By Mike Gass, Sport Fishing Development Coordinator, for gofishbc.com
Coho salmon generally begin migrating into many west coast rivers in early September, and run through to mid-November. New anglers, enticed by the size of chinook and chum salmon, sometimes overlook coho, yet they are one of the most prized catches among avid autumn salmon anglers. A coho’s subtle take can account for countless missed strikes, and even when you do hook up, its ballistic fight often results in spit hooks. But fall coho are guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping, and leave you shaky-handed as you try to re-bait your hook.
Coho prefer long, slow tailouts and smaller riffles. Keep a lookout for flashes under the water (a telltale sign of coho), or fish rolling on the surface. On rivers that get a lot of angling pressure, the best time to fish for coho is from first light until sunrise, with dusk to last light a distant second. If you are lucky enough to find some “un-spooked” fish, coho fishing can remain consistent throughout the day.
Float-fishing (or drift-fishing) is one of the most productive methods to fish for coho on medium- to fast-flowing rivers. A good starting rod and reel setup for drift-fishing is a 2.75- to 3.65-metre (9- to 12-foot) medium action rod and level wind reel, such as the Rapala Classic Float 11`drift rod and Delta Series 7500 reel, loaded with 5.44- to 6.80-kg (12- to 15-lb) test monofilament main line. Use fishing floats as small as 15 grams in very clear water conditions and when fishing soft-flowing, shallow water, and up to 25 grams when fishing heavier-flowing, deeper water. Add enough pencil lead or sliding weights to the mainline above a barrel swivel so that only the top centimetre (½-inch) of the float sits above water. Tie on your lure using a short 45-cm (18-inch) fluorocarbon leader in the 3.6- to 5.44-kg (8- to 12-lb) test range. Fluorocarbon line is thinner in diameter than monofilament, and virtually invisible to fish underwater, which allows you to use slightly heavier leaders to prevent disappointing break-offs with big fish.
Cured roe (chinook, coho, or chum) – dyed red, or natural – is the preferred bait when float-fishing for coho. You can purchase cured roe in some tackle stores, or cure your own if you harvest a female salmon. Pre-packaged salt-brines, such as Pro-Cure will produce quality cured roe in various colours. Store the cured roe in powdered borax either in your fridge or freezer.
Tie a hook, such as a black or red size 2 Gamakatsu octopus hook, to the leader using a bait loop knot. Cut a piece of roe approximately the size of a quarter, and gently secure it in the bait loop. Depending on quality of the roe, it may last anywhere from one to over a dozen casts before it needs replacing (replace your bait once you are left with just the white membrane from the egg skein). Artificial lures like Colorado spinners, wool ties, and leadhead jigs can also be effective.
“Short-floating” is adjusting the distance from your float to your weight so that you’re fishing well off the bottom: 30 to 60 cm (one to two feet). A common mistake among new anglers is fishing too close to the bottom, which makes it virtually impossible to detect subtle takes, and could result in snagging the bottom – or even foul-hooking fish. If possible, position yourself slightly up-river from where you expect the fish to be holding. Avoid having your float and lure land directly on top of the fish by casting straight out, or slightly upstream. This will also give your bait time to sink to the strike zone. Allow the current to carry your float downstream with your reel in free-spool. Hold back the line ever so slightly so that your bait runs ahead of your float and weight, but you’re still achieving a drag-free drift. Occasionally, a coho’s strike will bury your float, but your float will usually just bob slightly. When short-floating, you can be confident that this is a fish striking and not the bottom. Set the hook quickly enough, and you’ll be rewarded with a coho dancing on the end of your line.
Since coho enter the river early and spawn late, there is an excellent chance of catching a fresh, bright fish at this time of year. Don’t miss your chance to connect with these chrome bullets, and bring home some prime table fare this fall.