes a light touch...sometimes you can be too quick to strike...try to keep leaders on the shorter side,this lessens the chance of a fish playing with your bait without you noticing...keep an eye out for strange float behaviour...had one last year that took the bait and came up enough to lift the weight and make my float flop over flat on its side ....

[canso]

Reminds me of a time I was sight fishing coho, I saw the coho suck in my roe and spit it out numerous time while swimming with the drift, the float never moved and the roe was gone.

[FlyFishin Magician]

Yes - I keep saying float fishing for coho is like indicator/chironomid fishing for trout - except coho might even be a bit more difficult!  One time last year, my float was flowing naturally when all of a sudden, a coho starts jumping like crazy and almost lands on my float. I figured - oh, that's cool.  As my float was now lying sideways, I figured the fish jumping by my float tangled it somehow and I decided to reel in - only to find out that I'm hook on this fish!  Turned out to be a bar chrome doe of about 5 - 6 pounds.  Very nice.

I like to use pieces of roe that are about the size of a nickel.  But sometimes I'll go smaller or larger.  I don't bother trying to put the hook though the membrane, but maybe I should. I'm now reminded that when coho fishing in low clear water, the fish are so finicky that I tend to get a lot of poor hook-sets.  I haven't really tried putting wool on with roe - sounds like a good idea.

[Rodney]

Yes - I keep saying float fishing for coho is like indicator/chironomid fishing for trout - except coho might even be a bit more difficult!

Totally agree, this was the discussion we had at home last night after spending three mornings in a row to beat these finicky biters. Out of all the fisheries around here, I'd say these early coho salmon are probably the hardest to hook, and land. It's so hard to get up insanely early in the morning (for this lazy sloth anyway ) just to be given a few chances to hook some fish. Each trip most of the float dives come up empty, the hook-set is too soon, too late, too hard, too light. Each time we go home and try to perfect that hook-set by modifying the bait size, hook size, float size. Each time we go back in the morning thinking that today will be the day, and after an hour we're back to square one again. But when the rod arches once awhile when that hook-set is bang on, it feels pretty damn good. It feels even better if the fish stays on until it reaches your feet. Just as addicting as gambling.

[obie1fish]

Totally agree, this was the discussion we had at home last night after spending three mornings in a row to beat these finicky biters. Out of all the fisheries around here, I'd say these early coho salmon are probably the hardest to hook, and land. It's so hard to get up insanely early in the morning (for this lazy sloth anyway ) just to be given a few chances to hook some fish. Each trip most of the float dives come up empty, the hook-set is too soon, too late, too hard, too light. Each time we go home and try to perfect that hook-set by modifying the bait size, hook size, float size. Each time we go back in the morning thinking that today will be the day, and after an hour we're back to square one again. But when the rod arches once awhile when that hook-set is bang on, it feels pretty damn good. It feels even better if the fish stays on until it reaches your feet. Just as addicting as gambling.

You just summed up a very familiar part of my fishing. One way I look at it is that fishing can be very influenced by hope. It's hope that makes us fine tune everything, hope that brings us to the water again when last time sucked, and hope that makes us hang in there for that one last cast...again.

[kevzabob]

Yeah, great comments. I'm experimenting with different batches of
Roe and even tied some up although I think my cure was a bit on
The runny side. Also went up to the hatchery a couple days ago on the
Chilliwack river and it didn't look like too many
Sitting to be let through. Also they seemed a bit on the dark side.

[VAGAbond]

I am beginning to see more clearly why some of my coho fishing results have been less than hoped for.

Thanks all, I wish I had read this years ago.

[barklee]

Help with my roe chunk. I find that when im plunking and use the egg loop to hold the bait (no spreader bar) just leader to swivel, I find that if I try to cast very hard the egg loop gets so tight and cuts the roe chunk in half then I loose the bait. This is when fishing lower fraser/tidal.
I find more bites on roe chunks than sacks but I like the sacks better cleaner. How long does the roe chunk stay on hook should I check every 15 minutes. I also cannot cast far or hard with the roe chunks. Any advice?