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[Rodney]

Well, after reading SockeyeJunkie's report and a few other reports yesterday, I was pretty excited about fishing today. I didn't even sleep very well last night, knowing there would definitely be fish to be caught today. Tossed and turned the entire night until 4:30am.

Anyways, LukeYVR and I fished from first light until 1pm around the lower river. Luke has really started to enjoy float fishing. Why wouldn't he? He hooked more fish than me today. Four fish in total, but only one spring jack landed and one wild coho released.

I, on the other hand, missed a good hit just after dawn. I then had a hatchery doe on around 8am at a tailout. A beautiful fish indeed, chrome and around 8lb. As I was sliding the fish onto the bank, the hook popped out and the fish tumbled its way back into the water.

Not much after that, I threw my small 1/5oz blue stripe spoon under the float and had a really good hit but only a brief contact with the fish.

River level has now dropped back to the level before the first rain storm earlier this month. Water was gin clear, making it difficult to fish once the sun is high up. First light was not too productive, but the fishing picked right up around 8am. Waves of fish were on the move throughout the day. We saw mostly wild coho landed, lots of big white chinook rolling as well. Still a few chrome spring jacks roaming about.

Good luck all.

[Fish Assassin]

Now if you were using my secret roe........ Tell you what Rodney, I'll give you my secret recipe plus $150 for your Calcutta 400

[Rodney]

Stop criticizing my roe, there's nothing wrong with it.

[steelieman]

Nice to finally meet you in person. As for me, I got that wild coho first thing in the morning. It was pretty slow so I went down below Peach. I had two hook up but they got off within seconds.

My buddy decided to move down river and we got into quite a few humongous Springs. We each took one chromer and left for some much needed " ZZZZZZZZ".

Did you move up or down after Peach?

[Rodney]

Are you nuts? Don't expose my secret hideouts. Just kidding. Nice meeting you today Thomas, good to shake hand for once instead of just looking at pics or seeing you from the other side of the river.

I moved around quite a bit today, here there, everywhere.... I ended up on the north side as well....

No sleep for me, almost time to head to work!

[summersteel]

Too bad I didn't see you Rod. I was at the stretch just above the train bridge at first light. Was pretty slow, a guy had a chum on. Then I went to my favouite spot upstream. Like you I noticed the fish turn on at 8:00am. I bonked one hatchery coho doe and released one wild. Also landed 3 jacks. All on Coho roe. Fun day, alot of people for a weekday.

[fullahead]

Sept.29
About 8 am I went in to a run, I haven’t fished in a long time, mid river section, there were a couple of guys with a fire going, they were probably there before daybreak. The guy yelled to his buddy, look that guys, second cast, he has a Coho on the beach. Yes it was chrome, hatchery, and about ten pounds, and I didn’t touch an other fish all day.
Fullahead         

[aquaboy24]

Rod, I am curious...how do you set a spoon under a float? Assuming I am using spoons like you sell, how do I weigth them to cast out a decent amount? Is it float, pencil lead, and spoon as you would with wool?

thanks
Vince

[LukeYVR]

Luke has really started to enjoy float fishing. Why wouldn't he?

That's because my Fishing Sensei is excellent.      

I still have difficulty IDing river salmons.  The wild coho I released today, had a slightly hooked nose and white gum, but very few spots, its body looked almost chinook.  

I guess other people having  difficulty as well, because one man bonked a fish convinced it was a wild jack chinook, but it looked very similar to my released wild coho..     He cut it open and meat was reddish or orange .  Almost all  jack chinooks being caught at Vedder these days, have white meat, right?    

Can anyone tell me one sure way to ID between these, without cuting it open, and without yelling at me, please?  



I, too tossed the Rod's Spoon, but green stripe.  No fish, but caught a croc. spoon and a B.Betty rig.  

Around 12:30p.m.,  the dude next to me using a long leader and yellow wool, got his very first Hatchery coho.  It was almost 1m in length.  Biggest fish caught at our section of the river today.   He was very happy indeed.

I also saw one gentleman, fly fishing down stream from me.   He  told me that he had fished over 4 hours without a single bite.  

Oh, after walking back to the parking lot, I realized that my car had a flat tire....
I knew something had to go wrong.....  

[Fish Assassin]

Cohos have white gums as well as black spots on the top half of the tail. Chinooks have black gums and black spots on top and bottom of tail. Hatchery cohos have a missing adipose fin. (the small fin on the back towards the tail).

[summersteel]

Hi Luke. The best way to tell them apart is that Coho have almost no spots on the tail...almost-some have a few spots on the upper tail. But a springs tail is loaded with spots top to bottom. a coho has white gums on the upper mouth. Most springs will be gray, but a coho will be chrome bright. Some of the coho will soon be turning pinkish red. Coho and springs fight differently, as soon as you hook a coho you will see it thrashing under the surface rolling and twisting. almost chaseing its tail. ( the veterans know what I mean) When you hook a spring you'll get some big head shakes, then hang on cuz you're going water skiing! Your rod will bend right over if its a big one. Good luck.

[gman]

Luke,
Bug pumper and Fish Assassin have it right.
Once you know the rules about spots on the tail and gums, you need to find some fish to look at to learn to tell the difference. Next time on the river when a fish is kept (even by someone else), look really closely at the tail and the gums of springs or coho. Pretty soon its easy to tell them apart.

Generally I go by the tail when playing the fish to know if its "probably a chinook" or "probably a coho" (along with other clues such as size and the way they fight). Brightness of the fish can be a guide, but it really depends on the river system and time of year. Based on that I make a decision to pull it into the shallows or not. I always double check the gums before bonking it just to be sure. I have seen many chinooks with no spots at all on the tail. The gums are the sure way to never go wrong, but you need to have the fish close to check them.

Certain times of year Steveston dock is good for practicing to id the different salmon.

[summersteel]

ya, good idea Gman. Just go to granville island and study the fish in the market. Its a good chance to compare them side by side.

[Gooey]

I find the martkets often dont know what they are selling.  Case in point, I wa sin safeway this weekend and the were marketing springs that had spots on their head...they were frickin atlantics and I am sure by the body shape that they were farmed too. 

In terms of coho, stick to the NO spots on the tail rule.  I also find their tails have silver rays in them were as the springs are duller. 

I am not aware of any clipped fish on the vedder to other than Steelhead and Coho...if you have any doubt just make sure there is no adipose.

[Fish Assassin]

Agree with Gooey. Another case in point, I was in a well known grocery store chain chain and they had "silverbright" salmon on sale. They were chums.