Any tips for kokanee fishing?

TheCrazyFarmer
TheCrazyFarmer
I am going out to Foster Lake on the 11th, and I thought I'd try fishing for Kokanee. I haven't ever tried to fish for them before, and I mostly fish for cats.

I have looked on YouTube, but most people are trolling, and I just have a 10' aluminum rowboat so I don't think I have the setup to learn to fish that way.

I heard rooster tails work?

If anyone has tips for me, I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
C_Run
C_Run
I'm pretty sure Foster doesn't have any kokanee but if you go up to Green Peter, you will find them there. If you can't troll, then jig. Use any jig like a Nordic, Gibbs , or Buzz bomb. Some people put corn on the hook. Good luck.
 
TheCrazyFarmer
TheCrazyFarmer
C_Run said:
I'm pretty sure Foster doesn't have any kokanee but if you go up to Green Peter, you will find them there. If you can't troll, then jig. Use any jig like a Nordic, Gibbs , or Buzz bomb. Some people put corn on the hook. Good luck.
Online it says they have Kokanee at Foster.
 
troutdude
troutdude
Foster gets a few that trickle down from Green Peter. But GP is the place to go for them. It's LOADED with Kokes. Foster is a trout show at this time of the year. Target the 'bows in the Santiam where it comes into Foster, from GP. At this time of the year.

Jigging is a good idea. But you really need an electronic fish finder, to locate the schools. They are constantly on the move. So you need to be able to find them.
 
Bake
Bake
The "Hot Setup" down here is a Mack's lure "Wedding Ring Spinner", dressed with white shoe canned corn. 2-3 1/2 foot leader, a swivel, and 1/4 oz. egg sinker. Sometimes they add a set of "Ford Fenders". This rig will be trolled just fast enough to turn the blade (s)...

Of course living down here in California's "God Dam Desert" I don't get many chances, but for fun I might try using a level sinking line (LW7-8S3) on a 9 foot fly rod, with just the Wedding Ring with the corn. Again trolling as slow as possible...

First few times I went, I used a 10 foot Jon Boat, with an electric trolling motor mounted on the front end. My point being is "Screw it" go have fun...
 
Last edited:
C_Run
C_Run
If you can row 1.5 mph, then you can troll for kokes out of your boat. I use a kayak and it works fine. You might try a small dodger with any number of hootchie-style kokanee lures that are out there. Add a banana sinker above the dodger and you are in the zone during the colder months of the year. I have only fished GP from March through May with that setup. After that, the water warms up and they go deep and then you need a downrigger or jig.
 
  • Like
Reactions: troutdude
rogerdodger
rogerdodger
My feeling is that you are probably too late for Kokes this year, this is spawning time up the inlet streams...March to October would be when I would consider targeting them...
 
  • Like
Reactions: troutdude
TheCrazyFarmer
TheCrazyFarmer
Alright, thanks for all the replies! I think I'll just wait till next year to try and learn to catch Kokanee.

since I won't be targeting Kokanee right now, what are the best lakes/ponds to catch big bullheads or channels?

Thanks again!
 
troutdude
troutdude
C_Run said:
If you can row 1.5 mph, then you can troll for kokes out of your boat. I use a kayak and it works fine. You might try a small dodger with any number of hootchie-style kokanee lures that are out there. Add a banana sinker above the dodger and you are in the zone during the colder months of the year. I have only fished GP from March through May with that setup. After that, the water warms up and they go deep and then you need a downrigger or jig.

DING DING DING! I was thinking about that after I posted earlier. @C_Run is spot on.

LOTS of fish are caught that way. And there's trout in GP too, which are much nicer than in Foster. You might even get an accidental catch of a Chinokanee too...so I don't use anything less than 8 lb. mono, for my main line. Those fish can be 10 lbs. or larger.
 
troutdude
troutdude
rogerdodger said:
My feeling is that you are probably too late for Kokes this year, this is spawning time up the inlet streams...March to October would be when I would consider targeting them...

DITTO
 
troutdude
troutdude
TheCrazyFarmer said:
Alright, thanks for all the replies! I think I'll just wait till next year to try and learn to catch Kokanee. since I won't be targeting Kokanee right now, what are the best lakes/ponds to catch big bullheads or channels? Thanks again!

Don't think you'll find any lakes with Channel Cats. Those seem to be river fish. As for bullheads; there aren't any inland lakes that I can think of. But many coastal lakes have them.
 
TheCrazyFarmer
TheCrazyFarmer
I hear there are BIG bullheads in Hagg Lake? Anyone caught any there?
 
P
pinstriper
I caught a catfish at Hagg from my kayak a few years ago. Don't know enough about them to know what kind.

This was on a carolina rig and scented marshmallows.
 

Similar threads

N
Replies
19
Views
2K
scched
scched
troutdude
Replies
3
Views
581
bass
bass
D
Replies
2
Views
1K
troutdude
troutdude
bass
Replies
3
Views
862
bass
bass
bass
Replies
3
Views
852
Fummus
Fummus
Top Bottom