Branched out to Detroit, lost fish

I was trying to get my first Kokanee, but I lost 3 right before I was expecting to see them come to the surface. I switch from the hootchie to the lure on the far right and landed 2 trout. Not sure what I am doing wrong. I have read a few threads on Ifish about Kokanee landing ratio’s, but nothing that indicated the same problem I was having. The rod is a North River Kokanee, the reel is a Okuma convector, braid to trolling swivel, double d dodger, then lure was on original line.

Here is the hoochie

Here is the trout. They were pretty nice.

Might try a snubber? Maybe just play them slower? Hard to keep them from flipping when they get to the surface.

What hook r u using?

Those look like the stock hooks on the wedding rings which  are 1) single hooks and 2)  usually pretty small and of lesser quality.  Consider swapping out for doubles in the video Tyler posted.

On the ones you do show with doubles, the hooks look pretty far spaced.  Personally I tie mine very close together and seem to get both hooks lodged in the koke more often than not.  That being said, i can see the reasoning for farther spacing as it could allow the hook to swing around and get them.  Consider playing with your spacing.

Thanks for the reply’s. I will try changing out the hooks. Also, how loose does everyone run there drags? I don’t think it is that tight, but they never took any line. Thanks Tyler for the video on making your own corn. I watched before the trip and made my own and it seemed to work pretty good!

I run mine just past tight enough not to let out line when using a downrigger. 

While the rod is in the holder, I keep my drag just tight enough to keep the line from slipping and put the clicker on.  Fish usually take a bit of line on the hit and I tighten down once I pull the rod out of the holder.  I tighten down just enough to keep the fish from taking line unless it feels like a a larger class fish then I MAAAAY let it take a bit of line.  It seems for the 8-12 inch kokes you can just kind of horse them in.  Bigger than that you may need to start finessing them. 

I dont buy into the soft mouth thing.  Is it as boney or tough as a trout? ehhh probably not, but keeping the pressure on them and reeling in under tighter drag isnt ripping the hooks out and I think it kind of keeps them from being able to flip around so much and spit hooks.   

Because kokanee often go crazy when hooked, I do what I can to minimize the shock on the hooks in my lures.  I don't just rely on the flexibility of whatever rod I may be using.  I include a snubber in the dodger/flasher/lure setup, I back off my drag so the kokanee can pull out line when they jerk on the line or take a run, and I hold my rod with a loose wrist so the fish can pull my rod down when they take a run.  And I try to avoid pulling them to the surface, because that can make them really go nuts.  I try to keep them underwater all of the way to my net, sometimes by holding the tip of my rod underwater.