West end spring coho ?s

[chowder]

If Cohos are part of the mix this spring I would like to be able to have some presentations in the water that they want (hoping to be out the in early May) . My sense was that typically they are higher in the water column and prefer smaller baits than the Kings, like peanut or coho flies on short leaders behind the small orange/red flashers. Could somebody familiar w/ these or other setups give me some basic flasher/fly combos, including some leader lengths and other bait suggestions along w/ some starting point depth guide lines. -Thanks

[Silver Fox]

Try:

red 00 dodger/blue fly - 15" leader

silver or copper 00 dodger/your fly of choice - 15"

8" firetiger smartfish/blue fly - 22" leader

five of diamond c-5's and various stingers work the best for me.

Coho's are a very curious fish. I keep my leads on my riggers around 15-30' when I'm fishing the top 30'.

This is just a quick guideline and you will get other responses that could be totally different. Their are also too many variables that could change the color or size of your lures. Also I only use 4" flies.

[IRISH56]

Orange dodger w/blue peanut fly, 16" - 20" leader running in the wake of your planer board (big boards). Sometimes have to add a little weight to keep the dodger underwater. You can watch the coho slash at the rig sometimes ... pretty cool

Not sure of the exact name of the rig, small (4" - 6") orange metal flasher looking thing w/a peanut fly trailing behind maybe 12" or so running on a mono orange diver out maybe 25' from the boat.

Couple of years ago when the coho were real thick in the western basin we boated I don't know how many using the above rigs. We also took quite a few on bright colored spoons on sliders. Come to think of it the coho were so thick out in front of Wilson that we caught 'em on just about everything we put in the water. They are not spooked by the boat so if you want to target them keep your presentations high and close to the boat.

DAN

[momay4000]

Chowder,

Typically coho are the easiest to catch b/c they are so curious. However, over the past two years it seems like the numbers are down....

Nonetheless, we used the small (6") Action flashers last year with a small (either blue or cotton candy) peanut fly. They're pretty narrow (I'd say only an inch wide) and they're made of metal. They seemed to work a little better off the boards b/c they ran a little deeper than the small plastic SD's and didn't require keel sinkers.

http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/store ... lasher.htm

Good luck,

- Chris

[IRISH56]

Yeah those things

DAN

[stan]

Out west here we run the Grand Slam Buck Tails, 4" with a gold& silver double 00 dodger,

15 to 22" from dodger to Bucktail,also have a wiggle fin on the nose of the Bucktail. in the blue or green..The fish is a Laker a friend caught and Fishstalker took the picture..

[rail bird]

I have had good luck with stinger size ice frogs on free sliders.

Another rig I use is a small orange dipsy pulling a nk 28 orange crush. I run this about 90 to 110 feet out using power pro line. It takes a lot of steelheads too.

[chowder]

I have had good luck with stinger size ice frogs on free sliders.

Another rig I use is a small orange dipsy pulling a nk 28 orange crush. I run this about 90 to 110 feet out using power pro line. It takes a lot of steelheads too.

What length leader do you use on the little dipsy divers if you are using colored ones ( I usually use black Walkers)- Thanks

[CBish]

Any small orange doger <00 and a blue/gold howie trimmed short with treble only. Wire line 6oz lead 100' back. When they are there this rig will not stay in the water long.

Other lures:

Red & white honey bees on 8' sliders

Salmo #8 deep runner hot perch 100' back (boards) http://www.salmofishing.com/lures/perch.html

Here it the thing these fish are 15' - 22' down get something red infront of them and they will go, and go and go.

Usually the kings are 40' to the bottom so put the red spoons (free sliding) on the 40' and 50' riggers and run the other riggers clean or mupped for the salmon.

CC