Just musing....

[kwikfisher]

Was working in my garage, and uncovered a box of saltwater jigs from my years blue water fishing off San Diego and Mexico. While I don't miss the megalopolis that LA and San Diego have become, I sure do miss the deep sea and coastal fishing. Up here on the rivers in my area I have fished a lot with spinners and spoons with some success, and the proactive style fit my personality. Anyway back to the box...Because I did/do enjoy fishing hardware, I have a good selection of heavy "yo yo" type iron, and lightweight "surface" iron. Now if you are not formaliar with these lures, they are designed for tuna, Barracuda, yellowtail etc and are fished totally different from salmon and steelhead lures. Being a the type of guy that loves to invent stuff, or find the next best thing, I couldn't help and wonder if these jigs could not be adapted to catching salmon. If you haven't done it, surface style iron fishing is a blast. By comparison to say a little Cleo, these lures at 6"to7" are giant, but really no bigger than a green label herring. What would be great when the Coho are jumping all around to try one of these extremely effective fish catchers, and maybe discover a whole new way of salmon fishing?

 

[kwikfisher]

Correction to what I posted would be Yo Yo heavy iron fishing is similar to traditional methods jigging...

 

[Aervax]

I like the way you think. Half the fun for me is trying out every new idea that is different from how everyone else is catching them. In most cases it may not be any more effective than the tried and true, but lots of times unusual methods work decently. Catching trout on the streams using a spinning rod with a split shot and wet fly is one my brother and I came up with as kids before we got our fly rods. Extremely effective, in deep fast water more effective than a fly rod. When we were teenagers my bro would fish light mono and a dry fly too. He would lay on his belly on the bank and hand line as the fly drifted down river and feed it into an undercut bank or under hanging brush to catch some really nice browns.

Anyway, the point being cross pollination of gear and methods can create some really fun fishing. In terms of Coho, a friend of mine used to guide in Alaska back when we were in our 20s. He would experiment during his off time, and swears up and down that he caught quite a few ho skating deer hair mouse flies across the surface. I would think your idea of surface steel style would trigger more reaction from Coho than a mouse skating across the surface.

I guess we will not know unless you try it. And if it does not work you will let us know, right? But if it does you will send me a PM, and we will not tell anyone else?

 

[rogerdodger]

Yep, experimenting makes fishing that much more fun. Once I catch some one way, love to switch up and see what else will work....

 

[fish4life]

You can catch salmon on jigs like crippled herring or buzz bombs. They do this on the Willamette and Columbia rivers. I think they kind of back bounce them down the river from a boat. I caught a coho from the bank on a flame colored buzz bomb but if there are too many fish you will foul hook a lot of fish. I have also heard of a method of where you jig a marabou jig for coho but have not tried it yet, they say it works well when there a lot of fish rolling but they have lock jaw. I would say it is worth a try.

 

[kwikfisher]

When I have more time I will tell the story of my own handicrafted tuna killer....The "***** slapped parrot"

 

[montym]

When I have more time I will tell the story of my own handicrafted tuna killer....The "***** slapped parrot"

With some pics please

 

[kwikfisher]

I saw salmon hit a small muskrat that was swimming across the Mckenzie as I stood bank fishing. Im not sure I would bother tying a muskrat fly, but it seems like a forage size iron flying by might get some impulsive cohos to lash out?