TimothyMichaels Loc: Seattle WA

Great answers to take into consideration. Do you guys agree that a hot pink type lure would work best or is there another color?

Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

I haven't been able to find a way to mount a down-rigger on my kayak without it interfering with my paddling, so here's what I do instead.

For depths down to 50', I use a 3 lb ball attached to light cord. I use the solid braided cord that they sell at U-Haul. I suspect that Paracord wouldn't hold the rigger clips without them sliding. Other than having to freehand retrieve, I fish it just like a down-rigger and adjust the depth using my fish finder. Since most of the time I've only got to haul in 25-30 ft, it isn't heavy and don't haul it in much, I don't mind doing it by hand. I often double stack on the down-rigger with the lower line centered in the middle of the fish and the upper a couple of feet above them.

BTW - I use this setup when I'm picking up a lot of weeds -- let them collect on the down-rigger cord instead of sliding down to my dodger.

For depths over 50', I use a diving plane (e.g. Deptsy Driver) and let out 1.4' of line for every foot of depth. Since the divers need to be let out slowly, I count the (back) turns on my reel.

On each of my reels I wrote the number of turns per 10 ft of line (pulled 100' of line down the sidewalk, counted the cranks to retrieve then divided by 10).

Alternatively, you can buy 'countdown' line -- changes color every 5 ft. The last time I bought it, I only replaced the outer 150 ft on all of my reels.

For Kokanee, my go to is a pink mini houchie baited with corn 24" behind a 5" dodger. (I added a little extra bend to both ends of the dodger to get it to wiggle well at slow speed)

Hope this helps!
PapaD

TimothyMichaels Loc: Seattle WA

Thanks Papa D. In fact I am going towards using a Kayak for my main fishing. If it works out I should be able to fish many more waters here is Washington State. They a big on "no gas motors allowed" I some years back obtained an older fiberglass K2 that I am in the process of modifying. It will allow me to sit up and stand as well as sit down in the boat for faster traversing. I've pontoons set out so it has a 55" beam when expanded and collapsible to sister against the stern of the hull. This is an old style Kayak, 17' in length.
So if I'm reading you correctly you simply have a cable down to a weight with some sort of quick release clip on it and probably a rod holder?

Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

Your rig sounds cool -- post a picture.

Here's a picture of my down rigger setup.

I greatly prefer the Canon brand clips (clipped to the cord in the picture) because of how precisely the tension can be adjusted. Canons have dial--the others just have a click-as-you-squeeze (unclipped one). Also go for a longer cable on the clip -- the longer length helps you to notice when you have a fish on that didn't pop the line out of the clip.

I have my rod holders set up so that I can swing both to the same side when I'm using the down rigger. Unless I have a fish on, the rods are in the holder.

The brass trigger snap on the end gets attached in case I accidentally lose my grip on the cord. I use a chain knot to keep the excess tidy. After I get the lines down to depth, the cord gets a quick wrap on a cleat.

The weight on this setup is only 1-1/2 lbs since it's what I use for halibut in the SF Bay (15-20' max depth).

The coiled tie down rope is included so that you know what it looks like at the U-Haul counter.

The trickiest part is lowering double stacked rigs without getting them tangled. I set up and lower the bottom rig about 5 ft then set up the second. Then I get the kayak moving briskly, set the reels to free spool and lower to fishing depth. I adjust the line tension tension as soon as I get the kayak moving again. If you're not double stacking, you can just let the single drop. You'll want want to adjust your tension so that you have a light bend (the tip will pop up if the clip releases or bounce if it doesn't).

I've been kayak fishing (ocean/Bay/lake/Delta) for almost 50 years so if you have any other questions about kayak fishing, feel free to PM me.

Here's a really good YouTube on using a down rigger for Kokanee (he has an electric trolling motor so he can use a standard crank) -- good channel to subscribe to:

https://youtu.be/J9AtczGSSNY


PapaD

vic52 Loc: Spokane WA

North of Spokane we have a few koke lakes. Trolling with a small dodger and worm/white corn combo can do well. If you can find the depth that helps. Also one of the lakes, Loon, has what is known as the sockeye hole and still fishing at night works. Tender mouths so be careful setting the hook, I've lost quite a few over the years with too hard a set. Tight lines.

Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

When trolling, my grandfather used to say "let the pole holder set the hook".

I've heard various explanations, but the one that I think is most credible has to do with timing. Namely, if you set the hook when the fish 1st strikes, the hook only has the lips and tongue to catch (since the fish is inline with the leader) -- if you wait for the fish to turn, you'll hook it in the tougher cheek.

I never argued with my grandfather then and not about to start now!
PapaD

Raymond Vipperman Loc: Republic, WA

You should be able to locate a school of kokanee with the fish finder, then anchor there over them and handline for them with shoepeg corn or night rawlers. A rubber snubber helps as they are soft mouth. I use line that is a differrent color every 10 feet so you know the depth to match what the fish finder tells you.

Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

You may also want to try jigging a P-line Laser Minnow. I've used them for salmon with success when the sharks wouldn't quit stealing my bait fish. Should work for Kokanee.

Give it a slight bend in order to get improved flutter. See:

https://www.fishingstage.com/t-62439-1.html

Also cut one of the prongs off the treble hook. See:

https://www.fishingstage.com/t-61387-1.html

Gary B123 Loc: Washington

Hi Tim,
My wife and I had great success on kokanee using Buzz Bombs, and just jigging them. The bite was usually when the lure was fluttering back down. We had no counters, fish finder, our anything. The fish were about 20' down, and we just guessed-imated by doling out line 1-1.5' at a time by hand. It was great fun. (With a fish finder it would be much easier).

Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

I finally found an article that I read a while back on Kokanee fishing.

Here's an excerpt that explains why I use corn kernels on my lures...

"In a curious rigging twist, nearly all serious kokanee anglers tip the hooks of their lures with kernels of shoepeg corn, marinated in a range of available scents, such as Pro-Cure Kokanee Special, a blend of herring oil, sweet corn scent, and pure anise oil, or Atlas Mike’s Lunker Lotion Kokanee. Tackle companies have recently developed cured or artificial corn alternatives, such as Pautzke’s Fire Corn and Berkley Gulp Corn. While kokanee don’t view lures as food, the addition of scent and texture enhances the illusion of something alive."

The rest of the article is pretty good/comprehensive.

Full article here:
https://www.sportfishingmag.com/howto/how-to-catch-kokanee-salmon/

woodguru Loc: El Dorado Ca

For accurately putting your lure down "on their nose", look at and measure the distance from the reel to the first eye, lighten your drag and pull off a number such as 1 foot, foot and a half, or two feet if that distance is there, pull your calibrated distance and count how many pulls you need to be at the distance you want. It's pretty easy to get it pretty accurately where you want it.

Look up some Kokanee jigging videos on you tube, there are several guys including professional guides that show what lures they are using and how to do it. If you can find the schools of fish you should be able to do it. The jigs I have are smaller like 2 inches or so, and typically they are in oranges, pinks, and metallic combos. Many have remarked that while color can seem to make some difference, they can get a reaction bite with different colors, that said orange or pink seems to be hot.

woodguru Loc: El Dorado Ca

I used to use snubbers, but found with limber long Kokanee specialty rods that are 6.5'/7.5' the rod does a really good job of flexing. I found some I really like on Amazon, Daiwa rods that are only $55 or so, I have two that are either 6.5' or 7' and two that are 7.5'...and the Daiwa Lexa LC-100 line counter reels are super nice. Seems like every time we've caught Kokanee on stiffer rods we lose fish, so snubbers would help with that.

Flyrod1000 Loc: Gulfport ms

Fish a small inexpensive level wind with 10# lite colored braid. Permanent marker every five feet. Use a rubber bobber stop and sliding corky. Check reel prices, anazon, aliexpress and temu. Dot coms

Flyrod1000 Loc: Gulfport ms

Get an inexpensive level wind at Amazon, aliexpress or temu. Around $10. 10# lite colored braid. Permanent marker every 5 feet. Rubber sliding bobber stops and a drilled out sliding 1 inch corky. Try 1/8th or smaller marabou jigs.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

This is an incredible reply. I just want to add that I usually find fish at 10 to 20 feet trolling at .8 to 1.2 mph. I am not a dedicated kokanee fisherman, but usually catch my fair share. When I ask others who are fishing, I get responses from 10 to 60 feet or 80 feet. If I see fish jumping then they must be willing to move from between the deeper depth to the surface. Like I said, I am no pro at kokanee. What I do know is that the faster I go over 1.2 mph the more cutthroat and rainbows I start catching.
I have electric downriggers on my boat, but no longer use them. It's to much work for fish that run from 8 to 14 inches in my area. It is just to much work for this old man. I run two colors of lead core with 75 feet of floro on one rod and the weight clip on system shown in the earlier photo with the chart on my second rod. (exception: I use a small chain swivel rather than a single barrel swivel). I usually use a 9 inch leader to the lure behind a 4 inch dodger. I will now use the chart provided to experiment with depth as well. The pink hoochy works well, but I usually do better with the orange "gods tooth". Note: If my simple method does not work, then I target smallmouth in the two lakes I usually fish, Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish. Like I said,so far, if anyone is catching more than a fish or two, then my simple approach seems to hold its own or out fish the complicate rigs.
I forgot to mention that I use a 6.6 foot rod and an 8 foot rod, both extra fast tips when fishing both off the same side of the boat, the 6.6 carried nearly parallel to the boat and the 8 foot 90 degrees to the boat. Prevents tangles.