[CaptainDave]

How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait)?

I've heard a lot about how cohos will typically clsoe their mouths to bait while at the same time tormenting anglers with their jumping in front of them, on top of their baits, etc. I saw it today at the Capliano River, where cohos were jumping regularly and ignoring the best efforts of a fly fisherman, two guys tossing spoons (one a Colorado and another I didn't recognize) and a couple guys using pink wool. Could it be the time of day (afternoon in this case), tidal cycle (just after high tide at the mouth), moon, type of bait, or what? Any ideas?

 

[young gun]

Re: How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait)?

its because they're firing up the river in the highwater, if the river had a steady level of good water they'd bite, but because they release the water 1 time every 3 months the coho sit at the mouth waiting to flood the river and make it to their spawning grounds in 4 hours, they wont stop to hit anything. Time to blow up the dam eace: JK!!!!!!!!

 

[Xian]

Re: How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait)?

First light and good water conditions are key, which are almost impossible to get at the Cap because they are opening the dam in the middle of the night to flood the fish in when there's no net's or fisherman on the river to intercept them and once they make it up they don't want a thing. It's tough, I'd suggest another river unless the cap has good water.

 

[chum8888]

Re: How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait)?

Spoons and other hardware seem to work only at first light (for the cap anyways).

Too bad there's a bait ban. You'd probably nail them at the spine with good roe ;D

 

[Crazy Drifter]

Re: How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait)?

Good luck that is the fishermans million dollar question. As young gun put it they are focused on one thing pounding up and spreading seed. they are even hard to get aggravated strike. It's just like gin clear conditions just before a storm out here, the fish seem to sense the weather change and button down and just move
Cheers,
Crazy D

 

[scoopy]

Re: How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait

Hey Captain Dave, I think I was fishing the same spot, I was using a fly rod on the east side of the bank. I had 3 fish nearly land on my fly!!! I then switched to spoons and drifting to no avail. The snaggers got a few in the evening though.


Matt

 

[fishortho]

Re: How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait)?

Always nice to see the snaggers outfishing the others.. :hmmm:.........Call the report line!!.........Ortho 8)

 

[CaptainDave]

Re: How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait)?

Scoopy, that may very well have been me. I guess we are all a bit frustrated at watching them torment us like that. I'll try myself early one morning and see if it goes any better. Otherwise I'm off to the vedder.

 

[CaptainDave]

Re: How do you get "closed mouth" cohos to open their mouths (and take your bait)?

I got to the Cap today at 6:45 AM, definitely "first light". I did catch a 1.5lb wild coho on a Colorado (with weight and float) combo, but that was it for three hours worth of fishing with wool, the Colorado, a Blue Fox and a Gibbs "Koho" spoon. Lots of jumpers again. Also 6-8 fishermen at various parts of the uppermost legal pool to fish, but no action when I finally left at 10:30. My limited experience on this river only confirms it is a tricky and inconsistent one to fish.

I will in fact hit the Vedder next, where I've had a lot more luck the past couple years. As far as other places for coho, I got spoiled this August in a river near Rivers Inlet, where three of us caught 24 10-15lb coho in two mornings using the Koho spoon mentioned above. It is kind of hard to experience that kind of action and still be patient with the Cap, though the Cap sure is a lot closer to home.