First time sound tips?

[Buck Rub Jr]

A buddy and I are thinking of trying to hit the sound for some ho’s when they start showing up. The boat we’re gonna run doesn’t have down riggers, we were planning on running deep sixes to flashers with hoochies and cut plugs but I was curious if it’d be better to run lead or if I should use smaller flashers with the deep 6 so it doesn’t trip it? 360 or triangle flashers?  Could use a little bit of guidance since we’re both complete rookies With this type of fishing.

[Kola16]

Use the deep sixes. With 2 rods, you could do one deep six, flasher, hootchie setup and the other you could do an 8 oz. lead banana weight with a herring if you wanted. Don't use a flasher if you just use lead since it will drag and wont go deep. You could use a 00 silver dodger with the lead and herring too but it won't go as deep so let a little more line out.

Make sure the deep six/flasher setup has at least 6 ft. between the deep six and the flasher, but only 3' or less for the leader on the flasher and hootchie. Get the big size deep six and use stiff long rods.

[Buck Rub Jr]

Okay sweet so I can run 11” 360 flasher Behind the deep 6 or should I go triangle flasher or scale down the size?? 

[7mmfan]

Okay sweet so I can run 11” 360 flasher Behind the deep 6 or should I go triangle flasher or scale down the size??

The triangle flashers won't add any movement to lures like hoochies. Trolling with a cut plug behind them or a spoon works well though. Coho are often fairly shallow, especially early and late, so trolling with divers or lead can work just fine. If you have stout enough gear, trolling a triangle flasher/spoon or cut plug with 10-12 oz of lead can be money.

Don't overlook mooching a herring in tide rips or along beaches with steep drop offs. Coho often run shorelines and motor mooching in 20-40 feet of water can be very productive in the right areas.

Another alternative is to drift along shorelines and cast buzzbombs, spoons, rotators, etc... to the shore and work back to the boat. Doing what all the shore guys do, just in reverse.

Where are you planning on fishing primarily?

[Bullkllr]

Okay sweet so I can run 11” 360 flasher Behind the deep 6 or should I go triangle flasher or scale down the size??

IMO a full-sized 360 flasher like Hotspot, etc. would be too much drag for even the largest Deep 6. I have had success with smaller flashers, or as stated a dodger of triangle flasher off a Deep 6. Keep in mind with a dodger you need to slow down the troll- they're not supposed to rotate.

[Buck Rub Jr]

Okay sweet so I can run 11” 360 flasher Behind the deep 6 or should I go triangle flasher or scale down the size??

The triangle flashers won't add any movement to lures like hoochies. Trolling with a cut plug behind them or a spoon works well though. Coho are often fairly shallow, especially early and late, so trolling with divers or lead can work just fine. If you have stout enough gear, trolling a triangle flasher/spoon or cut plug with 10-12 oz of lead can be money.

Don't overlook mooching a herring in tide rips or along beaches with steep drop offs. Coho often run shorelines and motor mooching in 20-40 feet of water can be very productive in the right areas.

Another alternative is to drift along shorelines and cast buzzbombs, spoons, rotators, etc... to the shore and work back to the boat. Doing what all the shore guys do, just in reverse.

Where are you planning on fishing primarily?

That’s what I was wondering, basically running a rig like you’d run on the Columbia. I’ve got 3 stout rods for that kind of fishing. We will be dinking around in area 11 probably around pt defiance area I’d imagine.

[Buck Rub Jr]

Okay sweet so I can run 11” 360 flasher Behind the deep 6 or should I go triangle flasher or scale down the size??

IMO a full-sized 360 flasher like Hotspot, etc. would be too much drag for even the largest Deep 6. I have had success with smaller flashers, or as stated a dodger of triangle flasher off a Deep 6. Keep in mind with a dodger you need to slow down the troll- they're not supposed to rotate.

I might pick up some triangles in that case, thanks!!

[fishngamereaper]

We never used downriggers years ago, they just weren't a thing..So..

Deep six to 8-9" flasher to spoon, coho killer, hoochie, ace hi..etc will work fine. You don't need to get super deep for coho in the early am or pm. Mid day sun can push them to the 60-90' level.

Also 6oz sinker to cut plug, spoon, spinner will work.
As stated buzz bomb, spinner cast towards the beach will work great to.

Play around with stuff, shallow coho are a blast to catch.

[Stein]

Run the deep six at daylight and then switch to mooching.  Most of the fish will be in the 45-60' or deeper and you won't be able to touch them with any speed pulling a diver and flasher.

Or, set your sights on pinks which you can run shallower and much slower.

If you have your sights set on catching salmon in the sound with a boat, I would be budgeting for a downrigger asap, even a manual would be 1,000x better than divers.

[Bullkllr]

Don't forget a herring straight out the back on a 4 ounce or so mooching weight. Seen more than 1 occasion where that seemed to be what the silvers wanted the most over flashers/hardware/riggers/etc.

[Mfowl]

Perhaps you already own deep 6's and thats fine, they work. But if you are purchasing gear for this fishery, consider the delta diver design. I much prefer delta divers to deep 6's, especially the small size w/6oz lead on it. They are hard to find, most are 4oz, but the 6oz are $$$. Another diver to consider is the Bud's Diver. It basically incorporates a sideplaner and diver in one and you can attach up to 24oz (I think) cannon balls for depth. I have not used this one but I am meaning to order some and try them out myself.

[MADMAX]

We used to do pretty good with 16 oz lead balls and a sinker release
You can run a flasher and cut plug with that
Poor mans downriggers we used to say

[ASHQUACK]

Instead of triangles or 360's use Leo's flashers. They work a triangle if set on the center hole and rotate like a 360 if you use the side hole setting and they don't drag like the 360's.

[skidynastar33]

We had 2 downriggers and a 3oz lead to a cut plug. The cut plug fished just as good some days.

[jay.sharkbait]

Instead of triangles or 360's use Leo's flashers. They work a triangle if set on the center hole and rotate like a 360 if you use the side hole setting and they don't drag like the 360's.

Do you use a bumper leader with them?

[Buck Rub Jr]

Run the deep six at daylight and then switch to mooching.  Most of the fish will be in the 45-60' or deeper and you won't be able to touch them with any speed pulling a diver and flasher.

Or, set your sights on pinks which you can run shallower and much slower.

If you have your sights set on catching salmon in the sound with a boat, I would be budgeting for a downrigger asap, even a manual would be 1,000x better than divers.

If we end up liking fishing out there we might have to work on gettin the 21’ sled out there and settin it up with down riggers, we just want to test the waters first! I appreciate the info!!!

[Buck Rub Jr]

I really appreciate all the responses and info, hopefully I’ll have some pics to share next month! Thank you all. Ready for some rods to start dancin!

[GASoline71]

I will add that we have stopped using plug cut herring over the years in the sound because of the high amount of dogfish.  The Dogfish will not leave plug cut herring alone.  So to alleviate having to reset our gear and rebait every 15 minutes due to Dogfish, we stopped using herring a long time ago.  Coho Killers, Coyote Spoons, Kingfishers, and Hoochies are our mainstay now behind a flasher.  However, The Brad's Killer Cut Plug style "spinners" are really awesome, and they have a scent chamber with a little piece of foam in them too.  You can squirt your favorite attractant in there, or use a wad of canned tuna in there.  They are a good alternative to a plug cut herring.

Gary

[huntnphool]

We limit daily in 11 and I never fish deeper than 40’ on the line.

[ASHQUACK]

Instead of triangles or 360's use Leo's flashers. They work a triangle if set on the center hole and rotate like a 360 if you use the side hole setting and they don't drag like the 360's.

Do you use a bumper leader with them?

I do yes.

[Buck Rub Jr]

We limit daily in 11 and I never fish deeper than 40’ on the line.

That makes me feel more confident!  Can’t wait to get out there and give it a rip.

[Buck Rub Jr]

I will add that we have stopped using plug cut herring over the years in the sound because of the high amount of dogfish.  The Dogfish will not leave plug cut herring alone.  So to alleviate having to reset our gear and rebait every 15 minutes due to Dogfish, we stopped using herring a long time ago.  Coho Killers, Coyote Spoons, Kingfishers, and Hoochies are our mainstay now behind a flasher.  However, The Brad's Killer Cut Plug style "spinners" are really awesome, and they have a scent chamber with a little piece of foam in them too.  You can squirt your favorite attractant in there, or use a wad of canned tuna in there.  They are a good alternative to a plug cut herring.

Gary

Perfect, I have some brads cut plugs already but I’ll stock up on some more and some spoons! Thanks!

[jay.sharkbait]

I’ve done well with Kingfishers and Coho killers.

Dont forget hoochies and if you can find a old Pt. Defiance spoon.

[trophyhunt]

My cousin made this the other day, and then we’ll throw a slice of herring on the hook.