March 2017 | Mack Attack Magazine

March 2017

Ice Fishing for Kokanee The Pacific Northwest has a fishery that is gaining popularity in a hurry - it’s called Kokanee fishing.

These landlocked Sockeye Salmon are feisty and finicky to say the least.

There are so many variables that must be taken into consideration when it comes to fishing this species of fish, also called “silvers”, or “blue backs”. Trolling speed, water clarity, water temperature, colors of lures, baits and scents, are just a few things an angler must align. Here’s a challenge, try fishing for them through the ice!

I was afforded the opportunity to ice fish for Kokanee with Bob Loomis (Mack’s Lure), Richy Harrod (The

By Lance Merz Northwest Outdoorsman), and Pro Staff Danny Coyne (BCFishin. com). Just a few short hours to the north, we made the trek into British Columbia where Danny lives and he began to tell us that he and a friend had went out earlier in the day and caught their limit of five kokanee each. The anxiety started to build; I was excited to catch some kokanee!

This was going to be my first time.

After talking about kokanee fishing as well as stocking reports provided by the Province until bed

time, I tried to go to sleep, which failed miserably. About an hour west of Peachland, British Columbia,

lays a lake called “Lake Alleyne”.

The drive itself was inspiring. We even saw two Moose on an adjacent lake that was froze over. The sun was just starting to rise and the majestic presence of this beautiful creature was worth the trip in and of itself. Danny had told us of his success in days prior and we were ready to get on the lake. Once we arrived and prior to walking on the ice, Danny gave us a safety briefing, explaining how it would feel when you first got on to the lake. The past week brought a slough of rain to the area, which turned the top ice layer into slush when the day slowly gets warmer, and the ice re-freezes again over night. An awkward feeling at best, Danny re-assured us that the ice was plenty thick and we would have no problems.

Creating a slight bend in the Sling Blade™ will add flutter on the drop to get fish to strike. Photo courtesy of Danny Coyne.

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We set up in a location on the lake that Danny had success the day prior, each of us toting a sled with all of the equipment with items like ice tents, auger, rods, chairs, depth finder, bait, and lures.

one day, might not necessarily work the next day. I got the impression that ice fishing for Kokanee was going to be of an equal challenge that went from a horizontal presentation, to a vertical one. The Sling Blade™ had a slight bend in the dodger, which allowed for a more dramatic drop.

Nestled between the Glo Hook and the Sling Blade™ was a size five split shot weight, which allowed the presentation to remain in a more vertical position. Otherwise, the Glo® Hook could get tangled into the dodger.

series Glo® Hook did the trick, yet again. On this day however, the bait was changed from maggots to white shoepeg corn, tipped with Pro Cure’s Bloody Tuna and Anise. The entire time we were fishing, Richy was shooting a TV show for the Northwest Outdoorsman, which can be seen later this year.

Danny Coyne has been very successful with Sling Blade™ dodgers and the Sonic BaitFish™.

Photo courtesy of Danny Coyne.

We were in the middle of the lake, which was around 80ft deep. As Danny drilled holes, Bobby, Richy and I helped set up the tents. Once everything was set up, Danny gave us a seminar right in the middle of the lake. He said that the Kokanee during the winter months can be found in the middle part of the lake, Inserting a split shot weight completely away from the trout. between the dodger and the Glo® These fish would be suspended Hook helps to keep the presentation between 10’ to 60’ in the water vertical. Photo courtesy of Danny column. The best way to jig for Coyne. these fish would be the same way The fish finder wasn’t marking any a person would use a Yo-Yo, small, fish in the ice tents, so Danny drilled consistent jigs about a foot in length. some more holes not far from where we started. Fish after fish started The riggings to fish for these tasty coming through the hole, yet the morsels was really quite simple. A day was slow. In all after the first Mack’s Lure Sling Blade™, with a day, 11 fish were caught. As the sun 14” leader and a Glo® Hook was started to set and the temperature all that was needed. Tipped with dropped, we headed back to Danny’s a live pink maggot, the charge of house where Richy made deep fried the Glo Hook really does the trick Kokanee, and his wife Marina made (the charge actually keeps the hook a delicious salad, with potatoes and glowing for about 20 minutes). As an excellent dessert. A meal fit for Danny was showing us exactly how kings (and queens) to be sure. to jig for these fish, the rod tip bend; fish on! We really started getting The next day brought us to the same lake, which provided ten fish excited then. by 9:30am. The same rigging was Fishing for Kokanee is always a used with the Nickel/Pink 4” Sling humbling experience; what works Blade and a size four red hook

Marina Coyne with her catch of Kokanee. Photo courtesy of Danny Coyne.

Ice fishing for Kokanee is not only another humbling experience, but it tests your patience as well.

As this fish continues to grow with popularity among anglers, try ice fishing for them; it’s well worth it.

Mack’s Lure products are excellent for ice fishing. This picture shows a hooked kokanee, getting ready to come through the ice. Photo courtesy of Richy Harrod.

Danny Coyne with BCFishin.com is awesome and not only is he a great angler, but a huge advocate of the conservation of this type of fishing for many years to come. British Columbia is un-tapped in many of the lakes for Kokanee. Make a trip; you’ll be glad you did.

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Stan’s Space Will It Ever Be Broken

By Hall-of-Fame Angler Stan Fagerstrom Part 1 It seems like there is a lot of truth about that old business you’ve undoubtedly heard a good many times. What is it? It’s simply this: “All records are made to be broken.”

When you’ve been around as long as I have, you’ve undoubtedly actually seen this happen time after time. I remember, for example, when the first four minute mile went into the record books, when a quarterback threw a record number of touchdown passes, somebody hit the most home runs and the list goes on and on.

These busted records also apply to the various species of sports fish found all around the world. Keep an eye peeled and sooner or later you’ll see this happening. Like they say, records are made to be broken. That may be, but there’s one record in the world of sports fishing that has stood for a long, long time.

Anytime you see me holding a bass this size you can bet I’ll bet I’ll be smiling. Look closely and you’ll see this beauty smacked a Mack’s Lure Stan’s Spin spinnerbait. The Stan’s Spin is one of the few lures that has put a bass of more than 10-pounds in the boat for me.

The record I have in mind is the one for largemouth bass. The all time record for bigmouth dates way back to June 2, 1932. An angler named George Perry caught one

that day at Montgomery Lake down in Georgia. It weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces.

That record has been threatened a few times but never been officially topped. You may remember the excitement and publicity attached to the catching of a huge largemouth in Japan a couple of years ago. As I recall, that one was said to have weighed 22-pounds, 5-ounces. I think the decision that was finally made was that a new record would have to top the old one by at least 2-ounces to get official recognition.

Years ago you could pretty well pinpoint where record size bass were most likely to show up. Those locations were where Florida strain largemouth were to be found and at one time. There have been major changes in this regard.

Today, Florida strain tackle busters have been introduced all over the place. In addition, there are spots around the country that when especially big bass are caught they are put into specially operated laboratories in efforts to use their future spawning procedures to the utmost advantage.

I have visited some of these labs myself. Just eyeballing some of those big hawgs in their captive environment brings a mixture of emotions.

I’ve heard it said a bass that tops the present world record will be worth a million dollars to the lucky angler who catches it. It might be, but only if the angler who hooks it doesn’t have a heart attack when the fish is finally up close to the boat.

I don’t care how many big fish you’ve caught - and I’ve caught my share - I swear nothing looks as monstrous up close as a big largemouth bass. Maybe it’s that big mouth that does it. Or perhaps it’s because they come along so seldom.

Maybe only someone who has spent much of a lifetime trying to catch them fully appreciates it when a big one does show up.

These whoppers came out of Mexico’s Lake El Salto. The one the angler is holding in his right hand weighed 11-pounds, 2-ounces.

That’s a 9-pounder he has in his left hand. The angler is Les Melton, of West Virginia.

I’ve caught salmon that were crowding 50-pounds. I’ll always remember their tremendous strength as they fought for their freedom. I never did manage to break that 50size in the many years I lived and fished in the Pacific Northwest.

Be assured I’ll never forget the chinook I hooked one morning on Southwest Washington’s Cowlitz River. The Cowlitz is a major tributary of the lower Columbia about 50 miles downriver from Portland, Oregon. The Cowlitz and certain areas of its tributaries also provide prime spawning areas for the variety of sports fish that feed and grow in the oceans and then return to spawn.

Why do I remember that chinook salmon I mentioned? It sure as heck wasn’t because I ever got to eyeball that thing up close and careful. As soon as that fish grabbed the bait of fish eggs I’d just cast and let bounce along the bottom---it took off!

And when I say took off that really doesn’t tell the story.

I might just as well have not been standing on the bank with a rod in my hands. My level wind leader was loaded with 30-pound line and 20-pound leader. When that monster had stripped all but a few yards of line so far down I could almost see a bare spool, I finally clamped both Continued on Page 4

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thumbs down on the spool just as hard as I could and held on.

The result? S-N-A-P! If I hadn’t been holding onto my rod as hard as I was I’d of probably lost it too.

I’ve also had my hands plumb full beaching a couple of steelhead that were both very close to 20-pounds.

I mention these fish to provide proof that I know what some good fish look like up close to the boat.

When To Add Scent To The Sonic BaitFish (SBF)

By Captain Pete Rosko

By Captain Pete Rosko

In the “Sonic BaitFish (SBF) Tech Guide”, there is a short segment discussing the adding of scent to the SBF. In Washington State, I never had the need to incorporate scent whether fishing in fresh or salt water. However, in other parts of the country, adding scent can immediately change a dead bite into This largemouth bass weighed a an active one. whopping 14.8-pounds. Big as this On a recent Gulf of Mexico trip, fish is it doesn’t come anywhere off Destin Florida, I joined three near the current world size record friends for a flounder trip. Before that has stood for decades. heading offshore, the captain made a quick stop in the pass to buy about I once had opportunity on to share four dozen 4-inch mud minnows a hotel room with Ray Easley, of which resemble a chub with its Fullerton, California. For some large head. time, Ray had the distinction of Our destination was a low profile having caught the second biggest artificial structure in 70 feet of water. largemouth ever taken on hook and It was a cloudy, calm day which I line. I’ll share what he had to tell me always prefer. The only variable about it in my next Stan’s Corner working against us was a strong tide column. that never slowed down the entire day. Once we reached our fishing spot, the skipper never anchored.

Instead, his GPS-controlled bowmounted electric motor kept the Mack’s Lure boat over our spot. Most boats, Sonic BaitFish™ under 25 feet, use this alternative form of positioning off the Destin region.

Because of the strong tide, casting up-current was necessary to reach bottom where the flounder were positioned. While the rest of my fishing buddies were baiting their sinker rigs with mud minnows, my

bare fire tiger-colored 1/2 oz SBF hooked up on its first cast. For the next hour, the SBF out-fished live bait. Since the SBF is especially effective on a slow or dead tide, I was waiting for the tide to slow so I could show how much more effective the SBF could be (that’s when the line remains straight down, without angling off, while vertical jigging).

Big mistake! It was a full moon tide and the tide would be ripping the entire day. At tide change, if there was any slow down in the current, I never saw it. Instead of slowing down, it increased and killed my jig bite. In the old days, as an offshore guide, I would have been better prepared and would have known to change tactics. Instead, I kept jigging and watched my boat mates out-fish me. If I would have listened to my own teaching, as explained in the Sonic BaitFish Tech Guide, I would tip my jig in times like this. By adding scent, a dead bite can become an active bite. I finally gave up the purist approach and tipped my SBF with a one inch piece of cut bait. It was like immediately turning night into day. Literally, every drop thereafter produced a fish. Combining scent, with lure vibration, produced an unbeatable combination. I was back to out-fishing the live bait with two very noticeable results. Unlike the subtle nibbling bites that resulted from fishing with live bait fish, all my strikes on the SBF were hard strikes. Secondly, the live bait fish only produced flounder whereas the SBF produced five other species besides flounder.

My experience of that day can serve as an example of adapting to conditions that can affect us across North America. For example, many Mack Attack readers fish walleyes in the Columbia River. Most of my walleye fishing was on Lake Erie’s western basin and inland Ohio reservoirs. In either case, Continued on Page 5

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tipping with a night crawler piece dramatically increased my walleye catches with the SBF. Whether for walleyes, or yellow perch, a wormtipped SBF is hard to beat!

Boat control is another important consideration when metal jig fishing with a SBF. a) On a slow drift, I will bottom-bounce a tipped SBF on the up-current side to prevent my presentation from going under the boat. Many times on Lake Erie, with about a one foot chop, bottombouncing a glow chartreuse SBF from a rod holder (positioned parallel to the water) produced exceptional catches of large walleyes. The rhythm of a fluttering SBF, produced from the rod holder, outfished my hand-held rod approach.

NOTE…Many rod holders are of the fixed angled type that is useless for this technique as the rod must be parallel to the water’s surface to be effective. Only an adjustable rod holder can accomplish this along with a medium action rod. b) On a fast drift, or snaggy structure, I like to cast directly into the direction that the boat is headed. Especially for deeper water, this enables my jig to reach bottom faster and allow for more time in the strike zone. For a snaggy bottom, I can work my jig through the structure longer. In case of a snag, the lure can be freed as the boat passes on the down-current side of the snag. For any type of fish especially positioned near bottom, the action produced from the flash of a fluttering & vibrating SBF on the fall is the deadliest form of action to cause a fish to strike!

Thank you for being a subscriber to the Mack Attack. It is my pleasure to share my tips with you that have resulted in plenty of memorable catches over the years. In February, I reached my 80th birthday and I’m shooting for another twenty years of talking fishing with you.

Best wishes for good health & excellent catches.

Gary’s Fishing Corner

The Benefits of Fishing By Gary Miralles

Fishing is a great stress reliever.

Being outdoors away from the hassles of everyday life gives you the opportunity to unwind and regain your mental capacities. It is good for your heart and soul. It teaches you to be more patient so you can handle the stresses of life better at home and at work.

Fishing is also great for family bonding. It gives us an opportunity to spend some good solid time outdoors with our children and gives them an opportunity to experience all the wonderful things that nature provides us.

While I was at a Sportsman’s show this year, I talked with a fellow fisherman about a situation with him and his wife. The discussion was about him fishing too much and his wife having a problem with it. So we discussed in length the benefits of fishing and how best to explain it to his wife so she could understand. So I thought I would share this today, with any of you that may have a similar situation at home.

By spending time outdoors in the sun you gain the very important Vitamin D. It helps your body to absorb calcium and phosphorus, two minerals that help your immune system fight disease, which helps keep you healthy so you can better provide for your family.

Fishing is great for your health in other ways. Casting your rod and fighting fish with a constant motion help burns calories. If you’re hiking into a fishing hole or paddling a kayak you are gaining a lot on the exercise aspect the fishing.

Finally, you will bring home dinner and yes, an opportunity for you to cook the family dinner. I recommend a good barbecue for this job.

I do need to add one final thing that I discovered at the end of our conversation. His fishing buddy eagerly shared some things that he felt I should know about his fishing partner. Apparently, this guy’s boat was very nice and worth more than both their vehicles combined. His lawn had not been mowed in weeks and his yard was a mess with broken limbs from the winter storms. His gutters were full of leaves and the rain water was spilling over the sides. His wife’s car had a broken headlight and needed new windshield wipers. He had not taken his kids with him fishing in months. Plus he had no clue about date night.

My last and final recommendation for this fellow was. Find a good family therapist!

Good Fishing y’all.

Gary Miralles

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some great action that predacious fish can’t resist. I like to maintain an average trolling speed of 1.5 mph By while letting out one to four colors Brad Hole of lead core. Each color puts your One of the challenges with kayak lure down roughly five to six feet in fishing can be trying to target fish the water column but the depth can that are deep in the water column. vary based on current, speed and There’s nothing more frustrating water conditions. than seeing a fish on your fish finder Placing your rod in a forward at 10 to 25 feet below the surface… rod holder will help you focus on And knowing your top water the tip of your rod and knowing trolling presentation will never be when to respond to the fish strike. seen by that fish. Getting your lure Practice making gradual S-turns deeper and in front of that fish will and reducing and increasing your only increase your odds of getting trolling speed will help to trigger that fish to strike. that next bite and hopefully land

Trolling Lead Core Line From A Kayak

Wiggle Hoochie 4.5"

When it comes to kayak fishing you that next trophy fish. less is more. Skip the downrigger.

Trolling lead core line from a kayak is an easy and effective way of trolling for fish at deeper depths.

Lead core line is a thin gauge of wire protected by a braided outer sleeve. The line is color coated every 50 feet easily allowing anglers to count the number of colors they are Years ago I remember letting out, each getting your line experimenting with lead core line further down into the water column. for the first time. I was so afraid that For targeting trout in local lakes I this sinking line was going to snag use 18-pound lead core line with a the bottom. My line was roughly 15 50-foot mono leader. The long 10 to feet down and 150 feet behind me.

12 pound mono leader helps to not For several minutes I was so fixated spook the fish while giving your lure on watching the tip of my rod for any action that I failed to notice a natural presentation in the water. that I was now in 18 feet of water. I turned abruptly and that’s when my rod bent over. I thought for sure I was snagged until I heard the splash of a fish going aerial behind me. As I reeled in the slack of the line, the fish leaped a couple more times and made several runs under the kayak before I netted my first 20-inch cutthroat trout.

Kayak fishing with lead core line eliminates the need for down riggers for fish at deeper depths.

Photo courtesy of Brad Hole.

I’ve been a long time fan of Mack’s Wiggle Hoochies® tipped with a small worm which produces

The Wiggle Hoochie is pre-rigged with a two laser sharp 4/0 stainless hooks with a 1/2 in. gap. Tied on 40 lb. line for extra strength, the Wiggle Hoochie’s unique bill design gives it a quick, erratic vibrating action that drives salmon, trout and most all game fish crazy.

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Photo of the Month

variety of colors and series such as bronze, glo fly, red, and treble hook.

Video of the Month Two hooks are better than one! Click Here to watch the video of the products that have two hooks to help with a better hook set.

If you have video’s to share, we’d love to see them!! Send your video links to: MacksLure@ MacksLure.com.

The staff at Mack’s Lure is always committed to providing a quality product. We want your input! If you know of anyone who would like to be on the mailing list to receive the Mack Attack, please forward their email address to Al@ MacksLure.com. Photos, stories, and comments are welcomed and encouraged. Please forward all content materials to Lance@ MacksLure.com THANK YOU!

Check out this under water shot of a kokanee caught on a Glo Hook while ice fishing in British Columbia! Photo courtesy of Richy Harrod of the Northwest Outdoorsmen.

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

See more pictures by clicking here: Mack’s Photo Gallery Page 7