Meal worms for Kokanee

[Tim1harris]

Hello, fairly new to Kokanee fishing and I have heard that meal worms are a great option to try. So I picked up a pack of giant mealworms from the pet store today that are about 2” long. I also got some fluorescent pink dye to dye them. Curious what other tips folks have? Should I keep some natural colour, or all pink? Should I cut them into small little pieces? Should I add different scents to them once they are dyed? Will it matter that they will probably all die when I dye them? Whats everyone’s GO TO scent? Seems like there are way too many options out there. Any tips or tricks to help me get a few Koks with the mealworms would be awesome!

 

[Bduck]

Berkley Maggots/Asticots are a good option in place of mealworms also. They come in natural white, pink, & green. These can be used as is or you can add scents. I like using the liquid scents when doctoring the maggots such as Slammin Sam's (Tuna Garlic) and Smelly Jelly (Kokanee Feast). Procure is another good product that puts out a variety of scent flavors in gel form. I'll use this sometimes to attach on a dodger when not using scented maggots. We also use shoepeg corn as another option loaded with a liquid scent. Suggestion: try mixing small amounts of these mentioned products with different scent flavors to see which will work the best. I only mentioned just a couple of scent flavors that has worked for me, not always, but doesn't mean it will for you. Further research needs applied with the large number scents available.

 

[bowelkhntr]

Hello, fairly new to Kokanee fishing and I have heard that meal worms are a great option to try. So I picked up a pack of giant mealworms from the pet store today that are about 2” long. I also got some fluorescent pink dye to dye them. Curious what other tips folks have? Should I keep some natural colour, or all pink? Should I cut them into small little pieces? Should I add different scents to them once they are dyed? Will it matter that they will probably all die when I dye them? Whats everyone’s GO TO scent? Seems like there are way too many options out there. Any tips or tricks to help me get a few Koks with the mealworms would be awesome!

My routine is simple, I put a maggot on each hook (I tie my on leaders with double hooks and upper hook slides) I treat white shoe peg corn with some sent, die half red and put a cornel on each hook as well. I've tried Meal worms and maggots are way better. The real ones are better but imitations work if you can't get real.

 

[bowelkhntr]

Hello, fairly new to Kokanee fishing and I have heard that meal worms are a great option to try. So I picked up a pack of giant mealworms from the pet store today that are about 2” long. I also got some fluorescent pink dye to dye them. Curious what other tips folks have? Should I keep some natural colour, or all pink? Should I cut them into small little pieces? Should I add different scents to them once they are dyed? Will it matter that they will probably all die when I dye them? Whats everyone’s GO TO scent? Seems like there are way too many options out there. Any tips or tricks to help me get a few Koks with the mealworms would be awesome!

Tim; I use green giant white shoe peg corn, I treat each can with some krill, kokanee and anise, then die half red (i use roe cure) and add 1 maggot to each hook. They seem to preferer red, and to hedge my bets I use one red and one white the red in front. don't know why but this catches more for my waters. this works with wedding bands, or hoochies. I tie all my leaders, double hooks, front slides. Reach out if you would like more info.

 

[Eat me]

Hello, fairly new to Kokanee fishing and I have heard that meal worms are a great option to try. So I picked up a pack of giant mealworms from the pet store today that are about 2” long. I also got some fluorescent pink dye to dye them. Curious what other tips folks have? Should I keep some natural colour, or all pink? Should I cut them into small little pieces? Should I add different scents to them once they are dyed? Will it matter that they will probably all die when I dye them? Whats everyone’s GO TO scent? Seems like there are way too many options out there. Any tips or tricks to help me get a few Koks with the mealworms would be awesome!

You will hear all kinds of 'secret sauce" around the koke fishing universe so I am going to start with a few lies first
1. "Dodgers are the only way to troll Kokanee" B.S. if you like dodgers and you can run them.. pop gear (of all sizes) works very well..
2. "Kokanee will not hit a worm" in May of 2024 I was hacking on my brother "Pop gear and a worm? what is this Strawberry reservoir in the 1980's" (if you get that you have some years like me and know exactly what I am talking about), less than 10 minutes later he was bleeding a 2lb8oz Koke...

Try a small piece of worm on squiddy and put your favorite sauce on it...
3. Kokanee only hit at X.X miles per HOUR... yep they are speed sensitive but you have to find the SPEED OF THE DAY!!!, .2 up or down can change a day, YOU have to find your speed for your SETUP... if joe blow is running 3 inch dodgers and saying its 1.5 today and you go run 4 inch dodgers you may be below the fish... KNOW YOUR gear, experiment with speed.
4. Everybody at the DOCK tells the truth.... don't waste time radio fishing or dock fishing LEARN THE LAKE YOU ARE ON an master the catching..

Some Simple Truths.
1.. I have seen Kokanee caught on everything from gummy worms to flatfish to crank bates... but RARELY on a set line.
2. shoe peg corn can work... Just spend the $5 buy the berkly pre-treated bottle comes in many colors. (get a few)
3. there is NO "kokanee color" that they prefer to HIT, color of the day YES, buy 4 of every lure you use.. and if someone gets hot on it switch the other lines.
4. there is NO set depth, but water temp will drive them deeper, so be aware of surface temp
5. keep A LOG BOOK... not to relieve past success, but to know what didn't work on the slow day's

Have fun, experiment and remember Fishing is like my favorite American saying "Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness" there are no guarantees in life except MORE TAXES AND DEATH.

 

[Pauli]

I've always used the Berkley maggots with a piece of shoepeg corn. Seems to make a difference for me. I have never tried using scents on Kokanee.
Down here at Anderson Ranch, and Arrowrock, I like to break out the ultra lite rod and throw out a wedding ring and maggots (with no flasher and no weight) while I'm trolling my main line..... I probably catch 30% of my Kokes with this ultra lite rig.

Pauli

 

[Eat me]

I've always used the Berkley maggots with a piece of shoepeg corn. Seems to make a difference for me. I have never tried using scents on Kokanee.
Down here at Anderson Ranch, and Arrowrock, I like to break out the ultra lite rod and throw out a wedding ring and maggots (with no flasher and no weight) while I'm trolling my main line..... I probably catch 30% of my Kokes with this ultra lite rig.

Pauli

Hey Pauli,
My brother insists on tossing out a lead-core with very large pop gear (size 12 main blades) just like your saying, I always give him "Sh*T" about it because the Kokanee's at flaming gorge love to run for the surface (and often straight into his trolling line) HOWEVER there are days that this setup (you could catch black-fin in the gulf on this rig) is So hot he does not even get it set..

For me trying to figure out Kokanee on a day to day is about as complex as figuring out the opposite sex.

Totally agree on the maggots and shoe peg, but we usually run scents. only draw back at Flaming Gorge is the monster mackinaw the scents scents seem to attract them, they like a slower presentation so they normally leave the higher speed kokanee runs alone, that is until you make a turn and everything slows down and the lines sink below the kokanee at that point you better have the drag open on the ultralight or it might get turned into tooth picks (sucks when it happens) but 20lb Mack on an ultralight, you either hope the line breaks or the drag is open... (downside of scents)..

 

[Pauli]

Hey Pauli,
My brother insists on tossing out a lead-core with very large pop gear (size 12 main blades) just like your saying, I always give him "Sh*T" about it because the Kokanee's at flaming gorge love to run for the surface (and often straight into his trolling line) HOWEVER there are days that this setup (you could catch black-fin in the gulf on this rig) is So hot he does not even get it set..

For me trying to figure out Kokanee on a day to day is about as complex as figuring out the opposite sex.

Totally agree on the maggots and shoe peg, but we usually run scents. only draw back at Flaming Gorge is the monster mackinaw the scents scents seem to attract them, they like a slower presentation so they normally leave the higher speed kokanee runs alone, that is until you make a turn and everything slows down and the lines sink below the kokanee at that point you better have the drag open on the ultralight or it might get turned into tooth picks (sucks when it happens) but 20lb Mack on an ultralight, you either hope the line breaks or the drag is open... (downside of scents)..

I'v never been to Flaming Gorge..... but it's on the bucket list (as well as lake Billy Chinook). I wish you a successful season!!

 

[rjurries]

Early in year I catch a lot on ford fender with one oz weight. That’s 10 to 15 ft years ago that’s all we used before dr got popular

 

[Cybersnow]

I have ordered some shoepeg from a Kokanee tackle store in Boise ID, where do you find the maggots? I am a believer in scents as I used to fish a number of rivers on the Left Coast for salmon and scents made the difference in how many you caught that day.

 

[Bduck]

I have ordered some shoepeg from a Kokanee tackle store in Boise ID, where do you find the maggots? I am a believer in scents as I used to fish a number of rivers on the Left Coast for salmon and scents made the difference in how many you caught that day.

If you have a Sportsmans Warehouse you can find maggots there. Scheels should also carry them.

 

[Cybersnow]

Unfortunately Cabelas is a 5 hour ride from my little town. Amazon is how most of us shop. I did go online and there are a heck of a lot of choices. Mealworms of all kinds and maggots galore. Any suggestions on where to start?

 

[Bduck]

I don't do meal worms, I have a supply pink, green, and natural color of maggots. When using shoepeg, I like to divide a can into 3 sections mixing each section with a different scent. The oil scents mix better for me rather than using gel scents. Another reason I only break into 1 can of shoepeg is I can get a couple of weeks usage from the bait before it starts molding. I also like mixing a scent into a jar of maggots. I use Amazon too!

 

[Cybersnow]

I did find some fake maggots at our little sporting goods section in the local grocery store.