Also known as
- Silver Salmon US
- Blueback US
- Hooknose US
- Jack Salmon US
- White Mouth US
- Silverside US
Identification
A deep-bodied anadromous Pacific salmon with aggressive acceleration and explosive aerial fights. The species most likely to jump repeatedly when hooked. Spawning males develop a pronounced hooked jaw and bright red flanks.
- Ocean phase: chrome-silver flanks with dark metallic blue-green back
- Spawning phase: bright red flanks, dark green head, white belly
- Black mouth interior with white or light-coloured gum line (separates from Chinook)
- Small dark spots on back and upper lobe of tail only — never on the lower lobe
- Pronounced hooked lower jaw (kype) on spawning males
Where it holds
- Offshore
- Estuaries
- Rivers
- Lakes
Behaviour
An aggressive anadromous predator. Juveniles spend 12-18 months in natal streams before smolting seaward for ~18 months of rapid ocean growth — feeding close to shore in estuaries and nearshore coastal water rather than open ocean. Returning adults continue to feed lightly in freshwater (unusual among salmon) and strike aggressively throughout the run. Peak ocean feeding 10-15°C (50-59°F), upper 15m; fish follow tide rips and bait. All die after one spawn.
Diet: Herring, Anchovies, Sardines, Sand Eels, Squid
How it's caught
Line Fishing
Trolling
The primary ocean method. Troll small Kingfisher spoons (3.0/3.5), hoochies in pink or chartreuse, and Mag Lip 3.5 plugs at 2-4 knots — much faster than Chinook — in the upper 15m of the column. Target tide rips, baitfish schools, and kelp edges at first light. Divers or small downrigger balls hold the gear at the right depth without dragging it below the productive zone.
Spinning
Highly effective in estuaries, lower rivers, and beach-cast situations. Throw small Dick Nite spoons, Blue Fox spinners (#3-5), Buzz Bombs, and small jigs on 8.5-9ft rods. Fast steady retrieves draw reaction strikes from actively feeding fish; slower stop-start presentations work on pressured school fish. Coho are the fly-and-lure salmon — they respond aggressively to hardware in freshwater.
Drift Fishing
Mooching with plug-cut herring on a banana-sinker rig and 4ft tandem-hook leader catches fish when trolling is shut down by tide or baitfish movement. Drift or motor-mooch 0.5-1 knot. In rivers, bottom-drift cured roe or beads under a bouncing-ball weight through holding slots and tailouts — core West Coast and Great Lakes tributary tactic.
Float Fishing
Centerpin or spinning-reel float drifts of cured roe, beads, or jig-and-bait combos through river slots and tailouts on a zero-drag presentation. Dominant tributary method on most Pacific and Great Lakes coho rivers. Float depth set to keep the offering just above bottom; add a small twitching-jig under the float for a cross-over technique.
Jigging
Drop small herring-profile jigs, Buzz Bombs, or tungsten-head jigs to marked fish in bays, estuaries, and harbour mouths. Long sweeping lifts with controlled drops — most strikes come as the jig falls. Effective when fish are concentrated on bait balls or holding at a specific depth where trolling speed can't match.
Fly Fishing
Saltwater Fly
Cast small chartreuse and pink baitfish patterns on intermediate or fast-sinking lines to schools feeding in tide rips, estuaries, and beach surf lines. Fast erratic strips trigger aggressive strikes. Beach-cast coho in Puget Sound, southeast Alaska, and coastal BC is one of the classic saltwater fly experiences.
Streamer
Swing bright streamers and strip egg-sucking leeches through river pools, tailouts, and seams. Coho keep feeding in freshwater longer than other Pacific salmon — streamer fishing produces actively, not just reactively. Pink and chartreuse dominate. Skated pink pollywogs on the surface produce spectacular explosive strikes from fresh fish.
