# Ice fishing for Kokanee: tips please!



## milenine (Nov 25, 2007)

Until this year I was strictly a fly fisherman... then I discovered Kokanee. My fly rod has been collecting dust ever since. I traded the thrill of chasing trout with artificial insects for salmon on my dinner table 3 nights a week. It can be a very addicting meal. 

Now that the spawning is over, and the ice is hard, I want to start catching them again but have no knowledge of how to target them on the ice (the trout seem to get in the way). Anyone had any luck with consistently targeting and catching Kokanee on the ice? PM me if you have any secrets you can share. Thanks!


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## Nibble Nuts (Sep 12, 2007)

From my understanding, good luck with that one. I've heard they're hard to ice. 

In the warmer weather, are you trolling for them?


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## milenine (Nov 25, 2007)

Yes. Trolling in the summer. I know that it is hit and miss on the kokes in the winter, but I know of a guy that targets them and does pretty well. I just have not been able to get a hold of him this year.


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## FC2Tuber (Oct 26, 2007)

What waters are you looking to fish?


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## milenine (Nov 25, 2007)

Porcupine Dam in Cache Valley is where I fish them in the summer.


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

Head to Montana, you'll catch all the kokes your heart desires through the ice.


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## tnokes (Dec 31, 2007)

It was years ago when I caught them @ porcupine. You need a good sonar, as they suspend at the same depth once you find them. The are mostly plankton eaters. Use a small flasher about 8" above a wax worm on a small ice fly. Keep it small, and make sure you are in the right depth. 25' sticks in my mind, but trust your sonar.


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## milenine (Nov 25, 2007)

I finally got into the kokes yesterday! If you like salmon, and who doesn't, these are the best eating fish in Utah. I'd put Walleye at a close second. It seemed the only tip that mattered was to "fish where the fish are". Once we found them they would pretty much hit anything. Untipped ice jigs worked well. Baiting the hook took too long and left less hook exposed. I was using a lure for a flasher and double hooked... one fish on each lure. An extremely sensitive rod tip was also helpful. They are very delicate strikers.

If you want to see a picture of the little devils here is a link:

http://adventurejournal.blogspot.com/20 ... h-ice.html


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

milenine said:


> I finally got into the kokes yesterday!


That's great! Would you care to tell us which body of water? I'm itching to ice a few myself. Also, I really like to use the ATV to get to and from and need to know that the ice was at least 6 inches thick which is the standard safe ice for ATVs and snowmobiles.


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

I know moon lake is full of small koke's not sure on the ice condition.


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