Kokanee 101 ver. 20.14... ;-)

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SilverBullets said:
Interesting... so i take it your doing this before the hook is tied on the line? What have you found works best to poke the flash through the bead?
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SilverBullets,

Sorry for the slow response. I was fishing on Lake Chelan the last few days.

When I went to the WashingtonLakes.com forum gathering at Chelan a while back they had a guy from Heavy Beads address the crowd. He provided us with a starter kit that had a few beads and a little beading tool. The tool looks like an exacto blade handle with a very small hook on the end of it for working with the beads. I took a pre-tied leader and a small amount of flash and poked it through the bead. You slide the tool through the hole, hook the flash and leader, then pull them back out. Works great. Then just slide the rubber glow bead over the hook eye at the top. It won't slide and holds flash perfectly. I just tested a few out and they kicked butt on Chelan. Two of us pulled in 41 Kokes and 15 or so lakers in 3 days of fishing. If I think about it I will shoot some pictures to post. Might help.

Flash is good but I find it doesn't take much. Too much flash is counter-productive in my opinion. Just a little extra movement and shine will get their attention and tick them off getting them to bite. I found three types of flash in the fly tying section of the local fishing supply store. I like the UV type.
 
Mhrri333- Thanks for sharing. Yes, please put a picture on here for those of us who are interested.
GET THE NET
 
Hopefully these pics will post. This shows the tool and one variation. This one isn't slid over the eye of the hook because it is the larger hook size. On smaller hooks I just slide it on to keep it in place. I haven't lost any flash yet but I am still experimenting.

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Great article, really appreciate the effort man! One question, why the loop knot and not tie to a swivel? Better action or just saving on hardware? I have never had a lot of trust in loop knots, though I guess with 15lb flouro and kokes it doesn't likely make a difference.

Also, 13.5" leader length...you run this for hootchies and spinners? what about spoons or apex's? Traditionally I have went with 25" or so for lures with their own action? Just looking to refine my methods...haven't boated a quarter as many kokes as the majority here, though did fill the smoker last weekend and it didn't last 3 days.
 
Just a general question, when using longer set backs (100') is it safe to assume that you lure will be at relatively the same depth as the clip? i.e. marking fish at 55, set rigger and clip at 55?
 
Mharri333 said:
Yes. It came from heavy beads. Very easy to use.
Click to expand...

Now that this thread surfaced again.....reminded me to ask....I ordered the tool and some other stuff from Hevi-Beads well over a month ago. Nothing. After a month I called to inquire about the order and when it would be delivered. No call back, and still nothing. Did it take a long time to get your order delivered? I realize they're a small business and I'm glad to support them. A call back on the status would be nice.
 
Great information kokanee fisherman are so egger to share there knowledge, all I can add that remember each lake fishes different. I read the article posted makes for great amount of information, and we can always learn. I have had good results with copper and bronze this years added flash for your arsenal / on a blade or wobbler on dark days. A few of us know I tie my own tube lure with great success. I have added Dakota blades and seem to have far better result not sure why? possible the vibration, Super D nicely done on your tube's in Pink. I finished up on the kokanee around the 4th of July. I will be gearing up for the fall fishery.
 
the force said:
Great article, really appreciate the effort man! One question, why the loop knot and not tie to a swivel? Better action or just saving on hardware? I have never had a lot of trust in loop knots, though I guess with 15lb flouro and kokes it doesn't likely make a difference.

Also, 13.5" leader length...you run this for hootchies and spinners? what about spoons or apex's? Traditionally I have went with 25" or so for lures with their own action? Just looking to refine my methods...haven't boated a quarter as many kokes as the majority here, though did fill the smoker last weekend and it didn't last 3 days.
Click to expand...

As far as loops go, I'm not really %100 sure why I do loops. I guess I started tying my lures with loops and just never really saw the need for a swivel in there. The leader rolls that I use have a little "nub" on them that the loop easily attaches to and swivels are hard to get onto that "nub". I did have a couple of loops that came a little loose, so I started tying a double surgeon loop and have not had a problem with it since.
For leader length, yes, I tie ALL my lures to 13.5", whether it be spinners, hootchies, rasticles, etc. As for spoons and Apex's, your guess would be as good as mine because I don't use any. For some reason I just don't like them. Part of it might be the lack of the ability to customize (hard to customize a spoon or apex) and I guess the main reason is that I have always done well with just spinners and hootchies. Spoons and Apex's just don't seem to be as popular a method in my local area.
 
MackayGuy said:
Now that this thread surfaced again.....reminded me to ask....I ordered the tool and some other stuff from Hevi-Beads well over a month ago. Nothing. After a month I called to inquire about the order and when it would be delivered. No call back, and still nothing. Did it take a long time to get your order delivered? I realize they're a small business and I'm glad to support them. A call back on the status would be nice.
Click to expand...

The Hevi-Beads tool seems nice, but I'm curious as to why people don't just use a bobbin threading tool. It is basically the same thing and can be found at most tackle/fly shops for less than $5 (most around $3). I bought a cheap fly tying kit that came with a vise, bobbin, threader and all kinds of stuff, for $25. The vise makes it easy to tie on flash if you want, comes with the bobbin threader for alternative flash additions, and just makes it easier overall IMO.
 
mrmike said:
Great information kokanee fisherman are so egger to share there knowledge, all I can add that remember each lake fishes different. I read the article posted makes for great amount of information, and we can always learn. I have had good results with copper and bronze this years added flash for your arsenal / on a blade or wobbler on dark days. A few of us know I tie my own tube lure with great success. I have added Dakota blades and seem to have far better result not sure why? possible the vibration, Super D nicely done on your tube's in Pink. I finished up on the kokanee around the 4th of July. I will be gearing up for the fall fishery.
Click to expand...

Yes, absolutely nothing wrong with copper and bronze. I used copper and bronze for years and always had decent success. The addition of real gold and silver blades seemed to be a game changer though because we did much better with that extra reflectivity (copper/bronze reflectivity is less than 20%, real gold/silver around 90%). Sometimes its that little extra pop that can determine whether or not you get bit. I've found that during low light conditions and/or cloudy water, the real gold and silver materials really shine (both literally and metaphorically).
I too like the dakota blades. I have actually found an outfit that sells real gold and silver plated dakota's and have been pleasantly surprised. The action on the dakota's is nice and sporadic, which seems to give it the upper hand at times.
 
the force said:
Just a general question, when using longer set backs (100') is it safe to assume that you lure will be at relatively the same depth as the clip? i.e. marking fish at 55, set rigger and clip at 55?
Click to expand...

It is my firm belief that the lure/dodger combo will sink just a bit. Think about what it looks like if you are flat lining. If you go out 100' or so, the dodger/lure will sink a bit (hard to say exactly how much depending on the dodger, speed etc). I can't imagine that it sinks that much, but I would guess less than 5'-10' (probably less than 5'). If I am marking fish at depth X, I always want to come in just above them, so I will drop to X-5'. To use your example, if I mark a fish at 55', then I would probably drop my ball to 50'ish (maybe 52' or 53'). In my opinion, it is better to come just above them than just below.
 
Mackay,

Sorry for the slow response. I got the tool at the WAlakes.com get together at lake Chelan. The heavy beads guy seemed pretty genuine and interested but I have not dealt with him. I just got a sample pack with the tool in it. I agree with the past post. You should be able to get a similar tool at a fly shop.
 
Mharri333 said:
Mackay,

Sorry for the slow response. I got the tool at the WAlakes.com get together at lake Chelan. The heavy beads guy seemed pretty genuine and interested but I have not dealt with him. I just got a sample pack with the tool in it. I agree with the past post. You should be able to get a similar tool at a fly shop.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I've been out of town for a while.....I'll check the mail when I get home tomorrow. If it's not there, I'll give another call.
 

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