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Have been out a few times the last few days and still have had little luck besides a couple small coho at about 65 fow (using orange). Any suggestions on depth, tackle, etc to catch more fish? Even though every trip out is a great time it would be a bonus to come in with some fish. Any tips are much appreciated and thank you in advance.

I am running mostly a spoon program now, with a Flasher Fly and Meat Rig mixed in. Some days less spoons and more fly's and vice versa. Usually play it by ear and let the fish tell you what they want. For me lately, baits down 25-40' has been the hotspot. Some up higher, and some lower, but the bigger bulk are coming in that range.Change speeds to figure out what they want, sometimes its 2.2 mph, sometimes 3.2 mph. Usually somewhere in between, but there are times where really fast or really slow produce bites that you would otherwise not be getting.

So many people do different things, so hopefully more will chime in and offer advice. There is no single right way to apply a salmon/trout program. It changes constantly. Sometimes hour to hour.

Thank you very much for the information!

If your not finding temp and bait. Move! I'm still pretty new at this. Been at it for only a couple years but I learned fast that u can not catch whatbis not there.

I usually start closer in to shore and look for temps. After that I start trolling at a decently high speed to cover area faster. If I see bait and temp. I stay and try to catch. If there isn't bait move.

This time of year the steelhead move in close to shore. Trolling close to the pierheads in water from 15 ft to 50 ft will produce. You got spoons oranges and reds are steelhead colors. Perch colors will work at times as the steelies will feed on young perch. NBK's and B/G Dolphin spoons in mags are good choices also. Keep your baits off the bottom in the top half of the water column.
Make sure you work in some body baits also. Red 1/2 oz Brad's Thinfish and Rapala J11's and J13's in Firetiger and gold/orange colors are great on flat lines and planer boards. I like to stagger them about 30 ft apart so one runs a bit deeper than the other. Example being a lure behind a board 75 ft and the rod next cloest to the boat about 105 ft behind a board. This time of year also the coho will make their way out to deeper water near the state lines. Often time you can find salmon and lakers and 'bows out there. Even a straggler king might lurk there. That area requires all of the presentations from riggers, dipsies weighted wire lines to near surface rods. Cover all the depth you can and vary speeds from 2.2 - 3 plus mph. It takes some experimenting to find what they like on a given day. Good luck, this site has plenty of guys who will help you along. Lastly try to remember what has worked for you and where and when. Document those things and soon you will know month by month where to go first in a game plan. As the season wears on the game plans have to change.

jeff1201 wrote:

Have been out a few times the last few days and still have had little luck besides a couple small coho at about 65 fow (using orange). Any suggestions on depth, tackle, etc to catch more fish? Even though every trip out is a great time it would be a bonus to come in with some fish. Any tips are much appreciated and thank you in advance.

A big help to you will be informing the guys what you are doing and with what equipment. Unfortunately this type of fishing requires a plethora of equipment. Learning how to use what you have to its full potential is important fiscally. If there are equipment shortcomings then you can address those by getting equipment that target or address those needs. Examples being getting leadcore and copper weighted setups to cover various depths of water away from the boat.