2013-2016 Idaho Kokanee Fishing Reports Quick Links

[Tetep]

Thanks for advice fellas. .. I do appreciate it... just got 2 Cannon uni DR'S ... thinking of going up Tuesday or Wednesday. ..

[pthept]

When fishing hoochies and dodgers at LP, what is the optimal leader length behind the dodger. I've been 12 to 15 inches and I must be too far back because others report better catch rates with dodgers than I? Opinions?

[JTM]

When fishing hoochies and dodgers at LP, what is the optimal leader length behind the dodger. I've been 12 to 15 inches and I must be too far back because others report better catch rates with dodgers than I? Opinions?

It depends on the size of your dodger, Most people will run 2 1/2 times dodger length for there leader. It also depends on what your running for a Hoochie is it just a Hoochie or is it a wiggle Hoochie? For a wiggle you want to lengthen for a regular you want to shorten.

[SuperD]

Most people will run 2 1/2 times dodger length for there leader.

Popular published advice. However, 8" - 9" is my most productive length with either the 4.25 or 5.5 inch dodger on any Koke lake I've fished.

[DeltaDude]

When fishing hoochies and dodgers at LP, what is the optimal leader length behind the dodger. I've been 12 to 15 inches and I must be too far back because others report better catch rates with dodgers than I? Opinions?

Just going to post something that someone at cabelas printed out for me.
"When using downriggers, some sort of dodger is always used. If the lure has no action at all such as a hoochie or a spinner, always use an 8-inch leader of 15 pound monofilament so the action of the dodger imparts more directly to the lure. If the lure has an action of its own like an apex, or a wiggle hoochie, use a 24 inch leader from the dodger, for spoons use a 20 inch leader."

[nepetbutler]

8"& bend slingblade a little. Nailed sum Kokes on Orange, pink hoochies long lining & d/r 20' down. Will b cooking sausage @7 on my crestliner boat

[DRM]

When im hooking up a dodger and hoochie combo, I will set the trolling speed, stick the rod tip down into the water and see just how much action the hoochie has. not enough, bend the dodger or shorten the leader until I get the action I like. how much action ?? I will start out with the hoochie moving at least about 2 inches side to side.
Just my two cents.

[nepetbutler]

Big Kokes near Macks creek point hitting my pink squids tipped wth Firecorn 100' longline

[callelk]

Went from 6-10 this am, Pipeline to Charcoal and picked up 2 little ones and a half dozen pikeminnows at 25-30'. Lot of fished graphed at Charcoal by the rock face in 80' of water.

[DRM]

Thinking of heading to Anderson tomorrow. I heard that the kok's are starting to turn ?? fact or fiction. Anyone......

[bayhorse]

Fact! our last 2 trips 17 days and then ten days past ,they where turning pink and the good news is there mouths are beginning to harden so our last trip the landing rate was like 90%. Good luck get them while they last!

[armyducker]

I caught a bunch on july 6th and there backs were just darker blue, meat was fine, not sure what you mean by turning pink, not sure how to post pics on here

[DRM]

well did not make it to Anderson, drove to Mt. Home and seen the lighting and black rain clouds over in the area, turned around and went to LP.
even the LP fish are starting to turn.

[DeltaDude]

Went out yesterday, caught one, 25" down.
Tried the pink hoochie behind a dodger, no luck, switched it out for a chartreuse dodger and wedding ring, got one soon after. Winds and sun came out so I picked up and left.


Long line got 1 bite, but was a soft one.

Going out tomorrow.

[bayhorse]

What I meant by turning is the fact that as I scaled them there is a slight pink tone to the skin.
Yes the fillets are nice and firm and should be for some time yet.
And I also have not mastered posting pics.
Good luck!

[galaxy51]

I fished three days, 6th, 7th, and 8th with a friend and we landed 75 nice fat Koks.
Color change hasn't gotten really noticeable yet.
The flesh is in great shape too.
There was an afternoon rainstorm every day that forced us off the water but was still an enjoyable trip.

[armyducker]

Galaxy what depth were u fishing?

[meinidaho]

We were there the 6th and had to go to 54 feet deep then caught several nice ones.

[JKToons]

Fished this morning 5:30 to 11teaching a freind to "kokanee". Had a decent morning puting 10 in the live well, relesed 5 under 10" and had 10 to 12 hookups that came off. We tried spinners and hoochie behind dodgers, but end up switching everything to dodgers and hoochies. Hoochie colors were pink and orange/yellow fished on the DR's at 20 and 30 FOW and 5 colors on the lead core.

[snowman]

Went out Wednesday. Fished from about 7 til 10. Only put 2 in the boat, about 15 or 16 inches. One on red net wing Arrow flasher with a red blade Kokabow and lost another really nice one. The second was on a green net wing Arrow with a green hoochie. Red corn on both. Fishing at about 20 feet about a half mile above spring shores.

[hooked]

Hit Anderson today (Sun) from 3:30-6:30 pm and landed 9 kokanee. Since I was solo, managing two downriggers, and netting my own I thought it was a good trip. Lost about 3 I couldn't get to quick enough. All were at depths of 72-80 ft. The first hour I fished 35-50 ft (was marking fish) without so much as a tap. The fish now have a pinkish hue on the outside, and some are starting to develop a hook in their mouths. Meat on the inside is still a nice dark salmon color. Males were 15-16" and females were 16-17 1/2". Chrome dodgers with pink hoochies and kokanee killers were the ticket. Nothing on wedding rings today.

[armyducker]

Hit Anderson today (Sun) from 3:30-6:30 pm and landed 9 kokanee. Since I was solo, managing two downriggers, and netting my own I thought it was a good trip. Lost about 3 I couldn't get to quick enough. All were at depths of 72-80 ft. The first hour I fished 35-50 ft (was marking fish) without so much as a tap. The fish now have a pinkish hue on the outside, and some are starting to develop a hook in their mouths. Meat on the inside is still a nice dark salmon color. Males were 15-16" and females were 16-17 1/2". Chrome dodgers with pink hoochies and kokanee killers were the ticket. Nothing on wedding rings today.

Sound like nice fish, I'm probably going to camp at Anderson, Tuesday-Fri. Probably buy a down rigger before going up, I've been using trolling stinkers, but 80' would mean a lot of line out. Been needing to get one anyhow. Any tips from anyone for fishing this deep? Dodgers/flashers? Small pop gear maybe? Any tips would be great. Ill probably start fishing near the power lines and then head towards pine, until I find fish.

[sawtooth]

Armyducker,
When trolling that deep, I use a larger dodger (5-6 inch), then when near the surface (3-4 inch). Or use downrigger trolls. Also get a heavier 10 to 15lb. downrigger ball when you buy your downrigger. This will help keep the downrigger line under the boat and help make turning easier.

[armyducker]

Armyducker,
When trolling that deep, I use a larger dodger (5-6 inch), then when near the surface (3-4 inch). Or use downrigger trolls. Also get a heavier 10 to 15lb. downrigger ball when you buy your downrigger. This will help keep the downrigger line under the boat and help make turning easier.

Great advice sawtooth. This will be my 1st down rigger. This was my 1st kokanee season and I've tried everything, did well on all techniques. Now that they are 50+ seems I've got to use a down rigger now. Do you think they may come up at sunrise for a bit?

[hooked]

Sound like nice fish, I'm probably going to camp at Anderson, Tuesday-Fri. Probably buy a down rigger before going up, I've been using trolling stinkers, but 80' would mean a lot of line out. Been needing to get one anyhow. Any tips from anyone for fishing this deep? Dodgers/flashers? Small pop gear maybe? Any tips would be great. Ill probably start fishing near the power lines and then head towards pine, until I find fish.

If you can afford electric cranks on a DR, it'll save some effort. I was cranking a heavy ball up from 80 feet a lot yesterday, and it's a workout. I hang some bling off the balls, yesterday had a gang troll on one and a big chrome flasher on the other, and did well wth setbacks of 20-30 ft.

At dawn the fish may be shallower. When I started yesterday it was overcast with a breeze and the first hits I could get were at 65+, then when the wind stopped and the sun came out they dropped to 80. Later when the next thunderstorm approached, blocked the sun, and kicked up some chop the fish came back up to 72-75. If I fished at dawn I'd start by trolling 30ish then keep working down in 5 ft depths until they start hitting (easier with 2 DRs, start at 30 and 35, and every 10 minutes drop one down 10 ft). The flashers that worked for me were Luhr Jensen's, dimpled chrome, 5 and 8 inches, mild action. Late in the day a pink kokanee killer really lit their fire. If I didn't get forced off the lake from a nasty thunderstorm I could have kept cranking them in as fast as I could reset, reel, net, and repeat.

When things were quiet enough I also ran a planer board 70 back and 50 out, with an ounce of lead on thin braid line and red wedding ring, but no hits.