Spring Coho Fishing

[Hoosier Daddy]

Looking forward to fishing for Coho for the first time this spring. From what I've read on the forum and elsewhere there appears to be two main strategies in the spring: (i) body baits like a brad thin fish in red or gold or (ii) small red flashers with peanut flies. I have a couple of questions.

1. Are these strategies used at the same time, or do you start the spring with one, and as the season progresses move more into the other?

2. Are the body baits and flashers all fished on flat lines with boards (using mono) or can you also use dipseys, riggers, or weighted line?

Any thoughts on setups would be appreciated.

[mrhookup]

We did the spring Coho thing for the first time last year and its a blast when you get into a bunch of them. For body baits, the thin fins work well and every color has their day, but red with black squiggles is probably most peoples favorite. Many types of body baits will work though, an orange jointed J9 or J11 Rapala is another classic bait. The dodgers and peanut flies work well too, but that rig starts to shine as the water starts to warm a little more, its not as consistent when the fish first show up after ice out. Don't underscore small spoons though as these took most of our fish. Stinger, Dreamweaver Super Slims, or Silver Streak Mini size all work great. You can run all these rigs on everything, boards, dipsies, riggers, but I tend to put the dodger rigs on riggers and dipsies and the spoons did very well for us 50-80ft back on riggers set only 5-8ft down.

[SUPERTRAMP]

Work all of them together, action is fast and furious. yellow birds or other lite weight boards, with body baits, work shallow water. In St. Joe we will start as soon as ice out, and the action will go for weeks. The fish are not large, unless you have a spring like 2014 and then our catch was more Kings than Coho. Top 15 feet , and adjust speed up and down until you start getting bit. I started using the river rockers last spring and they work well, they are a copy of the Heddon Tadpolly. Don't get stuck on just thin fin's jointed rapala's work well for Brown trout in shallow water. You can run the small red dodger with a red fly (I tie my own) off riggers from 5 to 12 down, and any small red spoon will work well also. Coho in the spring are not finicky, and the trick is finding them Usually find the warmest water in the lake and they are there.

[Boltman]

I'm changing my name to chief Bitchin Bull and I'm dragging nets this year , this is my spring King attack !!!!

Boltman

[Kingman152]

In summer when those kings are setting up alot of times you will have a good coho bite in 180-220fow. Fish the top 45 ft withs small blue green and oragne spoons. Early on in spring two to three colors of lead with mini streaks or stingers work great on your inside boards then on your flat lines run jointed rapalas thin fins or yozuri flicker shads shallow running. Righers run them with small stingers or stingrays that have chartreuse colors for greasers or the occasional king. When the kings start to show up in that 30-60fow run a diver with a spin doctor five feet off the bottom. Usually for me this takes the mature kings and lake trout. Also dont be suprised if you get some chrome on your high lines with the body baits or the two to three colors of lead. Hope this helps let me know if you have any questions

[mali0056]

What are your guys most productive ports in the early spring coho action? I fish mainly the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan but am toying with the idea of the Illinois water early (Winthrop Harbor maybe?)

[troublemaker]

You can't go wrong with Winthrop or Waukegan for spring coho in IL waters. We fished right out of Waukegan harbor mouth for 3 weeks straight, never having to get on plane. But it got so crowded on calm days we'd run about 2 miles south and still have excellent action with mixed kings and steelhead. This was the whole month of may for me.

What are your guys most productive ports in the early spring coho action? I fish mainly the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan but am toying with the idea of the Illinois water early (Winthrop Harbor maybe?)

[mali0056]

Thanks for the info Troublemaker. I run a 18 foot Ranger with two riggers and run lots of dipsey divers and lead core. I mainly troll Lake Superior being from MN and am really excited to try some spring coho action this year. Is anyone going to the Salmon School in Winthrop Harbor in two weeks? If so PM me - i will be there.

[SUPERTRAMP]

Early spring St Joe is the place to be. As soon as Ice is out, the coho are there. From the river to The Cook plant stay inside of 40 FOW and work in and out. I usually go in tight and run a Brown Trout Pattern on the inside and coho stuff outside. U will usually find the Coho in the off color water, and above 15' in the water column.

[hypovolemicshok]

I mostly run the small dodgers and peanut flies but I have caught them on thin fins too. I also run a spoon or two in the spread. Last year caught quite a few kings in May. I usually start fishing pretty shallow looking for the warmer water then work out deeper as the water temps warm.