American Lake recommendations

[SilverFox]

I have been reading many of the posts on American Lake, and was wondering if someone would share some tips or make some recommendations for a fishing trip there. I'll be traveling to Tacoma next weekend and will have a chance to fish American with my brother.

My favorite haunt is Roosevelt, so all my stuff is geared to that fishery. I don't know which setup to bring, a mono outfit and a leaded line rig too? Rods are 8' 6", with line counters.

If you were going to do a one day trip to a lake you might not ever fish again, what tackle would you recommend? I have wedding rings and flashers, anything else I should get?

My brother has been struggling at American, the dreaded learning curve, but left me a message earlier this week that he and his fishing partner managed 6 last weekend.

Anyway, just thought I'd ask. Will be nice to fish with my brother.

 

[Kokanee-Toni]

Do you have downriggers? Do you have dodgers?
I don't have leaded line so I can't advise on that nor flashers.

 

[KOK head]

You can use a KEEL WEIGHT 1/2 OUNCE - 1 OUNCE GET IT DOWN TO 20FT - 30FT SMALL FLASHERS , GANG TROLL , DODGERS , AND tONI YES MICRO D'S FLASHER'S IS GOOD ! AND SILVERFOX USE A GREEN WEDDING RING WITH WHITE GULP MAGGOTT . I RETIE MY wedding tings tandum with a size 2 hook and that should get you some kok's troll speed should be around 0.9mph - 1.2mph hope this helps let us know how it went good luck!

 

[shady]

Silverfox
I am new on this thread. I would suggest you try "white shoe peg corn", thread one or two kernals on your hook with the fat end facing forward. You can scent the corn by mixing your favorite scent or oil in a sandwich bag if you like that stuff. I just read that shoe peg corn is rare and could be hard to get, I only found 4 7 oz. at Yolks market in Deer Park Wa. I have'nt tried it yet, just getting the boat ready, but I am drooling just thinking about it.

shady

 

[SilverFox]

Toni - You've met my brother at American and he told me you even offered a seat on your boat. Sounds just like you too. He has a 14' Hewescraft with a 15hp Merc on the back and tows with a red/maroon (I think) Dodge Dakota. We'll be there at 0-dark 30 Saturday morning. He has one portable downrigger, so I'll be trolling with weights or leaded line or on the surface.

KOK head - Sounds like I've got most of what I need. I'll have to see what color wedding rings I have, but I have many. Also have some 000 and 0000 dodgers, Les Davis and Luhr Jensen IIRC. I'll toss my jar of white Gulp maggots in my travel bag too!

shady - Got the corn already, so it will be in my tackle bag.

Thanks for the tips and suggestions!!! Even if we don't catch any fish, it will be fun to spend time and fish with my brother. thumbsup

 

[SilverFox]

Just an update and a "Thank You" to those who shared tips. My brother and I hit American at 0530, and had a koke in the boat in less than 10 minutes. I was fishing with one of my Roosevelt leaded line rigs trolling a tandem sling blade with what is known locally here as a "St. Maries Special", essentially a wedding ring style spinner. I used the green version tipped with Gulp maggots and it put the first one in the boat. My brother was using a single sling blade with a pink wedding ring style spinner. We both caught fish on them.

Action slowed down around 0800 or so, and we tried many different things, location, speed, trolled offerings, scents, etc. We managed 7 for the morning, left about 1130, so it was a pretty good day considering we are both rookies at the kokanee game.

Here we are with the first two, me followed by my brother.

 

[Smalma]

Silverfox -
Keep in mind that all dodgers are not created equal. Both Les Davis and Luhr Jensen dodgers are stamped from metal that is a bit thicker than say those made by gold star (which stamps many of the other readily available dodgers). As a result you will find that on those thicker dodgers that the large sizes (000) will work better at kokanee speeds than the 0000s. It seems like that larger surface area equates into more "wobble".

As the kokanee bug takes full hold of you I see more dodgers (and other goodies) in your future.

Continued best of luck.

Curt

 

[Juice]

was fishing there two days ago. I was fishing a small size 6 pink spin-and-glow with three small pink beads and a single size 4 hook. behind a small hammered dodger. Leader length 2 1/2 time the length of the dodger. Bait was gulp maggot. 50ft down on the downrigger. Leaving the boat ramp head out to the right

 

[SilverFox]

Silverfox -
Keep in mind that all dodgers are not created equal. Both Les Davis and Luhr Jensen dodgers are stamped from metal that is a bit thicker than say those made by gold star (which stamps many of the other readily available dodgers). As a result you will find that on those thicker dodgers that the large sizes (000) will work better at kokanee speeds than the 0000s. It seems like that larger surface area equates into more "wobble".

As the kokanee bug takes full hold of you I see more dodgers (and other goodies) in your future.

Continued best of luck.

Curt

Thanks Curt, I have an assortment of dodgers in my tackle bag, Davis and Jensen and a few others as well. I haven't had much opportunity to play with them yet, but hope to see what I can hustle up at Roosevelt on the 25th. You are very right about more dodgers and other goodies, already have a new toy I used the very first time at American, a FishHawk TD. That's a neat piece of gadgetry and the kokanee habit spawned its purchase.thumbsup