When you hook into a Coho Salmon for the first time, before it gets to the boat, you may think that the fish is much larger than it actually is. While being excellent fighters, they also taste great on the dinner table. Cohos are a Pacific salmon that are stocked in the Great Lakes. Let's look at some factors that will help you catch more and bigger Cohos.

Coho Salmon, as with most salmon, are usually associated with large bodies of water. This generally means you must comb through a lot of water to catch good amounts. For most anglers, this means trolling. Trollers apply a variety of tactics and tools to give them the advantage. Depth finders are a must for locating schools of bait fish and thus, Cohos. Some depth finders will also display the water temperature; a key factor when fishing for any species. However, water temps greatly vary depending on the depth of water you are fishing. In other words, the temp may be much cooler 50 feet down than on the surface. Sensors can be placed on a downrigger cable, which is, of course, in the fish's zone.

Every autumn, you can count on the Cohos to congregate in and around tributaries. Depending on the size of the tributary, this calls for a major change in techniques. Small, stream size tributaries call for gear you can easily cast and drift with. Casting spoons, minnow plugs, and crankbaits are popular lures. Real salmon or trout eggs, as well as artificial, are extremely effective when naturally drifted downstream. Waders are very convenient for reaching otherwise inaccessible spots. For larger tributaries, the same techniques can be employed from either the bank or a boat. Trolling can also be an affective method, usually within the parameters of the tributary mouth.

Until next time, have fun fishing, and remember - unless your line is wet, you ain't gonna catch no fish!

Sincerely,

Nicholas Cudzilo