Awesome looking week to come!

[jhop111]

Coho.. A nice one though and congrats non the less.

 

[ChezJfrey]

The fish in now are hot and good table quality.

What's this 'table quality' you speak of? I wouldn't know since on this river with something like a 5 to 1 hatchery ratio, lately it seems like I have to let them all go....hehehehe.

 

[troutmasta]

Steelhead with a smashed face all day. Never seen a ho with a green back, + all steel have white gums.

Nice fish!

I'd say an un clipped hatchery with that busted up nose.?.?

Headed out tomorrow, wish me luck!

 

[Yogidabear]

My streams on the south coast are low end of perfect today, by the time I can fish on wed or thur they will be low and clear. Alas this dang work thing getting in the way of fishing time.

I was going to head down there sunday today but work got in the way, I talked to our mutual friend and he said the rivers were close to perfect. hope to see you down there some time.

 

[kerrydaleherring]

Johnnyh... One question how did that fish fight??? Was it aerobatic or did it mostly stay down with the occasional tail flip. I ask cause when you hook a steelhead which I think it is it would make the water errupt with jumps and shakes. I emailed a guy at odfw with the attachment to get an experts expertise. I wish you had a more defined pic, you could've counted the anal fins bones and that would've told you. Steelhead have no more than 12 and coho have more than 12.

 

[JohnnyH]

Awesome looking week to come!

The weird thing is I thought that for a moment I just snagged up. It was 2 ft off the bank at the very end of my swing. It just held its place like a chinook would, I never saw it until it was to the bank. It did take line a few times but never rose out of the water.

I barely got the picture I did because I was by myself. I wish I could have gotten a few good pictures. Either way this is my first winter season and my first steelhead/coho. I am stoked either way.

 

[kerrydaleherring]

Congrats bud! You got the hardest fish out of the way...Now your really hooked. I'm gonna try go on wen morning. That behavior is typical steelhead... Chasing your spoon all the way to the bank it must of seen it on the swing and followed it when your reeling against the current it really changes the spoon movement most times for me they hit it as I start to reel from the swing. Good job! Go get another one... You were using a little Cleo weren't you? Have you tried a "steelie" those steelhead will eat that up as well.

 

[kerrydaleherring]

Hahaha misread your post it didn't hit until the end of your swing which it was about two ft away from the bank but 75 ft away from you.... That's typically when that happens for me. Probally cruizin the bank cause its easier for them not as much current.

 

[JohnnyH]

It was a silver bc spoon.

 

[ChezJfrey]

It was a silver bc spoon.

In winter cold water, or colored-up winter water, real silver plate spoons are money! From one spoon man to another

 

[Steelheader4Life]

100% female Coho. Steelhead do not have a hooked top jaw. I have seen plenty of Coho this time of year with a green back.

 

[hobster]

100% female Coho. Steelhead do not have a hooked top jaw. I have seen plenty of Coho this time of year with a green back.

Yup, almost positive you are correct. Definitely looks like a female and they do not have hooked jaws, even after being in the river for a long time. They came in late last year but i landed a chrome coho in January, thought it was a steelie at first.

 

[Native Fisher]

100% female Coho. Steelhead do not have a hooked top jaw. I have seen plenty of Coho this time of year with a green back.

yep me too, I caught several while steelhead fishing this year. The coloration is also coho, just starting to get that red sheen. A steelhead would have a different two tone color pattern. That said the easiest way for me to be 100% is to simply look at the tail. Flat=steel and a slight to moderate fork is going to make it coho. Doesn't really matter though it is a very nice wild fish. I'd certainly be proud of catching it either way...

 

[JohnnyH]

Yeah that was a great start to my first season. If I had someone with me I could have gotten a better pic but I didn't want it out of the water any longer than it already was for my quick picture, she doubled up and was back in the water before I knew what happened

 

[Steelheader4Life]

yep me too, I caught several while steelhead fishing this year. The coloration is also coho, just starting to get that red sheen. A steelhead would have a different two tone color pattern. That said the easiest way for me to be 100% is to simply look at the tail. Flat=steel and a slight to moderate fork is going to make it coho. Doesn't really matter though it is a very nice wild fish. I'd certainly be proud of catching it either way...

Agreed about the red sheen. I'm not trying to take anything away from the fish. It's definitely a beauty! Good work man!!

 

[Stumpy]

The shape of the anal fin is also a giveaway. The tip of the first ray (front) does not reach past the base of the last ray (the insertion).

Likely we've all seen worse handling of fish, but if we want the wild ones to have the best chance to breed and make more fish, we've got to try to handle them the best we can.

 

[JohnnyH]

Likely we've all seen worse handling of fish, but if we want the wild ones to have the best chance to breed and make more fish, we've got to try to handle them the best we can.

I agree, and likely if this wasn't my first winter fish, I wouldn't have even bothered with a picture. After telling a few people about it I am in disbelief with how many of them said who cares about the fin, I would have grilled it anyways. At least I know to release all wild fish.

 

[hobster]

I agree, and likely if this wasn't my first winter fish, I wouldn't have even bothered with a picture. After telling a few people about it I am in disbelief with how many of them said who cares about the fin, I would have grilled it anyways. At least I know to release all wild fish.

Not worth the risk, major fine. Plus it's unethical which is the main reason not too keep it. Glad you will try better catch and release nexrt time, they can suffer badly from being dragged onto the dirt, even if they swim away strongly. Congrats on your first, nice job!

 

[kerrydaleherring]

Alright the final word on that fish johhnh caught from the words a district fish biologist " looks like a Jack coho to me"

 

[Steel4life]

Badass none the less, good job and I understand excitements. It happens every now and again. Went out today for a few saw 2\2 in the 4hours I was out. I had no luck back at it Wednesday if the river doesn't spike. Conditions were near perfect.