Kayaking for salmon

rogerdodger
rogerdodger
getting into the whole fishing from a kayak experience?
ready to step it up, hook an adult salmon, fight it for a while and then try to net it yourself without looking like all 3 stooges sitting on a chunk of rotomolded polyethelyne?
how about doing all this without being in choppy tidewater with PB/guide boats zooming all around...

I think a great way to get started and get that important first salmon blood on your kayak is to head for Siltcoos or Tahkenitch in October when the wild coho arrive. Here is my reasoning:

these are big lakes and the fishing pressure is much less than the bays/tidewaters. Even on weekends there are not that many powerboats on them plus the lakes are big so everyone has lots of room, and with no chinook and a 1 salmon limit (must be a wild coho), very few guide boats bother to take customers there. the launches are easy to use and very kayak/canoe friendly.

only "downside" is if you catch an adult coho quickly, your fishing day is done. so lets see, go out in your kayak, catch and tag a 12# coho within an hour on a quiet lake with loons, osprey, bald eagles...I'm not sure "downside" is the right word here...

both lakes have short outlet rivers from the west side that cut through the dunes to the ocean. fresh coho come up these rivers in bursts and many of them adjust to the lake by staying along the west shoreline while moving to the south of where they came into lake. thus you do not need to go very far to get into fishy water. and you can easily target these coho 2 ways from any kayak: from a location near shore, alternate between casting towards shore, right into the shallows like you were bass fishing, but also make some casts OFF the opposite side of your boat, out towards the center of the lake. The second method is short trolling runs with spinners just a bit OFF shore, get moving and cast your spinner out the back of your boat, rod into a holder and then cruise along for a while at 1.5 to 2mph. but don't troll that far since you will pick up weeds often in these lakes, couple hundred yards or so, reel in the spinner, sometimes hooking a fish almost at the boat!, repeat...and if they don't seem to be hitting any of the normal coho spinners, try like a 2/5 lil'cleo type spoon, gold and red/gold have both produced coho for me in Siltcoos...

I am hoping to add a third coho method this year- casting 'coho poppers' near shore, I will certainly be posting on whether this method works or stinks...cheers, roger
 
P
pinstriper
You sold me, Roger. The lake has the added benefit of not being tidal or having a current, so the only thing to watch is the wind.

As a new kayaker, I have only been in Tillamook Bay with my paddle yak, and on the Columbia in a borrowed Outback. I will not go back to the Columbia in a paddle boat. I can be talked into a coastal bay under the right conditions.
 
troutdude
troutdude
Coho poppers? I'm curious to see, if those produce.

:popcorn:
 
R
rippin fish lips
They will work. Silvers are an agressive fish when it comes to something is invading their territory. They are also one of the most curious fish on the planet. They are not afraid to swim up to check something out.
 
C
cdat
I'm going to have to remember to try those out this Oct.
 
T
TimberTodd
Great suggestion Roger. Thanks for sharing with us.
 
troutdude
troutdude
Great video. Who woulda thunk it would work?

Thanks for sharing!

P.S. I'll have to buy some cheap poppers; cuz I won't repaint my trusty Lucky 13's! Those babies have caught tons of bass, for me over the years. Wonder if purple would work too; or white body with a red head/face?
 
hobster
hobster
TimberTodd said:
Great suggestion Roger. Thanks for sharing with us.

Indeed. I hope to get out there this year, didn't get out there last year at all. Good luck with the poppers, looks like a blast! Keep us informed of your adventures.
 
rogerdodger
rogerdodger
almost forgot, Rachelle and I are jumping on the 'kids rod' bandwagon, so these are our new rods that I think we can land a coho on: hers is the 'Frozen' (blue) and mine is the 'Ninja Turtles' (green). :D
chinook= no. coho= probably!
 
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M
mustardthetrout
Thanks! This is just what I was looking for.
 
S
smoky
My buddy caught a 28" steelhead on a cheap trout rod.
 
C_Run
C_Run
That does it, I'm getting some pink plugs! I always manage to find lots of cohos, just the ones that won't bite, the ones that want to jump in the kayak with me.

Another option for mellow kayak salmon fishing is heading for the upper reaches of tidewater later on. No ripping currents to contend with and, if there are boats, they are usually sitting still bobber fishing. That's been my experience anyway. It's like fishing in a lake.
 
rogerdodger
rogerdodger
C_Run said:
Another option for mellow kayak salmon fishing is heading for the upper reaches of tidewater later on. No ripping currents to contend with and, if there are boats, they are usually sitting still bobber fishing. That's been my experience anyway. It's like fishing in a lake.

remembering that this year, if a goal is to keep more money in your pocket and less going to ODFW, in almost all the coastal rivers after Oct.15, wild coho no longer open, must be released...the 3 coastal lakes are open for wild coho retention until 12/31.
 
C_Run
C_Run
Thank you , Roger. I hadn't bothered to even check out the seasons yet. Scarcely wetted a fishing line in the last few months.
 
rogerdodger
rogerdodger
tested out my new Ninja Turtles rod today, didn't hook any cutthroats on it but it worked just fine..'coho-abunga, dude'.
 
B
billfisher
That should be a blast! :thumb:
 
GaryP1958
GaryP1958
Roger you should be on the Slaw a lot of fish being caught! I just got back from Fall River and going back for another week over there otherwise I would be fishing the Slaw!
 
bass
bass
Very nice write up Roger. Thanks for putting that together for everyone!
 

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