Coho salmon (silver salmon)

Bright silver salmon with small black spots on the back and only on the UPPER lobe of the tail, and white gums at the base of the teeth.

6–12 lb.

About 3 ft and 30 lb.

Herring, anchovies, sardines, krill and squid in the ocean; they stop eating once they enter fresh water to spawn.

Born in rivers, grows up in the ocean, then returns to its home river to spawn and die.

Found from Central & Northern California and Oregon & Washington. Ocean off Oregon and Washington, the Strait and Puget Sound; rivers from Northern California north.

Ocean off Oregon and Washington, the Strait and Puget Sound; rivers from Northern California north.

Surface to 60 ft.

20–150 ft trolling offshore, following the bait; shallower in bays and river mouths.

Ocean fishing in summer; river mouths and rivers from late summer through fall. Seasons are short and set every year.

First light is best.

In river mouths and estuaries, the incoming tide brings fresh fish in.

Calm seas offshore; cool, overcast days inshore.

Herring and anchovies.

Hoochies, spoons and bucktail flies trolled fast near the surface; spinners in the rivers.

8½–10½ ft salmon (mooching) rod with a level-wind or mooching reel; downriggers or divers to get deep.

Barbless 2/0–5/0 hooks where required; herring rigs, hoochies and spinners.

20–30 lb mono.

20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 4–6 ft behind a flasher.

Troll faster and shallower than for chinook, often with no weight at all; watch for birds and bait.

Coho love speed and flash — when they're in, troll fast in the top 30 ft.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Mild, orange meat, a bit leaner than chinook: grill, bake or smoke.

River bars can be deadly — check the bar report and Coast Guard restrictions before crossing.

Many areas allow only hatchery coho (with a clipped adipose fin) to be kept. Seasons are set each year. Check ODFW or WDFW. Licenses, size and bag limits and seasons are set by each state — the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (wildlife.ca.gov), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (myodfw.com) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (wdfw.wa.gov) — together with NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Rules change often, and many areas are no-take marine reserves: check before you go.

Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.