# Coho in the PM



## pondfish (Oct 8, 2016)

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This was my first river Coho and first one I have ever seen caught in the PM in 20yrs of fishing there. It slammed my egg sucking leech fly in a deep hole. As far as Coho's go it was huge. I wonder if anyone else has caught Cohos in the PM.
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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Dandy! Coho are so much nicer than chinook.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

How far into the flies only stretch? 

Custer has been dead for a week........only few I've seen have been so fuzzy that I think their head would come off I hooked one.....LOL


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

ausable_steelhead said:


> Dandy! Coho are so much nicer than chinook.


Tough point to argue there, nice fish.


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## pondfish (Oct 8, 2016)

wally-eye said:


> How far into the flies only stretch?
> 
> Custer has been dead for a week........only few I've seen have been so fuzzy that I think their head would come off I hooked one.....LOL


I was below Gleason hooked several kings and a couple nice browns.


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## pondfish (Oct 8, 2016)

ausable_steelhead said:


> Dandy! Coho are so much nicer than chinook.


They are so much better on the table also.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

pondfish said:


> I was below Gleason hooked several kings and a couple nice browns.



Good deal........I'm pretty much restricted to Custer and the handicapped decks they built there........can park close and walk to them with my cane pretty easy......


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## antlergeek23 (Oct 22, 2013)

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my dad got one this week in the upper flies.


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## pondfish (Oct 8, 2016)

antlergeek23 said:


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> my dad got one this week in the upper flies.


Nice fish!


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## Ballyhoo (Sep 26, 2016)

pondfish said:


> View attachment 229087
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> This was my first river Coho and first one I have ever seen caught in the PM in 20yrs of fishing there. It slammed my egg sucking leech fly in a deep hole. As far as Coho's go it was huge. I wonder if anyone else has caught Cohos in the PM.
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Wow 20 years is a long time. I guess it was worth the wait. Nice fish!


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## FishMichv2 (Oct 18, 2004)

pondfish said:


> View attachment 229087
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> This was my first river Coho and first one I have ever seen caught in the PM in 20yrs of fishing there. It slammed my egg sucking leech fly in a deep hole. As far as Coho's go it was huge. I wonder if anyone else has caught Cohos in the PM.
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Very nice Coho. I've caught and seen quite a few in the PM over the years. I always seem to spot a pair or two on gravel in late October/early November.


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## JB85 (Nov 2, 2010)

We get a few most years fishing for steel in Oct/Nov. Never seems to be a big concentration, it's one here and one there but we did find a hole that was stacked up several years ago and landed 7 or 8 that day.


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## tgafish (Jan 19, 2001)

antlergeek23 said:


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> my dad got one this week in the upper flies.


Gorgeous fish! I've always wanted a spawning ho pair for the wall


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## Johnnydeerhunt (Apr 27, 2005)

pondfish said:


> View attachment 229087
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> This was my first river Coho and first one I have ever seen caught in the PM in 20yrs of fishing there. It slammed my egg sucking leech fly in a deep hole. As far as Coho's go it was huge. I wonder if anyone else has caught Cohos in the PM.
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Did you measure it? Master angler is 31" in MI and it looks like you might be over that to me, if that sort of thing matters to you. Heck of a nice Coho for sure.


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## pondfish (Oct 8, 2016)

Johnnydeerhunt said:


> Did you measure it? Master angler is 31" in MI and it looks like you might be over that to me, if that sort of thing matters to you. Heck of a nice Coho for sure.


Did not bring tape measure but I'm sure it was near 31" it had some big shoulders on it though.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

pondfish said:


> They are so much better on the table also.


 For sure! Best tasting of all real salmon species. You may see (as I do) fresh Coho still running well into December.........


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## Benzie Rover (Mar 17, 2008)

pondfish said:


> View attachment 229087
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> This was my first river Coho and first one I have ever seen caught in the PM in 20yrs of fishing there. It slammed my egg sucking leech fly in a deep hole. As far as Coho's go it was huge. I wonder if anyone else has caught Cohos in the PM.
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Coho spawn in the smaller tributary steams off of main river channels. Ruby Creek, which is a type 1 stream trib of the South Branch of the PM, has had a self-sustaining coho population for a few decades at least. It probably only gets a few hundred fish total, but they keep returning since it has good habitat and water temperatures for natural repro of steelies and coho since both species have very similar habitat requirements for spawning and rearing young. I used to see them every fall back when I did redd count survey's for the PM Watershed group and the young of year (YOY) coho (fry) would always be a large component of our catch from Ruby Creek electroshocking surveys as well. We would also find YOY yoyos in most of the other small tribs of both the South Branch as well as the upper main brach. It was fairly common to see adults as well as YOY in the Upper Middle Branch of PM well above 37. That's a nice fish btw.


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## cireofmi (Feb 13, 2001)

wally-eye said:


> Good deal........I'm pretty much restricted to Custer and the handicapped decks they built there........can park close and walk to them with my cane pretty easy......


They did a nice job on that in Custer. I just fear a good ice jam on the river there and the boardwalk under the road is going to get torn out.


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## pondfish (Oct 8, 2016)

Benzie Rover said:


> Coho spawn in the smaller tributary steams off of main river channels. Ruby Creek, which is a type 1 stream trib of the South Branch of the PM, has had a self-sustaining coho population for a few decades at least. It probably only gets a few hundred fish total, but they keep returning since it has good habitat and water temperatures for natural repro of steelies and coho since both species have very similar habitat requirements for spawning and rearing young. I used to see them every fall back when I did redd count survey's for the PM Watershed group and the young of year (YOY) coho (fry) would always be a large component of our catch from Ruby Creek electroshocking surveys as well. We would also find YOY yoyos in most of the other small tribs of both the South Branch as well as the upper main brach. It was fairly common to see adults as well as YOY in the Upper Middle Branch of PM well above 37. That's a nice fish btw.


Great info thanks. I guess I need to fish later in season to catch them.


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## pondfish (Oct 8, 2016)

itchn2fish said:


> For sure! Best tasting of all real salmon species. You may see (as I do) fresh Coho still running well into December.........


Unfortunately I work in retail and can't get out in Nov or Dec. I would like to though.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Today on PM near Custer.......16 inches and very gently handled and released live and in good health to grow and procreate..............


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Thats a steelie. But good fish


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Sparky23 said:


> Thats a steelie. But good fish



That's why I let it go.....I don't keep skippers.


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## EZDUZIT (Jan 14, 2003)

Sparky23 said:


> Thats a steelie. But good fish


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## EZDUZIT (Jan 14, 2003)

that's not a steelhead I know because I caught one just like it in the same area Thursday . Coho.


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## jigsnwigs (Feb 6, 2011)

EZDUZIT said:


> that's not a steelhead I know because I caught one just like it in the same area Thursday . Coho.


Oh please, make it stop.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

EZDUZIT said:


> that's not a steelhead I know because I caught one just like it in the same area Thursday . Coho.



Wrong there skipper.........

Look at the bottom rear fin on the fish.......The fin of a Coho, will be angled towards the front of the fish (the bottom/back edge of the fin).........a Steelie will have almost a straight across or even slightly rearward angled fin (the back edge or bottom so to speak)............the picture in the earlier post clearly shows a rearward edge............STEELIE 100%........

The bottom picture is a coho..........notice the bottom rear fin and how it slopes.........that IS how to tell the difference between a skipper and a coho...........


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## MoJoRisin' (Jan 30, 2004)

also tail spots - steelie completely covered with spots.....coho only a few on top. Also hos will loose scales very easliy compared to steel or kings.


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## JungleGeorge (Apr 18, 2013)

Gently handled as its laying on rocks ....


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## FishMichv2 (Oct 18, 2004)

JungleGeorge said:


> Gently handled as its laying on rocks ....


lol, yeah I was thinkin the same thing.


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## Benzie Rover (Mar 17, 2008)

wally-eye said:


> Wrong there skipper.........
> 
> Look at the bottom rear fin on the fish.......The fin of a Coho, will be angled towards the front of the fish (the bottom/back edge of the fin).........a Steelie will have almost a straight across or even slightly rearward angled fin (the back edge or bottom so to speak)............the picture in the earlier post clearly shows a rearward edge............STEELIE 100%........
> 
> The bottom picture is a coho..........notice the bottom rear fin and how it slopes.........that IS how to tell the difference between a skipper and a coho...........


Provided you can't count anal fin rays or see their tongue, I agree, caudal fin (tail) shape is pretty solid characteristic to use from a distance.


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## FishFace23 (Sep 2, 2008)

pondfish said:


> View attachment 229087
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> This was my first river Coho and first one I have ever seen caught in the PM in 20yrs of fishing there. It slammed my egg sucking leech fly in a deep hole. As far as Coho's go it was huge. I wonder if anyone else has caught Cohos in the PM.
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Yeah they are there every year. just some years obviously have more than others.


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