I spent the majority of saturday and sunday learning to kokanee fish on Lake Stevens WA. I got skunked!!! I was fishing in the 15 to 45 foot range, using 4/0 dodgers with wedding rings, hoochies to spoons, and garlic scented corn. Not sure what i am doing wrong. I do know that there was some loud vibration coming from my down riggers (penn 600 fathom masters). Is there any advice or directions that someone can give to help me out?
Kokanee-2 Me- 0 Wondering what I'm doing wrong??
- Thread starter EasyE86
- Start date
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Smalma
Well-known member
While the Stevens kokanee are smaller than normal there seems to be good numbers and with refinement in your approach should result in some success.
Typically the best fishing occurs in the first 2 or 3 hours of daylight in the morning and if as often is the case once the sun hits the water the fishing will drop off dramatically; especially if the water is flat. Once the breeze creates a consistent riffle the bite typically picks in 1/2 hour so with consistent fishing in the afternoon pretty common (though usually slower than the first couple hours in the morning).
With the warming water temperatures the fish are moving deeper with the most consistent depths currently in that 25 to 45 foot range and I have been focusing on efforts at the lower half of that range - keep experimenting with different depths with each rod fishing at different levels until you get dialed in. In the next few weeks the most productive depths may move significantly deeper though there always seems to be some fish between 35 and 50 foot range. The last couple years by mid June there has been consistent fishing ranging as deep as 90 feet. It typically the norm to see the best depth to change during the course of the day. just because fish were caught at 30 feet at 6 in the morning doesn't mean that that depth will be productive at 9.
Like kokanee fishing your trolling speed can be critical; most of the time a speed of 1.0 to 1.3 mph seems to be the most effective though at times speeds below 1 mph or as high as 1.6 mph can be productive- like your depth don't be afraid to experiment.
The most common error that I see kokanee angler on Stevens make is not fishing their gear far enough behind the boat. The kokanee are boat shy at the current depths you want to place your gear out 40 to 50 pulls behind boat before putting the line in the clip. At deeper depths the gear can be fish closer to the ball.
The 4/0 dodgers are the right size and the old half chrome and gold/brass has long been a consistent producer though currently dodgers with some glow in the dark coating or with some pink seem to be consistent producers. Small wedding rings, hoochies, spins glows, etc. have been productive and with those gear with little action often shorter leaders are better than longer ones - say something in the 1 foot range. Scent is important and some days the favor can be important. Garlic, tuna, any of generic kokanee sense, krill, shrimp, squid, crawdad, clams, anise, etc. can be good and mixing a couple together is often worthwhile. put the scent on at least the lure and the corn.
The take home message has to be keep experimenting until your solve that day's puzzle. Most of the anglers on Stevens are pretty good at letting you know what depths they are having success at if you ask politely.
Curt
Typically the best fishing occurs in the first 2 or 3 hours of daylight in the morning and if as often is the case once the sun hits the water the fishing will drop off dramatically; especially if the water is flat. Once the breeze creates a consistent riffle the bite typically picks in 1/2 hour so with consistent fishing in the afternoon pretty common (though usually slower than the first couple hours in the morning).
With the warming water temperatures the fish are moving deeper with the most consistent depths currently in that 25 to 45 foot range and I have been focusing on efforts at the lower half of that range - keep experimenting with different depths with each rod fishing at different levels until you get dialed in. In the next few weeks the most productive depths may move significantly deeper though there always seems to be some fish between 35 and 50 foot range. The last couple years by mid June there has been consistent fishing ranging as deep as 90 feet. It typically the norm to see the best depth to change during the course of the day. just because fish were caught at 30 feet at 6 in the morning doesn't mean that that depth will be productive at 9.
Like kokanee fishing your trolling speed can be critical; most of the time a speed of 1.0 to 1.3 mph seems to be the most effective though at times speeds below 1 mph or as high as 1.6 mph can be productive- like your depth don't be afraid to experiment.
The most common error that I see kokanee angler on Stevens make is not fishing their gear far enough behind the boat. The kokanee are boat shy at the current depths you want to place your gear out 40 to 50 pulls behind boat before putting the line in the clip. At deeper depths the gear can be fish closer to the ball.
The 4/0 dodgers are the right size and the old half chrome and gold/brass has long been a consistent producer though currently dodgers with some glow in the dark coating or with some pink seem to be consistent producers. Small wedding rings, hoochies, spins glows, etc. have been productive and with those gear with little action often shorter leaders are better than longer ones - say something in the 1 foot range. Scent is important and some days the favor can be important. Garlic, tuna, any of generic kokanee sense, krill, shrimp, squid, crawdad, clams, anise, etc. can be good and mixing a couple together is often worthwhile. put the scent on at least the lure and the corn.
The take home message has to be keep experimenting until your solve that day's puzzle. Most of the anglers on Stevens are pretty good at letting you know what depths they are having success at if you ask politely.
Curt
mrmike
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2010
- Messages
- 734
Reading your post what are your electronics telling you? Them humming from your DR are harmless. You will need to find the thermocline level. I small help is water temperature they have a temp were they feed and are aggressive like 48 to like 54 degree.You may graph numerous fish say in warmer water but they aren't biters you can troll through them all day. You will find less fish in there feeding zone,but these will be biters. How many times do you here graphed fish all day couldn't get them to bite,that the reason. Hope this might help a little
Last edited:
Bduck
Flaming Gorge Forum MODERATOR
Setback of lure to dodger is critical too. I like an 8-12" adjustment. When you have a long setback your lure is just gliding not dancing around with dodger. What is your setback of your line from DR release? Approx 50-60' should be good. I like trolling speeds of 1.4 to 1.8 with 1.6 as my nominal setting. Play around with the different speeds, a zigzag pattern will help you determine speed with rods on both sides, rods on rightside in a right turn will slow down while the opposite side speeds up and visa-versa. The humming from the DR cable doesn't deter the bite but annoying in sound only. Checking your electrical field surrounding the boat is also critical. Protroll has instructions on how to do this at www.protroll.com.....
mrmike
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2010
- Messages
- 734
Very good and most important point by bduck if your boat is putting off a negative charge through your electronics it will rebel fish. I have had boats pull up next to me and the bite just went away. Its a easy fix. Something that needs to looked at.
