Still Fishing Tactics for Kokanee
By Brian Chan, Freshwater Fisheries Society
Kokanee (landlocked sockeye salmon) possess all the attributes of a great sport fish. Because they school, the action can be fast and furious once you’ve found them – whether through the ice in winter, or during seasons with open water. And kokanee are excellent eating. Depending on the lake, kokanee can attain weights in excess of 1.35 kg (three lbs), but the average size is between 0.35 and 0.7 kg (0.75 and 1.5 lbs). The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC stocks kokanee into 35 lakes around the province, and there are also populations of wild fish in many lakes.
The most popular way to fish for kokanee is to troll, either with leadcore line or downriggers. When you’re selecting lures and baits, keep in mind that kokanee love pink. Use attractors like small willow leaf gang trolls, dodgers, or flashers in front of lures like Wedding Band spinners, high-action Apex Kokanee Killers, Dick Nite spoons, or hooks baited with maggots, earthworms, or pink-dyed corn. Trolling lets you cover a lot of water to intercept schools of kokanee.
Another effective method to catch these fish is still fishing with bait. Try this either from an anchored boat, or a slowly drifting boat when there’s no wind. Kokanee often feed at very precise depths. Locating schools, and the depths at which they are feeding, is simplified by the use of a depth sounder.
Still fishing setups are very simple. An ultra-light spinning rod-and-reel combo, rated for four- to eight-pound test line, is ideal for playing and landing these hard-fighting fish. Terminal gear consists of a small egg or split shot sinker, a barrel swivel, and a #10 single barbless bait hook.
Slide a 1/8-ounce egg sinker, or pinch a couple of larger split shot onto your mainline, and then tie on your swivel. Below the swivel, add a leader of 60 to 90 cm (24 to 30 inches). Effective baits are krill, corn, maggots, cocktail shrimp, or mealworms – all dyed pink. The baited rig is simply lowered over the side, and fished at the depth where the sounder is showing fish.
To better detect strikes or nibbles, and to fish farther away from the boat, you can also use a slip float or bobber. The slip float lets you cast the rig out easily. Thread a small rubber bobber-stopper onto your main line, then the slip float, before tying on the swivel with the terminal gear. The slip float or bobber, as the name suggests, can travel freely up and down the main line, but will stop at the bobber-stopper. Adjust the location of the bobber-stopper to set the depth at which you want to fish.
Still fishing works best in less than about 20 metres (60 feet) of water. It is also a very effective way to catch species like rainbow trout, brook trout, and whitefish. Some lakes where you might try this technique include Kawkawa, near Hope; Deka, Bridge, Sulphurous, and Ruth near 100 Mile House; Monte, near Kamloops; Yellow, near Penticton; and Eena, near Prince George.
Still fishing is a pleasant way to get out fishing and have some quiet time on the water. Catching tasty kokanee and other game fish is a bonus!
Originally published here.