How to Catch Kokanee Salmon

 

  

Simple instructions for catching Kokanee Salmon:

  1. They eat zoo plankton 
  2. They strike to protect their area or are otherwise annoyed.
  3. They have soft mouths, so no heavy hook sets ( yes you! )
  4. Depth. Kokanee like 54 degree water, the warmer it gets the deeper they are.
  5. Speed. Most would agree 1.5  to 1.6. 
  6. Trolling pattern. The shallower the fish the more zig zag because the fish are shy to the boat. Also the zig zag changes the speed of your presentation
  7. Setup. 10 pound line, heavier is fine. Dodger or flasher. Lots of theories on color. I like Dodgers because you don't have to bend them. I like silver and pink, gold and pink, green and pink, pink and pink are you noticing a pattern
  8. The hot bait the last several years are hoochies, or squids 2 1/2 inches down to 1 3/4 inches
  9. Hoochie colors. Pink, sparkle pink, glow pink, white and pink, purple and pink, green, green orange yellow, purple.
  10. Shoe peg corn, lots of ways to make your own special smell. Berkeley maggots, tip the hook with pink or green or brown or a mixture. Kokanee have very good noses. This is important! They will smell you! Lots of brands of stinkum. Use one on the Hoochie, the line the dodger, anything you have touched. Tuna and garlic is a good choice, experiment with different scents.
  11. Setback. 8 to 24 inches behind the dodger. The shorter the setback the more action or movement caused by the dodger
  12. Distance behind the boat. If the fish are shallow they are boat shy drop back 100, 150 feet and zig zag
  13. When the fish are deep 8 feet from down-rigger ball is plenty
  14. Buy down-riggers if you want to get serious
  15. Fish finder. Important feature. If you don't have one go to where the other boats are. 
  16. Have fun and tight lines from all of us at Teton Tackle