can you catch kokanee from a tube?

[Jedburton]

Hey I heard someone talking about catching some kokes the other day and I was wondering if you can fish them effectively from a float tube and if I got a chance real soon where and how should I fish,
Jed Burton
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[Theekillerbee]

Fishing effectively starts out with locating the fish! That is the hardest part. If you can find a school quickly, you can effeciveley fish from a tube using small jigs, like a foxie jig, tipped with a wax worm. The problem lies in the fact that Kokes move around a lot. So it takes some work to stay with them. A fishfinder is key to that aspect. This time of year the Kokes are spawning, so the bigger ones usually won't have much interest in your bait. A small treble, with some pink powerbait can sometimes entice a strike, but just remember that any Kokes with red in them, must be immediately released. You wouldn't want to eat them at this stage anyways, they turn real soft and mushy.

Where were you planning on fishing at? Good luck when you head out.
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[FlyFishingMoose]

How about just know where the spawning beds are. Even then you'd spend all day just to get over to them. Once there it should be no problem just jig away with a buzz bomb and smelly jelly.
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[Hellsangler69]

I have had some luck catching Kokes from a tube . I do best when it is raining while fishing this time of year .On rainy days I have hooked up to 20 fish in a day . But they can be had on sunny days just slower fishing . Spawning kokes are close to shore at the strawberry this time of year . I will use chartreuse or hot pink flies or jigs . Strip aggressively and they will hit it on the pause . I have even ate some that are in spawn colors that were smoked and they tasted great . I just have never learned how to smoke fish myself . If you harvest fish take the males and let the females go . My biggest fish was 23 " male and it got away while I was fishing for my camera out of my tube .
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[Hellsangler69]

A good place from shore is up at Soldier Creek dam . You can see them if they are there most of the time . or I would try finding a creek channel in the lake that is about 10 foot deep or deeper and showing fish on finder . I haven't tried it this year so I don't know how they are fishing . Lot of them would hang out at the boat ramps because of being planted there when young . But the dwr has a barge that they use to spread them out more now . I been up there and got to help and watch the DWR on the gill nets . They usually set up by Aspen Grove boat ramp and there are Kokes in there too . I believe it was a weekday when that happen and I miss having weekdays off .
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[Hellsangler69]

Here some proof of kokes at the berry on a tube . I been digging around and found these from October 1999 . I was throwing chartreuse jig on a fly rod in these pics .
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[Xman]

if the kokanee are spawning they are extremely hard to catch. unless your snagging them. if its a prespawn mode they are in you will have better luck. right now they should all be out of the spawn and in a bit back to feeding to fatten up for the winter. im not sure why its a common thought that fishing is best during the spawn but especially with kokanees when they are red they are extremely hard to get to hit.
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[FlyFishingMoose]

Not true! We fished the spawning beds for a long time always caught our limit, they hit on buzz bombs with smelly jelly on them. You don't keep the snagged ones thats illeagle to catch em that way. 3-4 of us hit the spawning beds first thing in the morning at first light and started jigging by lunch time we'd caught our limit and then hit they bay to clean the fish and spend the rest of the day catching carp on salmon eggs.
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[FrozenFish]

[size 1]"right now they should all be out of the spawn and in a bit back to feeding to fatten up for the winter."[/size]

[size 1]Last time I checked, Salmon die after spawning.[/size]
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[Xman]

hmmm kokanees will spawn a couple of years usually. how many floating kokes do you see in the green after they spawn? or in strawberry etc. they dont run from the ocean different cycles.

ill remember to choose my information for people next time since i gave advice and it seems to be ridiculed first instead of pointing out discrepencies.
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[Xman]

was curious where you were fishing the kokes during the spawn. my experience with them is extremely hard to hit when they are running. also they are not good eating that time of year so just wondering if you guys ate them and if they were any good being so soft.
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