OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW
As more and more anglers fish new lakes, we head into the archives to learn how to effectively fish a new lake
the opportunity to attend the North Idaho Sportsmen’s Expo, located in Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho. Not only was I there to talk to customers about Mack’s Lure, but I was also invited to give seminars on Kokanee fishing by Hall of Fame Fisherman Jim Grassi. Before the show started, however, I took a few days and arrived early, so I could fish Hayden Lake (Ida.). I had been hearing how good the fishing was on this lake, and I was excited to get the boat in the water and fish a lake that I had never fished before.
first thing that you “ The must do when you arrive BY LANCE MERZ
PRO STAFF
Evolution is a key to our survival in the human race, so fishing is no different. Often times, many anglers will find a way of fishing to produce more fish. They will always use the same rod and reel, the same type of line, as well as the same lures. I grew up fishing with a bobber, a couple of split shot weights, a worm and a hook to catch my fish. Times, though, they are a-changin’, however. Several years ago I was afforded
on a lake that you’ve never fished before is to find the fish. LANCE MERZ | MACK’S LURE PRO STAFF
The lake in and of itself isn’t very big. A gorgeous view to be sure, this lake settles in a valley, which is surrounded by Douglas Fir and Pine trees all around the lake. Lavish homes are either on the shore or the hillside. The lake itself is only around 200 feet deep. Normally, I’m used to fishing Lake Chelan in Washington, where the lake is around 1,800 feet deep. The beauty of Kokanee fishing is that each lake has a different style
of fishing. The first day that I got to the Honeysuckle Boat launch, I observed some boats in the middle of the lake, trolling very slowly. I had received reports from the folks at Black Sheep Sporting Goods, as well as North 40 Outfitters, who relayed where the fishing was the best, what colors to use and what depths to find the fish at. They were pretty close, that’s for sure! The first thing that you must do when you arrive on a lake that you’ve never fished before is to find the fish. This may take some time, but don’t drop your gear if you can’t see them. You’re just wasting your time if you do. Sure enough, I found the fish at an early time of day and dropped my gear where I was spotting the most fish on my fish finder. It wasn’t long (probably three minutes) that I got my first bite. Fish on! These kokanee in this lake are a good fighting fish and it wasn’t long before I had three, four, and five fish in my boat. The limit per person for Kokanee on this lake is 15, which will fill even the mightiest of coolers. SHOP MACK’S LURE PRODUCTS
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As I was looking around at the other fishermen trolling for Kokanee, I noticed one thing: everyone was using pop gear. This type of gear is sometimes called “Ford Fenders” or “Cow Bells,” which are nothing more than a trolling attractor, tied to your main line, with a leader to their favorite lure. Later I found out that mostly all of them were using a Mack’s Lure Wedding Ring® spinner. As I would troll by them, however, I would ask each person how they were doing. Most replied with three or four, or that the fish just weren’t biting. I was using the Mack’s Lure Cha Cha® 1.5” Kokanee Squidder with a 4.4” Double D™ Dodger. My leader was 14” behind the dodger, which really gives a unique and lively action for those kokanee to strike. I was trolling at 1.3 to 1.4 mph at depths that ranged anywhere from surface level to 30-feet. If I caught a fish, I would re-bait with two pieces of white shoepeg corn, tipped with anise bloody tuna scent, and turn right back around to get back on them. It wasn’t before too long that I had my limit.
SHOP MACK’S LURE UV SCENTS
One of the things that I think contributed to my success, was that I put Mack’s Lure Hot Wings® on my downrigger balls. These blades rotate opposite of each other, which gives off another source of attraction in the water. As the day progressed, however, the bite started to slow down. This told me that I needed to go deeper with my lures as kokanee will follow the food source. A type of
VIDEO: POTHOLES RES. WALLEYE
Mack’s Lure’s Bob Loomis joins Richy Harrod and his son, Tyler, for an episode of The Northwest Outdoorsmen on Potholes Reservoir in Central Washington state. The trio land a number of large walleye pulling Mack’s Lure Smile Blade® spinners. Give it a watch & be sure to subscribe.
zoo plankton called mysis shrimp are the food source for these fish and normally they can be found near the surface at first light. As the day goes on, though, the shrimp begin to drop in the water column.
Trying different ways to fish these elusive creators is a challenge in and of itself, but don’t be discouraged. Think outside the box. Chances are, you’ll put more fish in them.
I fished the lake for five days straight, each day landing my limit and getting off the water by around 9:00 a.m., just in time for me to go to the show to talk to folks who came. Whether I was talking to them on or off the water, I told them of a new type of gear that may be even more successful than the old pop gear of which they were used to using. That attractor is the Flash Lite® Troll, a new-and-improved trolling attractor, available in 2-Blade, 3-Blade and 4-Blade, from the older pop gear staples. The reason why is due to its weight. They are extremely lightweight and provide more flash and attraction than that of their predecessors. No longer is that rod tip weighed down by heavy gear to where sometimes you can’t see or feel a bite. It’s always fun to fish a lake that you’ve never fished before and be successful. Talking to the folks at the local sporting goods store is always of tremendous help, as does talking to people who fish it regularly. It’s exciting, it’s a challenge, and it’s fun! 2
SONIC BAITFISH™ (SBF)
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
TECH GUIDE
SILVER SBF FINISH Clear, sunny water. Secondary choice to silver-blue. Deadly for Spanish & king mackerel. One of the largest walleyes ever caught through the ice in Lake Erie (14 lbs. by 12 year old Will Tibbels, March 2015) was on a 1/3 oz silver SBF attached to the top of the back. GLOW ORANGE SBF FINISH The No. 1 finish for kokanee fishing.
SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE
SONIC BAITFISH FINISH BY PETE ROSKO
SBF TECH GUIDE
The three basic qualities, of a consistently productive metal jig, are flutter, vibration and finish. Finishes include flash (caused by the sun’s reflection off silver, or gold, metal surfaces), fluorescence (an ultraviolet glow paint; functions only in the presence of light) and phosphorescence (an ultraviolet, glow-in-the-dark paint; functions after light is removed). Of these three basic jig qualities, the finish is the only variable that may change continuously, according to light and water conditions. Across the country, the following SBF finishes have been personal consistent producers in fresh and salt water:
FIRE TIGER SBF FINISH Most effective in fresh water with yellow perch populations. Killer for mangrove snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. GLOW WHITE SBF FINISH
multi-species jigging in the Gulf of Mexico or casting for largemouth bass across the country, this UV glow finish catches the eye of fish and triggers strikes. Note: My finish selections work whether casting, jigging or trolling. For casting to shallow water trout and largemouth bass, I prefer the 1/10 and 1/6 oz SBF. For salmon, and other larger fish, I love casting the 1/4 and 1/3 oz sizes. Basically, when fish are suspended near surface, I cast the smallest size SBF to effectively reach my target. Smaller lures fall slower and remain in the strike zone longer. As always, I hope these tips result in more strikes on your future fishing outings. Thank you for being a subscriber to the Mack Attack.
Especially effective during low light periods and dark/deeper water. GLOW CHARTREUSE SBF FINISH If I was forced to pick only a single finish to fish the world it would be glow chartreuse. Whether salmon fishing in the Pacific NW, walleye jigging in Lake Erie/Columbia River,
GOLD SBF FINISH Effective for tea-stained, murky, water and clear or off-colored trout rivers. #1 finish for Gulf of Mexico snapper, redfish, grouper and cobia. SILVER BLUE SBF FINISH Clear, sunny water. Superb flash and natural coloration of a live bait fish. Killer for chinook & coho salmon and most other fresh, and salt, water species — as long as the water is clear and sun reflects off its surface.
WALLEYE LURE WITH SCENT CHAMBER The Wally Pop® Crawler just got a whole lot deadlier. Mack’s Lure’s Bob Schmidt and Pro Staff Jaime Rodriguez show a simple trick to land more walleye. Simply pull out the tapered bead from the soft, durable tubing and insert scent. Get your Wally Pops at MacksLure.com.
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PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT
PIP’S™ BOX & LEADER CADDY
Mack’s Lure, Inc., manufacturer of the industry’s most effective leader holder, the Pip’s™ Leader Caddy, recently released a newly designed version of the Original Pip’s™ Box. When it comes to success on the water, gear organization plays a major role. The more prepared and easily-accessible your gear is, the more time can be spent fishing. This all new Original Pip’s™ Box does the trick. “The Pip’s Leader Caddy is simply the most ingenious way to store your tied hooks,” Mack’s Lure President Bob Schmidt said after its release. “So, when customers asked for a smaller version, we responded, not only with a more accessible, but also upgraded design that includes antireverse and a self-lubricating surface for a smoother spin, mimicking the features found on the Pip’s™ Leader Caddy.” The Pip’s™ Box (and the Leader Caddy), available in six colors, is ideal for storing tippets and hooks tangle-free and its small 3 3/8” size fits easily in your pocket for quick and easy access, allowing for fast turnaround time when replacing or changing leaders when on the water. You can now purchase the all-new Pip’s™ Box and Leader Caddy at MacksLure.com and be sure to look for it at your local bait and tackle shop. CLICK HERE FOR PRODUCT VIDEO
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT
Wiggle Hoochie line, we had a lot of consumer interest in additional bill colors, including UV Orange, Hot Pink and UV Chartreuse.” These unique bills, which have an unbelievable look and action, can be fitted on a squid skirt or pegged up your line to provide a crank-style wiggle to the lure. Each new color style is now available in the 1.5” and 2.25” option.
NEW WIGGLE HOOCHIE™ BILLS
Mack’s Lure, Inc., manufacturer of the Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™ and Wiggle Hoochie™, has released two new colors of their popular Wiggle Hoochie™ Bills. “Since acquiring Shasta Tackle five years ago, Mack’s Lure has vastly expanded on its entire line of new kokanee and trout products,” Mack’s Lure Marketing Director Britton Ransford said. “With the
You can order these Wiggle Hoochie™ Bills online at MacksLure. com or at your local bait and tackle shop. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our marketing department at media@ mackslure.com or call the order desk at 800-525-8737. Happy fishing!
Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Ken Kineshanko puts the Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™ to work on kokanee in the Cariboo.
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QUESTION
HOT DEAL: USE CODE PIPS20
OF THE MONTH
Have a questions you want answered? Send your inquiry to us and yours may be featured! Simply send an email to media@mackslure.com or reach out to us on social media.
Q: I’m looking to get out on the water for some fall walleye. What gear do you recommend this time of year?
PHOTO OF THE MONTH Sambo Lage, along with Gary Miralles, show off a gorgeous brown caught on Shasta Lake during last month’s derby. This beauty was caught on a Hum Dinger® 1/2 oz.
A: This time of the year is a really good time to be out walleye fishing, as they’re going to be on the “bite” very soon. It’s starting to get cold and a lot of the plankton and weed growth is starting to die off, which is where all of your food base is. Thus, the food base will start moving to other cover and spreading out rather than being kegged up in the weeds. The walleye will still be around these weed lines, but will be moving much more than usual while also being more aggressive, eating anything they can find. Therefore, we would recommend trolling any of our larger profile products, such as the Double Whammy® Walleye, Smile Blade® Super Slow Death Rig and Wally Pop® Crawler. The larger the profile, the better this time of year.
VIDEO OF THE MONTH 10 years ago, Harrod Outdoors and Mack’s Lure began filming together. So, they went back to where it started — Wallowa Lake (Ore.) to chase kokanee, once again.
You can also try to throw a Sonic BaitFish™ at the edges of the weed lines once you’ve found the fish and vertically jig. Best of luck! Follow Mack’s Lure on Facebook and Instagram and tag us with #MacksLure. Facebook.com/MacksLure @macks_lure To submit your catch, send us an email at media@mackslure.com or tag us on social media using #MacksLure.
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