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Picture Of The Month



SD2OR with a trophy fall walleye

Topic: Looking for advice about 'Kokanee rods'.  (Read 3435 times)

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crabby

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Skagit County
  • Date Registered: Nov 2018
  • Posts: 24
I'm planning to try out Kokanee fishing this Spring and have been doing my DD about downriggers, rods etc. The more I read/watch about rods the more confused I get. Most recommend a very soft rod, about 7' 9". However, others say a shorter rod is best for Kayak fishing, being that we are so close to the water. Right now my top candidate is the Velocity Elite Green glass rod (7')... or just use what I use for trout for now (old $5 yard sale find). There's also some who say you need 2 rods; for Spring fishing and later in the Summer. Suggestions?
"Pick you up in two hours", Dad


bb2fish

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  • Location: Oregon
  • Date Registered: Feb 2013
  • Posts: 1499
All that you say is true. 
The Velocity rod will be fantastic - you'll love that.  The trout rod can get you by in a pinch, but it probably doesn't have enough flexibility and when the kokanee shake their head, the stiff rod is likely to rip the hook from their lips and you'll lose the fish.  It can be frustrating to get bites and then lose the fish, so you'll figure out how much pressure during reeling and how the soft rod helps.

Kayaking I'd suggest the 7' or 7'6 rods.  Longer rods just mean you need more wingspan by holding your rod out and getting the fish into the net or flipping it into the kayak.  I use a short net and a short 7'6" lamiglas rod for the downrigger -- it's a pretty noodly rod but i've got it dialed in for boating my bites.  I use a longer (i think 8') rod and stiffer rod for long lining when I use lead.  Sometimes, I'll have 1-2oz of lead on my long lining rod (in addition to a lake troll which has lots of drag), so this setup takes more gentle methods to get the kokanee into the net.  Spring time is the best time for long lining - the water is warm at the surface and kokes will bite in the top 10' of the water column.  During the summer, kokanee will school and they tend to go deeper to the desired temperature or food zone.

« Last Edit: February 01, 2019, 10:33:51 AM by bb2fish »


snopro

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  • Location: HR
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There's also some who say you need 2 rods; for Spring fishing and later in the Summer. Suggestions?

Only two?  I think three.  One for downrigging, one for jigging and one for flatline trolling.  I jig 95% of the time so I could get by with one if I had to.


yaktastic

  • A cowboy in a kayak? I never was normal.
  • Salmon
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  • shut up and let me fish.
  • Location: The Dalles Or
  • Date Registered: Feb 2013
  • Posts: 857
Velocity ninja will cover any trout or kokanee you will ever catch trust me love mine. Caught 6" kokanee to walleye and shad on them. The same can be said for the yellow eagle claw koke rods at 1/3 the price. There are dozens between the 2 that will work just as well. Okuma sst, lamiglas red team kokanee rods or or the kokanee black. I dont have it in front of me at the moment but the uglystik elite 6'6" or 7' UL I have works just as well. Pick one you like to look at and fish it.
4th place 2017 TBKD Rockfish.


crabby

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Skagit County
  • Date Registered: Nov 2018
  • Posts: 24
Great advice, I appreciate it all. Another question but along the same lines, i.e., landing fish: if I invest in a good kokanee rod, should I use a snubber as well or is it unnecessary?
"Pick you up in two hours", Dad


Shin09

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Portland
  • Date Registered: Oct 2015
  • Posts: 549
I have only been kokanee fishing for 2 years, but there are a lot of rod options out there.  I have the red lamiglas rod (7-6) and the yellow eagle claw (8-0).  Physically the lami is a nicer rod, both catch fish, both have the okuma coldwater low-pro on them.    I have long lined with both rods up to 4 oz and they were fine.    The eagle claw is going to be your cheapest option and my guess is it will go on sale for $20 this week with the Portland sportsman show going on.  There is the uglystik elite 7-6 UL rod that is pretty affordable.  Also Berkley is making a 8' UL in the Lightning Rod (they also make a spinning version FYI). I think its only $30.  They have a nice feeling rubberized cork handle and a pretty decent locking reel seat. 

For reels, I like the Okumas, but some will say they are a bit big and heavy.  I saw on the Okuma Facebook page that they are developing a 100-series size to compete with the Lexa 100.  You could also use any baitcaster (even without a linecounter).  To know how far out you are you can use depthhunter braid OR what I did was measure out some distances and put  a couple rubber bobber stops on. 

I have never used a snubber and have had no issues. 

I use my long handled salmon net and it works fine.  I  have also used my short handled trout net and its more of a pain.  Having the large basket and long handle makes it pretty easy to just scoop them up.   

If you are on a peddle kayak running two rods is worth while.  That being said, I spent my first season on a paddle yak with one rod and it had some advantages.   I stopped my forward movement when fighting the fish which meant I wasn't having to fight dragging them through the water.  Also, with one rod, it was easier to make repeat passes on groups of fish since I didn't have to worry about tangles.



Widgeonmangh

  • Lingcod
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  • Fishing Kayaks of Gig Harbor
  • Location: Gig Harbor, WA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 472
Your type of fishing will determine which rod.
I fish with a downrigger 95% and %5 flatline.

I personally think it is somewhat obscene what they charge for 'Kokanee" rods considering we are talking about a fish that is most often in the 12" range (on average).  My favorite rod is the Diawa Spinmatic.7' (ultralight 1/32 - 1/4oz 2-6lb ).  It has a smooth bend, it is ultra light so you get that great action that is soft so the fish don't pull the hooks out. It is graphite so it is tough vs. some of the fiberglass specialty rods that break when you look at them wrong (oakuma sst).  I couple that with a Black max  level wind reel.  So for roughly $80 and less if you find a sale I have a great combo that costs the same as one fancy rod.  That leaves you more money to buy the "you have to have this lure" of the year. lol .02   

I put 30lb braid on the reel but then I top it with 70' of 8lb Stren Mono.  Most of the time with the down rigger I am fishing with 30 -60 feet on the wire.  I fish about 30-35 pulls back from the clip and then down to depth. I rarely see the braid except when I am fishing really deep then the braid is really useful as it does not stretch and has a thinner profile (less drag).  The mono provides all the stretch I need and coupled with the UL rod I do not use a snubber.   

Good luck chasing the koke,  they are addicting and the best tasting stocked freshwater fish. IMHO.

« Last Edit: February 01, 2019, 09:39:45 AM by Widgeonmangh »
Fish on the right side that's where the fish are! John 21:6

I am no longer a dealer for Wavewalk but if you ever want to paddle one let me know!


pmmpete

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  • Location: Missoula, Montana
  • Date Registered: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 1989
Great advice, I appreciate it all. Another question but along the same lines, i.e., landing fish: if I invest in a good kokanee rod, should I use a snubber as well or is it unnecessary?
There are several things you can do to increase the percentage of kokanee which you are able to bring to your net after you hook them, including the following: 1) Use a soft light floppy rod which a little kokanee can bend easily when fighting. 2) Hold your rod lightly so the kokanee can pull the rod down as it fights, in addition to bending the rod. 3) Set your drag really light so the kokanee can strip off line as it fights. 4) Include a snubber in your rig.  I do all of those things.

If you want to add a snubber to your rig, where should you add it?  When fishing with a flasher which has little drag, and which I rig 8"-12" above my lure, I put the snubber above the flasher.  When fishing with a cowbell or spinner which has more drag, and which I rig about two feet above my lure, I put the snubber below the cowbell or spinner, because if you put the snubber above the cowbell or spinner, the drag from the cowbell or spinner will take part of the stretch out of the snubber and reduce its effectiveness.


Tinker

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  • Date Registered: May 2013
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Just a note: Okuma SST rods are IM8 graphite, not fiberglass.
I expected the worst, but it was worse than I expected...


Widgeonmangh

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  • Location: Gig Harbor, WA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 472
Having broken two of them with very little effort, what ever they are, they are not worth it IMHO.  I love the action but the durability not so much.
Fish on the right side that's where the fish are! John 21:6

I am no longer a dealer for Wavewalk but if you ever want to paddle one let me know!


Tinker

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I haven't found them to be very delicate - as long as I don't let my Granddaughter touch them.  She broke two of them in one weekend.  I didn't think they were great rods even back when I owned three (now one) of them  :D  but I thought they were fun to use to catch trout.  Then I lost my mind and bought a fly rod...
« Last Edit: February 01, 2019, 11:02:34 AM by Tinker »
I expected the worst, but it was worse than I expected...


Widgeonmangh

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 ;D  I will say that a Kokanee rod is by far the best rod to use for Pink salmon.  It is an odd year! ;D ;D
Fish on the right side that's where the fish are! John 21:6

I am no longer a dealer for Wavewalk but if you ever want to paddle one let me know!


 

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