Kokanee fishing update for Port Angeles, WA

[Capt. Pete]

Two weeks ago, one of our members wanted an update regarding the kokanee fishing on Lake Sutherland, west of Port Angeles. I fished there today, Sept 26,...my mom's 94th birthday. I must have hooked twice my mom's 94 years. The kokanee were in their bright orange colors and full of fight. All were caught vertical jigging within two feet of bottom in 40-47 ft of water. Nothing but 1/3 & 1/2 oz Kandlefish metal jigs were used. Color made no difference. The kokes were responding to the jig's sonic action on a rainy but dead calm day. Perfect for vertical jigging. I don't know how much longer this fishery will last. The trollers are catching a few fish but certainly nothing like the results experienced with vertical jigging. As usual, I seemed to be the only boat jigging...the rest were trolling, burning fuel and catching very little. Besides using a top quality jig, monitoring your fishfinder is critical. I use a Lowrance X135 which readily shows the zigzag pattern of the lively action of the Kandlefish on the fall. As it reaches the mark on the screen, I engage the reel and jig the rod with 1 to 2 ft lifts. It doesn't take long for a hook-up with a precise presentation. The average size of these pre-spawners is 15-17 inches. Hope this message reaches in time...Capt. Pete PS: I took over 20 photos but will not be able to post them for several weeks.

 

[Full_Monte]

Thanks for that, Captain Pete. I just tried jigging here in CA last month with no results. I'm wondering what I am doing wrong. The main thing I'm having problems with (I think) is keeping the boat stationary for vertical jigging. I find that if there is any wind at all, my line can be at an angle due to boat drift. I have tried to put the boat in gear and troll backwards slowly to compensate, but that didn't produce fish either. Do you have any ideas? I'm using line-counter reels and dacron main line.

 

[Capt. Pete]

Improving kokanee catches

Calm water is best for vertical jigging. Anywhere I fish, the straighter the line, the better the catching. This late in the season, the fish are concentrating near their spawning tributaries and are down deep...almost belly against bottom. At times, they are difficult to see on your fishfinder because they are blending into the bottom. This is what I found yesterday. I became frustrated in the deep water (60-75 ft) by seeing an occasional mark. Then I relocated to a feeder stream outlet where the kokanee were stacked within two feet of bottom in 21-47 ft of water. It was literally every drop of the jig for a hook-up. Line angle made no difference in that shallow water. Hope this helps. Capt. Pete