Northwest Reel Life April 2024 Volume 3 Issue 7 - Flipbook - Page 12
Look at your rods and
make a point to verify that
the line guides are not
cracked or worn. You can
use a cotton swab and swirl
around in each guide. If the
guide catches any cotton
fibers the guide needs to
be replaced.
Because kokanee are
notoriously unpredictable,
kokanee fishing is kind of a
numbers game. Generally,
the boat with the most
tackle wins. Sure, there
are days where you can
go out and limit before
daybreak using one dodger
and a worn-out lure.
Unfortunately, those days
are a gift from the kokanee
gods. Most of the time you
must cycle through gear
and trolling patterns to get
it dialed in. On any given
kokanee trip, you should
have several pretied rigs
and attractors on hand and
ready to go.
Before you head out on the
lake with your collection
of kokanee gear give it a
good inspection. Look for
rusty dull hooks, frayed
lines, and missing or
broken components. Repair
and replace as required,
A couple of years ago, we
were fishing for kokanee
on Lake Washington. We
were pulling 8” flashers and
veteran home-tied double
hook kokanee flies.
One, being a tried-andtrue favorite, was frazzled
looking but I put it out
anyway. After a solid
takedown and an extended
acrobatic fight, the line
goes slack. What the heck?
On inspection, the trailing
hook was gone and much
of the body of the fly had
come unraveled. We only
got a glimpse of the fish,
but it was a huge chrome
bright kokanee. I owned
that one, I knew the fly was
on its last leg and shouldn’t
have used it. There’s peace
of mind in knowing that
your gear is in tip-top
condition.
As you prepare for the
2024 spring kokanee
fishery, review your gear
to ensure you have the
basics. Make sure that you
have an assortment of
small dodgers and swing
blade-type flashers. Carry
an assortment of small
spinners, spoons, wedding
rings, and flies. Other
gear will work but this is
your general kokanee kit.
It is also a good idea to
have a collection of lure
components available. Start
slow, a few spinner blades,
beads, and spinner clevises
and flies. If you’re a fly-tier,
you probably already have
the basics for any number
of kokanee flies.
Carry a separate Plano Box
as your lure-making kit.
My lure/spinner Box
allows me to tweak my
presentations. I might add
a couple of beads and
a second spinner blade,
make leader with a fly then
add spinner components.
The box has small spin
n glo floats, extra beads,
various kokanee flies,
wedding ring collars, some
kokanee bugs, and a few
other things to dress up
your lure.
Line size? With a few
exceptions, I tie my
