3.5 spinner White w/ Pink dot and pink back works. Some guys flat-line orange wiggle warts and get em too!
I think the same tricks you already use work, just higher in the water column and maybe troll faster.

 

Yup,
Troll a tad faster. Shallower on the line counters is usually more productive, depending on tide.
And then, 360’s/Pro trolls with anything erratic! When they’re in thick, just put something in front of them. Don’t overthink it. When it’s slower, have a rotation of colors or different offerings until you get them to bite. Don’t over look shallow water!

 

Thanks guys. Imma gonna hook me a coho trolling tomorrow!

 

Not sure if it's an anomaly but the last 2 years we have caught quite a few with the bronco spinfish either trolling faster then normal or on the outside rod on the turn. I have a bronco that is basically white now with no paint all from coho

 

Good luck tomorrow Wicked Man, I hope you get into em! Give us a full report after.

 

If you're trolling a spinner behind a 360, shorten up your leader. Last year, I slayed them on a 21.5-22.5" leader. The extra kick that the 360 imbued into the spinner drove them nuts. Before the chinook shut down this year a 23.5" leader was doing well. 2.5" Yama****A hoochie, Dutch Fork quick change clevis.

 

Pink and chrome spinners will get them. Have your hook release system handy as you will be catching fish you have to release unharmed.

 

I totally agree. My favorite is the VIP Cascade 'Double Pink' with a small pink hootchie. Killer. Also a great blade in the estuary. jc

 

Two places we've concentrated our efforts fishing Coho in October; Davis and Camas and above. For us, it's weird in that things that work in one, don't seem to work in the other. At Davis, it's been a Brad's Chartreuse Jack Cut plug, fished suspended between the barges and especially in the prop wash of the working tugs. Discovered that by accident one day when a tug came down to get one of the tied up barges. As it turned, we had to make a quick maneuver to get out of the way that put us across it's prop wash. Both rods pounded down and it's worked other times since.
At Camas it's been location. Either off the mouth of the Sandy. On the bottom with 3.5's in traditional Coho colors and suspended with 3.0 Corn Chowder Spin n Fish (it's so weird writing that). Also, both things suspended, trolling above the green buoy at the top of Reed Island. We find Coho hanging in both locations. Trust your electronics. If you don't mark fish, move. I think we see Coho schooled more than Chinook, so we look for pods of fish. Find the fish and fish the slacks. jc

 

With 4 rods I put 12 oz on, get right at the edge of the channel, drop a rod to 60, 50, 40,30 feet on the LC and troll until we get bit. Bring two or three up to that depth you were bit at or plus/minus 10. Usually they run in much more schooled patterns so we make laps when we find them.

 

Don’t overlook sea hawk colors too. Caught plenty of Oct Coho on that color too. I prefer Brads Cuts over spinners. Remember traditionally Nw area Rivers start to cool a little in October

 

Have y'all found you hook a lot of chinook in the process? Even near end of September, I've found my chinook to coho ratio is at least 15-1

 

This morning my first two fish were hatchery coho

Come October, changing my tactics and locations a bit, and I get mostly coho.

 

Standard ocean Coho rig is a very short leader maybe 12 inches you’re generally using a Hoochie doesn’t have much action, the flasher imparts the action on the lure

 

In the estuary, a whole anchovy or red label herring behind a 360 has been the ticket for me. Brad's superbaits with a hoochie on the back end also work well. Spinners shallow and when the sun is out. Move around and try different depths. They aren't always on the top and will hang in the dirt during the outgo. The tops of shoals can be surprisingly productive. I've run into more than a few doubles in less than 15 feet of water.

 

How about bumpers? 18 or 24"? Troll speed? Faster than 1 second thump? Slower? Im taking a family that has never caught salmon out tomorrow and want to get them on some fish.

 

I'd go with the shorter bumpers. Other than that, biters will bite... just gotta get in front of some fish.

 

Okay so starting out should I focus in the upper water column? I've never targeted coho on the columbia. Do you stick closer to shore or suspended in the channel

 

Both of my opportunities yesterday came trolling a little faster than 1/sec....30 on the LC in 35-45 fow. 24" bumper, 22" leader.