Northwest Fishing Reports

I went out today on a local lake for Kokanee. I had one hit while trolling, anyone have any advice on increasing my success?

I have heard that the scent dick nite makes is the best for kokanee. With all this cold weather think of any fish/bites as bonus fish/bites.

It will partly depend on the body of water. Size,depth and temps. But overall, troll kastmasters and dick nite spoons....anything nice and shiny.

I usually fish Lake Roseiger, today I was using pop gear and a wedding ring tipped with corn. I have caught fish this way before but not today, when using a dick nite or other lures are you guys using pop gear?

HillbillyGeek wrote:Use a fishfinder and troll a foot or two above the thermocline. Small spin-n-glows + a Large black fly (that has a little chartreuse in the tail) works well in the summer. Not sure about early spring. You might also want to try tiny flatfish or hotshots rigged on a 3-way swivel to keep them at the right depth. One thing is for sure -- they won't go out of their way to hit a lure. You've got to put it right in their face.

Pro-cure makes a scent specifically formulated for kokanee that might help seal the deal with curious fish that follow your lure but hesitate to bite.

Good luck!

I just have a cheap fishfinder that gives me the surface temp, is there any other way I can find the thermo-cline?

I usually pick up kokanee at safeway, or albertsons. Supposedly there is a picture of bigfoot on the bottle label somewhere.

clam man wrote:I usually pick up kokanee at safeway, or albertsons. Supposedly there is a picture of bigfoot on the bottle label somewhere.

Thats good stuff. The bigfoot lurks on certain labels. I havn't gone sasquatch hunting in awhile.

I have heard of a few caught but its still too cold. Need a couple warm days and the bite should turn on.

huntncoug wrote:

HillbillyGeek wrote:Use a fishfinder and troll a foot or two above the thermocline. Small spin-n-glows + a Large black fly (that has a little chartreuse in the tail) works well in the summer. Not sure about early spring. You might also want to try tiny flatfish or hotshots rigged on a 3-way swivel to keep them at the right depth. One thing is for sure -- they won't go out of their way to hit a lure. You've got to put it right in their face.

Pro-cure makes a scent specifically formulated for kokanee that might help seal the deal with curious fish that follow your lure but hesitate to bite.

Good luck!

I just have a cheap fishfinder that gives me the surface temp, is there any other way I can find the thermo-cline?

If turning up the gain on your unit does not show the thermopile, all you can do is look for schools of fish, and fish just above them or in the top layer.

PS, using white shoepeg corn on a wedding ring spinner,often behind flashers, is one of the best ways of taking the average size Koke. In waters with big Kokes, this still works, but many of us go to flies behind the flashers.

I don't know about your water, but mine will need to warm to at least 50 degrees surface temperature before the Kokes start to really move, and that won't be for a while.

if you want to still fish you can try at night with glo hook and corn, use a floating light or two...thats how my dad and I fish for em at Waitts Lake.