I was just looking back at the PP archives and the wdfw catch reports (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/puget/ ) and it looks like the odd numbered years, when the pinks are in, coho are showing in the central Sound closer to the end of September.

Does that match anyone's recolection?

There's still hope...

Yes, you are on the mark. I stopped by the Port of Edmonds to view the results of their derby today. As of 12:55 pm only 16 fish entered. The weigh-in shut down at 1:00 pm.

Today's rain helped the rivers suck up the pinks and bring in some nice ocean coho...the next two weeks should be very good silver fishing in area 9 and 8.2.

Cigar

Dover -
It is my opinion/observations that exactly the opposite happens. That is on big pink years I see more early coho which are willing to bite. The creel checks in late August (especially at Everett) are somewhat mis-leading as most anglers are targeting pinks with coho as a by-catch. At the same time down in the Seattle area the coho fishing is usually pretty good (up to a fish/boat).

It is for this reason that I'm not very optimistic about the strength of this year's coho run. There should have been more fish around by now. Does that mean there will not be any good fishing? no, just not as consistent as recent years.

One of the facts of life has become that late coho just don't bite very well in the terminal salt areas - too mature?

Tight lines
Curt

I've fished the last 3 Pink seasons in Area 9, and on those years, it has been my observation that the frantic bite of the Pinks turns on a Coho bite to gear intended to target Pink Salmon.

Not seeing that this year, and I've only heard of a few coho around. One of the better examples is a regular in the beach croud has 44 Pinks and 9 Silvers to date. Many of those were resident silvers, not ocean run.

My anecdotal observations from the last 15 years agree 100% with Smalma's assertions. He's got better data so believe him.

I'd be surprised if the coho run is significant this year.

Plus I had 2 week-long trips of unbelievably poor coho action at Neah this year.

All anecdotal. None of it good.

-tony

Hey smalma,

I have found that Coho salmon are very responsive to a Euphasid or shrimp style fly in the terminal zones. Fished on a floating line, long slow strip, Try chartreuse and yellow spiders, and clousers.

matt

Gilly -
I have to agree that flies in terminal areas are often a better option than even herring. The last several years have fished flies side by side with cut-plugs and the flies more than held their own. ARe you beach fishing or have you moved out in to the deep water?

The point of this topic was the expected number of returning adults. I made the comment that those terminal fish are not nearly as suicidal as ocean fish. What does that mean? Having good numbers of fish available does not always equate to great fishing - classic example is Elliot Bay.

Tight lines
Curt

didnt we know that the run was going to be decimated after the huge floods of two years ago......or was that the droughts year?

imactually being serious although it may not look like it(is there a serious gremlin)

i think it is linked with the lack of shakers which means there is no run coming. two trips to neah bay this summer had the worst coho fishing we have seen out there. still saw plenty of commercials fishing the coho though and the only good couple hours of wide open bite we encountered was by fishing next to the commercials

HI smalma-

I have been fishing from a boat. I hope the fish I have been seeing in the terminal zones are just a little early, and the bulk of the run is a little late. I would agree that the fish get more finicky as they near these areas. I run a charter boat in the sound and had good fishing for ocean coho in late august, fish up to 14lbs. This past week has been slower, still some fish but not seeing the size. I think they are still on their way, I usually start catching some chum salmon when the big push of coho come through.

cheers
matt

not sure what the floods of two years have to do with coho? It did have an impact on the pinks though...

They are showing. The derby Sat had some nice fish there. Their weigh in was at 2pm and between 1:30 and 1:50 is when a lot of people were showing up to weigh in. People were trying to hold ou for the last big one to bite. We weighed 4 fish but nothing to write home about. Still was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to Everett's derby. Last year an 18lbr got it. Sure would be nice to get one of those!