Coeur d'Alene Kokanee

[NWFishin]

I am completely new to this type of fishing, got my new boat last week. I went out 4 days last week learning how to use my downriggers, fish finder etc. I feel like I got some good time in trolling for kokanee but have been completely skunked, no blood on the new boat yet!

Has anyone been catching any kokanee or Coho in CDA? I could use some guidance. I'm going out again this week to keep trying.

[obifishkenobi]

I am completely new to this type of fishing, got my new boat last week. I went out 4 days last week learning how to use my downriggers, fish finder etc. I feel like I got some good time in trolling for kokanee but have been completely skunked, no blood on the new boat yet!

Has anyone been catching any kokanee or Coho in CDA? I could use some guidance. I'm going out again this week to keep try

What part of the water column are you targeting? Early in the year the Kokanee tend to be up near the surface and will not not be easy to locate with electronics. They will scatter as your boat approaches them and you will not see them with down imaging, requiring really long set backs 120+'  to catch. This time of year I'm running my down riggers in the top 10'. As the season progresses and the thermocline, a layer of water about 53 degrees develops, the fish will follow it down as that is where their food source lives. As the fish go deeper you can shorten your set backs and you will start seeing the schools of kokanee on your fish finder, when the fish are down in the 20'-30' range Ill run my bottom lines at 50' set backs and my top lines at 40' back and as the fish go deeper you can keep shorting them in 30' to 40' down 30' and 40' set backs and 40 to 50' depth 20' and 10' set backs. Shorter set backs allow you to make tighter turns keeping you on the schools of fish that you can now see on your fish finder. Another consideration is you should be turning doing S turns as well as varying your speed all the time, most bites come on the turn and depending on which side of the boat the bite comes will tell you whether to speed up or slow down, if on the inside of the turn slow down if on the out side speed up. Nothing in nature swims in a straight line at the same speed all day. I vary my speed from about .9 mph up to about 1.8mph.

[duksnfish]

Awesome explanation of what people should be doing to catch kok's. I've done it a lot but forget now and again, but, an awesome explanation that many dont really know or get. Thanks for the great words

[NWFishin]

I am completely new to this type of fishing, got my new boat last week. I went out 4 days last week learning how to use my downriggers, fish finder etc. I feel like I got some good time in trolling for kokanee but have been completely skunked, no blood on the new boat yet!

Has anyone been catching any kokanee or Coho in CDA? I could use some guidance. I'm going out again this week to keep try

What part of the water column are you targeting? Early in the year the Kokanee tend to be up near the surface and will not not be easy to locate with electronics. They will scatter as your boat approaches them and you will not see them with down imaging, requiring really long set backs 120+'  to catch. This time of year I'm running my down riggers in the top 10'. As the season progresses and the thermocline, a layer of water about 53 degrees develops, the fish will follow it down as that is where their food source lives. As the fish go deeper you can shorten your set backs and you will start seeing the schools of kokanee on your fish finder, when the fish are down in the 20'-30' range Ill run my bottom lines at 50' set backs and my top lines at 40' back and as the fish go deeper you can keep shorting them in 30' to 40' down 30' and 40' set backs and 40 to 50' depth 20' and 10' set backs. Shorter set backs allow you to make tighter turns keeping you on the schools of fish that you can now see on your fish finder. Another consideration is you should be turning doing S turns as well as varying your speed all the time, most bites come on the turn and depending on which side of the boat the bite comes will tell you whether to speed up or slow down, if on the inside of the turn slow down if on the out side speed up. Nothing in nature swims in a straight line at the same speed all day. I vary my speed from about .9 mph up to about 1.8mph.

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Great info, thank you.

I was running both at 35' the last time. Before that I tried running one at 25' and one at 50'. I think I'll try running at 10' this week. I also was only going back 50', I'll try 120+ back. I figured that is why I saw a lot of boats running outriggers. I think I'll eventually get my boat rigged for outriggers.

I'll play around with speeds and S turns as well. Thanks for the info, I will get this figured out!!

[wiperhunter2]

I was running both at 35' the last time. Before that I tried running one at 25' and one at 50'. I think I'll try running at 10' this week. I also was only going back 50', I'll try 120+ back. I figured that is why I saw a lot of boats running outriggers. I think I'll eventually get my boat rigged for outriggers.

A cheaper option to outriggers is side planers, I prefer Church brand but others use Offshore. They are what I use in the Spring or Fall when the kokes and trout are shallow. If you are using a dodger and squid, you will need to add a little weight to get it below the surface but other than that, it's pretty easy.
churchtackle.com/collections/planer-boards/products/tx-6-magnum-mini-planer-board

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[obifishkenobi]

I am completely new to this type of fishing, got my new boat last week. I went out 4 days last week learning how to use my downriggers, fish finder etc. I feel like I got some good time in trolling for kokanee but have been completely skunked, no blood on the new boat yet!

Has anyone been catching any kokanee or Coho in CDA? I could use some guidance. I'm going out again this week to keep try

What part of the water column are you targeting? Early in the year the Kokanee tend to be up near the surface and will not not be easy to locate with electronics. They will scatter as your boat approaches them and you will not see them with down imaging, requiring really long set backs 120+'  to catch. This time of year I'm running my down riggers in the top 10'. As the season progresses and the thermocline, a layer of water about 53 degrees develops, the fish will follow it down as that is where their food source lives. As the fish go deeper you can shorten your set backs and you will start seeing the schools of kokanee on your fish finder, when the fish are down in the 20'-30' range Ill run my bottom lines at 50' set backs and my top lines at 40' back and as the fish go deeper you can keep shorting them in 30' to 40' down 30' and 40' set backs and 40 to 50' depth 20' and 10' set backs. Shorter set backs allow you to make tighter turns keeping you on the schools of fish that you can now see on your fish finder. Another consideration is you should be turning doing S turns as well as varying your speed all the time, most bites come on the turn and depending on which side of the boat the bite comes will tell you whether to speed up or slow down, if on the inside of the turn slow down if on the out side speed up. Nothing in nature swims in a straight line at the same speed all day. I vary my speed from about .9 mph up to about 1.8mph.

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Great info, thank you.

I was running both at 35' the last time. Before that I tried running one at 25' and one at 50'. I think I'll try running at 10' this week. I also was only going back 50', I'll try 120+ back. I figured that is why I saw a lot of boats running outriggers. I think I'll eventually get my boat rigged for outriggers.

I'll play around with speeds and S turns as well. Thanks for the info, I will get this figured out!!

One thing to keep in mind when running really long set backs is that you have to make much wider tuns to avoid lines crossing and tangles, they are still going to happen with long set backs but that's the trade off for catching early season Kokes. I don't know how many down riggers your running and if your stacking or not, If just 2, I would put one at 5' and one at 10' if your stacking or have 4, I would put one side of the boat at like 3' and 13'  and the other at like 8' and  18'. if your going to stack you should check out a product called a Shuttle Hawk its a diver that clips onto your down rigger cable with a release on it that will go down to a stop 10' above your ball when your line is connected and return to the surface after your line is pulled out of the release. There are lots of other little tips that help put fish in the boat like leader length I usually run mine 12-15" I also put a bend in in the sling blade style of dodgers I prefer. As far as color I always run pink but mix in orange, green and purple depending on what the kokes want that day. I would recommend finding you tube videos with guys sharing all kinds of good info on things like scent and corn concoctions.

[NWFishin]

I am completely new to this type of fishing, got my new boat last week. I went out 4 days last week learning how to use my downriggers, fish finder etc. I feel like I got some good time in trolling for kokanee but have been completely skunked, no blood on the new boat yet!

Has anyone been catching any kokanee or Coho in CDA? I could use some guidance. I'm going out again this week to keep try

What part of the water column are you targeting? Early in the year the Kokanee tend to be up near the surface and will not not be easy to locate with electronics. They will scatter as your boat approaches them and you will not see them with down imaging, requiring really long set backs 120+'  to catch. This time of year I'm running my down riggers in the top 10'. As the season progresses and the thermocline, a layer of water about 53 degrees develops, the fish will follow it down as that is where their food source lives. As the fish go deeper you can shorten your set backs and you will start seeing the schools of kokanee on your fish finder, when the fish are down in the 20'-30' range Ill run my bottom lines at 50' set backs and my top lines at 40' back and as the fish go deeper you can keep shorting them in 30' to 40' down 30' and 40' set backs and 40 to 50' depth 20' and 10' set backs. Shorter set backs allow you to make tighter turns keeping you on the schools of fish that you can now see on your fish finder. Another consideration is you should be turning doing S turns as well as varying your speed all the time, most bites come on the turn and depending on which side of the boat the bite comes will tell you whether to speed up or slow down, if on the inside of the turn slow down if on the out side speed up. Nothing in nature swims in a straight line at the same speed all day. I vary my speed from about .9 mph up to about 1.8mph.

---

Great info, thank you.

I was running both at 35' the last time. Before that I tried running one at 25' and one at 50'. I think I'll try running at 10' this week. I also was only going back 50', I'll try 120+ back. I figured that is why I saw a lot of boats running outriggers. I think I'll eventually get my boat rigged for outriggers.

I'll play around with speeds and S turns as well. Thanks for the info, I will get this figured out!!

One thing to keep in mind when running really long set backs is that you have to make much wider tuns to avoid lines crossing and tangles, they are still going to happen with long set backs but that's the trade off for catching early season Kokes. I don't know how many down riggers your running and if your stacking or not, If just 2, I would put one at 5' and one at 10' if your stacking or have 4, I would put one side of the boat at like 3' and 13'  and the other at like 8' and  18'. if your going to stack you should check out a product called a Shuttle Hawk its a diver that clips onto your down rigger cable with a release on it that will go down to a stop 10' above your ball when your line is connected and return to the surface after your line is pulled out of the release. There are lots of other little tips that help put fish in the boat like leader length I usually run mine 12-15" I also put a bend in in the sling blade style of dodgers I prefer. As far as color I always run pink but mix in orange, green and purple depending on what the kokes want that day. I would recommend finding you tube videos with guys sharing all kinds of good info on things like scent and corn concoctions.


I am always by myself so I only run 2 lines. I did buy 1 Shuttle Hawk so I could start to figure out how to use it but will wait until on Pend Orielle or if I bring someone with me. I watched a ton of videos and talked to some local shops, I think I have a nice assortment of colors in wedding rings, squids, hoochies and brads super baits. I have different scents and corn too. I think I just need to go longer setbacks and run shallower like the 5' & 10'. Then just troll the points down South.

I might go out early tomorrow and try it out before the wind picks up.