Kokanee Rods

[Mike Carey]

my kokanee reels have 12 lb mono loaded up. I figured I didn't want the braid D/T no stretch with braid, and from what I've learned you want everything, rod, line, to be limber and stretch because of the soft mouths and crazy energy they use trying to get off. My success rate by the end of last season was running really high on hook to catch ratios, I'd say around 90% vrs starting the year at 50%, so I'm not changing anything.

By contrast, when downrigging in the salt this year I used braid on my DR cables, braid on my reels. Fishing deep and fast I wanted to minimize drag as much as possible. With the coho the reel drag is doing a lot of the work, the rod not so much. With kokanee it's the rod that's doing most of the work.

As to the concern about mono abrasion, I would look at it this way: how many koks will you lose D/T the lining breaking vrs. how many will you lose D/T no stretch in the line and the hook pulling out? I never had my line break last year. I had a lot (early in the year) of hooks pull out.

Anyone have differing opinions chime in.

[Steelheadin360]

Stretchy is good! Everything I have read and heard from the guys who catch a lot if silver footballs and have a good hook/land ratio use 8-12# mono and kokanee specific rods.

And I guess a 1 pound fish isnt gonna put a lot if strain on the line. But those monster freakzilla bows that hang around...

[Steelheadin360]

Well I went with the lamiglas team kokanee red rods. Tried uploading a picture but cant from my phone. Pretty excited to try these out!

[TroutSnipr]

A lot of people use the red lami koke rods to troll sockeye over at the Brewster pool, so don't be afraid to try em on something a little bigger!

[Steelheadin360]

Im thinking about trying them for humpies and silvers . They have a warranty. Whats the worst that could happen haha

[jd39]

Well I went with the lamiglas team kokanee red rods. Tried uploading a picture but cant from my phone. Pretty excited to try these out!

Good choice, really like mine. Can't wait, couple more weeks and the kokanee should start turning on around here.

[Steelheadin360]

Just went and picked up two TICA Caiman Kokanee reels I got a screamin deal on. Spooled with 8 pound ultra green. Guess whos hitting the lake tomorrow!

[NewJack]

You will have to let us know how well they work for you.

[Mike Carey]

That reel looks like a nice match for the rod. Good luck!

[Steelheadin360]

Thanks mike, I almost went witht he next size up on the reel and im glad i didnt. everything feels nice and compact, balanced well. Im pretty happy with it

[Mike Carey]

Thanks mike, I almost went witht he next size up on the reel and im glad i didnt. everything feels nice and compact, balanced well. Im pretty happy with it

ya for kokanee a 100 series size reel is plenty.

[ripsomelip]

Just went and picked up two TICA Caiman Kokanee reels I got a screamin deal on. Spooled with 8 pound ultra green. Guess whos hitting the lake tomorrow!

I was down at Tica in Kent and looked at those . I definitely want!!!!!!
bought a steelhead rod from them, but those are next!
Have you seen the Wasabi line? pretty cool.

[Idstud]

Rod and reels looking good. I got one of those tica reels last year at the Lake Steves kok derby and know your really going to like the smoothness of the reel and the sensitive drag. Like some reels it dosnt go from no drag to too much. Ive been using 6 lbs test line on my kok gear do you guys think thats too light? Oh and Okuma has a new ladys line for kok rods that are pink. Got a look at one at Gregs custom rods. It was a spinning rod and I asked if he could find out if there is a casting rod.

[Mike Carey]

Everything I've read is that koks are not leader/line shy. I run 12 pound flurocarbin leaders and 12 pound main line, mono. The theory is a stiff leader will give better action to the lure. The fish certainly didn't seem to care, I caught plenty last year. I will say I didn't experiment with lighter leaders so I can't say definatively that my catch rate wouldn't have gone even higher.

As far as any concerns about losing fish D/T the main line, it's not a line breakage issue when you lose one, it's a hook pulling out of the mouth issue.

[Toni]

I found that my releases did not work well with less than 8 pound test line. I use 12-15 pound test for my leaders.

[Steelheadin360]

I like running 8# main line because its stretchy. As far as leaders I like 12# flouracarbon. Sometimes ill step up to 14 to get that really nice action on my hoochies. 6 pound is a little light IMO

[Idstud]

Thanks for the helpful tips. I will have to go to something heavier and see if I notice a differences and let you know. I didnt think about the stiffness adding more action but it works in the sound so it should work the same else were.

[rseas]

I have been loosely following this thread and decided that it was time to add my two cents. I have a ton of rods, OK maybe not a ton but 100 or so. I know that it sounds like a lot but if you consider that I have been collecting them for 30+ years it is not to bad. As an avid fisherman I was outfitted for a number of regional specific fisheries and I still have almost every rod I have ever owned. Within my rod collection there are 6 rods that I would consider my "kokanee rods"; 2 Lamiglas team Kokanee rods (the red ones), 3 Fetha Styx FS-FW-761-2C (7’ 6” 4-10#) and 1 Lamiglas AC 73UL (7’ 3” 2-8#). I have successfully caught kokanee on other rods in my collection but the 6 noted provide a great balance of control verses a forgiving action.

The Team Kokanee rods are exceptional downrigger rods providing a consistent parabolic bend when set up in the downrigger clip. They recover quickly after a takedown while providing the necessary backbone to fight the fish while the boat is still in gear and moving forward. I absolutely love the Fetha Styx rods mentioned for kokanee or any lake downrigger fishing. They have the backbone required to control any fish you might catch, including sockeye while still having a very forgiving overall light action. In my opinion they are the perfect freshwater downrigger rods. The last rod, my Lami Rock Creek rod may seem a bit on the light side but it kicks butt. Last spring while fishing a local lake I happened to locate a few large trout and during the course of a couple hours I hooked 5 monster trout. A couple threw the hook at the last minute but I was still able to put three on ice where the largest was over 6 pounds. I was fishing solo at the time but was confident that I had control of each fish right to the end.

I prefer using the round bait caster reels for all my downrigger fishing. They are simple to operate while setting gear, feel good in my hand, have a smooth drag and offer the most control of your aquatic nemesis. I am partial to Shimano products but have also had exceptional luck with the Tica reels. Choose a reel/reel brand that you are comfortable with and assure that it balances well with the rod it will be used on. Within this thread there has been a braid verses mono discussion. I prefer braid on all of my trolling gear. I spool the reel with the appropriate braid then add a 20-50’ top shot of 4-8# fluorocarbon. I have been successfully running this braid/fluorocarbon combination for years and have never had a fish pop off because there was no stretch in the line. My rods and the drag setting help to provide the shock resistance required to land the soft mouthed kokanee. I don’t put every fish hooked in the boat but am very successful with this combination. Good luck and remember; the rod that catches the most kokanee, is the one in the water fishing.

[gfakkema]

...

[Bodofish]

Both the red and white Lami's are on sale at the OE/Sportco tent sale on 12th thru the 28th, $54.88 each.