Kokanee Advice

I'm interested in trying my luck at pulling in some kokanee this year, and I'm looking for a quick overview on gear recommendations and techniques.  I saw that there was actually a clinic last year (in March, I think).  Anyone know of anything similar scheduled for this year?  Or, can anyone point me in the direction of some solid, yak-specific advice? 

Tyler Hicks (uplandsandpiper) is your man. Here is one of his better videos - and he has a lot of good videos - on kokanee fishing:

Two pieces of gear which will greatly increase your success at kokanee fishing are a downrigger and a fish finder with GPS.  A fish finder will help you locate schools of kokanee and determine their depth.  A downrigger will let you precisely control the depth of your lure, so when you find a school of kokanee you can run your lure right through or above the school.  A fish finder with GPS will record your track on the GPS screen, and will let you do figure eights and cloverleafs through a school of kokanee. If you keep your lure fairly close behind your downrigger weight, say thirty feet, you can turn pretty quickly to go back through a school of kokanee. That is a way more precise and effective way to fish for kokanee than hauling leaded line back and forth across a lake with only a vague idea of the depth at which your lure is running.

Kokanee have soft mouths, and when you catch them they jump around like crazy and frequently get off your hook.  You'll get a larger percentage of kokanee in to your net if you use a pretty soft rod, include a shock-absorbing rubber "snubber" in your rig, and you set your drag real low so the kokanee can easily pull out line as they fight.  You'll also be more successful at getting kokanee in to your net if you use lures with two hooks or treble hooks rather than just a single hook.

Most kokanee anglers run a flasher or dodger in front of their lure to attract kokanee.  If you use a cowbell rig with too much drag, it can be difficult to tell when you have a kokanee on the line, and you may end up dragging a smallish kokanee around for quite a while before you realize you have one hooked.  If you use a flasher rig rather than a dodger, find one with low drag.  I'm a big fan of Mack's "Flash Lite Trolls," which have thin plastic propeller-like blades which spin, and have quite low drag.

Everybody has their own favorite lures, but for starters, pick up a couple of wedding rings, and a couple of small rubber squid or hootchie lures.  They are both quite successful rigs, and will get you going.  Try bright red colors, and then experiment with other colors.  Get them with two hooks or a treble hook.  Bait them with white gulp maggots or white corn.  Experiment with scent. Have fun.

Come to the KokaneeKid Tackle booth at the Portland Sportsman Show (on Friday and Saturday) - you can stop by an talk to me about kayak fishing for kokanee.  Jeremy Jahn, The KokaneeKid will be presenting hour long free seminars with valuable information on tackle and techniques for catching LOTS of kokanee.  General Info:  Light action rods, dodger (I like gold Arrowflash), and a lure on a 6" leader (I like blades/beads and spinny things), white corn on a double snell hook, and some scent (tuna, anise, shrimp..).  GOOD FUN.

Barb, I'm seeing Feb. 10 - 14 on that, correct?

Now that ducks are done, I will be getting ready for Kokanee again!  Clear Lake in Pierce county and American Lake are great places to consistently pick up some nice Kokes. The size of the American Lake Kokes is worth the boat traffic (at least early in the season).  I prefer some home made beaded wedding ring style lures behind my dodgers.  I also just use a plain minihoochie.  I go with shorter leaders (8inch) in order to get more action.  I only use Shoepeg corn.  Depth and colors seem to be the thing.  Seems like each lake has its favorite color. 

I run a downrigger, but some kayaks are more conducive that than others.  Thing about kokanee is that they are just so dog gone good to eat!

Good luck and we will anticipate some posts with some nice fish!

Thanks for all the advice!  It sounds like a great fishery once you get the basics figured out.  I've hit American Lake a few times, but mainly just for bass.  You've given me an excuse to blow a bunch of money outfitting my ride with some new gear!  Speaking of which, anyone mind getting specific on their preferred rod/reel setups?  I've got a conventional setup I use in the bay for mooching, but I'm thinking this type of trolling will require something a little more species-specific, right? 

Pmmpete, where did you take those pictures?  It looks like a beautiful spot. 

7' Oakuma SST Kokanee rod is what I use.  You want a really light rod.  These fish have soft mouths and so if you horse them in you will not get them.  In addition, they are insane crazy when they get on the line especially when you get them close to the boat.  Once they start jumping it is sooooo easy to loose them. 

We will have to have a South Sound gathering this spring on American.  It is early now but 3 weeks to a month from now and people will start hitting them.

Pmmpete, where did you take those pictures?  It looks like a beautiful spot.

Holland Lake in Montana, which is in the Swan drainage, which is east of Flathead Lake.

Barb, I'm seeing Feb. 10 - 14 on that, correct?

Yes, the Portland Sportsman Show runs from Wed Feb10 through Sunday Feb14.   I'll be talking kokanee at the Kokanee Kid booth on Friday/sat...The kid will be there every day!