ICE FISHING FOR KOKANEE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA BY DANNY COYNE | MACK’S LURE PRO STAFF that kokanee are the second-most sought after freshwater game fish in British Columbia.
One species of fish that continues to grow in popularity to target during the hard water season in British Columbia is kokanee. Kokanee are land-locked sockeye salmon that spend their entire life cycle in freshwater. They are schooling fish and once you located the active school, ice fishing for kokanee can turn into a fast-action, fun-filled day. With their reckless fight, poundfor-poiund, kokanee provide an angler with an exciting ice fishing experience like no other. Just like their ocean-going brothers, kokanee have deep red, oily flesh that make them superb table fare. Combine their delicious delicacy and amusement of catching them, and it’s no surprise
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Mack’s Lure Pro Staffer Danny Coyne runs BCFishn.com
Many anglers are still new to the concept of ice fishing for kokanee, as it’s relatively a new fishing experience that can now be experienced throughout the province. Kokanee are naturally distributed in lakes within B.C. and now, thanks to the Freshwater Fisheries Socieity of B.C., more lakes are being aggressively stocked with kokanee, providing even greater angling opportunities. The hard water season provides an exceptional time for anglers as, unlike the open water season, one doesn’t require a boat to reach these fish. Instead, ice fishing for kokanee provides an affordable family fishing experience that everyone can enjoy.
WITH THEIR RECKLESS FIGHT, POUND-FORPOUND, KOKANEE PROVIDE AN ANGLER WITH AN EXCITING ICE FISHING EXPERIENCE LIKE NO — DANNY COYNE OTHER.”
Fishing for kokanee is much different than fishing for trout. Kokanee can thrive in lakes that rainbow trout may not due to their distinctive diet, as kokanee don’t have to compete with other fish species. Instead of ice fishing in shallow water, you will typically be fishing in lake depths between 50-
to 100-feet. The reason for this is because kokanee primarily feed on Zooplankton, which are microscopic organisms that usually suspend within the mid-water column. It is important to note that Zooplankton are lightsensitive, which means the brighter days will drive them down deeper and the kokanee will follow. During ice-over, an angler will typically locate kokanee anywhere from 15- to 80-feet down. The use of sonar will help improve your odds immensely in locating the fish. The best types of sonars to use when ice fishing for kokanee are the flasher types, such as the Garmin Striker Series of sonars. They provide real time movement on the screen that allows you to drop your presentation right to the fish. If you do not have access to a fish finder, then start fishing at 10-feet and work your way down. When fishing with other anglers in your group, work as a team. Have one person start at 10-feet and the other at 15-feet, then progress deeper until you find the fish. Having a line counter on your reel will help recognize the depths in which you are fishing. If your reel doesn’t have a line counter, simply count out the amount of line in 1-foot pulls that you are using. When you discover the fish, you will want to repeat the same depth. A good tip is to add a threaded bobber stop every 20-feet
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on your fishing line so you can quickly mark how much line you let out. The schools of kokanee will cruise throughout the lake, but will tend to stay in areas that provide plenty of food. Even though there is ice cover, lakes still have current in them, which can push the Zooplankton to a specific end. Points and ledges that reach out into the lake can also provide good forage areas for kokanee, as the plankton will be pushed up against these zones. When approaching a new body of water, simply look around for other signs of anglers — the locals tend to find the best producing areas for kokanee and they don’t change much throughout the year. One of the great benefits of targeting kokanee during the hard water season is the extended season. Due to these fish residing in deeper areas of the lake, they don’t become as deprived of dissolved oxygen as other fish species. Later in the ice fishing season, such as midFebruary, the fish are not as lethargic and willing to strike a well-presented lure. The most productive way to catch kokanee through the ice is by jigging. These little critters are attracted to flash and lots of it! With this in mind, jigging techniques consists of using 4- to 6-inch attractors, such as the Mack’s Lure Sling Blade™. Run a 6-pound leader between 14- and 16-inches from the Sling Blade™ to your lure. Having a variety of colors of attractors will increase your odds immensely throughout the day. UV Pink, Silver, Glow and Gold or Copper Sling Blades™ tend to be the best-producing colors. The technique in which you want to jig is to jig up and down, slowly from between 6- to 20-inch pulls — just enough to get the flasher fluttering to attract these curious kokanee. When there are no fish around, make longer, swift jigs to get the attractor to reflect light to help attract the fish from afar. Once the school of kokanee move in, you’ll want to
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WATCHTHIS
DANNY COYNE OF BCFISHN.COM AND THE MACK’S LURE CREW FISH FOR KOKANEE THROUGH THE ICE IN B.C. ON AN EPISODE OF THE NORTHWEST OUTDOORSMEN.
shorten up the amount in which you are moving the lure. Not only will the flash bring in the fish, but also the attractor will tranfer erratic action to your lure that will encourage the kokanee to strike. The key is to always keep moving your presentation as kokanee will strike very subtly — it’s the constant jigging that will set the hook before you even know you have one on. The hook can consist of a plan hook or small jigs. Mack’s Lure’s Glo Hooks® in red and chartreuse, hands down, produce the best results. The added glow appearance aids the kokanee to key in on the lure and encourages them to strike. If you are using a regular hook, choosing colors such as chartreuse or red will sometimes help entice the bite. If the hook is tangling with the flasher, add a small split shot weight to the middle of the leader. Some anglers prefer to use small spoons or jigs, such as the Mack’s Lure Sonic BaitFish™ or the Hum Dinger® spoon. The small jigs and spoons provide that extra bit of action that invites the kokanee to strike. It is best to try multiple presentations until you find a pattern that is working. What i
is working one day doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to work the next day. No matter what lure you are using, it is best to tip the hook with some sort of bait. Popular baits that work great for kokanee include pink maggots (live or synthetic), krill, shrimp, or cured and dyed white shoepeg corn. Take your presentation to the next level by adding Pro-Cure scents such as Krill, Shrimp or Trout and Kokanee Magic, as it will attract fish from afar and get them to strike on the slowest days. It is possible to “still fish” for kokanee, which involved suspending bait with no movement. When using this method, scent and bait are a must or the fish will not strike. Be sure to hold the rod in your hand and not resort to a rod holder — you will need to set the hook the moment that kokanee bites. The use of bobbers is not recommended, as the bite is so light that it usually will not pull it down. The most effective way to identify bites is to hold the line between your fingers. Still fishing can be effective when the fish are somewhat less-active and not willing to chase your jigging presentation. The bait needs to be directly in front
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of the kokanee, as most of the time they won’t swim upwards to strike a suspended still presentation.
GARY’S FISHING CORNER
The fishing rod type isn’t as important as the presentation, however a softer rod will help you recognize the subtle strikes and land more kokanee, as they have soft mouths. A small, 5-foot casting rod or an ice fishing rod is adequate — it’s really up to you and what you have within your fishing arsenal. Since kokanee require high levels of oxygen, you will mainly find these land-locked salmon in midto large lakes around the province with kokanee and triploid kokanee. Triploid fish do not reproduce, which means triploid kokanee put all their energy into feeding and growing. It is not unheard of for triploid kokanee to sometimes reach over 3-pounds.
NOVEMBER TROUT IN NORCAL BY GARY MIRALLES
Often, I’m asked, ‘What are your favorite lakes to fish throughout different seasons?’ Of course, Shasta Lake often comes up as my favorite — I guess that’s why I lived there for 40 years of my life. That To name only a few popular lakes being said, I do also enjoy many other in British Columbia that have been great fisheries located throughout stocked with kokanee and offer Northern California. good ice fishing include: Monte Lake With November now upon us, Eagle and Stump Lake (Region 3); Moyie Lake is a great fishery for this time Lake and Monroe Lake (Region 3); of year. This 22,000 acre lake sits at Bridge Lake, Deka Lake, Chimney 5,000 feet of elevation and about Lake Timothy, 10 Mile Lake (Region 20 miles north os Susanville, Calif., 5); Alleyne Lake, Yellow Lake and in Lassen County. Eagle Lake is Otter Lake (Region 8). relatively shallow, reaching maybe 60-feet at its deepest point. The fish Kokanee are fragile fish compared hold in the south end of the lake in to rainbow trout. They require a wellthe summer months, but migrate balanced water system of numerous north into the shallow water bays contributing factors to survive. They when the colder temperatures set do not handle catch-and-release in. November is my favorite month to well and their mortality rate is high, fish this beautiful and peaceful lake. even when handled and relased with extra care and attention. Releasing I primarily fish north of the little the fish while still in the water is the town of Spalding in areas called best way to help their survival rate Halfmoon Bay, Bucks Bay, Troxel when not being selected for harvest. Bay and the North Basin during the The FFSBC does stock the lakes with kokanee as a put-and-take fishery, which means they are there for harvesting. It is good etiquette to limit fishing for kokanee to the casual appetite for table fare and not just to fill a freezer. It is always recommended to check the fishing regulations before heading out fishing, as many water bodies in B.C. have specific ice fishing regulations.
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fall months. The shoreline in most of these areas are covered with cattails or tules, which provide good cover for hungry trout as they feed on the abundant populations of tui chub, the primary food source on Eagle Lake.
used. The Cripplure™, Hum Dinger® and Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™ are the best lures for these areas, as you’re able to fish them right on, or just below, the surface. Typically, I will spread out four rods out the back: a 1/4 oz. Cripplure™ about 100-feet behind the boat, another Cripplure™ at 150-feet, a Hum Dinger® at 200-feet, and a Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™ with a small split shot 3-feet in front of the lure out the back. Another good setup is a set of Mack’s Lure Flash Lite® Trolls or Troll Lite® Flashers and a Wedding Ring® Classic spinner tipped with a nightcrawler. For best reults, I usually troll just off the edge of the tules. I have even stopped the boat just off the tules and casted a Cripplure™ into areas inside the vegetation with great success. The trout in this lake often weigh 2- to 4-pounds with an occasional catch over 6-pounds. My favorite Hum Dinger® and Cripplure™ colors to use on Eagle Lake include: Brass Crushed Fire, Brass Prism, Brass Red Prism, Brass Crushed Midnight, Red Gold Sand, and Black Gold Sand. When using the Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™, look for the pink or orange and pair with gold Flash Lite® Trolls or Troll Lite® Flasher. At such a high elevation, the weather is cold this time of year, so be prepared and always check road conditions. For current conditions and fishing reports on Eagle Lake, contact Mack’s Lure Pro Staffer Ed Fisk of Fish Tales Guide Service at 530-5597175. Best of luck throughout the month!
It’s important to keep in mind, however, that the water in these areas is no more than 12-feet deep, so top-lining is the only method
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STAN’S SPACE
SOME BITS ABOUT THE BASICS PART III BY HALL OF FAME ANGLER STAN FAGERSTROM The rarely get the attention they deserve. Wherever sport fishermen get together, you’re certain to hear them share thoughts about their rods and reels, as well as line, leaders, lures and hooks. So, what’s surprising about that? Nothing. It’s exactly what you’d expect. But something’s missing. Do you know what that “something” is? There are times in certain angling endeavors where this something will play an important role. It could determine whether you’ll come home smelling like fish or admit you’ve been skunked. The “something” I have in mind is the sinkers you’ll be using. And sinkers often might very well do much to determine your angling success. Sinker selection often doesn’t get the attention it deserves among both lake and stream fishermen. I touched on that subject in my previous column. No discussion of the angling basics could be complete without it. This time around, let’s take an even closer look at the importance of picking the right weight. We’ll also look at some of the best ways to go about it. Successful angling for those seagoing rainbow so commonly found in the waters of the Pacific Northwest provide on excellent example of
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what I’m talking about. One of the most popular forms of fishing for these steelhead is called “drift fishing.” As the name implies, drift fishing is done by casting your bait or lure slightly upstream and letting it drift down with the current. Steelhead usually won’t move far to pick up either a bait of lure. Now and then, one will surge up to grab something, but most of the time you’ve got to get whatever you’re using right down in front of their noses to get action. Even then, the bite might be so soft and easy that it’s difficult to detect. Let’s say you’re throwing a Mack’s Lure Wedding Ring® spinner for summer steelhead in one or another of the half of a dozen Southwest Washington Rivers. The Wolitz, Kalama, both North and East Forks of the Lewis and a number of other rivers in that area have annual runs of these tremendously hard fighting fish. Note that I said “summer” steelhead. Years ago, I spent considerable time fishing for these battlers on all of the rivers I’ve named. These spring and summer fish, unlike the winter run species, are nowhere near spawning. All the strength and energy they’ll need to survive in the rivers to which they’ve returned to spawning time is packed into their sleek and silvery bodies. Get a hook into one and you’ll immediately discover what I’m talking about. I’ve seen these crazy battlers do things a number of times that were so wild, I found it hard to believe my eyes weren’t deceiving me. Perhaps you’ve studied steelhead drift fishing enough to know that you’ve got to keep your lure moving right along the bottom as naturally as possible to be consistently successful. Be assured this just isn’t going to happen unless you’ve got the right amount of weight to get that job done properly.
Here’s a dandy way to go about it. Attach a barrel swivel to the end of you main line. Your Wedding Ring® came assembled on a leader. Determine what length of leader you want to use. That determination is best made by eyeballing water clarity. Sometimes, I’ve found a relatively short leader of 12-inches or so worked better than the 18-inches I usually start with. once you’ve determined the leader length you prefer, tie the end of the Wedding Ring® leader into the front eye of that barrel swivel you’ve already attached to the end of your main line. The next step is to take a 4- or 5-inch piece of lightweight mono and tie it into the front eye of that barrel swivel you’ve already attached to the top end of your leader. This short length of mono will simply serve as a sinker drop line.
You’ll need to decide what type of sinker you want to your sinker drop line. One method is to employ sections of tubular lead. Just slide the end of the sinker drop line through a piece of this tubular lead and use your pliers to lightly crimp the upper end of the tube to the drop line. It’s often wise to start with a piece of this tubular lead that might be a tad heavier than you’ll think might be needed. Make a cast or two to see if it’s the right weight to get what you’re after in the way of lure presentation. If it’s too heavy, simply use your side cutter pliers to snip a small piece off the end of the tube. Continue to do this, if necessary.
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If you prefer, you can also use split shot on your sinker drop line. Simply crimp split shot in place on the sinker drop line with a pair of pliers. Make a cast or two to determine the result and then remove or add split shot as required for a good drift. This setup provides a number of advantages. For starters, that sinker drop line with its weight attached serves as a keel of sorts to prevent line twist. It also makes it really easy to change sinker sizes. Whatever the type of lead you use, don’t crimp it into play on the sinker drop line too tightly. Fish right along the bottom as is necessary for consistent steelhead angling success and you’re a cinch to have your weight hang up from time to time. If you don’t have the sinker crimped too tightly, it’s possible to pull the weight right off the sinker drop line when hangups do occur. This will let you avoid losing your entire rigging. It’s always a good idea to pre-rig as much of your tackle as you can. Use of both snaps and barrel swivels provides a time-saving advantage when you want to change lures. You can switch from lures to natural baits with minimum downtime. Like the sinker drop line, the swivels also cut down on line twist. Certainly, there are other methods for sinker rigging, but the one I’ve detailed is a dandy. I put a bunch of steelhead on the bank with it when I lived in the Evergreen State. It will work just as well for you today as it did for me then. Casting from a boat on a lake for other species of fish is a different matter than stream fishing. As with most kinds of angling, there are a number of ways to go about it. In my next column, I’ll share the details on a procedure that over the years, has worked especially well for me.
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SONIC BAITFISH™ (SBF)
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
LOW BAROMETRIC PRESSURE & ITS AFFECT ON FISH ACTIVITY BY CAPT. PETE ROSKO For many years, I have discussed and have written about the influencing affects of barometric pressure. It was mainly a low barometer that mostly concerned me because of the poor results it produced. Basically, why did fish stop biting during these periods and what were they feeling? Sure wished I could feel what those fish felt to better-prepare me for those down days. There are certain things in life when certain things should not be wished for. Mid-October was one of those times. It was the worst hurricane in history to ever hit the Florida Panhandle, my winter home away from Port Angeles, WA. Hurricane Michael came in mean and nasty and did not leave much standing after departing for Georgia and still powerful as a category 2. It set the lowest barometric pressure reading on record at 918 millibars when it first slammed into Mexico Beach then Panama City. I was on the west side of this storm and away from the more serious life threatening portion of it in Niceville, three miles due north of Destin on the beach. That’s when it happened!
At least in my mind, I finally was experiencing what I thought fish were experiencing when barometers bottom out. I could barely move. Even though I slept soundly the night before, I was lethargic the following morning and felt that I could sleep all day the next two days. I was not alone as my wife, and neighbors, all felt the same. We had no energy and no appetite. Only after the barometer sufficiently rose did our energy return. Time will tell if this is truly how low barometers affect both fish and humans. Tune in next year, about the same time, for a possible visit from Michael’s brother or sister. What would be the second-worse condition to fish in? I would say a dead salt water tide. However, I was still able to catch fish under these difficult conditions when live and dead natural bait were unsuccessful. The trick was to dramatically downsize your presentation. More specifically, switch to the smallest Sonic BaitFish to reach your target. This is best done when your boat is anchored. The downward flutter of your Sonic BaitFish triggers strikes that natural bait seldom produces in a dead tide. In the Gulf of Mexico, this technique consistently out-fished any other technique! Glow chartreuse was very effective especially for yellowtail snapper. Do not over-work your jig during these slack tide periods. At times, sweetening your jig with a small piece of squid, or shrimp, will increase your strikes. Another favorite snapper finish is firetiger. These are just two examples. The Sonic BaitFish is deadly-effective for just about any species in the Gulf of Mexico. Just don’t get in the way of a hurricane. Thank you for subscribing to the Mack Attack! Hope to “see you” again in the December issue. Happy Thanksgiving to all...Pete
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QUESTION
HOT DEAL OF THE MONTH
OF THE MONTH Have a question? We’d love to answer it for you! Shoot us an email at media@ mackslure.com with your question and you may see it featured in an upcoming issue of the Mack Attack Magazine!
Q: I’m looking to get out on the water for some fall walleye. What gear do you recommend this time of year? A: This tie of the year is a really good time to be out walleye fishing, as they’re going to gon the “bite” very soon. It’s starting to get cold and a lot of the plankton and weed growth is starting to die off, which is where all of your food base is.
PHOTO OF THE MONTH Casey Cooper, owner of Free Drifter Flies, shows off the new Scent Flash™ UV Triangle Flasher, which will be available in stores on online this month! Nice fish, Casey!
Thus, the food base will start moving to other cover and spreading out rather than being kegged up in the weeds. The walleye will still be around these weed lines, but will be moving much more than usual while also being more aggressive, eating anything they can find. Therefore, we would recommend trolling any of our larger profile products, such as the Double Whammy® Walleye, Smile Blade® Super Slow Death Rig and Wally Pop® Crawler. The larger the profile, the better this time of year.
CREDIT: CASEY COOPER // FREE DRIFTER FLIES
VIDEO OF THE MONTH
Harrod Outdoors’ The Northwest Outdoorsmen headed to the Cariboo to target kokanee on the hard stuff with Lone Butte Sporting Goods & the Mack’s Lure team.
You can also try to throw a Sonic BaitFish™ at the edges of the weed lines once you’ve found the fish and vertically jig. Best of luck! Follow Mack’s Lure on Facebook and Instagram and tag us with #MacksLure. Facebook.com/MacksLure @macks_lure To submit your catch, send us an email at media@mackslure.com or tag us on social media using #MacksLure.
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