Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: lucky on April 17, 2005, 09:44:33 AM

Title: coho strategies
Post by: lucky on April 17, 2005, 09:44:33 AM
 Well I know that time in not upon us yet but I have been thinking of ideas to help in catching the elusive cap coho this year. Last summer I fished the mouth of the cap dozens of times, always saw hundreds of fish jumping, schooling, being chased by seals, even had a few brush by me and smack me with their tails, but I didnt land one fish there all summer :-\ Saw the odd fish taken everytime there, but all in all was pretty slow, most of the fish seemed to be taken by the flyfishers. Now this winter I jigged a bunch of herring and froze them, and I was wondering if fishing a cut plug under a float may work there?? I thought if a guy was to cast it far out and slowly bring it back in, the the herring only a couple of feet deep this might work? Anyone have any ideas on this?
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: Gooey on April 17, 2005, 10:15:32 AM
under a float...I don't think so.  Its the roll of the bait that makes cut plugging so effective so you would continually need to be casting and retrieving.   I think casting the cut plug would destroy the bait in no time.  How ever if you get a les davis teaser head then maybe that would help keep the bait together longer.

I lived in cowichan bay and I saw many of the old timers down at the docks casting cut strips (basically store bought herring fillets) in a green les davis teaser head with maybe a 2-3 oz banana weight.  that may work.

Where did you jig your herring any how??
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: lucky on April 17, 2005, 10:27:22 AM
jigged herring off the dock at Cates park while crabbing, not alot but we would get 5 or 6 every time out. I lived in maple bay, and did some great chinook fishing in front of cow bay. also some decent cod fishing
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: Sterling C on April 17, 2005, 11:53:08 AM
You might want to try a colorado under a float. Just chuck it out there and reel it in as slow as possible.
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: Chrome Mykiss on April 17, 2005, 12:04:56 PM
As a fisherman you have to be open to new strategies  ;) Gooey, hate to contradict you, but fishing whole herring (small "firecracker" size) under dink floats in estuaries has been a revolutionary technique down in the state of Washington :o. This technique is very effective at targetting cohos and even chums that are staging at a river estuary. I think its effective because its such a slow presentation, giving these lazy salmon plenty of time to snack on the bait ;) It's kinda like fishing interior rainbows with micro-leeches under indicators.
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: Spudcote on April 17, 2005, 12:51:25 PM
I've hooked (not landed) a couple of coho there in the past. I think we got our on buzz bombs (green/pearl or green/cream or something like that). Everyone around us was fishing spoons and weren't getting into anything. So don't be afraid to mix it up a bit, you may be presently rewarded.
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: kellya on April 17, 2005, 08:50:22 PM
I agree with spudcote i have had the most luck casting zingers and buzzbombs. Its easyer with a light setup 6-10 pound test and a spinnning reel. Use smaller sizes 2 & 2.5 inch models in green and pearl. If they are in the river itself i find nothing beats blue foxes!
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: BIG T on April 17, 2005, 10:04:37 PM
i used buzz bomb and spinner,no problem catching them...like you say,be patience.i knew a friend of mine already caught a few blueback at the beachside.
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: Gooey on April 18, 2005, 06:42:04 AM
Blue Backs???  I havent heard that term since I lived on the island...whats your location BigT?  I havent heard of any blue backs that can be accessed around the lower mainland  :'( 

They're a great fishery, I remember up in Kelsey Bay (Seyward area), that if you found a school, it didnt matter what you threw at them...they were so aggressive and soooo plentiful.  We would walk the rocky points and look for the jumping fish, it was a blast!

MyKiss, were those small herring live?  I can't dead bait on the drift in the ocean being that appealing to a salmon...but who knows, I hav never tried it!
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: Fish Assassin on April 18, 2005, 11:25:20 AM
Gooey, for some reason fishermen around here refer to the small cohos returning to the Cap as "bluebacks". Actually they are not "bluebacks" but mature salmon.
Title: Re: coho strategies
Post by: Gooey on April 18, 2005, 01:51:55 PM
I havent heard the term blueback used anywhere on the mainland...but indeed the cap coho are sized very similiarly to what we called blueback.  I guess we just dont have the right type of water to hold those juveniles close to their home rivers.