Coho fishing with yarn

[champmclean]

I scratched my first steelhead off my list this spring. I'm aiming at scratching a coho off this fall. I know people like throwing spinners, but the thought of losing new spinners on the first cast urks me. Am I greatly reducing my chances if I just stick with cork and yarn?

I like the cheapness of cork and yarn. I definitely have some kastmasters I can donate to the river. I'm just wondering If I should spend the money to get a bunch of blue foxes.

Anyone had any coho success with yarn?

 

[halibuthitman]

spinners and jigs... corky and yarn is stubborn fish food-

 

[champmclean]

For some reason]n, I just never feel confident when i'm fishing a jig under a float. I guess that's the bass fisherman in me. probably why I never have any luck with that setup too. Screw it. Guess I'm buying some spinners. Anyone know the average size of the coho returning to the Sandy?

 

[brandon4455]

As long as you are fishing a run or hole with at least moderate current jigs will work just as good,and often better than bait. Big marabou salmon jigs.



i tie my own,but before i started that first bite jigs is an excellent source for good salmon jigs.
when the fish see bait drifted or under a bobber 10000 times you throw a jig and it's a bit different. i use them for chinook and coho with tremendous success.


and you can't say enough about spinners for coho salmon. they are angry,rowdy fish that love to chase and crush hardware! just make sure it is pink or purple,pink 99% of the time.


don't bother with the corkies. especially for an aggressive fish like coho. ive never understood why people use corkies for cohos & chums..they are both very bitey fish

 

[rogerdodger]

our top producing coho spinners here at the coast are: pink, orange, and black (with dark green tape on the back of the blade).

 

[champmclean]

That sounds like a lot of quality information guys. Much appreciated.
I've been using red, braded 20 lb line in my setup, but I find it hard to see when it's overcast. Is yellow or green easier to see?

Another thing. Back where i'm from, the rule was silver blades when it's sunny and bronze when it's cloudy. I never see bronze blades at the store.

 

[brandon4455]

if you are using braid for your main line while salmon fishing i wouldn't use any less than 40lb braid, and 65 is my favorite. moss green color is my fav.

i never use anything but silver blades or painted blades. but a lot of people do go by that rule

 

[rogerdodger]

What I have observed for Coho, mostly it is bright colors in sunny situations, pink or orange body with silver blade (with or without hoochie), or silver bell with flat pink blade. In cloudy conditions, we kill them with the black spinner (#4 black/black 'blue fox' from about 1990!). Have not tried brass/copper blade for Coho.

Image is our black spinner in the net with about a 10# coho...that one spinner put about 8 coho on our tags in 2012 and 2013, plus several jacks...I will be very sad the day we finally lose it... cheers, roger

 

[rogerdodger]

I should add that we are big fans of the spinners from North Country Lures and Flies, all our other spinner coho have come on one of Dean's spinners, the pink bell hutchie (medium) and orange strikemaster (center pivot blade) hoochie (medium also), have been the best for us.

 

[champmclean]

Well, I will definitely be building my own spinners from now on. Lost four blue foxes. I have a full cart at Lure Parts Online, but I wanted to check the forum before I purchased anything. Any of you guys build your own, and where do you buy your spinner bits from?

 

[troutmasta]

Ive caught hords of Coho from the sandy on spinners, mostly size 4 blue foxes, pink and chrome,

also if you are fishing the sandy you can catch loads on corky and yarn, pink with salmon, or fire orange, peach.all of the above.

When the coho run in that river its like a fricken traffic jam. If you want to stay cheep run a corky and yarn with some shrimp scent.

Finally if you do run spinners, its not that harsh of a river. Ive lost many times more on the clack, there are some good holes that you can fish safely on the sandy-

good luck

 

[Work2Fish]

Troutmasta, where's a good spot to bank fish on the Sandy?

PM me if you'd like.

 

[Irishrover]

There is plenty of room down by Lewis and Clark park, or Glenn Otto park, Dabney park and Oxbow park. You can also venture to Dodge park or up from there is the Garbage hole. If you like a bit of a hike go to the Cedar Creek fish hatchery and hike down to the river. In any of those places you can swing spinners or even give the spoon a shot. I'm using something down here on the lower Columbia that isn't suppose to work well in the river but it has really been producing. It doesn't cost much and I don't thing you'll stick it in the bottom of the river. Good luck.

 

[troutmasta]

Troutmasta, where's a good spot to bank fish on the Sandy?

PM me if you'd like.

My favorite place to bank it up on the Sandy is Cedar Creek. You can hike down and fish the near side of the river with spinners and do fairly well just up stream from Cedar Creek.

However if you can cross the river either upstream or with a raft or anyplace possible the good holes are down stream around the bend. There is a giant meat hole but dont waste your time there, keep heading

down river you'll find some fishy water. You'll see a house across the way, that is a very fishy hole... other than that you'll have to hike around but that water gets stacked and Ive pulled limits on three fish limit

days by 8:00 a.m-

Tight lines-

 

[Work2Fish]

Thanks, I really appreciate the info.

 

[lizardman]

over here on my side of the mountain we catch them on shrimp or roe under a bobber, or jigs/plastic minnows. Once in a while someone will throw spinners (Blue Fox usually) and have luck. Also a bunch of jigs off the bottom, or corkies off the bottom work depending on the water.

 

[champmclean]

I've been meaning to go up to the hatchery, but I hate combat fishing. It's probably not as bad as people say, but I used to fish the Oswego river in New York, and It has scarred me for life. I guess it's still worth a shot. Can you cross there with a cheap Kmart raft. I wouldn't want to carry my pontoon down only to cross and walk.

 

[troutmasta]

Yes you can cross on it Kmart raft right now you could walk across it.