[toto]

Stopped by the lower weir yesterday and here are the numbers:
Passed through the weir:
Cohos 18
Chinooks 8
Steelhead 29
Browns 6

Harvested"
Coho 1365
Chinook less than 100

There were LOTS of salmon below the weir so the numbers probably changed today. The river was black with them just below the weir, and of course they had no where to go. Kinda strange that the numbers for steel were higher than coho, but there ya go. We are suppossed to get rain for the next week through mid week after that, so 10 days or so of rain, and colder temps should get things going real fast soon.

 

[Linda G.]

Toto-are the coho still in Platte Bay or all they all up in the river now? I was supposed to get out there to do a story, but I've had all kinds of other writing come up...would still like to get out there, or at least to the river to do a story...get hold of me. Thanks!

 

[fatboy]

thanks again toto ! i was just thinking about what was going on up there 5 minutes ago. if the weather looks right i will have to head up fri. night. i know that they quit mucking out the creek at the end of sept.

 

[toto]

Linda, I was out in the bay yesterday and managed 2 cohos, so they are still out there. Also, the strain of cohos they have been planting, not all of them, but are known as Hinchenbrooke strain. This particular strain is known to run a little later than the others. It has been my experience the last couple of years, that the cohos will still be running up the river around christmas. Maybe not in the huge numbers that we know them to do, but fishable numbers non the less.

Fatboy, go get em pal, they are there, but with the rain we are going to get, they'll probably head up river real soon, and man that is a site to see, let me tell ya. Imaging thousands of cohos charging up that river all at once, pretty impressive.

 

[fatboy]

toto - that would be a site to see ! none of that to see down here in the concrete jungle.

 

[Brian S]

toto, I may try the bay this weekend. What lures do you recommend for cohos?

 

[toto]

J Plugs have been the choice lately. My best luck has been on gold/black ladder back. Dodgers and flies are always a good choice as well. If you are casting from shore, which should be good this weekend, try arctic spinners in black with black blades, or orange will work too.

 

[toto]

New update, just got off the phone with the hatchery, and heres the new numbers. These are the numbers of the fish passed only, not harvested.

Cohos 10000
steel 37

The fish are in I quess is the story.

 

[JWF]

Toto,

Am I seeing 10,000 coho, or could that be a typo? If not, wow.

 

[toto]

Nope thats not a typo, 10000 is the number. They passed 7100 yesterday, and another 3000 this morning.

 

[jfink]

Ok I am a little confused. I have fished the platte for trout around the vets campground. There is a hatchery/weir above this I believe. Is there another weir on the river? How do they decide what fish to keep or pass is it just if they are ready. Where is the second hatchery are the one they are harvesting on.
Some time opened up this weekend and I might make a trip up there. Thanks for any help.
Justin

 

[Brian S]

jfink, there are two weirs. The weir you are talking about is the upper weir. That is as far as the salmon go and where the eggs are harvested. The lower weir is between Loon Lake and Lake MI. At the lower weir they count the fish when they are passed thru and harvest a certain number. I think all kings, steelhead and browns as passed thru the lower while some of the cohos are harvested and some are passed thru. This continues until some time in Oct. where no more of the cohos are passed thru. At the lower weir they have a board that lists by species the total number of fished that have passed. Thats about all I know about it, hope it helps.

 

[toto]

correct Brian, the cohos and kings are harvested for the most part. They let up 20000 cohos and then 1000 fish per week after the initial number. As for steel, brown, and lakers, they are all passed.

 

[toto]

Todays numbers 12000 cohos passed. They're coming guys.

 

[Brian S]

Trolled around Loon Lake with about 5 other boats Sat morning. Marked a lot of fish but didn't get a hit and didn't see anyone else get a hit.

 

[toto]

We went out Sat afternoon, and managed one female about 4 or 5 pounds or so. Not many fish caught, but marked quite a few.