Coho back in the day

[CalCom]

Hi All
When targeting coho, I sometimes wonder why I go to the spots which we tend to go for chinook? For example, many go to the hump at Kitty Coleman, which I have had great luck with coho there, but back in the 70’s, before electronics and downriggers were so prevalent, my uncle would camp at Miracle Beach resort (yes there was a resort there). We trolled blind (no electronics) and used a 6 oz lead weight on our line, stripping out about 30 “pulls” to get some depth. Our main fishing was trolling between Miracle beach and Mitlenatch. We never caught chinook but always limited out on coho, good size ones at that. The hoochies - they were always hoochies (army trucks) could not have been more than 20 feet deep.
I’m wondering if such fishing still exists. I don’t ever see many boats fish where we used to. I may try it, just for S’s and G’s.

Those were great memories for a 17 year old!

 

[Squire]

Hi All
When targeting coho, I sometimes wonder why I go to the spots which we tend to go for chinook? For example, many go to the hump at Kitty Coleman, which I have had great luck with coho there, but back in the 70’s, before electronics and downriggers were so prevalent, my uncle would camp at Miracle Beach resort (yes there was a resort there). We trolled blind (no electronics) and used a 6 oz lead weight on our line, stripping out about 30 “pulls” to get some depth. Our main fishing was trolling between Miracle beach and Mitlenatch. We never caught chinook but always limited out on coho, good size ones at that. The hoochies - they were always hoochies (army trucks) could not have been more than 20 feet deep.
I’m wondering if such fishing still exists. I don’t ever see many boats fish where we used to. I may try it, just for S’s and G’s.

Those were great memories for a 17 year old!

Great thread! I grew up in Powell River and fished for coho pretty much the same way in the 70’s to early 80’s but we used mostly flashtails behind a dodger or Abe’n’Al flasher. When the first manual Scotty downriggers came out we just used a rubber snubber with heavy mono to the gear and after cranking up the ball we hand-lined those fish to the net. It was a while before the fishing a rod to release clip method was developed.

In those days coho were abundant at somewhere around three or four to one ratio to Chinook caught. We had our favourite yellow-eye and lingcod jigging holes back then too. Most of our fishing was done between the North end of Texada and Savary Island or South by Hardy Island.

Coho seem to have really come back strong in the last couple of years and I have been catching them where I fish for Chinook (Entrance Island to Thrasher Rk).

 

[John Ingram]

Back in the 70's we would fish Brentwood and Cowichan Bay for coho.
10 -12 foot glass rods, peetz reel and weighted with a small bananna weight and a Polar Bear Bucktail with a pearl spinner.
Set out into the propwash you would on occasion see the bucktail bounce to the surface and then
get hit with a coho launching itself 5 feet into the air..... good fishing times back then

 

[CalCom]

Banana weight! That’s what they were called.

 

[Squire]

We mostly used these weights for coho:

 

[John Ingram]

We mostly used these weights for coho:

The old slip weights..... I think the banana weights were out a bit before the slip weights... But I may be wrong.
Article at the Peetz site about the slip weights and when they were made

 

[CalCom]

Yep! Those were the ones…when you set the hook the weight would slide toward the fish

 

[CalCom]

Bit of trivia
I was fishing at Miracle Beach when both John Wayne and Elvis died

 

[John Ingram]

Bit of trivia
I was fishing at Miracle Beach when both John Wayne and Elvis died

When I was a kid living in Sidney we would see John Wayne at the dock on his converted Mine Sweeper. We were fishing off the docks one day and after his guests left the boat he invited us onboard for some sandwiches and pop..... I guess that he had his cook make up a small buffet for the guests and we got the leftovers

He was a great guy

 

[Howzer]

I remember using 12oz slip weights for springs up off Prince Rupert in the 80's, and later in the summer 6oz for coho, but often then not you were shaking off Pinks...
3 years ago I caught about a 12 lb coho dragging a home-tied bucktail with 1/2 oz banana weight and running at 4 knots. Had to release, but what a fight after darn near ripping the rod out of the holder when it bit.

 

[CalCom]

Would be an interesting fishing derby….slip weights only!

 

[CalCom]

When I was a kid living in Sidney we would see John Wayne at the dock on his converted Mine Sweeper. We were fishing off the docks one day and after his guests left the boat he invited us onboard for some sandwiches and pop..... I guess that he had his cook make up a small buffet for the guests and we got the leftovers

He was a great guy

As I understand, he loved Campbell River. He also flew his own private jet

 

[John Ingram]

Would be an interesting fishing derby….slip weights only!

I would like to try a fishing derby with ALL old gear...... No graphite rods.... no modern reel....no downriggers just weights
or weight release clips.... only mono, steel or dacron line and just old plugs and spoons....... maybe a First nations version of a halibut hook for the barn doors

 

[John Ingram]

As I understand, he loved Campbell River. He also flew his own private jet

I'm sure he was rowed into a couple of BIG Tyee in the Tyee pool

 

[CalCom]

I'm sure he was rowed into a couple of BIG Tyee in the Tyee pool

I wonder if he is in “the Club”

 

[John Ingram]

I wonder if he is in “the Club”

I'm pretty sure I have seen his picture before when thumbing through the club photo library

 

[CalCom]

He should be
Do they still sell slip weights at Gone Fishing or Tyee Marine?
I suppose I could just drop my downrigger to 20 feet

 

[John Ingram]

He should be
Do they still sell slip weights at Gone Fishing or Tyee Marine?
I suppose I could just drop my downrigger to 20 feet

Yes they still sell them.... might have to do a bit of searching or maybe just go to Peetz on rock bay ave.

 

[Squire]

I bought a couple smaller ones at Gone Fishing recently with the intent to run a bare spoon behind the prop wash on a third rod down the middle.

 

[John Ingram]

He should be
Do they still sell slip weights at Gone Fishing or Tyee Marine?
I suppose I could just drop my downrigger to 20 feet

before the downriggers came in we all used slip weights or released the ball weight from the line when we got the fish close to the boat.
I like to use a release weight with a bag of rocks from our local beach... the pic is the release I would use