June 2017 | Mack Attack Magazine

June 2017

Walleye Fishing On The Lower Columbia

Lance Merz

Walleye fishing on the Columbia River is a destination hot spot for anglers who seek this predatory fish. In fact, most walleye anglers will tell you that if you can catch a walleye, you can catch just about any species of fish. Over the past two years, Departments of Fish and Wildlife in Washington and Oregon have lifted the limits while fishing the Lower Columbia. Studies are showing that walleye are eating the Salmon and Steelhead smolts and they want to eliminate the species all together. Only one rod is authorized per angler, but there is plenty of fish to be had for all.

I had the opportunity to fish with Mack’s Lure Pro Staff angler Ted Beach, a professional Walleye angler whose knowledge compares to that of an encyclopedia. When Ted talks about fishing, people listen. He gives various seminars

By Lance Merz throughout Washington each year and loves to teach how to fish; and there is an art to fishing this species of fish. We launched in an area of the Lower Columbia, just below the McNary Dam in a place called Crowe Butte. We were fishing in attempts to find some fish to catch for a TV show with Northwest Fishing Reports (NWFR). Due to the harsh winter that was felt by all, the current of the river was moving quite fast. Instead of moving into the main current, Ted sought his attention to areas of the river where the current wasn’t as swift. Normally, these areas are closer to shore and range in depths of 5-25ft. We were trolling with bottom walkers with a 5-6ft leader, primarily using Double Whammy® Walleye and Smile Blade® Super Slow Death Rigs tipped with a night crawler.

The Double Whammy® Walleye is a crawler harness that matches the hatch.

came into the boat, a 16” walleye that knocked the funk off the boat.

The Smile Blade® SpinDrift Walleye lure is another alternative to catching a variety of species of fish.

A slow troll downstream revealed a few more fish in the live well; this was going to be a good day! There are parts of the Columbia River that can be very intimidating and if you’ve never been on that particular area of the river, I’d recommend going out with a guide who knows the water. Channels can be very shallow, which can take out a lower unit very easily. There are even areas of the middle of the river that can be as shallow at six inches!

Ted and I fished throughout the day; a fish here and a fish there.

The fishing was consistent, but it wasn’t lights out for sure. The water temperature for fishing was still a bit chilly (57 degrees), and the clarity of the water was color of chocolate milk.

It wasn’t long after we started trolling that the first fish of the day Continued on Page 2

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were all using Double Whammy® Walleye crawler harnesses and Smile Blade® Super Slow Death Rigs. The hot Smile Blade® of the day however, was the UV Glo® Burst, which produces a tremendous amount of flash and attraction even in murky waters.

A good day of fishing with Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Ted Beach (second from left).

We pushed the limits and decided to fish just below the McNary Dam. There was only one guide boat on the water and the preferred method was to troll up to the border (a line just below the dam that no one is allowed) and drifted down. All but one chute was open at the dam and the water was swift to say the least.

Even without the wind, swells were consistent at five to six feet. A few more walleye were caught in this area before the wind picked up, which forced us back down to the slough, and produced more fish in the rain. In all, 40 fish were caught in a two day period.

Then the wind picked up. It is imperative that if you’re operating a boat on the Columbia River that you are aware of the weather conditions at the time you are going to fish.

Without warning, the chop on the water can produce 5-6’ swells and without enough knowledge of boat operations, it could be catastrophic.

Since the wind was so sever on the main channel, Ted decided to tuck into a slough which protected us from the wind. Not only did we start to catch walleye, be we also began catching Smallmouth Bass Ted is an excellent teacher. I and Perch as well. Since walleye learned a different way to rig up the are a predatory fish, catching these walleye rod and even learned a new other species was a good sign. way to thread a worm on a hook.

What I learned the most from Ted, The next day, we decided to fish in was that preparation is essential another area of the river, adjacent to when fishing for walleye. As with the town of Plymouth, Washington. any other fishery, having the line in Ted made this decision because the the water longer will eventually lead forecast was calling for wind gusts of to more fish. Ted’s boat was filled up to 22mph that day as well as rain. with additional tackle and riggings We met with the crew of Northwest that made it very easily to slide off Fishing Reports and began to film each lure to try a different color. the show. Mike Carey, owner of the NWFR jumped in the boat with Ted That same week, Bob Loomis and I, and his crew was in another and Richy Harrod took their shot boat fishing as well. We launched at fishing the Lower Columbia as the boat and the conditions were well. They fished in an area of the perfect; calm with no rain. We Columbia adjacent to Maryhill, decided to take advantage of the Washington, at a place called early morning by fishing what Ted “Peach Beach”. Trolling was the called the “Plymouth Slough”, a preferred method, just off the main branch of the Columbia just off the channel using Wally Pop® crawler main channel of the river which if harnesses, as well as Double needed, could protect us from the Whammy® Walleye and the Smile gusts which were coming. The Blade® Super Slow Death Rig. fishing was consistent and again, we

Bob Loomis and Richy Harrod holding their bigger walleye on the lower Columbia River. (Photo courtesy of Richy Harrod).

Although there are no limits on parts of the Lower Columbia River, it doesn’t mean that all fish have to be caught. I have seen first hand where anglers will go out fishing and catch in excess of 100 fish or more in one day. In my opinion, catch what you’re going to eat. Set a limit for your boat which will allow other anglers the ability to catch fish as well.

Mack’s Lure DOUBLE WHAMMY® WALLEYE SERIES

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Stan’s Space The Skinny On Swivels & Snaps

By Hall-of-Fame Angler Stan Fagerstrom Part 2 I’m not the only one who wants you to have the straight skinny on swivels and snaps.

“Who,” you say, “could that possibly be? It sounds like nonsense to me.” Well, it’s not. Think about it for a minute. The owner of the store where you buy your fishing gear wants you to know what you’re doing, and so does the designer of the lure you’ve got hanging out there on the end of your line.

Nobody wants you or me to catch fish more than the guys who make or market the gear we use to catch ‘em with. It’s the only way they’re going to stay in business over the long haul. A beginning angler rarely has all the answers.

They are especially unlikely to be knowledgeable about something as seemingly insignificant as swivels or snaps.

When you get a dandy little Mack’s Lure Promise Keeper® spinner, you’ll find it already is equipped with a barrel swivel up front. No need to worry, you can tie direct to the swivel. I like to occasionally use Mack’s Lure components to come up wih my own version of the Promise Keeper® as you can see at the top of the photo. I’ll tie a small barrel snap swivel to the end of line to fish with it.

For a number of years when I still lived in Washington State, I used

to have coffee every morning with a good guy who owned a sporting goods store. Being at that store often provided an opportunity to observe what a customer did with the box or the printed material that came with whatever he’d just purchased. Often times it went into the nearest trash container before the customer even left the store.

What a mistake that was and is.

Again, if you want to get satisfactory performance out of whatever tackle you buy, get into the habit of reading and studying every darn thing you can get your hands on that might help.

I’ve been fishing and writing about it,as well as demonstrating and showing folks how to use some of it at outdoor shows around a sizeable chunk of the world for a long, long time. This experience provided me the rare good fortune to get to know more than my share of the people involved in tackle building and marketing. Quite often over the years I’ve even had a chance to actually fish with some of them.

Bob Schmidt, the president of Mack’s Lure, provides an excellent example of what I’m talking about.

I’ve shared a boat with Bob on a number of occasions. I’m aware of the keen interest he has in all of us knowing more about the products he makes and markets. It’s something we’ve actually discussed on numerous occasions.

Sometimes this rig can be dynamite for both large and smallmouth bass.

I’ll tie my line to that barrel swivel you see on the top end of the leader that’s attached to the lure.

Have you ever taken time to study the monthly “Mack Attack” publication Bob makes available at no charge to anyone who visits this website?

Every article in this online presentation is written by experts. Some are written by men who have designed prize winning baits for Bob’s company.

Nobody knows more about getting these products to produce.

You’re missing one heck of an opportunity if you fail to take advantage of this information yourself.

A whole lot of folks, as Bob Schmidt will tell you, already have.

The number of “Mack Attack” readers has been growing steadily ever since it was introduced. Anglers are learning from it and undoubtedly it’s one of the reasons for the soaring sales of tournament winning Mack’s Lure fish clobbering products. And yes, some of the information in past articles has dealt with swivels and snaps.

Many lures do come equipped with a split ring for a line tie. Like Charlie said, “You can use the split ring to attach your line if you choose.” I don’t. The first thing I do with a new lure so equipped is remove the split ring. I always tie a snap on the end of my line. All I need do when I want to change lures is unsnap the one I have on and replace it with something else.

It only takes seconds to do so.

No need to worry about snaps or swivels when you rig your lure the way this expert does. The expert is Bob Schmidt, president or Mack’s Lures. As I’ve pointed in my column, nobody wants you and me to know how to use Mack’s Lure products successfully more than Bob does.

That’s why he has launched angling aids like the “Mack Attack.” You’re missing one heck of a chance to increase your own angling knowledge if you’re not reading that monthly presentation.

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Don’t, as I’ve seen some newcomers to bass fishing do, hook a snap into the split ring on the lure.

Use one or the other. Don’t use both.

Some crankbaits come with a snap attached. Why do you suppose these fast wobbling little beauties come with a stainless steel snap attached to their line? I can tell you.

It’s because that little snap lets the lure wiggle the way it must to catch fish consistently. It isn’t as effective without it and the people who are marketing those lures know it.

Sometimes little things can and do often make a big difference in how many fish we put into the boat. As I’ve mentioned many times before, about 10 percent of fishermen catch 90 percent of the fish. I guarantee the anglers who fall into that 10 per cent know when it’s best to use a snap. You’re not likely to get into that group until you do also.

Kokanee Jigging With The Sonic BaitFish™ (SBF)

By Captain Pete Rosko

My neighbor, Al Brown, and I launched at the public ramp on Lake Sutherland at 10 am on Monday.

Surprisingly, we were the only fishing boat on the water all day. The water initially was dead calm, perfect for jigging for kokanee. However, the surface water temperature was 73 degrees. Not good for kokanee with their ideal preference of 54 degrees. Apparently, that was a good reason for our boat being the only fishing boat on the water.

Almost always, kokanee become completely inactive in such a warm water environment. The only thing between aborting the trip, and fishing, were my two Lowrance fish finders on board. Over the years, this invaluable sonar technology has made the difference between failure and success. Today would be no different. The fish had to be deep in their attempts to escape from the upper column of warm

water. I decided to head for the deepest section of the lake, the east arm. It didn’t take long to locate the kokanee that showed up on the fish finder, near bottom in 79 feet of water. Maximum lake depth is about 81 feet.

The Sonic BaitFish™ is a great jigging spoon for targeting many species of fish, including Kokanee.

(Photo courtesy of Mike Hall)

It was a slow drift, so Al and I rigged up with lighter 1/3 oz Sonic BaitFish (Mack’s Lure Co.) and dropped down to within six feet of bottom. Almost immediately, Al had a fish on. That didn’t take long to attract unexpected attention.

A bald eagle nabbed Al’s kokanee as it came to the surface. Then, the same thing happened after I hooked-up. The eagle flew away with our first two. Afterwards, we did manage to get over two dozen more kokanee to the boat without further interference. All kokanee ranged in length between 15 and 17 inches…excellent size for so early in the season.

When the wind picked up, we upgraded to heavier jigs, 1 oz Kandlefish, in order to stay near bottom. In 33 years of jigging at Lake Sutherland, I never fished a jig as heavy as this 1 oz’er. It didn’t matter as the plankton-eating kokanee immediately slammed the jig. I was jigging one of my salmon favorites...a fluorescent yellow chartreuse back with a glow white belly. It was the same finish as on the Sonic BaitFish. Almost all the kokanee that day were caught on this popular salmon-catching finish.

Any time the water temperature exceeds the comfort zone of any fish, my suggestion is to locate deep water. In a straight line, from shore to deep water, continue to follow the shoreline drop-off until it stops “stair-casing” then flattens out. It’s generally at this juncture where the fish will be located. Better yet, if it’s located along a shady shoreline since most fish are light-sensitive.

Over these many years, I have found, as a former troller, that vertical jigging in fairly calm water is very uncomplicated and is more effective in catching larger and more kokanee than by trolling! The secret is in interpreting fish marks on your electronic fish finder and the type of jig you use.

TROLLING…

It was in the early 1980’s that I started to design, and develop, a lure for jigging. It was the beginning of the Crippled Herring. Trolling this type of lure never entered my mind because I previously trolled with spinners and crank baits for walleyes. Then, in 1987, I received a call from Ed Ruck who was a Lake Michigan charter captain and salmon troller. By pure accident, he told me he caught 8 of the 9 Chinook salmon that day on a 2 oz pearl white Crippled Herring. A client originally purchased that lure in California but never used it as it was still in its package. He pestered the skipper to try it until he finally, and skeptically, consented. In order to save time and not go through the normal fuss of setting up special rigging, Capt. Ed attached that Crippled Herring directly to the downrigger weight and only three feet behind it. Primarily, Ed was going to convince his client that trolling a metal jig was “a waste of time because it was not a trolling spoon”. To say the least, this wellseasoned skipper was shocked at the results of the day, especially after Continued on Page 5

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being fishless, until agreeing to troll Larry would troll with his favorite the Crippled Herring. plastic hoochie. Before Larry unexpectedly passed away, I may have salmon-trolled with him on his boat a couple dozen times. Time has a way of eroding one’s memory.

However, one fact remains clear in that the Crippled Herring was never skunked in all those “dead reckoning” trips with Larry in the 80’s. I am not a professional troller like my good friend, and Mack’s Pete’s playground, located just pro-staffer, Mike Hall. Mike is a outside of Port Angeles. Photo trolling scientist. However, it’s the courtesy of Pete Rosko. darting action of the metal jigs I create that catches a lot of different Then there was my good buddy, fish and makes me look good. That Larry Guerrette who relocated to includes the Sonic Baitfish. As I Port Angeles after leaving Caribou previously mentioned, the 1 oz size Maine to join the Marine Corp. is my favorite to troll. That is one Larry called every day a bonus day of the reasons that a new 1 oz Sonic after surviving all the landings in BaitFish will be available in the not the South Pacific during World War too distant future.

II. Larry loved to fish for Chinook I mentioned trolling a 1 ½ oz salmon but always considered doing Crippled Herring behind a large it with little thought. He generally flasher and consistently catching fished by “dead reckoning”. I think Chinook salmon. However, with it’s another word for not knowing the smaller-size Sonic BaitFish, I what you are doing. He also find that the flasher’s action deadens loved his uncomplicated 18 foot the critical darting action of the boat and mainly trolled out of it. Sonic BaitFish. This should not be a Downriggers were too much work problem with a 1 oz Sonic BaitFish for Larry. Instead, he opted for lead that is heavier than the present 3/4 ball weights that he would attach oz, and less, sizes. Basically, trolling to the line with a flasher. Larry with a dodger or flasher works best had no idea where his presentation with a lure attached that has no was located relative to any fish in built-in action. Examples are plastic the water column. That seemed to hoochies or flies. A Sonic BaitFish be okay as long as he was fishing. has a flasher-type action built into it While Larry was trolling, I was as it darts and rotates. This results jigging in my boat and catching in flash and vibration…two main big numbers of salmon. Then, one sight and sound fish attractants. day Larry asked me again to fish with him. It seemed as if I refused to troll with him a thousand times before his latest request. This time, Ed Ruck’s trolling experience with that 2 oz pearl white Crippled Herring must have finally registered

in my sub-conscious. At the time, I considered my 1½ oz chrome Crippled Herring a good size to troll (my favorite 1 oz trolling size had not been created yet).

In Washington State, I enjoy fishing freshwater lakes when I cannot fish in saltwater. The Sonic BaitFish is a deadly trout lure when jigged or trolled. I love keeping things simple! As a result, I only flat line troll in my boat with basically the same rig I jig with. (On a friend’s boat, I will attach a Sonic BaitFish to whatever trolling device is on board…downrigger, planners, etc.). When the fish are near surface, I flat-line troll. When they are deep, I jig. Take advantage of what nature gives you. On internationallyrenowned Lake Crescent, the silverblue Sonic BaitFish is deadly for its unique Beardslee rainbow trout and its Crescent cutthroat trout. 30-50 trout days are not uncommon when flat-line trolling in May and June with a 1/2 or 3/4 oz blue silver Sonic Baitfish over 55-75 feet of water off the Lake Crescent Lodge shoreline.

During July and August, the trout go deep and suspend in the thermo cline layer between 80-90 feet. Jig the same 3/4 oz blue silver Sonic Baitfish within that thermo cline for near-stop trout action! The thermo cline layer is where the trout are more concentrated and larger in size.

As much as I prefer jigging over trolling, I will fish with my trolling friends for one basic reason. That is to show them that a metal jig can out-fish traditional trolling lures.

Also, the metal jig almost always will catch the largest salmon. As a former offshore guide in the Gulf of Mexico, I also experienced this phenomenon with swift forked-tail species like barracuda, mackerel, tuna and wahoo. Before the Sonic BaitFish was created, I flat line speed-trolled 1 to 2 oz Crippled Herrings and Kandlefish against the premier tolling plugs of other tackle companies, including Rapala. In every outing, these metal jigs were dominant fish catchers. One of the consistent main bite-triggering Continued on Page 6

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strikes came on the inside turn when the metal jig flutters swiftly backwards on a slack line then darts forward as the line suddenly tightens again.

Conventional trolling lures do not have this type of action. Note: The Sonic BaitFish is a hybrid body of the Kandlefish.

It has an optional line attachment on the top of its back for increased vibration when vertical jigging.

My philosophy to fishing is to make it easy and enjoyable for everyone.

Life can be too complicated. Fishing is the escape from the pressures and complexities of the world. That includes designing fishing lures for young and old alike. Versatility and effectiveness are part of the Sonic BaitFish. It’s the only lure type that can effectively catch fish whether cast, jigged or trolled.

In closing, I like to share a final tip about this coming “odd year” pink salmon sport fishing season. Over the years, it has been my experience that the blue silver finish is the best color for pinks and not pink/pearl white. Deviate from trolling for pinks and cast a blue sliver Sonic BaitFish with the line attached to the nose. Once your line hits the water, engage your reel and twitch (not jerk) your rod on a tight (not loose) line. The resultant action will drive those pinks crazy! Incidentally, I use this same technique when casting for large Chinook salmon off the kelp beds west of Port Angeles.

The 1/3 oz size is a favorite of mine.

Cast the smallest lure to effectively reach your target. The lighter the lure, the slower the fall for giving any suspended fish more time to see your lure!

As always, thanks for subscribing to the Mack Attack. Your confidence in fishing Mack’s Lure Co. products is sincerely appreciated. Pete Rosko

Kokanee Fishing 101: The Basics By Danny Coyne Over the past 10 years a huge “Kokanee Craze” has been ignited within the angling community throughout the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia regions.

Kokanee are second only to Rainbow Trout as the most popular game fish in British Columbia! But really, what’s there not to like!?

They’re plentiful, fun to catch and they taste exceptional!

All you need to get started are some fundamental techniques and the basic understanding of a Kokanee’s biology. More than often anglers tend to misunderstand Kokanee fishing tactics and pursue them like when pursuing Rainbow Trout.

There are some similar techniques between the two, but a Kokanee’s nature to strike your lure is much different than a Rainbow Trout.

Biology of a Kokanee To start, let’s look at the simple biology of a Kokanee. Kokanee are landlocked Sockeye Salmon. Like Sockeye, Kokanee mature between 3 to 5 years of age and then die once they have spawned. They feed almost exclusively on Zooplankton.

They strain zooplankton from the water by means of many fine combs on their gills called “gill rakers”.

They will also eat tiny plants, insects, and freshwater shrimp when available. Due to the location of their food source, Kokanee will spend most of their time suspended mid depth in the lake. It is important to note that Zooplankton is light sensitive, which means on brighter days the Kokanee’s forage will descend in the water column and the Kokanee will follow.

Danny’s wife, Marina, showing off two kokanee caught on a Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™

A Kokanee’s size depends on genetics but they are also density dependent, which means their size can be contingent on how many other Kokanee are within the lake competing for food. Typically, the less Kokanee in a healthy lake the bigger the Kokanee will be.

Kokanee are also prey for other predator fish such as Rainbow Trout and Char. On average a mature large Rainbow Trout or Bull Trout will eat two adult Kokanee per day!

So it’s vital that whatever gear you present while fishing for Kokanee you do not mimic a threat similar to these predator fish.

Kokanee are very sensitive to water temperatures. They prefer water temps ranging from 45F to 54F, with 53F being optimum. Any prolonged exposure to temperatures greater than 60F can be fatal to the fish. This is one of the many reasons why Kokanee do not handle catch and release well.

Locating Kokanee Kokanee can be scattered throughout the lake, so where they were one day doesn’t mean they will be there today. Using good sonar will stack the odds in your favor to locate the fish. Kokanee are a schooling fish that makes them easy to locate once you travel over top of the group. Areas in the lakes in which you want to target are areas with currents, wind blown points, tight narrow contour lines and large points that come out into the main lake. These are all zones that you will locate Kokanee due to their food source being pushed into these areas.

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that is unnatural that comes into their respective space; that is as long as they don’t feel threatened by it.

Downriggers will assist greatly in getting your presentation to the desired depth.

Since Kokanee can range from all depths of the water column, using downriggers will assist greatly in getting your presentation to the desired depth. If you don’t have downriggers, using a variety of inline weights will aid in getting your gear down deep enough to where the Kokanee reside. When using weights be sure to always count out how much line is being put out and the speed in which you are trolling; this way you can duplicate the results once you get into fish.

Rather than discussing every Kokanee lure out there, it is best to mention that there are essentially two categories that all Kokanee lures fit into. A lure that has it’s own side-to-side action and a lure that runs straight through the water. The important part to note is the length in which you run your leader behind your dodgers as it differs between the two types of lures. A lure with its own action, you’ll want to run three to four times the length of the dodger so the lure’s action isn’t interrupted by the action of the dodger. A lure with no side-to-side action, you’ll want to run it 2 to 2 ½ times the length of the dodger to transfer action from the dodger to the lure.

A few popular types of lures are:

Kokanee Tackle Action Lures: There has been a lot of innovation • Mack’s Lure Wiggle and advancement in Kokanee tackle Hoochie™ over the past decade. The old Gang • Hum Dinger® Spoon Trolls and Ford Fenders which were • Cripplure™ once favored by anglers are now quickly becoming a thing of the Non-Action Lures: past. Instead of using heavy metal • Mack’s Lure Smile gear that weighs down your rod, Blade® Kokanee Hoochie anglers are now switching to ultra • Wedding Ring® light tackle options with medium­ • Pee Wee™ Spinner Hoochie slow action rods. Using this lighter gear allows one to play the fish and Kokanee are attracted to a variety absorb the Kokanee’s aggressive of colors ranging from hot pinks, fight with increased amount of fluorescent red, bright orange and fish being landed rather than lost. chartreuse. Using UV and Glow colors are excellent during low light Lures conditions and when fishing deeper There are a variety of Kokanee water. lures on the market today and majority of the tackle that we present to a Kokanee are not imitating something natural that they will eat.

Instead, Kokanee lures are created in a way to “tick them off” and get them irritated to entice a bite!

The Sling Blade™ can be bent to Kokanee are like aggressive little increase or decrease action. bulldogs that will attack anything

Dodgers & Flashers As a dodger travels through the water it moves side-to-side creating flash and water displacement (sound to a Kokanee). Dodgers get the Kokanee’s attention and call the fish in from a far. Once the Kokanee comes in, it’s your lure that encourages the strike. Using larger dodgers in lakes with high predation can repel Kokanee, as mentioned above larger dodgers can mimic a predator fish. It’s a good idea to have a selection of four to six inch dodgers within your arsenal to provide you with options. Using larger dodgers in cloudy water will help the fish find your gear, while in clear water conditions selecting a small 4-inch dodger can produce better results.

Choosing a dodger that can be “tuned” is a good idea. The Mack’s Lure Sling Blade™ Dodger is one of the most popular Kokanee dodgers on today’s market because it can be bent to add or reduce the action.

The added bend creates more action that the dodger will transfer to the lure and the more “thump” will be created to attract the fish in.

Using inline flashers such as a Mack’s Lure Flash Lite® 4-Blade Series can be a great tool for when long lining without downriggers or when the fish are scattered and not as tightly schooled. Since inline flashers have rotating blades and run straight through the water they will not add action to your lure. Selecting a lure with it’s own action or with a spinner is crucial when using this type of attractor. Leader lengths vary between 15 to 30 inches depending on water clarity, when there is less water clarity use shorter leaders.

Scent & Bait Tipping your lure with a piece of bait will help close the deal once the Kokanee approaches your lure.

Popular Kokanee baits are Pink Maggots (real or synthetic), dyedContinued on Page 8

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cured shrimp and dyed-cured White Shoepeg Corn. Be sure not to put too much bait on the hook as it will take away from the lure’s action.

Once piece of corn or two small maggots on each hook is adequate.

Anytime I’m Kokanee fishing I’m adding scent! Yes, you can catch Kokanee without it but if you really want to increase your odds in catching more Kokanee using scent is key! Consider this: Kokanee are said to have a hundred times greater sense of smell than a Bloodhound Dog! Sockeye Salmon will make a run up a river over 1000kms to the same water in which they came from based on scent alone!

Not only does adding scent to your bait and lure provide a scent trail that helps the Kokanee hone in on your gear and tempt them to strike, but it helps mask any other unwanted smells that may repel a Kokanee. Let’s face it, our human smell is not a natural attractant to Kokanee and neither is sunscreen, gas or that stinky sandwich we had for lunch.

speeds are used when trolling for Kokanee. Unlike when fishing for Rainbow Trout where the average speed is over 2mph, speeds for Kokanee range from .8 to 1.8 mph.

downrigger up one turn and then back down will all help persuade a Kokanee to strike your gear.

Kokanee fishing can sometimes be challenging but once you get Kokanee tend to follow your gear your presentation just right to the for miles around the lake until conditions you will have a lot of something changes. At which point fun bringing them into the boat. the Kokanee thinks your lure is Some days will be much easier getting away or they get annoyed than others but keep applying these with it and strike. This is why it’s basic methods and you will have important to troll in a way that consistent results. The important it puts erratic action onto your thing is to get out and give Kokanee presentation. Trolling tactics such fishing a try, experiment and most as “S” Turns, stop and go, speed up of all have fun! then down, or even bringing your

SLING BLADE™ SUPER GLOW 4”

Always use scents when fishing for Kokanee.

Some of the popular attractant scents are Shrimp/Krill Super Gel, Kokanee Special Super Gel, Bloody Tuna Super Gel. Using scents that are irritants to Kokanee such as Garlic or Anise will also help yield results when the fish aren’t as active.

Kokanee tend to attack these irritant smells out of sheer aggression.

Trolling Speeds & Tactics Establishing the correct trolling speeds is necessary when it comes to Kokanee fishing. Much slower Page 8

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Slam10

A snubber is essentially a rubber band that helps reeling in a smaller, more aggressive fish. It’s designed to act as a shock absorber, which minimizes the chance of losing a fish when reeling it in. In addition to using a snubber, using a good monofilament line also gives a needed stretch to help hold that fish on. Monofilament line gives the most stretch and a snubber compliments its ability, especially if the rod doesn’t match the type of fishing. Another ideal situation

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of using a snubber is when fishing deep. Fishing deep gives more elasticity to the line which will hold the fish on as well. How do you rig it? From the main line, attached a swivel and then attach the snubber, which attaches to the top of the dodger. It’s just a preference, but you can attach the snubber either above or below the dodger.

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Video of the Month

Check out the new video of the Mack’s Lure Shuttle Hawk™, a down rigger release system that offers more of an advantage of stacking multiple lines on a down rigger. Click Here for video.

If you have video’s to share, we’d love to see them!! Send your video links to: Al@MacksLure. com Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Jerry Brown of JB KingFisher Adventure guide service displays an array of the Smile Blade® Shad Slammer!

Send your photo’s to media@MacksLure.com for consideration to be included in a future Mack Attack edition or on Facebook.

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