Bucktails Skated Shallow, Spoons at 30: Coho Gear Dialed In
Peak coho are crashing skated bucktails and hitting green spoons at 25-40 feet on a glassy 6°C flood — with chum and late Chinook in the mix.
What's Working on the Water Right Now
If you want to bend a rod today, keep it simple and keep it on top. The coho are peaking and they're aggressive — the kind of fish that chase a fly halfway to the surface before hammering it. Skated bucktail flies dragged behind the boat have been drawing explosive strikes, and glow-green or army-truck spoons run off the downriggers at 25 to 40 feet are cleaning up when the surface bite slows. We've been staggering our spreads: one rigger shallow at 25, one deeper at 40, and a bucktail off the corner to cover the whole column. Mix your speed up — a little extra throttle triggers these fish.
Today's Conditions
It's a crisp one out there this morning at 6°C under partly cloudy skies. NW winds are light at just 8 km/h and the water is dead flat with wave heights near 0.0m — about as friendly as it gets on Discovery Passage. We're working the morning slack into the flood, and that tide change is exactly when these coho fire up along the current seams. Get on the water early and you'll fish glassy conditions with the whole passage to yourself.
Who's Running and Why
Coho are the headline act — chunky 10 to 15 pounders in prime condition, feeding hard before their push up the rivers. They love the tide lines off Campbell River and the shorelines toward Quadra. Chum salmon are arriving now too, adding some bulldog fights to the mix, and there are still late Chinook holding around for the anglers willing to work a little deeper and slower. Three species on the go makes for a fun, varied day.
What to Expect This Week
The forecast looks stable, and with the coho run at full stride, this is peak season fishing at its best. Expect fast surface action on the fly, steady spoon bites on the riggers, and enough variety to keep every rod bent. As the flood builds through the morning, the fish stack the current lines from Discovery Passage toward Johnstone Strait — that's where we'll spend our time.
Book Your Seat
Days like this — calm water, light wind, and coho crashing bucktails on the surface — are exactly why we love late September. The peak won't last forever, so grab a seat while the fish are chewing. Give Fishing Storie Charters a call and let's get you into the action.
Ready to experience world-class fishing in Campbell River? Book your charter trip with Fishing Storie Charters today. Captain Jason and the crew are ready to put you on fish.
