Useful Koke tips

[Elkslayer1]

Here are a few useful tips we have learned in the past year:

Using smaller 4” dodgers over 6” dodgers. Better for playing fish and easier to troll slow with

Used shorter 12” leaders with 17lb test to move the squires better

Most early season we trolled around 1.7 mph but found that later in the season as they have seen everything that 1.1 to 1.2 did better. I know it’s crazy ...but it worked.

Run downrigger balls 3ft over the fish

Please post what works best for you all.

Elkslayer
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[liketrolling]

here is my $00.02 for what it is worth

number 1 is finding the kokanee and keep on them they move and boats around you will not let you move.

2- find how deep they are

3- when you have 1 and 2 keep changing setups and speed till you find what works for the day

4- what works for one person may not work for you

5 what worked last year may not work this year

like 2 years ago the bigger squids worked last year the mini squid worked better
both years I run spinners on the squids but last year was using a glow spinner

dodgers if I use 4" dakota dodgers will run 4 at the same time and my speed will be .8 to 1.5 Mph.

but the dodgers I like best are a 5.5" sling blade and a 4" mack double D dodger
I will run them together speed 1.3 to 2 mph put a bend in all sling blades you can put a bend in the double D dodger also.
if all this does not work that day I have other dodgers to use
color depends on the time of year and how deep the kokanee are
you need a bunch of different colors
stores make money because a lot of stuff. work only thing, some things work a lot better
also I'm a big believer in using scent and berkley gulp maggots

how you stack your downriggers and the set backs you have will help you catch more kokanee

also if you have a hot boat you will not catch a lot of kokanee unless you have a very long set back
leader between 5.5 dodger and squid is 10" sometimes early in the year this needs to be longer.

if you are using a spinner like a wedding ring leader 18"
if you use a apex up to 28 or 36" same with Brad's Super Bait Cut Plug
I don't use spoon but I have heard they work
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[liketrolling]

some things I left off

Hooks Gamakatsu size 2 this year had one glow hook on had so many bites on it it wore the glow off
leader 15 lb Fluorocarbon gives you better action
put a green glow bead between hooks this helps with kokes not cutting the line between hooks you still will lose the bottom hook but not as much

main fishing line I use 10lb P-Line Floroclear I have tried braid and I did not like it
some people love it.

the kind of fishing pole you have is a big dill you will not miss as many fish with a good koke pole. plus you can see if a 6" fish hits your hook. if you are watching your rods

Like was said last year a slower speed worked better this year will have to wait and see.
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[kandersonSLC]

Thanks guys for your tips. These are very helpful for a Koke-newbie.
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[Lunkers]

Thanks for the update. I will try that as well.
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[Bhuntin]

Can you give more details of how you stack your rods on the downriggers? I typically stack the lines 10’ apart. Do you have the top or bottom with a longer setback? Also, what do you mean by having a hot boat?
Thanks for the great tips.

[dubob]

[quote Bhuntin]Can you give more details of how you stack your rods on the downriggers? I typically stack the lines 10’ apart. Do you have the top or bottom with a longer setback? Also, what do you mean by having a hot boat?
Thanks for the great tips.[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]If you run metal wire/cable on your electric downriggers there will be a voltage differential between the wire and the boat. This is called ion voltage and generally should be about .65 volts for best results on kokanee. If the voltage is more than .7 volts, then you will be running ‘hot’. Cannon Mag5/Mag10 are factory pre-set for .6 as this is a good all-around setting. It is not adjustable. The Cannon Digitroll is adjustable. Scottys don’t have a preset function. I don’t know about Walkers or Big Jon. [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]You can buy some after market controls that allow you to control this voltage. The units are usually referred to as Black Boxes and there are several companies that make them. I tried the Pro Troll brand with the Scottys I was using in 2017 and couldn’t get consistent readings trying to control 4 downriggers. I sold it on eBay and replaced the Scotty’s with 2 Mag 5 and 2 Mag 10 Cannons. I checked the voltage on the Cannons and it is .6 volts as advertised.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]If you Google ‘black box technology for fishing’, you will find lots of information that will describe the technology and its effects on your fishing success when using downriggers. If you can’t control it and its too high or low, then your set back needs to be extended to get you out of the ion field surrounding your cables. I’ve never found any information that says how far to set back, but I would guess 50 feet or more should be enough. Perhaps Robert (liketrolling) can provide that information.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[not-a-purist]

Put scent on your dodger and not the lure. Easier to clean off, and it wont go rancid in all the nooks and crannies of your lure.

To get rid of a "hot" boat, try switching to 250 or 300 pound braid for your riggers. You cant adjust the current on them, but you get rid of the big blow back when fishing deep, and also get rid of that annoying hum you have when using stainless cable. This also allows you to have a close setback from your ball.
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[liketrolling]

[quote Bhuntin]Can you give more details of how you stack your rods on the downriggers? I typically stack the lines 10’ apart. Do you have the top or bottom with a longer setback? Also, what do you mean by having a hot boat?
Thanks for the great tips.[/quote]

what dubob said is good
read every thing here I believe that you will catch more kokanee using a small electrical charge
https://www.protroll.com/bb-introduction

on stacking here are some ideas what works for me may not work for you

I use 4 downriggers
at ice off kokanee can be anywhere between on top to down over 60'
at FG have got kokanee down as deep as 90 feet
because water temp. is about the same on top as it is on the bottom
If your are fishing for the ones on top you need long set backs over 80 feet

when the water starts to warm up you will get a Thermocline, kokanee like water temp around 52 to 54 deg and they will go there.
then you need your set backs closer to the downrigger ball Like you said 10' apart is a good starting point using 4 lines none will be the same none back more than 30 from the ball. you need to be able to make sharp turns to get back on the school you just went over (sometimes kokanee will only bite when you are going one way so if you do not get one going back turn around and go back)
this is when your gps map and tracks are your best fish finder

I have had 3 under water cameras down at the same time watching what kokanee do a lot of the time if they don't bite the one setup they will go up and if you have a lure higher up and back about 10' they will hit that
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[liketrolling]

[quote dubob][quote If you can’t control it and its too high or low, then your set back needs to be extended to get you out of the ion field surrounding your cables. I’ve never found any information that says how far to set back, but I would guess 50 feet or more should be enough. Perhaps Robert (liketrolling) can provide that information.[/size][/#800000][/font][/quote]
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using positive Ion control set backs of 10 to 20 feet are typical
A drop back of 50 to 100 feet will entirely negate the effects of the PIC circuit
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[Lundman]

I run 2 downriggers and stack two poles on each ---
Saw on a fishing show last fall..... using shower curtain wire loops and a lead weigh and a release to put your top stacker line back out without have to bring up your downrigger.

Anyone try this ?
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[obifishkenobi]

Not that method, but I use shuttle hawks even when I’m not stacking so I don’t have to crank my down riggers up as much. https://www.kokaneetackle.com/p-263-shas...lease.aspx?
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[TRUBBS]

[quote obifishkenobi]Not that method, but I use shuttle hawks even when I’m not stacking so I don’t have to crank my down riggers up as much. https://www.kokaneetackle.com/p-263-shas...lease.aspx?[/quote]


that shower curtain method is getting more and more popular it seams.
I use Shuttle hawks as well and have for the past couple years, I like them a lot, they work great for what they are. takes a bit of adjusting to get used to them at first but once you do theyre great!
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[PACKFAN]

I only run Cannon Down Riggers and have been for 30 years the rest are just garbage in my book.[cool]
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