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Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:55 am
by Bro-Rando
Does anyone have any info on coho in the big lake? I'm going to drop the boat in this weekend to work out my new steering cable and I figure I might as well drag something through the water while I'm at it. From the very very little I've been able to read about it I figure I'll fish a wigglewart on one line and flasher/ mini squid on the other. I'll start out over by Kirkland and see what happens.

Any tips or other info would be greatly appreciated. :brilsmurf

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:58 pm
by The Quadfather
Bro-Rando, I have not targeted Coho in L. Wa. but G-man will prob. chime in here soon. You mentioned to rods, just an FYI, lake W. is not part of the two rod endorsement lakes. (obviously you may have a partner with you) but the lake has a law enforcement presence, just saying.
good luck out there. I would prob. try a Silver Horde Coho killer.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:16 pm
by Matt
Its like chasing ghosts.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:18 pm
by Amx
When do those fish get in Lake WaWa? So I know when to stay away from the launches and let the salmon fishers have it.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:25 pm
by racfish
The coho run in Lk Wa. never seems to be worth it. The only survivors through the myriad of nets from Shilshole on up the channel only leaves jacks to catch. Very rarely do I see those 6-15 pounders comming out of the lake system. Prolly best to hit after the netting quota is reached. Then you only get half the ammount of illegal nets. JMO Like Matt said" Chasing Ghosts).I fish towards the mouth of the canal. All fish must come thru there.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:00 pm
by sickbayer
Matt wrote:Its like chasing ghosts.
Now thats true! I wouldnt even bother.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:48 pm
by fishingboy
Fishing the 520 floating bridge is best for sockeye, silvers, cutts, and big bows! Like quad father said, gman should chime in here shortly! If I recall right last year he was trolling for cutts and got a 10 pound ho!

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:33 pm
by A9
Dump in at Shilshole or Edmonds (weather permitting) and fish the salt.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:34 pm
by Mike Carey
I have had success off the point in Kirkland .

Here are my old reports:

coho trolling

coho trolling 2

coho trolling 3

coho trolling 4

coho trolling 5

coho evening jigging

coho jigging 2

I've caught them with both trolling wiggle warts and with jigging buzz bombs. The fish can be in there thick and your depth finder will go nuts.

That said, as I recall, the fishing generally is only good the first week or so it gets opened. They get lock jaw and quick. It's a challenge to get even 1-2, and I agree with others, there are better options. But it is nice to putt putt around the big lake, very mellow fishing. And you can catch a few, but you have to work at it.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:55 am
by G-Man
I did pick up a fish last year, however, it was near the mouth of the Cedar river and pretty late in the year. Not sure what to make of the coho run this year. Most of the fish I have seen caught in area 10, like the one I picked up today, have been small. I'm hoping that the resident fish are making up the majority of the catch with the ocean going fish just being late. Hey, one can hope can't they? One place in the lake that you can forget is the 520 bridge. I, along with many others, have repeatedly worked it over for coho and have not seen one fish taken. Hunt's Point seems to be one of the more popular spots and Arrowhead point used to be the prime spot for kings and silvers years ago. I'm going to be giving it a try again this weekend with red being my focus color. Red flasher, red plug and I may even try a red herring... Also, be on the lookout for immature/resident blackmouth on the lake. I picked up one today while desalinizing the boat. It's been a couple of years since my last hookup with one and the regs state they need to be released unharmed.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 4:33 pm
by EAmon___hoffman123
last year my dad and i had a couple using plugs nothing big but we lost probley a nine pounder at the boat.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 5:03 pm
by Mike Carey
maybe I'll get up early and give it a try next week, just for the heck of it. Too bad the two rod endorsement is not allowed. :-(

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 6:13 pm
by Amx
Mike Carey wrote:maybe I'll get up early and give it a try next week, just for the heck of it. Too bad the two rod endorsement is not allowed. :-(
What day? Gonna rain Mon and Tue. I might be out there W, T, and/or F.

Send me a PM when you decide. I don't fish for them, but might see you out there and stop to see how you're doing.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:42 pm
by Mike Carey
Amx wrote:
Mike Carey wrote:maybe I'll get up early and give it a try next week, just for the heck of it. Too bad the two rod endorsement is not allowed. :-(
What day? Gonna rain Mon and Tue. I might be out there W, T, and/or F.

Send me a PM when you decide. I don't fish for them, but might see you out there and stop to see how you're doing.
Looks like river fishing is going to win out.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:04 am
by Matt
We need water in the rivers! Snoho is pumpin like 1300 up high and is super low. Zombie humpies all over, tons of big silvers jumping but not biting. We need water to stir things up. Bring the level up to 5k and see what happens....... F I S H O N!!!

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:31 pm
by Photobby
It's discussions like this that make me glad I don't have a boat... It's hard enough to decide where to fish without THAT as an option as well! :-)

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 6:41 pm
by Matt
Lol, I would fish it ONLY as a LAST resort if everything else was closed. If the rivers are blown hit the salt, it its nast on the big pond hit the river. Win win.

RE:Lake Washington Coho

Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:49 am
by Mike Carey
Matt wrote:Lol, I would fish it ONLY as a LAST resort if everything else was closed. If the rivers are blown hit the salt, it its nast on the big pond hit the river. Win win.
you don't like boringly trolling back and forth waiting for that 1-2 biting fish, watching a fishfinder full of non-biting fish?

mind-numbing, but it beats doing yardwork.

OK, I guess I would put it in the back of the pack behind river and saltwater too.