For all you boat owners who think from my posts maybe you should just go back to the bank....not! Here is a couple pics from me and my buds from the last couple days in boats on the lower snohomish!

I'm still on the beach, will move up to the boat thing hopefully soon lol, looks like a great day none the less, congrats!

Wow! That's awesome!!
I hope to get into some gang busting action this Saturday!

I saw you guys in the hole today. I was the poor bast%^& alone in the woolridge down by the tail out.

I still had a blast watching the four boats in the zone nail fish after fish. It was awsome with nets, poles, bonking sticks and slime a flying.

I may camp it on the river one night just to get into that zone. What aball.

GOOD JOB.

Frickin Flossers!

RK43-
I wasn't with them today, but just got the pic from Scott (He's the one taking the picture)..........but I was there yesterday !

That is one killer spot. Still learning the river.
Does the crowd mellow for an evening bite?

I was at the before mentioned hole tonight and there was about 10 boats in it so no, the crowd doesn't mellow in the afternoon. Four boats is about perfect.

How about the slot at the neaxt rock and stream downstream. How does it play out.

Anything above it?

Canyon Man/Flosser, I was near where you were fishing/flossing yesterday and didn't see 20-25 fish hooked.
Maybe you were dreaming. Would love to see how you do with a fish hooked in the mouth.

When the coho are picky and only a few people are catching them, these guys tend to come out. Had a guy accuse me of snagging wednesday. While playing my next fish I offered to let him come examine it to see where the hook was. He declined and kept throwing his 5/8oz spoon.

Those guys in the pictures are better than most people on the snoho, snagged fish, i do not think so.

Nice fish scott!!! this is the first year for me on the sno, and wont be the last! thanks for the info! hey, when do I get on the boat?!!!

Nice Attitude SNOT!!

You might as well stay a lurker. Knoone will ever give or share with you now.

I was there and saw the action. (1) came in tail first but was wrapped up. the rest where in the mouth.

Snotran-
I don't know who you are but introduce yourself next time and we can discuss flossing vs. biters. There is no one that fishes that system with the number of fish in it that can't say they don't floss some of the fish. There's no way around it...it is going to happen. However, if you see the fish I keep vs. the many that I release, all the keepers are fairly hooked in the mouth(inside). Your attitude is why I sometimes really wonder if its worth posting at all. I can't tell you how many people have PM'd and emailed me about these snoho coho over the last month and I have tried to respond to each and every one of them. Hopefully some of this info has even gotten a few people into more fish. I hope you catch some too. Canyon Man is feeling very frusterated over this type of attitude on all the boards. There's always one isn't there.
CM

Canyon man,
Dont stop posting because of this idiot. I used some of your tips from friday's postings, and got one yesterday because of it.

Snotran,
Go trout fishing or something. Your obviously frustrated because you suck.

C-man, way to go!!! I have watched your posts for a couple of years. You seem to know how to fish the mighty Snohomish. Santran is the type of person with a jealous fever. Keep on posting there are a few of us who learn from others, and not have to mock others. Wisdom versus immaturity.

Keep posting Canyon Man. There are those of us who are new at this and have a lot to learn. We're trying to learn from you vets. Plus I love the pics

I don't understand why some fishermen are so consumed by jealousy. The next best thing to me catching a fish is watching someone else do it. I really appreciate you guys who post info for us newbies and aren't afraid to share techniques.

Canyon Man - please keep posting. I wouldn't have even known about this fishery had it not been for your posts. I've now caught 4 coho on the Snohomish (largest was about 15lbs - my largest fish ever) and a buddy of mine has caught 2. Thanks a bunch!

--Bank Angler

CM:

If you'll notice, Snotran has only one (1) post. Ever. It is possible that someone re-registered under a new ID just to yank your chain...just a thought to consider.

Snotran: Yes, the man IS that good. Like it or not, there are many people who have devited good parts of their lives to the pursuit of these fish. They get GOOD at it, and know how to catch them (legally) in all manner of conditions.

Maybe your not a "bad" fisherman, but you need to work on your attitude. It sucks, to be honest.

Mike

Funny how snotran does not post his email addess... Hmmm....

I say folks who make their first post such a negative bunch of BS, should be booted. Not the kind of folks we want on this board anyhow.

SA

I was fishing right next to CM that afternoon. I do not have a problem with the accuracy of his statement.

I was skepical at first too. That was until I saw where the coho are being hooked. No way a guy could floss a fish and have a hook located deep in the fish's mouth like it is.


Naw...these fish are biting. No question about it.

Hello Gregor:

Where were you fishing? I thought I saw you at pilchuck. But I didn't see CM, though.

I don't really care why people have to throw stones or why people have to try to over compensate to disprove what they really know. I know what I have seen and what I have experienced and most of the fish caught with DN spoons are lined. I wonder how long it took for the locals on the Kenai and Russian rivers to finally admit that they are really lining fish. I won't pass judgement on it, I would just like every one to just admit what they really know. And for you that still hold on to your convictions, let me ask you this. Have you ever fished for river coho in a unpressured river environment? If you have you would have experienced a chase down by a agressive fish. I have yet to see a single person yell from their boat " Did you just see that fish follow my line all the way in?" I do know that these Snohomish coho are the pickiest darn things to swim and the only way to get them is to fish the way we are. Lining! Lets just call a spade a garden tool and stop fooling our selves. Atleast it's made sporting by using light line. No one out there I've seen has been tossing 5/0 trebles wrapped with lead. It's not the worst thing to do. And if you still don't want to admit it try dropping your leader to 12" and see if they strike it? That's my $.02. And yes thru the law of averages ( I'm lost w/o spell check) some of them will really bite.

Sorry dr., you have me confused with someone else.

Hi ALL

Here is my 2 cents worth/observations on Coho fishing on the Snohomish. 1st I don't fish from a boat and don't really plan on doing it anytime soon. This is the 1st year in a while I've been putting time in on the Snohomish. Normally I'm fishing other places. I have been fishing in a very popular place and being the inquisitive guy I am I have asked questions and checked out a lot of fish hooked, landed and kept.

1st, there are A LOT of fish in the Snohomish as most of us know. I wish I had this many fish on some other rivers I fish where they are more aggressive. These things are TUFF!! With that many fish, there is no-way that there will not be some flossing and foul-hooking of fish. The numbers of fish and us being down where they are, add up to things not working the way we hope all of the time.

That being said. There are ways to legally hook these fish and get them in the mouth. They don't work all of the time. Here are 3 methods I have witnessed or tried and the results I have seen.

1. Drifting corkies or beads as you would for Steelhead. I've seen more fish foul-hooked this way than any other. I've also seen some that look like they were lined with the hook in the head but outside the mouth. I have also seen a fair number of fish with the hook in their mouth where it was obvious that they took it. So this method does work.

2. Casting a 1/2 once jig in various colors and do slight twitches (I've done this for humpies with good success). I've only seen 1 or 2 people try this. I've seen a few fish fouled and a few more with the jig outside the mouth. I have also seen a couple of fish with the classic jig hook-up with it in the front upper jaw like a steelhead taking a jig under a float. I haven't seen enough here to make a for sure judgement.

3. Last s the Dick Nite. I've never been a big Dick Nite fan mainly because on other rivers I fish I can get away with bigger spoons and spinners. This seems by far to be the most popular method and the most deadly. I have not seen any fish foul hooked and have only seen a few fish with the hook outside the mouth. ON the other hand. I saw a guy land 2 on Friday that swallowed the Dick Nites DEEP and there was no way they were lined. I'm still figuring this method out. As for myself, I got one Thursday in close to shore (like he followed it) and the DN was in the mouth. I have NO DOUBT this method works.

Also Friday it was interesting how 2 other guys using the same DN as me (1 right next to me) limited and I didn't touch a thing. The only difference we could figure out had to do with the leader I was using. Now if we are lining all the fish with DN's, I should of lined something on Friday considering the amount of fish that were in front of me for over an hour. And the fact that all 4 of those fish had the DN in the mouth proved to me without a doubt that they work.

One other thing to some of the ignorant boaters out there (not most of you). Understand that there are bank-fishing holes on all rivers. That is just the way it is. We don't mind if you fish it with us. Just don't park in the middle of the hole where we cast and then wonder why we ask what your doing. Also, with a river the size of the Snohomish, there is no reason why you have to slowly drive over the slot we are fishing and get that dumb look when I tell you that you almost got my lead in your head. I've been used to casting in the same spot with no problem for 3 days. So when all the other boats travel the inside, far away from us, it is a bit of a surprise when your dumb *** is 20 feet off shore in front of me. I am very curtious to boaters. Please be the same towards us. I'm sure there are ***** you have to deal with on the bank as well. I'm not one of them and if I think they are bothering you I have been known to let them know as well (in a nice way).

Thanks and let's hope the rains show this week in moderation!!

K&P,
Thanks for your info!
I'll have give the Snoho a try as I just can't get a bite in the Sky.
Where should I go on the Snoho to fish for Coho?

Summer-Run

Nobody tries shortfoating roe above these picky hoes ,what about a float and jig combo .Fish well above bottom and the whole floss issue is solved ,not to mention plunging floats is the fuunnest part of all ,thats why we use them up here in B.C..

I tried floats/jig 1 day on the Snohomish with no luck. A week earlier I did pick up a 10-12 lb hen using that method on the Wallace. It is great to see the float go under, set and feel the tug.

Canyon Man--
Not going to bash you about the difference between flossing, snagging and a bite, But, I am going to tell you that 90% of the fish you hook are Flossed.
Coho will case a dick nite under certain conditions, that requires visabiltiy that is around 3-4 feet. Anything over that and the fish are all jambed into the slots like the rock wall below the 522 bridge.
Trust me on this, I have been fishing that hole for almost 25 years with a dick nite. All those fish that have been taken in that hole are lined up like soldiers.
Once you have the dick nite at the right level, it is a slaughter fest as all the boats are proving. Same gose for Thomas Eddy, There are only about 3 holes that are producing fish and those fish are lined up perfect for flossing and snagging.
I will argue with any of you about the rock wall, you are not hooking fish by getting them to bite, so call it what it is. Flossing pure and simple. If you ever get a chance to watch a dick nite go through a hole loaded with fish and see what happens when the line gets in their mouth, you will see the head go back and forth, mouth wide open trying to get rid of the line, as they breath, the dick nite will most of the time hook them somewhere around the maxilary. If you hook them right in the end of their beak, they probably bite it. That is how they bite. I have watched you and the rest of the show in that hole.
Now for a little trivia question for all of you that will start bashing my post---
Where was the Dick Nite perfected, what river?
Who came up with the set-up for throwing Dich Nites? Is he alive or passed on?
Who started Dick Nite fishing on the Snohomish?
Then ask yourself, how did I learn this system? Maybe from some old timer that has been protecting it for 30 years?
Tough to watch a pack of boats turn it into a slaughter in one hole and call it sporting.

CM - don't let the yokels get you all flustered. Seeing how I have missed this fishery, I appreciate the reports and photos.

w.coyote - I couldn't disagree yet agree with you any more.

For those that actually know *how* to fish a DN, they are not lined (unless on purpose). I'd guess less than 10% of everybody on the Snoho can fish a DN *properly*.

The other 90% are probably just flossing fish with a DN, and don't know any better.

As I've said many times in previous posts, coho hooked in the tip of the snout with a DN is not flossed. Any time you find the DN in the corner of the mouth, odds are, it was flossed.

Parker
You are almost right, I'm sure that a small percentage of fish are going to bite the DN but that percentile is very small. I would disagree with you that EVERY fish hooked in the nose is legit. But we will never know this unless some one straps a very, very small camera to a DN. Although I do suspect that shortening your leader will tell the truth about the flossing delema. A coho who is really intent about hitting a DN will not have any quarrals with a 36" leader. I am not passing judgement about this method, but the truth is the truth.

I haven't been fishing the Snohomish/Sky because of the clear water. I've been fishing other rivers, focusing on resting or holding fish. I'm avoiding fish that are stacked/stale or traveling. And since we're sharing observations on dick nites...

If I'm flossing, then I'm much better at it before 7:30am than after.
The 50/50 dn has been, by far, the most productive for me. I've tried two other patterns and they haven't come close.
I have been hooking fish inside the corner of the mouth. I've also been hooking them in the roof of the mouth, in the tongue, and in the throat.
I had a silver this morning give me three chances at him on one cast. I thought I had a whitefish chasing my lure and finally set the hook on the third tap, tap, tap series to find a nice buck on my line.
My leaders have been 3-4'. DNs can floss fish. They can also make fish strike.

Combie-
I would love to know when you ever saw me in that hole because I have only been there one time ever. What day was it that you saw me?
CM

P.S. I am definitely not saying that all the fish hooked are biting...many of them are lined and/or snagged. There is no way around this when you have this many salmon in one hole. However, I believe that the fish that are kept (hooked fairly from inside out) are biters. Again I believe it comes down to knowing how to properly fish a dnite and being quick enough to hook these fish when they do bite. These coho hold that little spoon for a millisecond and spit it so you better be quick...even on the biters.

Mike,
?????????????????????????????????????

I don't believe that I have slandered any one. I do believe that I made a personal observation on a fishery I am involved with on a daily basis. Could you elaborate as to how you came to this "hypothisis"

Cupo- My observations basically mimic yours. Two colors and sizes seem to "line" those fish much better that others . Also, W.C. I totally agree with you that some of these fish are lined and I'm sure you caught some that were even hooked nowhere near the head, but I believe what makes it right or wrong is what your after. If you are there just to line fish than I think you should rethink what you are doing....however, if you are fishing and really trying to find the biters have at it! As I have stated before lining and snagging some fish unintentionally when the salmon are as schooled up as they are right now is unavoidable. Simply release and/or break these fish off and keep looking for the biters because they are in there. I don't like the way you say we should just all "call it what it is" because I don't think that is what the fishery should be about at all.
For any of you that know me I would never like to make any enemy, I wish everybody could get along and have a great time on the river, but it seems whenever someone is having success (me or anyone else) there's always people out there that want to throw out some jab. This IS suppose to be a fun hobby for us all isn't it. Obviously, we all CAN'T just get along and that makes me very sad and worried about the future of our sport!
CM

Try a 2 ft leader ,seems to make all the difference.When you floss a fish ,it's like kissin you sister,not even worth mentioning.
I will be giving these dick nites the test on tuesday at a few spots stacked with coho ,am anxious to see if this is the ticket or another imaginitive way to floss fish ,sure hope it's the ticket

Now here you go getting all worked up again. No one is slandering anyone. This is just a part of open communication. I have done the research on flossing. Did it many years before many of you were even born. Stood right above gin clear water and watched a long leader with anything and a hook and what do you know, flossed fish. Why do you think most set-ups include a dropper for the weight?
When the fish are stacked up like they are at the rock wall, you are flossing. You can put all the pictures you want showing how good you are, but it is still flossing.
Most of you are just learning the Dick Nite method. It was great for 25 years fishing the rock wall with no one else there, now we deal with 15 boats racing down the river 2 hours before light to get to that one hole.
Take you Dick Nites and go up on the Skykomish and try to get them to "bite", you will have a hard time catching fish until the visability goes down and the Dick Nite hits them on the nose and entices them into biting.
That is unless you find a deap hole with a 1000 fish all stacked up just like the rock wall.
That is why most Skagit fishermen Boondog the Dick Nite, it brings out the bitters that will chase down and grab the Dick Nite.

Coyote:

Like mentioned in the other post (now deleted), I can see both sides of the issue. The explanations that you, Combie aand others are suggesting could very well be valid ones.

I just don't see CM an intentional "flosser".

The theory that the DN slides through the water, the long leader enters the fishes mouth...followed by the DN...fish-on. Yes, that does sound like flossing..so the theory would be fact, and with the added confusion that the DN IS in the fishes mouth, the non-intentional flosser would not ever know they did such a thing.

Sorry for the "tone" of the other post. I guess sometimes I come across stronger than I intend to.

Mike

Go fish the Lost and Situk rivers in AK. for Silvers if you want to know what a one feels like when it hits a lure. Watch them follow your lure in to shore on casts when they do not strike the lure. In 40 years of fishing the Snoho I have yet to see a Silver follow the lure. Pinks ,Chums and Kings yes . Better yet try fly fishing for them

C'mon guys, aren't we taking this a little far. The way I look at it is that if a fish is hooked anywhere in the mouth it is fair hooked, "flossed" or not. While these fish have run the gambit of commercial and indian nets, some of us have the nerve to complain about a guy who's using a little hook and line trying to catch his dinner. I see no problem in hooking a fish any way you can legally, whether intentionally "flossing" or not. Just my opinion.

TK - they will chase. I've only fished the Snohomish a few times, but i've had a few chase. Most just like to jump and tease you.
I can also say that up on the snoqualmie and the sky I catch many each year that slam my lure, and many of those follow all the way up to my feet before smashing it. If you are really convinced that silvers won't chase and strike on the Sno\Sky - come with me some time. you will be a believer

HH - you may have a point (not a great one, but at least a valid one) if these guys were flossing just for food - as in catch 2 and go home. Instead, it looks like some guys floss just to C&R as many as they can to have some big numbers to brag about. Flossing and snagging is nothing to brag about.... If a guys feels he needs to stoop to desperate measures to feed his family - well I'll leave that up to the judge, but flossers and snaggers who do it just for sport are a sad lot in my opinion...

PS - I have no idea if anyone in this thread is a flosser\snagger or not. I'm talking hypothetical and from my personal experience and observations...

Well this thread went to hell

Usually I just check this forum and never post anything. I don't have anyidea about the flossing situation on the snoho. BUT I do know that these fish will chase. I have only fished from the confluene down to the bridge (still new to this fishery) and have used dick nites on a very limited basis (about 10 casts). Most of the times I cast or troll wiggle warts for them. Last week, I had 6 chasers in one day, three of those were on three consecutive casts, I think one even gave me the finger. We didn't kill the fish but we did manage to get a couple on wiggle warts, hooked right inside the mouth. For the number of fish jumping you would think we would have hooked more fish, oh well. Next time I think I'm gonna use my shotgun and shoot the jumping fish, should get my limit in about 3 minutes, is that worse than flosssing for um??

PP,

Sure the chase but not like active biters in Alsaka. Every single cast up there you have fish chasing your lure. On the Snoho system it's the exception not the rule. They also bite once in a while. I helped an 10 year old kid land a fish last week. He threw a Mepps first cast and whammo! nailed a 5lb coho. 100 people fishing within a quarter mile of him thowing everything but the kitchen sink getting nothing.

BTW I have no problem with flossing. Infact I think it is somewhat of an art form in itself. Lets just not pretend we are in a world class coho fishery. Coho are not like finicky steelhead when they are biting.

I wish those dang Coho bit like Shad

LT,

Go up to Ak they do. It's silly. Your arm gets tired after a few days.

King

That would be a dream come true. I have never been to AK yet :rolleyes:

CB,I know the answers,that you seek what do I get?I would like to know who let the cat out of the freezer?

If Piscatorial Pursuits were a cable TV channel it would no doubt be called

"The Personal Attack Channel"

What a great reality tv hit it would be. Probably go to #1 quick. If Sam Kinnison were still alive he would make a great MC.

I like Don Pardoe but that's just me but a good idea GP

Canyon Man, excellent pics and enjoy it every year! Just to bad you get a few jealous souls to spoil it, but, good start on the thread!!!! Sounds like Sky-Guy needs to take a few lessons from you .

And yes Lead Thrower, if silvers hit like Shad, more people would bring home more fish, but can't help looking at the expressions on peoples faces when a fish slacks their line and breaks water in front of them. What a Kodak moment!

Robert