Favorite Trout and Kokanee Methods?

[Buck]

The title is a bit of a misnomer because I am one of those fisherman who loves virtually ALL methods of catching trout and kokanee. My newest method I tried a few weeks ago was jigging for kokanee.

Some of my other favorites are:

Floating a huge stonefly imitation in 2' of water for Deschutes redsides
Drifting a nightcrawler for browns in East Lake
Trolling wedding rings from a downrigger on a hot day for kokanee
Trolling an F3 frog flatfish with no weight at Diamond Lake
Casting and retrieving a Daredvle for high lake brookies
Dry fly fishing mayflies over weedbeds in lakes
Powerbait (when you just want to catch fish!)
Casting streamers or spruce flies for searuns at the head of tidewater
Still fishing single eggs with ultralight gear
Trolling for lakers with flatfish tipped with 'crawlers (it's the worm stupid!)
Trolling rapalas and other plugs flatline for browns
Working a bedraggled caddis nymph for stream rainbows
Dry fly fishing mosquito flies for high lake brookies

If it looks like I'll try anything, that's true. What are your favorites?

[Da Bank Maggot]

Slow-trolling with a frog-pattern needlefish.

I'm also planning to try something new for trout this year, read an article about trout-fishing with tube jigs and want to see how that works.

[TakeEm]

Mine would have to be slow trolling with my home made wedding rings and hootch setups, behind a dodger. Thers is just something special when you catch a fish on something that you designed yourself!

[benny boy]

Wow where to start????
-I would say one of my favorite methods is casting rooster tails and panther martins in small creeks/rivers!
-Other than that buzz bombs for kokanee or still fishing worm/corn/red egg is always a blast!
-Casting powerbait on very light leaders and letting the fish pick it up
-trolling sinking flies behind the float tube
.......I could go on forever! Great topic!

[marshworm]

my favorite methods are, in not neccessarily this order
fishing
fishing
fishing
fishing
fishing
fishing
Then sometimes if the fish arn't biting I switch to fishing and always in the middle of the day I switch to fishing but find myself always changing back to fishing as the sun sets. At night I dream up more methods of fishing so I can add to my list

[KingHunter]

Originally Posted by TakeEm

Mine would have to be slow trolling with my home made wedding rings and hootch setups, behind a dodger. Thers is just something special when you catch a fish on something that you designed yourself!

Special satisfaction when you made it!

[Dullhook]

One thing that really adds to the enjoyment of any method of trout/koke fishing is using the very lightest tackle possible. A 14" Kokanee or Rainbow is really a kick to land on an ultra-light spinning rod or 5 wt fly rod. I like to use just the bare essentials on terminal tackle too. Sometimes this might mean less hookups but it's so much more fun when you do! Even a smaller fish will jump and take line out if he isn't over-matched with heavy terminal gear. These are a few favorite methods, some already mentioned.

Kokanee jigging. Ultra-light rod, small spinning reel loaded with 6# test line. 1/4 oz-1/2 oz jigs, casting or vertcal. If it's really rough or the fish are very deep, 3/4 oz-1oz jigs and the light action rod. Same line and reel type. The bigger fish will pull the tip of the rod right under the water while fighting them. Sometimes a big mack, bull, or brown is hooked. Look out!

Trolling the shoreline for bows with a 5 weight fly rod, sinking line, and a streamer or small Flatfish (F-3/F-4) on the end. This is really fun in the evening at Diamond Lake. Hang on and strip line fast or they'll be in the weeds and break you off in a hurry.

Trolling for kokes with the same fly rod loaded with lead line. Just a 4/0 dodger and Wedding Ring or hootchie tied on. At Wickiup they'd hit, come out of the water, and strip about a color of line off in the blink of an eye. This method works well for bows and brookies minus the dodger and using just a frog, perch, or coach-dog Flatfish. Troll just over the top of the weed beds.

Haven't done this in awhile...but casting into the trees at Crane Prairie with a nightcrawler or dragonfly larva under a bobber. Used to be dynamite for some big rainbows and brook trout. One July, a friend and I really got into some dandy bows by the Quinn Channel. I can remember that the bobber would take off across the water, skimming over the top at high speed. Reminded me of that shark in 'Jaws' pulling the bouy through the water after being harpooned. Good times and memories for sure!

[shorthair]

Grey hackle yellow on the E. Fork of the Lewis.

[PhoenixAlien]

I just started trolling with a ford fender and a 2' leader with a flat fish behind it and i've been slaying them.

[BobberAnn]

I usually fish with Ford Fender and wedding rings that I have customized but started using Apex's this year with great success. Gota 5 pound 2 oz Koke at Wallowa Lake a couple of weeks ago. I'm headed for o'dell Lake soon.
Anyone using Kone Zone flashers and getting Kokanee?

[Doc_Rhen]

I love to topline a gold Thomas Fightin' Fish on an ultralight rod. Even if you catch a 6 incher they fold that thing in half and take some work to get in.

[Raining_Kings]

Here's 2 more:
- Watchin your bobber get a few nibbles before being yanked down, with a little worm/powerbait sure is exciting (watching it not go down, sux though).
- Being woken up by the bell attached to your rod, while you were catching a little cat nap when fishing with sliding egg sinker and powerbait.

[thefishslayer]

jigging a cheap spoon from wal-mart in quartzville and hammering a 15 inch rainbow, only to have him break off the only spoon you brought

egg sinker and worm in free way lakes, secret cove, = big suckers

[Smok'n Fish]

I like working my way around the rocky shoreline at Big Lava. A white marabou jig tipped with a power worm, looking for cruising fish. Did it a couple weekends ago and caught a few really nice holdovers.

[moknots]

Double Buggin' (nymph and a dropper) rainbows and steelhead.
Still fishing, trolling and jigging kokanee.

[Hazelnut]

Watching a trout come up thru 3 feet water to take your dry fly.
Watching a Steelhead come up slowly to pluck at a dry fly.... What a rush!

[eaglesrip]

Used to fish Hardware, No more!!!!!! Flys are the ticket in shallower lakes !!!! trollin flys with a little split shot and a fly pole, what a fight!!!!

[corey joe]

trolling as slow as possible with a dry fly tied directly to 4 lbs test on an ultra lite ugly stick

[mkwerx]

Dry flies fished on a 2 or 3 wt rod on a tiny, narrow, tree lined creek

Small spinners fished on 4lb line with a long ultra light spin rod in similar water

A bead head woolly bugger fished cross current, stripped in in short pulls then let to swim downstream until the line is right below you in the current, then swim it back up with short pulls

Dry & droppers in pocket water - even the smallest eddy or stick or rock will hold a fish at some point

Tossing a good buggy soft hackled wet fly or streamer - or maybe a small spinner into the plunge of a water fall to see who lives there

Flat line trolling an inline spinner of sorts nice and slow - just fast enough to make the blade turn.

Tossing a rooster tail or a curly tailed jig @ the dam at Hagg, while the old guys who fish there every day, from sun up - haven't had so much as a nibble, and getting a strike or a hook up almost every cast - then the look on their face when ya put 'em back in the water!

Just some of my favorites.

[Buck]

After this weekend, casting emergers to rising "football fat" Diamond Lake trout. Oh, and watching my daughter do the same.