Light gear for trolling for coho

[Tsquared]

With the end of a very productive spring salmon season upon us, many people are turning to focusing on trolling for coho. With that in mind, what are some of the light rigs/methods you use for maximizing the fun with these fall beauties? For me, I have used these Scotty butterfly rigs since my commercial days. Cut the nose off a hootchie of your choice and slide it over to the wasp waist with a smallish hook tied on. You want to give a long leader from your release clip to the butterfly, like 15 or 20 feet. They have a great action and weigh nothing. What are some of your ideas?

 

[Aces]

With the end of a very productive spring salmon season upon us, many people are turning to focusing on trolling for coho. With that in mind, what are some of the light rigs/methods you use for maximizing the fun with these fall beauties? For me, I have used these Scotty butterfly rigs since my commercial days. Cut the nose off a hootchie of your choice and slide it over to the wasp waist with a smallish hook tied on. You want to give a long leader from your release clip to the butterfly, like 15 or 20 feet. They have a great action and weigh nothing. What are some of your ideas?
View attachment 97597

Needle fish hoochies on 18” leaders behind mini hot spot flashers

 

[Dogbreath]

Much the same kind of actioniser 6' behind a 1oz sinker sometimes I take a hootchie and turn it inside out for laughs.

 

[paguy]

Herring in a helmet four feet above a flasher of the ball.

 

[eroyd]

Use dummy flashers or skip them entirely. Fly rod with spoons. If the fish are shallow, skip the DR and instead use a small banana weight.

 

[Steplift]

King Kandy cut plugs https://www.kingkandylures.com/ 3' up with two inline flashers (Any colour as long as it's Blue or Green) in tandem off the ball. I retie them not a fan of the giant hook they put in them IMO.

 

[Saxe Point]

Use dummy flashers. Easily the best improvement to the fish fighting experience. I never use inline flashers anymore for anything.

 

[Eden Island]

Use dummy flashers. Easily the best improvement to the fish fighting experience. I never use inline flashers anymore for anything.

How far back do you run your flashers? Same as if they were inline?

 

[jim morrow]

King Kandy cut plugs https://www.kingkandylures.com/ 3' up with two inline flashers (Any colour as long as it's Blue or Green) in tandem off the ball. I retie them not a fan of the giant hook they put in them IMO.

By inline do you mean Agitators or regular flashers?

 

[Steplift]

By inline do you mean Agitators or regular flashers?

Yes I make a short daisy chain with two of them stays short enough and no big flop like normal flashers. More time fishing less time untangling I don't have the access to the salt like most. That being said it gives me next to zero headaches bite time can be short and it keeps the gear in the water. Works well for springs for us as well.

 

[Saxe Point]

How far back do you run your flashers? Same as if they were inline?

That’s the beauty of dummy flashers. You can easily adjust the distance between lure/bait and flasher to whatever you like. Allows for easy experimentation with distances.

 

[lemmy]

We’re on the same wavelength! I was going thru some of my old commercial gear and made these up last night… can’t wait to give them a go!

 

[Maxpri]

Use dummy flashers or skip them entirely. Fly rod with spoons. If the fish are shallow, skip the DR and instead use a small banana weight.

Banana weight on the fly rod? Spoons on the fly rod sounds fun.

 

[eroyd]

How far back do you run your flashers? Same as if they were inline?

I run my dummies about 7 ft behind the ball on 80# test and clip the spoon about 3 feet up and clip so it is just above and behind the flasher. Occasionally it makes a tangled mess so be prepared with another rig ready to go. Cranking in flashers on the rod sucks.

 

[Tsquared]

We’re on the same wavelength! I was going thru some of my old commercial gear and made these up last night… can’t wait to give them a go!

Good choice on the hootchies!

 

[Aces]

With the end of a very productive spring salmon season upon us, many people are turning to focusing on trolling for coho. With that in mind, what are some of the light rigs/methods you use for maximizing the fun with these fall beauties? For me, I have used these Scotty butterfly rigs since my commercial days. Cut the nose off a hootchie of your choice and slide it over to the wasp waist with a smallish hook tied on. You want to give a long leader from your release clip to the butterfly, like 15 or 20 feet. They have a great action and weigh nothing. What are some of your ideas?
View attachment 97597

I seemed to think these worked better at fast troll speed 3.5 plus

 

[Alex_c]

Polar bear bucktails on short leaders in 20’ of water

 

[big rock]

Use dummy flashers or skip them entirely. Fly rod with spoons. If the fish are shallow, skip the DR and instead use a small banana weight.

This is my favourite way too. Buck tail on the edge of kelp bed that’s holding bait. Small 2” spoon 30-40 feet out the back troll fast and hang onto to your fly rod. Awesome

 

[eroyd]

Doesn't always work but when the coho are on top it is most satisfying to be zipping around other who boats struggling to find what depth to set their downriggers at. My experience in the Fall is that some metal is required, whether spoon or a weight.

 

[lemmy]

I seemed to think these worked better at fast troll speed 3.5 plus

That’s exactly what speed I trolled them at in Sept off Swiftsure in the 80’s…. 50-60’ 35lb leaders, super spaced out. So fun hand bombing those big fall fish on the long gear! I’m going to drag some around Sandheads on Wed.