First timer looking for help

[spoons]

Hi AZ,
I have a buddy from Boise going over for a family reunion about the same time as you.

I was raised over there and grew up fishing Wallowa Lake. Always did well for kokanee with cowbells and wedding rings.
When I got older I throw in the dodger with kokanee killer tipped with a maggot and scent. That dodger was nice because I could tell when I was dragging one of the little ones around.
(maggots seem to work very well over there. You can pick them up at the Sport Coral on your way into Joseph)
I seem to have caught more kokanee out in the middle fishing pretty much on top.

Now to make a short story long...

Last year after they caught the "big one" I did some research and found that people were using hoochies and jigs and doing very well. I spent some money on new tackle and headed over a bit earlier than usual to try for a whopper.
I put on the water just after light. There were about 8 boats trolling in one area in the middle of the lake. I didn't see anyone catching anything so I did my usual thing for an hour or so and caught a couple trout.
I went over and joined in the trolling roundabout. I had my down rigger right at the depth they were supposed to be at... didn't mark very many fish at all.
about 11am another boat showed up trolling twice as fast as the rest of us, making sharp turns like he was out of control. I'm thinking "what a jack---".
5 minutes later he had a kokanee in his net and another one on his other pole a few minutes after that. He trolled around like a maniac, catching netting, steering all by himself for an hour or so until he limited out.
I went over and asked what he had on and he said "I'm a guide here, you know..."
Basically, no pay no play.
Other boats tried to get some info but they got the same response.

He had a dodger and it looked like and orange/pink hoochie. He was using his down rigger but I think that was more for show. Everytime he made a move to his pole the fish was already jumping. He was trolling fast and fishing shallow. That's why I didn't mark very many fish and that's whay he was making those sharp turns to drag his gear throught the undisturbed water.

Anyways, it all seems to work well if they're feeling frisky.
I haven't jigged yet, but I'm set for trying it this year.

Good luck! Maybe I'll see you up there.
I'm in a Sweetwater.

 

[azbohunter]

Hey Spoons,
Thanks for the post! Sounds like maybe planner boards could works sometimes. Why is it the fish seem to always be biting on something you don't have?
Hope to see you there, probably will have the only red Lund with AZ license.

 

[mrmike]

If I may add kokanee aren't the hardest fish to catch.Find a nice body of water to fish you need to research some book material about different areas (lakes) to fish. I personnel go were the fish run the biggest. The more you can read about kokonee the better you will become Kokanee Obsession by Kent Cannon is a great start. another great book that will change alot is The Master Angler (why color matters) by Mr.Phil Rabideau after reading it will explain WHY you catch the fish you do. and ask questions. I hope this helped

 

[Cannon]

another great book that will change alot is The Master Angler (why color matters) by Mr.Phil Rabideau after reading it will explain WHY you catch the fish you do. and ask questions. I hope this helped

Mr. Rabideau's book is a must read if you are a serious fisherman or woman. Great info and when applied, it works.

 

[DLM]

The more you can read about kokonee the better you will become Kokanee Obsession by Kent Cannon is a great start. another great book that will change alot is The Master Angler (why color matters) by Mr.Phil Rabideau after reading it will explain WHY you catch the fish you do. and ask questions. I hope this helped

As long as we are referring books I suggest "What Fish See" by DR. Colin J. Kageyama O.D. Being an eye doc and an avid fisherman, his knowledge and experience of how fish eyes work is very helpful. It is on amazon and available at Frank Amato publications. I have also seen it at fishermans marine.

 

[Mark McWillis]

Until last Spring I had never fished for Kokanee or used downriggers. I spent all last winter reading this forum and a couple of books and I'm pleased to say that we caught limits our first trip out and were never skunked. You're on the right track. Have a great time at Wallowa.

 

[azbohunter]

Until last Spring I had never fished for Kokanee or used downriggers. I spent all last winter reading this forum and a couple of books and I'm pleased to say that we caught limits our first trip out and were never skunked. You're on the right track. Have a great time at Wallowa.

So, I want some of that to rub off on me! So Mark, what time of year, was it on Wallowa and did you do it using downriggers?

My wife is not real happy that I found this "Kokanee Forum", but, she has always told me her favorite meal when she was a kid was kokanee! Hopefully I can redeem myself.

Thanks Mark

 

[DLM]

The last day of our trip last year the hoochies were not effective at all, but they had been highly successful the first three days. We switched to a dodger and red wedding ring and things got busy. We were using a set back, maybe about 60ft, and lowering the ball just to about 15 feet. The wife caught our largest. She had establised her setback and was in the process of hooking the line to the release clip then the fish jerked the line right out of her hands. That fish had to be in the top 5ft of water, right in middle of the lake.

During the entire trip we spotted lots of schools usually down around 40 or 60 feet. Every time we dropped the ball and targeted the schools, we were rewarded with a cute little 8 in koke. The big guys were all on the surface.

 

[Salmurai]

Thanks smokin' Kokes that was good information! If I can find a set of downriggers on ebay at an affordable price, I will have them, if not I will do the Pink Lady thing as you suggested.
You never know, it might get into my blood and it will become and annual thing.
But then I would have to choose between walleye on the Colombia and Kokanee?? Don't you hate it?

If you're by yourself, why bother with a set of downriggers? If you need to get down with more than one line, you might try a stacker or a shuttlehawk. Just my "less than $.02" worth. When it comes to koke fishing, especially at Wallowa, I'm two kokes and about six hours ahead of you. Welcome aboard. Good luck..............Salmurai

 

[smokin' Kokes]

Vance's Tackle downrigger basics is great
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Jd2pR_E6Y

http://www.vancestackle.com/tips.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVs3QbRd0E&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkmE4lKKpq4&NR=1

lots of good info on you tube
search you tube kokanee trolling to get the basics down for koke trolling

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kokanee+trolling&aq=f

also get Gary Miralles koke trolling video
Gary has a great sporting shows presentation on koke fishing.

http://www.kokaneetackle.com/p-264-lake-trolling-downrigging-basics-with-gary-miralles-dvd.aspx



watched one of the hot NW expert koke jiggers fishing Wallowa last year for a week and talked with him. 0 fish in May jigging and he wouldn't switch to trolling.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of Kent's book, ordered it last night.

 

[skookum9]

I'm guessing that this "hot NW expert koke jigger" was not so expert as he claimed himself to be. Sounds like you weren't so impressed by him either. Someday maybe you'll get a chance to see someone fishing jigs correctly and we can convert you. As high as that lake is, May should be early enough. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to put the jigs to these fish down here in the low country yet and now it's getting pretty late in the year for me.

 

[mrmike]

great info spoons, Wallowa Lake is different than your normal kokanee lake ask yourself the question WHY? The water is blue and very clear not green all together different color pattererns. What works in your standard lake will not be that affective at Wallowa. I fished Wallowa 2 yrs ago I did land one fish in between the thunder storms 24" 5 1/2/ 6 lbs fat little pig. biggest kokanee I ever caught they use alot of %^^%%$$ there.

 

[spoons]

great info spoons, Wallowa Lake is different than your normal kokanee lake ask yourself the question WHY? The water is blue and very clear not green all together different color pattererns. What works in your standard lake will not be that affective at Wallowa. I fished Wallowa 2 yrs ago I did land one fish in between the thunder storms 24" 5 1/2/ 6 lbs fat little pig. biggest kokanee I ever caught they use alot of %^^%%$$ there.

OK.. I'm new to the forum thing.. WTH is %^^%%$$

 

[mrmike]

$%^& means a secret, but I noticed a lot of folks that fished there alot were using apex lure and doing well. I did use my down riggers and found the fish at the thermocline level at that time was 45 feet. Hope this helps. I went to the local shop and they steared us in the right direction.

 

[Cannon]

great info spoons, Wallowa Lake is different than your normal kokanee lake ask yourself the question WHY? The water is blue and very clear not green all together different color pattererns. What works in your standard lake will not be that affective at Wallowa. I fished Wallowa 2 yrs ago I did land one fish in between the thunder storms 24" 5 1/2/ 6 lbs fat little pig. biggest kokanee I ever caught they use alot of %^^%%$$ there.

Funny, the tackle that I used at Wallowa worked well on all of the other lakes that I fished last year and there were many (lakes). I fished there with others who used the same gear that I was using and had the same outstanding results. I also spent quite a bit of time talking to the current world record holder and he is using the same tackle that the rest of us are using...secrets no. Experience yes.