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Early Season Kokanee Fishing
by Lance Merz, March 24, 2015
This time of year gets me going. I attend a lot of Sportsmen’s Shows throughout the Pacific Northwest and all I do is talk about fishing; but instead of talking about it, I want to go out and do it! One of my favorites is to fish for that elusive fish called Kokanee (sometimes called “Silvers”). Fishing for these tasty treats during this time of year can be daunting, frustrating, and all out confusing. It’s kind of like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time; more so during this time of year.
Kokanee are a fish that usually school up during the May-June time frame. They mainly feed on Mysis Shrimp, which is a type of zoo plankton that can be found in some (not all) lakes. During this time of year however, the fish aren’t schooled up, which throws out a new set of challenges all together. Although the basics of Kokanee fishing are primarily the same, there can be very subtle changes that may increase your chances of putting more fish in the boat.
During these early months of Kokanee fishing, these fish can usually be found deeper than you would normally fish for. The key to any type of fishing is to find the fish first, then fish. However, there may be days that you won’t ever mark a fish on your fish finder and still catch fish. Depending on where you are typically, the water temperature in a lake is on average of 38 degrees, so dress warm. You can still use the “go to” bait of Shoe Peg corn, but mix it with a variety of different scents. What may work one day, may not necessarily work the next day. At the last Sportsmen’s Show that I went to, a gentleman told me that he used corn and salad shrimp for his bait. Hmmm, he may be on to something!
The night that I go fishing, I can’t sleep. I get too excited because no matter what type of fishing I’m doing; I’m fishing nonetheless. So I spend a lot of time in preparation of the next day. I’ll make sure that all of my Ardent Rods are rigged exactly how I want them, all my baits are well mixed and put in the fridge (something my girlfriend doesn’t like too much), all my tackle is well organized, the boat is plugged in with all the necessary equipment.
When I get on the water, I go to places that I’ve done well in the past or move slowly through the water in attempts to locate fish. Usually, rainbows or other fish can be found anywhere from the surface to around 50ft of water. Generally, the norm is that the Kokanee can be found starting around the 50ft mark and deeper. This may differ from the lake that you are fishing in, but as a general rule of thumb, Kokanee can usually be found deeper than trout. During peak times of schooled Kokes, they can be found at the surface, but as the day progresses, they usually move into deeper waters where the water is cooler.
Try fishing deeper during this time of year. Richy Harrod of The Northwest Outdoorsmen and I went fishing recently on Lake Chelan in central Washington and the majority of the Kokanee caught were at 125ft. I’ve heard however, that they have even been caught at 200ft or deeper! Sounds fishy? We trolled around for quite some time before we dropped our gear deeper, but the results of those rod tips dancing were very fast. We were using a Mack’s Lure Double D™ Dodger, with a hot pink glow Cha Cha® Kokanee Squidder, tipped with a couple kernels of corn on each hook.
The bottom line to fishing Kokanee this year is to be creative. Even though you have to do this during peak season, it especially holds true when you can only find one. But where there’s one, there’s usually more. This season of Kokanee fishing is going to be tremendous! Take your time and dress warm; it’ll make dinner taste that much better.
