# Coho run timing



## milanmark (Apr 10, 2012)

I like catching cohos and I am confused about the run timing...
The Platte river seems to get their main run mid September. For other rivers like the PM and Big M cohos are supposed to be just starting now. This seems strange they would be so different. Is there something I am missing? Help in understanding this is appreciated!


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## wintrrun (Jun 11, 2008)

Understand that the Platte is predominantly a coho river and is a controlled fishery.
If the lower harvest Weir was not in place , blocking fish passage, you would see a fishery that started in early to mid Sept and would still be going strong into rifle deer.

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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

My impression of our coho runs is this: The early fish that run in September are our stocked fish. You typically see decent runs at this time in the Grand, Joe, and Platte, and sometimes the Manistee. That makes sense since those are all stocked rivers.

I believe the later-running fish to be wild, naturally reproduced cohos. This run can occur anytime between October and February, usually coinciding with significant flow events. Rivers like the Betsie, Little Manistee, Pere Marquette, Platte, and sometimes the Manistee get runs of these later-running wild cohos.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

My favorite Oceana County stream gets runs of fresh Silvers well into December, and I have seen/caught fresh Hohos during X-mas and beyond.


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## Oaky (Aug 13, 2012)

wintrrun said:


> Understand that the Platte is predominantly a coho river and is a controlled fishery.
> If the lower harvest Weir was not in place , blocking fish passage, you would see a fishery that started in early to mid Sept and would still be going strong into rifle deer.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I haven't caught a Coho yet - thus the interest. Planning on heading up from downstate on Sunday night and Monday morning. Any recommendation for river access to the Platte? I'm assuming that we need to stay well clear of the weir? 
We usually fish betsie and this year bear creek b/c of the issues with the Betsie.
Usually we wade in and we're not afraid of a little cross country. Any recommendations would be appreciated?

Also I usually use a single bleeding hook with a large Atlas egg and bottom bounce - any other suggestions for cohos?

Alternatively if we should be targetting steelhead let me know as well.

Thanks - would appreciate any insight.


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## milanmark (Apr 10, 2012)

Thanks for the comments!


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## Cwick925 (Dec 28, 2008)

I would like to spend some of my money chasing cohos too, Ive never fished strictly for cohos tho, Caught a few while king fishing the betsie... When would be a good time to hit one of the rivers up that way? Any info would be great, Im pretty new to river fishing for salmon


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

Mark T, do you think the later running cohos in the Platte are progeny from the hinchenbroke strain? Just curious as I seem to remember that these fish suppossedly run later than the normal cohos. Just curious.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

My main coho stream usually gets a few in September/October, with numbers building by early November. Pods will sit in the lower for weeks and weeks. Usually a good flow increase in early-mid December pushes them upstream to the good gravel. They spawn in the upper into February-March. They are steady on the rocks until it gets _cold_; then it's on and off until they eventually finish.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Toto- I don't think so. I think the Little Manistee River probably gets one of the bigger wild coho runs of all our rivers, and it was never stocked with the Hinchinbrooks. It just seems to be how that species has adapted to our rivers.


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## Fishslayer5789 (Mar 1, 2007)

My best coho action has been in December. I caught a coho yesterday (along with 3 other species in an hour), and that particular coho was dime bright with super dark red meat. The coho start by mid-september typically, and we catch quite a few then. The end of October through all of November is when I typically see a lot of fish come in (still catching good numbers), and December through early January is when have caught/seen the most. For eating-quality fish, I get plenty of dime-bright fish into mid-November. They take a lot longer to age than the kings.


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## mikey (May 26, 2005)

Do cohos die after spawning like the Kings?


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

Yep, aren't you glad you aren't a salmon?????:lol:


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## limpinglogan (Sep 23, 2009)

What works good for catching November and December cohos?!?


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## Benz (Sep 25, 2010)

spinning gear. Ho's love spinners. I have caught them on just about everything but once they turn red and start their spawning tactics they seem to be quite aggressive. The Grand has the most Ho's for sure (in my opinion). They move quick and stack up by dams. Moore's will be good ho fishing until late December. They seem to run as far as they can, as fast as they can, thus why Moore's is the best IMO because they can't go any farther and bed down.


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## Benzie Rover (Mar 17, 2008)

M. Tonello said:


> Toto- I don't think so. I think the Little Manistee River probably gets one of the bigger wild coho runs of all our rivers, and it was never stocked with the Hinchinbrooks. It just seems to be how that species has adapted to our rivers.


We've had winter run yo-yos in the Platte well before the Hinchi strain was brought in. I concur with Mark's general summary that hatchery fish making up the bulk of the early run. During my work on some Oceana streams that were completely wild, most of the coho spawn in December. 

The late fish in the Platte are probably a mix of late run stockers and wild though. I would base this on the fact we get late run pods of cohos in several small unmentionable streams in NW around December and most of these systems can not support wild coho reproduction given their summer temp regime and yo-yos inability to leave as age-0 fry, thus these fish are strays, most likely from the massive platte plants.


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## mikey (May 26, 2005)

toto said:


> Yep, aren't you glad you aren't a salmon?????:lol:


At least I would get to do what I love most before I died lol!


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## A.M. General (May 3, 2001)

I'm pretty sure I saw a bunch of cohos today on a branch off of the white river. Didn't have my gear though. Might go back tomorrow depending on the morning hunt.

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