Northwest Fishing Magazine April 2025 Volume 4 Issue 6 - Flipbook - Page 26
This is when kokanee
enter the pre-spawn
period. And changes
start happening to the
kokanee, as their stored
energy (from gorging) is
then directed to those
body parts necessary
for spawning.
A key factor for growing
large kokanee is how
long that 54 degree
zone can remain within
the growing plankton.
Keeping that zone in the
phytoplankton is influenced
by inflows (the cooler the
better), reservoir depth,
and amount of heating
(infrared) by the sun. If the
water warms too quickly,
kokanee will not have
enough time to feed to
achieve their maximum
potential size. And there
can be even more dramatic
size downward if there are
too many mouths for the
available food supply at
the temperature where
kokanee prefer. Obviously,
the spring weather and
natural spawn success have
a lot to do with it in either
case. A mild spring, with
an excellent slow melting
substantial snowpack is
ideal.
You can easily confirm the
pre-spawn time. If you land
a kokanee and clean it, and
if the stomach is empty,
that not only tells you it is
pre-spawn, but it also tells
you that the 54 degrees is
now below that 10% light
threshold in the water
column. Fortunately for us,
kokanee will continue to
strike out at a proper setup,
even in reduced light. Even
in no light.
Understanding this
fundamental principle
that water absorbs light
and that there is always
less light at depth is the
first step in deciding
what dodger and lure
combination (the setup) to
fish.
To proceed further, we have
to understand another
two interlocking principles.
Kokanee are first attracted
to proper vibration, then to
color. It is not the other way
around. Proper vibration
and color cannot be
separated.
Yes, scent does play a role,
but even the correct scent
will not make up for a bad
presentation at incorrect
depth, speed, and dodger/
lure choice. In fact, a bad
scent choice will condition
the kokanee not to strike.
That is one of the best
reasons to have scent
choices on hand and to
move to new fishing areas
with a different scent.
Simply staying in the same
area but changing scents
will do nothing to remove
the bad scent already in
the water. Only time and
current can do that.
