Deadwood: Need Kokanee 101

[Tatohead]

Hello,

Making a trip to Deadwood next week. There's one road open access (Bear Valley) and the campgrounds are open, according to the Lowman Ranger District.

I don't have downriggers but I have lead line. What does a first-timer need to know? I mean really basic stuff here -- baits / lures / technique etc.

I would appriate any info!

Thanks!!
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[windriver]

I don't know much about fishing for Kokanee during the summer. I think BFT has a sister site specific to the Kokanee world.

WIndriver
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[MMDon]

The basics.

Kokanee fishing is best with some kind of dodger which moves back and forth in the water. There are two basic styles a skateboard and a sling blade. The skateboard dodger has two rounded ends and trolls best at 1.2 mph. The sling blade style is longer and the front end is pointy. The best speed for this style dodger is 1.7 mph. With lead core, speed keeps the dodger from going deeper so I would suggest the skate board style. Fish 4 to 6 colors which is a deep as lead core will go with out flat lining due to the resistance of water pressure on your line. You will want a 30' top line attached to your lead core as Kokanee jump like crazy and this will allow you to fight the fish on the top line without them using the lead core to pull on and rip themselves loose. Then the dodger with about 12" of leader to a spinner. Pink and green are the two most productive colors for the depths you will be fishing. Fish pink spinners early and then as the fish move down in the water column switch to green. For the novice gulp maggots in pink are the most common bait but you can go the the grocery store and pick up a can of "shoe peg corn." This is a white corn that kokanee really like the scent of. Those are the basics. After you taste a kokanee and become and addict it becomes a whole other world. You then get an STD, (Salmon Tackle Disease) and things will never be the same.
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[Duck-Slayer]

very informative post MMDon, I will make note of this,
Matt
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[windriver]

Dang I can't kick 1.7 miles an hour for very long. []

Windriver
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[Nick1983]

I learned more in the 45 seconds of reading your post than I ever did in all the years me and my dad just trolled w/ lead core line.

Don't know why I never thought of the 30' top shot of mono. Makes nothing but perfect sense.

Thanks!
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[hizah]

My friend has been going up there for the past few weeks. He says spoons, little rapalas, kastmasters are working. The trout are really shallow now and the kokanee will hit anything and that you don't need anything special up there right now.
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[curt69]

Great Information , thanks MMDon . Curt G.
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[MMDon]

Out the door to go catch some Kokes before the wind starts! [fishin]
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[redneckjmr]

One could dang near be come an expert from reading this thread. great info. Ive heard wedding rings work well to but i havent tried them out yet.
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[Tatohead]

MMDon,

Can't say enough thanks to you.

I am printing out your disertation and taking it to Sportsman's warehouse to get geared up.

Hoping we get lucky and knock 'em dead.

I feel like I'm being possessed by some strange force...

Must... Smoke... Kokanee......
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[MMDon]

We picked up a couple of nice fish this morning.





This one wouldn't fit into the bleed bucket.


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[thebug]

have you ever had good luck on the divers that take your line down to preset depths like 20 or 30 ft instead of having to use lead core?
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[MMDon]

Divers work but I personally prefer the banana weights or trolling weights. They are a small bananas shaped weight that come in different ounce sizes and have bead chain swivels attached to them. Each ounce takes you down another 10 feet or so depending upon your trolling speed. They create much less drag then divers or lead core and can be used with your regular reels and line types.
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[Belasko]

I would also recomend a rubber snubber between the flasher/dodger and the line going to your lure. I found this reduced the number of fish getting off after a strike immensely. I've also use pop gear w/ great success many times instead of the flasher/dodger option. As for wedding rings they are my standard go to lure when targeting kokes.
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[cdennis]

I second Belasko, the rubber snubber has really helped my retention of fish, especially the Deadwood ones which tend to be on the smaller side...or maybe that's just me. []
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[Tatohead]

Hi, I just wanted to follow up on this thread after the trip.

My elderly father ended up coming with us to camp, so we actually only fished from the canoe for about 2 hours.

Approx. 20 fish were caught, both at the surface and at 4 color depth. There was never an interval of more than 5 minutes without a fish on.

The kokanees that we got to the boat (most got off) were fairly small, about 7 - 12". The cutts, however, were amazing. I've never seen such brilliant colors. Largest was 16".

When we arrived Friday morning, there were only 2 other campers in the 4 campgrounds combined. By Saturday afternoon, a couple dozen more outfits had arrived.

Weather was perfect. Only road open was the 529 Bear Valley. The Ranger District reports that the road from Garden Valley will be accessible by the 4th. We drove to Deadwood Pass to try to drive out the Warm Lake highway, but the top of the pass was closed with heavy snow from a previous avalanche. I would estimate it was about 12 - 15 feet deep on the road. It was warm, however, and melting fast. Lots of debris from the avalanch that will need to be cleared.
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