[Salmon King]

Hey guys....

I want to start fishing Kokanee. Trolling with and without using Downriggers.
What I currently have is a standard 8' 5-wt flyrod.
I was thinking a rod with a longer butt on it would sit better in the rod holder.
Also was thinking a 5-wt is too light....maybe a 7/8?

Looking for your thoughts please.

I have limited funds as I'm a disabled vet just looking to move beyond our sparse Salmon seasons.

Thank for reading...
Terry

 

[Smalma]

A 5 weight is not too light, in fact have rebuild a couple my older fly rods into kokanee rods. Replacing the fly rod corks with a more standard conventional gear handle.

Kokanee have pretty soft mouths and you want a soft action rod that bends well into the rod under stress. This provides the necessary give needed to reduce the lost of kokanee once hooked. I found a 7 1/2 or 8 foot 4 weight fly rod blank about right for kokanee with glass rods preferable over the stiffer graphite (though there are graphite blanks that are soft enough). If building rods is not your thing there rods that are designed for kokanee trolling that are more than adequate for $50 or so. Couple the rod with either a direct drive level wind reel or one with a smooth light drag and you are in business.

One word of warning kokanee fishing is addictive and there is no end of kokanee related gear to spend money on. Good electronics, downriggers, long handed nets, and no end to the numbers of dodgers and terminal gear that the fanatics collect.

Have fun!

Curt

 

[Eyejuggler]

One word of warning kokanee fishing is addictive and there is no end of kokanee related gear to spend money on. Good electronics, downriggers, long handed nets, and no end to the numbers of dodgers and terminal gear that the fanatics collect.

I just for kicks started following a Kokanee FB group ( Northwest Kokanee Addicts ), I had heard about them but really had no clue on how. Once I started seeing posts, it was all gear pics, flashers, hoochies, and wedding rings mixed up with huge fish harvests. Very odd indeed, but after awhile their obsession was infectious.

 

[Robert Engleheart]

Lots of Koke's here in CA Sierra reservoirs; they get big, or bigger than I remember them as a kid in Oregon where they typically were 10-14". Here 18-20" are common; a 25", 5-1/2 lb record was caught in Lake Tahoe in 2013. To me, it's pretty boring fishing, downriggers are the rule. I guess one could play some cribbage while trolling.

 

[Buzzy]

Robert - I can't tell from your photograph (you compressed it?!) but it looks like the fish is starting to change into spawning dress? Nice Koke!

@Salmon King - I have fished for kokanee in Lake Roosevelt quite a few times trolling "K-flies" with my fly rod strung with a full, fast sinking line. At times of the year, it has been very effective and we're coming up on that time of year. No downriggers, no flashers but I might have tipped the "trailing treble" with a maggot, piece of white corn or bit of night crawler from time to time. This isn't "fly fishing", this is meat fishing. I'd put a Roosevelt kokanee up against an ocean caught sockeye for table fare any time. They are absolutely delicious. As to my fly rod, I used to use a very early generation Sage (GFL 890-2) that I put together about 1980. It is quite soft. Couldn't put it in a rod holder back then (boat was too small anyway) but now Scotty makes fly rod holders so that would work. Good Luck! And thank you for your service.

 

[Robert Engleheart]

Robert - I can't tell from your photograph (you compressed it?!) but it looks like the fish is starting to change into spawning dress? Nice Koke!

I should have clarified, it's a copy of a picture of the 5.5# record fish I spoke of; yes, it does look like the kype is developing.

 

[mbowers]

Echo glass switch in a 3 weight could be sweet. http://echoflyfishing.com/project/echoglass2h

East Coast noodle rods would also be a fun option.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[Salmon King]

I ended up ordering a standard Kokanee trolling rod from Eagle Claw. But...I also bought a full sinking fly line that was on clearance for $9 to and loaded up one of my elcheapo shakespeare reels with it and 150' of 10# mono which I mounted on an 8' 5wt. rod.
The reel is more of a knuckle buster since the drag is about as worthless as you will find but it does keep the line from coming off while trolling. After all they are only a 14" trout size fish...how tough on an outfit could they be?‍♂

 

[hydrological]

used to love going up to Navajo dam during the snagging season just to watch all the drunken fistfights. usually plenty of tackle would get broken and someone would wind up with a big barbed hoffahauler stuck in their face. all for fish that were usually falling apart as they reeled them in. stick to the trolling !