Smokanee

[Snapset]

I took advantage of the free fishing weekend and took a friend and three kids up for Kokanee again. We doubled our catch rate of last week, fishing 3 and 4 poles.We followed the same path, but we also found that the path didn't seem to matter as much as the pattern. We found the greatest concentrations of fish within 100 feet of the points that extend into the lake. However, I usually just use an electric trolling motor so I couldn't handle the wind with my big driftboat out at the ends of the points after about 7:00 a.m. and we fished the arms where it was calmer.

We were fishing from 25 to 50 pulls out with 4 oz. of lead. Same rigs on the end as we used last week:i.e. size 5 silverplated willow leaf trolls with chrome/red wedding rings on 5 foot leaders. Our catch rate was poor compared to last week, for 2 reasons that were all my fault. First, we arrived at the lake with no net. Second, we were missing a lot of strikes, and it was not until the end of the day that I bothered to notice that 2 of the hooks had bent over tips. Even so, we came home with 50 fish, of which 3 were rainbows and 1 was a very disoriented largemouth bass. (Took him at 30 pulls!). If I had been a little smarter we could have doubled our landing/strike rate easily.

I also found that the wedding ring can be greatly improved on for about 20 cents. Most of that twenty cents is the hook. Just get folded clevises, #00 indiana blades, some small glass beads, and a good #4 or #6 Steelhead hook. I used an alternating pattern of green and red beads ahead of the hook and this worked better than what we pay a buck or more for at the store. The jeweled band is not important . A long leader is critical. I switched from 4 to 8 lb. test because I was breaking off all the bigger fish trying to land them without a net.

[Thumper]

Took home 50?? Did you leave any to spawn?

[Trout,myster]

Sounds like you hit good on the 'Kokes. I also find tying up my own rigs cheaper and more rewarding. Something you may want to play with is two hooks. Snell the first one and leave a long enough tag end to tie on a second hook. I usually use the #4 steelhead hooks in bronze. If you hold your mouth right when you tie them, you'll end up with one hook about an inch behind the other. A kernel of white corn on each or half a 'crawler and the short strikers won't get away so easy! I also found using the rubber snubbers a must for Kokes as well as a pretty light rod with lots of give. Usually fish for them with downriggers at Odell and Paulina or once in awhile we go to Wickiup.

[Hookset]

Snapset, thanks for the report.

Speaking of rigging up home made tackle. I like to tie small spinners with vaired bead colors and silver blades. The hot color this year seems to be pink. I alternate a pink with clear or glo in the dark beads. I've also found good results using the smallest spin-n-glo on light leaders. The spin-n-glos with metalic wings come in a variety of colors and I always have some orange, pink, greens, metalics and combinations to try. Tie them up on steel shafts like a spinner. Usually the spin's outfish everything else. For all my kokanee fishing I use trebble hooks, small size 14 and 12's. I've lost to many using single hooks and don't want to pay the premium price for the double hook that RK out of Eugene sells. The hook shouldn't be the most expensive item on the lure. I still lose fish and never hook any deep and since you can keep any size with 25 each, the trebbles work well for this fishery.

Even with a some bent hooks and no net, you did good.

hook

[Pilar]

Or take the wedding ring apart and use a lighter, longer leader. The two snelled hooks can be added then as well. I like to use #8 hooks about 3" apart. Thread a worm on the front hook and push the back hook through the worms tail. Then blow it full of air using an insulin syringe. 4 or 6 lb leader is best. This rig hammers large rainbow trout. I wonder what would happen with 2 hooks full of shoepeg corn?