Hi ALL

Here is my 2 cents worth/observations on Coho fishing on the Snohomish. 1st I don't fish from a boat and don't really plan on doing it anytime soon. This is the 1st year in a while I've been putting time in on the Snohomish. Normally I'm fishing other places. I have been fishing in a very popular place and being the inquisitive guy I am I have asked questions and checked out a lot of fish hooked, landed and kept.

1st, there are A LOT of fish in the Snohomish as most of us know. I wish I had this many fish on some other rivers I fish where they are more aggressive. These things are TUFF!! With that many fish, there is no-way that there will not be some flossing and foul-hooking of fish. The numbers of fish and us being down where they are, add up to things not working the way we hope all of the time.

That being said. There are ways to legally hook these fish and get them in the mouth. They don't work all of the time. Here are 3 methods I have witnessed or tried and the results I have seen.

1. Drifting corkies or beads as you would for Steelhead. I've seen more fish foul-hooked this way than any other. I've also seen some that look like they were lined with the hook in the head but outside the mouth. I have also seen a fair number of fish with the hook in their mouth where it was obvious that they took it. So this method does work.

2. Casting a 1/2 once jig in various colors and do slight twitches (I've done this for humpies with good success). I've only seen 1 or 2 people try this. I've seen a few fish fouled and a few more with the jig outside the mouth. I have also seen a couple of fish with the classic jig hook-up with it in the front upper jaw like a steelhead taking a jig under a float. I haven't seen enough here to make a for sure judgement.

3. Last s the Dick Nite. I've never been a big Dick Nite fan mainly because on other rivers I fish I can get away with bigger spoons and spinners. This seems by far to be the most popular method and the most deadly. I have not seen any fish foul hooked and have only seen a few fish with the hook outside the mouth. ON the other hand. I saw a guy land 2 on Friday that swallowed the Dick Nites DEEP and there was no way they were lined. I'm still figuring this method out. As for myself, I got one Thursday in close to shore (like he followed it) and the DN was in the mouth. I have NO DOUBT this method works.

Also Friday it was interesting how 2 other guys using the same DN as me (1 right next to me) limited and I didn't touch a thing. The only difference we could figure out had to do with the leader I was using. Now if we are lining all the fish with DN's, I should of lined something on Friday considering the amount of fish that were in front of me for over an hour. And the fact that all 4 of those fish had the DN in the mouth proved to me without a doubt that they work.

One other thing to some of the ignorant boaters out there (not most of you). Understand that there are bank-fishing holes on all rivers. That is just the way it is. We don't mind if you fish it with us. Just don't park in the middle of the hole where we cast and then wonder why we ask what your doing. Also, with a river the size of the Snohomish, there is no reason why you have to slowly drive over the slot we are fishing and get that dumb look when I tell you that you almost got my lead in your head. I've been used to casting in the same spot with no problem for 3 days. So when all the other boats travel the inside, far away from us, it is a bit of a surprise when your dumb *** is 20 feet off shore in front of me. I am very curtious to boaters. Please be the same towards us. I'm sure there are ***** you have to deal with on the bank as well. I'm not one of them and if I think they are bothering you I have been known to let them know as well (in a nice way).

Thanks and let's hope the rains show this week in moderation!!