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Unlocking Hayden Lake Kokanee
by Lance Merz, June 25, 2015
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 are changing however.
I was recently afforded 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. 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.
The lake in 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 Out With The Old And In With The New By Lance Merz wasn’t before long that 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. A few more boats on the water.
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 is nothing more than a trolling attractor, tied to your main line, with a leader of their favorite lure. Later I found out that mostly all of them were using the 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 1.4MPH at depths that ranged anywhere from surface level to 30ft. If I caught a fish, I would re-bait with two pieces of white shoepeg corn, tipped with Pro-Cure Anise Bloody Tuna, and turn right back around to get back on them. It wasn’t before too long that I had my limit. One of the things that I think contributed to my success, was that I put Mack’s Lure Hot Wings® on my down rigger 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 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, the shrimp begin to drop in the water column.
I fished the lake for five days straight, with each day of my limit and I was typically off the water by around 9:00am, 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. It’s called a Flash Lite®, which is a trolling attractor that is new and improved of the older pop gear regimes. The reason why is due to its weight. They are extremely light weight 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! 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.
And speaking of Evolution - the new Mack's Lure Smile Blade is unlike any blade anglers have seen. High UV colors, reflects light in different colors in any type of water. Better yet, it glows in the dark. Like our current smile blade line up, you can bend the blade to get different actions. It's already out there catching fish so add it to your "Evolutionary" arsenal today!
