Jigging for kokanee has become one of my favorite ways to target these tasty renewable resources.
I was surprised at how much fuel we saved today just because we were jigging and not trolling. At one point in the day there was a slight breeze which made jigging even more effective and we were able to drift quietly which I believe helped the bite.
Our first location of the day was not as productive as I would have hoped, so Austin and I tried another favorite kokanee hole which held a healthy number of fish in the area for quite some time.
Most of our fish today were caught on a 5/8 Oz Big-Nasty Tackle rattle jig. These things glow so much that they help entice a bite without bait most of time. The remaining kokanee we caught were caught on various sizes of pink Kokanee Slammers made by Stan. We used our regular spinning rods for jigging and we also used an Okuma Aveon kokanee downrigger combo for jigging which worked very well.
The temperature outside was already 20 degrees Celsius by the time we got on the lake. There were only fishing boats until about 10:30am and then the ski boats started coming onto the lake which made keeping my balance a chore. It also proved to be a learning experience for Austin as he stood in a wide legged stance trying to keep his balance.
Most fish were caught only a couple turns off the bottom today. We marked fish anywhere from 20ft down to 50ft. There seemed to be more aggressive fish on the bottom and fish at 20ft seemed to only be up in the water column for a cruising tour. Maybe they were filter feeding on plankton?
On days like today, we usually plan a family picnic and have lunch at the beach. Then, we take turns and take family members fishing a few at a time while everyone else waits on shore and swims in the water. Unfortunately, this year we have heard of higher cases of swimmers itch and so everyone stayed clear of the water this time. I found washing my legs off in the middle of the lake kept the “itch” at bay.
We met a few nice people on the lake today. It’s always great talking with others and hearing their stories. Also, I might have found something fun for members to try one of these days. One person we met stayed close to us and we were able to jig together in our own boats, shout out depths the kokanee were at and talk. It reminded me of ice fishing and I think a group of people jigging in boats could form a great kokanee community on the open water one day.
I tried wearing my long sleeve UV shirt today on the boat and I was thoroughly impressed. Now, I did plan on swimming and making another YouTube video on trying to get back into my boat, but instead I followed the advice of another group member and soaked my shirt in the lake and then put it on. Wow! I will be doing this again. I enjoyed the cooling effect so much that I soaked my long sleeves 5 or 6 times which kept me cool all day, especially with my life jacket on.
It’s days like these that I look forward to. We decided to spend a day at the lake and it was well worth the time and effort. While we didn’t catch a family limit, it was great being outside for the day. I even got to take the lake home with me. All the boat traffic made the lake choppy at times like the ocean and I’m still moving around a touch in my seat.
What will our next adventure bring? I’m excited about the future and some fun kokanee trips we have planned.