Kokanee are funny beasts

Headed to Merwin this morning and got on the water around 7:45a. Started with what has always worked for me. Tried different depths and the only fish I heard of caught was at the same depth I was at. Finally caught a dink at 9:45. Then nothing. Started trolling back to the ramp and it went off. I had 3 doubles and got 50% in the boat. Short lull and it went off again. Lost a ton, but got 7 in the boat and then the wind kicked up and is started to rain. Game over for me. Got 6 fish in 40 minutes. I guess you got to put in your time.

Way to be persistent! Good job!

How much weight and how far back were you setting your gear?

long ago, when my boys were elementary school age, we fished kokanee as a family in N. Idaho and W. Montana, 16' PB, our first black lab Zippo on the bow yearning for swim time, trolling 5 rods, the chaos was what made it so much fun.

But what I noticed was that the kokanee bite often went on and off following the whole sun/moon fish astrology cycle, which I otherwise think is bogus. But for kokes, we could be trolling through schools at a nice slow speed, nothing much happening, and then we would enter a 'good fishing time', moon rise or moon zenith or moon set and boom, bite was on.  An hour or so later, bite was off and it was swimming time.   

How much weight and how far back were you setting your gear?

1/2 ounce, 125 feet. Brad’s dodger tiny spin glow with hoochie.

    Great report!  Thanks for sharing.  Look like some really fat kokanee!

Awesome report, I just bought a 2nd rod and reel for kokanee at Fisherman's this weekend. I want to get up to Merwin before my Washington license expires. Maybe next weekend if the coastal rivers don't look great for steelhead . I assume you launch at Speelyai?

Yup on Speelyai. Two rods are a must. Like I said, I got a bunch of doubles when the bite was on. Lost a few but landed a pair. Besides, you can try multiple rigs and zero in on what the buggers want on any give day.