5 Reasons You Struggle With Spring Kokanee

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Early spring or ice out Kokanee fishing can be tough. Some of those challenges can be overcome and others are beyond your control. In this video I discuss five reasons you are struggling with spring time Kokanee fishing.
Tackle Used In This Video:
Peak Performer Dodger Lite Silver Moon Jelly: paulinapeaktac...
Wickiup Sunrise Microhoochie: paulinapeaktac...
Big I Pink Lemonade Hammered Dodger: paulinapeaktac...
Pink Microhoochie: paulinapeaktac...
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[@TheMadC]

Anything in the net, no matter how much struggle is better than the alternative. Great info and great video as usual.

[@campingkids]

Another great video and thanks for teaching us about Kokanee over the past couple years. I have learned a lot and caught more fish because if it than other anglers around me on my home lakes in Colorado! Sometimes I feel guilty at the fish cleaning stations when other come up with a smaller catch.

[@Liberalsareaplague]

What area of Colorado are you in? I’m in the springs and fish 11 mile a couple times a week for the kokes, just curious how you’ve been doing in your part of the state

[@campingkids]

I am in Thornton and will start heading up to the mountains after the 4th to get after a few Kokanee. Reach out if you want to get out l!

[@doublereefed]

You are pure awesome. What I love is you catching Koke after Koke while telling us why it's going to be hard to catch them. You 'da man!

[@decoyoppymang6068]

I'm impressed by the size of kokanee in this lake, this early in the season. They are healthy specimens for sure. What lake were you on in this video? I'm sure looking forward to your visit to the Seattle area to gain some intel on our area lakes. I'm in N Seattle specifically a city called Shoreline. Lk WA has been awesome for a couple of months allready and i've been fishing that at least once a week if not twice but look forward to doing some out of the city fishing.

[@returnofsid]

Viewing again, learning more!

[@jonlobello7151]

Good one. I'm horrible at netting salmon the first few times out in the early spring, so you aren't alone there. I'll be working up at Baker Lake on the salmon smolt "barge"coming up in May. I'll be exposed to both coho and sockeye salmon juveniles, but my job will be counting and tagging the coho smolts and getting them ready for the "salmon taxi" to be released below the dams on the Baker river. Of course those fish will go down the Skagit and into Skagit Bay and Puget Sound or as some people call it, the Salish Sea. I doubt that I'll fish out here this go around because I have to be back in the U.P. by July for a health evaluation and cardio workup. But next year my job will be waiting for me and I'll be better prepared for living in the west. Presently, I'm counting coho on a Skagit trib in Lyman, WA.

[@dylanroach1411]

Thumbs up for struggle bus net job and not losing it.

[@jessetharp6319]

Great video. I’m chomping at the bit to get out this year.

[@leslivesoutside]

Pumped to spring kokanee fish in BC, hope to see you out there!!

[@rthyde1]

Thanks for another great video Tyler. I have quite a few kokes in my freezer from following your channel. My 18 ft boat looks like a killer whale and is super loud even with my electric motor. I run 25ft of 8# mono to 50ft of 18# micro lead than clip on a planer board and run it out 30 to 40 ft. Pretty much run at least one of these set ups all year with great results. If there is alot of boat traffic I take off my boards and do longer set backs. Manuevring around boats with boards sucks for everyone.

[@macsmith2092]

I'm planning to get out for the first time this season next weekend here in idaho. Great timing on the video. Thanks for sharing.

[@AlpineForge9600]

Great work , this video shows a major strength of the snap weights, that its way faster changing weight and going back to flatline , get to try it later this week in a little puddle out in the seedskadee

[@AURoger1946]

Very good teaching videos. Keep up the good work. Your the best.

[@Derekfowler88]

Doubled up good work, thanks for the vid’s

[@jjphelps8426]

Amazing net job!

[@paulevans6719]

Once again a great video. A lot of new information to process. I will be back on Whiskeytown again next Saturday and will be keeping things shallow and hopefully I'll take a few fish home too!

[@RichardBeven]

Spilt milt I met you at spectacle lake 2 years ago in my green inflatable. You are my hero and you gave me the clues to kokanee. Do you know if spectacle lake and palmer lake were stocked with kokanee this year?

[@spiltmilt]

Yes they were stocked.

[@RichardBeven]

@@spiltmilt thanks man I bought 1 of your shirts a week ago I hope it helps

[@catfishman9516]

@@spiltmiltwhat kind of cooler do you use to put fish in while on the kayak?

[@trentwilliams1984]

Thanks again for another informative video

[@jernplays1815]

Tried Dworshak this spring a few times got a few on but they are so dang small 6-8 inches. IDFW need to plant some Coho in that lake or something to keep koke pop in check.

[@fishwhistle9666]

Thanks for the video, been loving the info...hope to put a few in the boat next time I get out! Cheers

[@colbysteffenhagen1703]

Excellent video as always, thanks for sharing!

[@tri_nofeet]

This video is spot on!

[@reapergrim76]

Good to know! 😊

[@stingray4540]

Even when I mark fish, I usually run at least one surface rod.

[@nicholassenones8563]

as for the net job, all that matters is that you got it on board.

[@rowandizzzle_fn1]

Keep up the content

[@kevinenos7941]

Lol. Still better than me in a boat with net.

[@TinyTrout]

I love your videos. Could you please do a sockeye video on set up, and what time of year is best for the lower columbia?

[@spiltmilt]

I don't live there anymore. Its pretty simple just use a small spin-n-glo and coon shrimp and plunk tight to the shore on the Columbia. Late June and early July are the best times.

[@TinyTrout]

​@Spilt Milt Productions thank you.

[@RichardBeven]

Do you know when and if they put in catchables. It's been pour fishing! Thanks

[@bradfarrahgerwing154]

Ugh my Bridge Lake up in the cariboo is still iced in..starting to break up but stillsheets of ice on Webcam So late this year...,,hoping to leave Thursday if i see its clear.....heatwave this week should help

[@fishroper]

General question, what is the wind speed limit that you’ll stay out on the water trolling for Kokes?

[@spiltmilt]

12 mph

[@pasichnyk]

Do you only run the clip weights in the spring? Are you seeing better hookup/landing ratio compared to a normal slider with a couple foot bumper before your dodger, or you just like them better these days?

[@spiltmilt]

I run them year round. I like them better for a couple reasons. I get a higher landing ratio. I get less tangles when dropping gear down. Lastly, I can drop my gear down much faster.

[@pasichnyk]

@@spiltmilt good reasons. I’ll have to try, I’ve always ran sliders with droppers, but I’m normally running a single downrigger.

[@chubbrock659]

Good question… I thought you used sliders for your weights. Do you prefer clip ons? Is there a situation where one is better than the other?

[@ericward6919]

@@spiltmilt I love my snap droppers except that I have lost a lot of fish dicking around with trying to get it unclipped by myself. If I have another body in the boat, its not that bad.

[@spiltmilt]

I prefer clip ons.

[@johnmathews8781]

15 ft down with 2 oz weight is about 10 ft deep. How do you figure this? Do you have a chart or a formula that you use?

[@thehonfleur]

Do you generally choose a 50ft set back when using the snap weight? Cheers

[@spiltmilt]

Variable depending on the conditions but minimum 30’

[@thehonfleur]

@@spiltmilt Thanks!

[@chubbrock659]

All those people drop in on you because they can see you know what the heck you’re doing!😂

[@michaelr4401]

Do u look at barometric pressure before fishing for kokanee still? For good fishing is rising or falling pressure ideal? Any strategies if pressure not ideal? Thank you

[@spiltmilt]

Stable is best. Rising is okay. Falling sucks.

[@thehonfleur]

So the kokanee are on the surface in early(colder temps) spring for warmer water? Does this go for rainbow trout as well?

[@spiltmilt]

Generally that is the rule

[@thehonfleur]

@Spilt Milt Productions Thanks brother!

[@davidthompson7874]

In the spring when reservoirs are moving lots of water through and levels are fluctuating what does this do to the Kokanee and the bite? I thought you did a video on this at one point but I cannot find it. Thanks

[@spiltmilt]

Fishing tends to be poor when water levels are dropping but better when stable or rising IMO

[@CustomCompost]

What temps do you start fishing for them. 39 deg here and no luck trolling.

[@spiltmilt]

I fish them from 37 F on up. Try slower troll speeds or jigging if you can get them on the troll.

[@kirkesplin7292]

Been really trying to understand depth.. it seems at my kokanee fishery close to me, water temp is rarely above 55 degrees. Even mid summer. When Temps on surface are around 46 to 48, I find a lot of active fish at the 15 to 25 foot range. Is that something you find on deeper high mountain lakes? Or maybe some thoughts on why that may be?

[@spiltmilt]

Do you know what the water temp is at those depths? Makes me wonder.

[@deitz505]

Do you use a longer leader length for spring?

[@spiltmilt]

No I don't.

[@deitz505]

@@spiltmilt What length do you usually go with then?

[@victorkrasnodemsky8958]

Hey Tyler, I’m looking into getting a red Kokanee rod primarily for the bright color. Seems like the only options on the market right now are the red Lamiglass or Santiam rod. What do you think will fish droppers (up to 4 or 5oz) and bigger trout (5-6lb) better?

[@spiltmilt]

The Lami has more backbone for droppers and bigger fish

[@victorkrasnodemsky8958]

Sweet. Thanks for the reply!

[@MosesMcCart]

High average net job in my boat.

[@micahgelfand8282]

😅😅😅 made it to the net so that's all that matters

[@fishwhistle9666]

Do you find that dodger size or lure size needs to be a bit smaller?

[@spiltmilt]

Not necessarily sometimes more action is needed

[@fishwhistle9666]

Thanks. Going to try monte tomorrow. Ice off last Sunday.

[@spiltmilt]

Nice. Such a fun lake!

[@pnwhunter]

Can you link the clip on weights?

[@spiltmilt]

Add whet ever lead weights you want to these amzn.to/43WcQ7O

[@livinglife2535]

corn recipe!

[@NorthwestOpenSeason]

Tyler: “this is why you suck at kokanee fishing… oops, hold on, let me land this double… Anyway, back to why you suck at kokanee fishing… 😂 great video

[@alsellers5657]

Fontenelle is still locked up with 38" of ice... it's going to be a while.

[@spiltmilt]

That is wild.

[@bradfarrahgerwing154]

I only have leadline setups.....should I increase my monofilament length by 30 or 40 ft to help,stay up top but away from the boat? I normally only run 15 ft mono after my leadline Thanks

[@spiltmilt]

That could help when running near surface certainly.

[@kyleoden3015]

I run 80ft of line before my lead line so even with a half a color out I'm still fishing confidently.