by Lance Merz, April 23, 2014

It’s that time of the year againwhere most of us are salivating
at the opportunity to catch anabundance of fish; and some already have. Kokanee fishing hasbecome increasingly popular over the past several years. Once you get a chance to taste their delectable meat, you’ll know what some of the craze is all about. Not only are they a great tasting fish, they are also very fun to catch!

Kokanee, (also called “Silvers) is a land-locked Sockeye salmon and on
average, are between nine to twelve inches. They swim in schools and
usually feed on plankton in open waters of lakes in temperatures of
around 50 degrees. This time of the year (April) is usually when anglers
can start seeing an abundance of this beautiful fish.

Preparation, like all types of fishing, is essential. The night before you go fishing, take some time to rig up your rods with what you think will work. Depending on the number of rods you are using, try using different colors of lures. When the fish start biting on a particular color or set up, change all your rods to what has been catching fish.

Picking the right rod will help you land more fish in the boat. A light
action rod will allow you to not only see the bite when it happens,
but you’ll be able to feel the fish much better as well. There will be
times where you’ll have to go deep to catch Kokanee. Using a reel that
has the capability of holding a lot of braided line will further enhance
your success.

Rigging is easy, although there are numerous combinations you can use. A very easy rig that consistently catches Kokanee is using the Mack’s Lure Double D Dodger® and a hot pink glow Cha Cha Kokanee Squidder Rig®. A diagram on the back of the dodger shows five different attachment points, which allow you to spread your lines out of the boat path, like a side planer. It also delivers a stop and go action to induce bites and reduces the need of making an “S” turn to catch fish.

The Cha Cha Kokanee Squidder® has a two hook, no-gap set up, which is perfect for the soft mouths of the Kokanee. These fish seem to like white shoepeg corn. Place two pieces of corn on each hook and tip the squidder with your favorite scent.

Fishing with electronics is key and thus one of the best purchases to make if you want to consistently catch more fish. There’s no sense fishing blind, so trust your fish finder. Start your day fishing shallow water (10-30ft). Throughout the day, as temps warm up or the sky brightens, try fishing at deeper depths (usually 10ft deeper per hour). Once you find the fish, drop your down rigger down to the depth of which you see fish on your screen. If possible, ensure that your trolling speed is less than 1/4mph. This allows you to stay in the strike zone longer, which increases your chances of catching more fish. If you don’t have a down rigger, “flat lining” also works. Flat lining means that you are fishing out of the back of your boat with no weight. Utilizing the same set up of lure and dodger (or Flash Lite®); let out about 100 feet of line. The weight of the Double D Dodger® will allow the lure to be trolled at shallow depths. If you want to go deeper, try a 2 or 3oz weight approximately 15-20 inches above the Dodger.

As said before, Kokanee have very soft mouths. There is no need
to yank the rod forcefully when you see or feel that bite. A soft, yet
firm hook set is all you need. Once hooked; reel in the fish in a slow and consistent manner. Kokanee fishing is fun for all and provides a great meal for everyone.

Join some of the Mack’s Lure team on the 3rd & 4th of May, 2014 at Lake Chelan, WA. Mike Carey and Aaron Borg from Washington Lakes.com are running an event to share great times and fishing for all. Be sure to go to www.MacksLure.com for event photos, videos, more fishing tips, and any other of your fishing needs for the upcoming season.