Northwest Fishing Reports

Just some different questions up for discussion on loon lake kokanee....

1. Does everyone agree that the size of kokanee this year (so far) are a lot smaller than last year or are people having sucess with bigger kokes?

2. Is anyone using jigs or are people just using the classic glo hook?

3. Do you think a floating light is really necessary in catching the kokes?

4. Also, I keep hearing about the so-called "sockeye hole" any hints or tips as to where this location is at?

Thanks in advance for the advice/information...I hope it generates better knowledge for all of you out there!

Another question:
5. Do the Loon Kokes spawn out and die each year, or do some hold over another year creating a bigger 16-18" fish that we were seeing last year?

The kokes my fishing partner and I caught a week or so ago were about the same as those we got last year, ie 12-15" with an occasional 16" fish thrown in. As is usually the case, they seemed to school up by size. We'd get several dinks consecutively, followed by several consecutive keepers. We were tempted to move when the dinks were in but by staying in place we were ready when the bigguns came through.

We were using only glow jigs, the teardrop style commonly used for ice fishing. When the bite was really ripping, my buddy was able to get several fish by using just the jig without corn or maggot!

IMO, I don't think the light is necessary. The fish are going to come through in schools, light or no light.

The "sockeye hole" you mentioned might be off Granite Point, although we haven't gone there recently due to having our own hotspot. Folks flock to Granite Point.

I was always told they die after spawning, as other salmon species do. Truth be told, I honestly don't know for sure!

I have never fished Loon, so I can't answer specific questions about the lake. I can respond to the Kokes.

Kokanee are landlocked salmon, so they have a life cycle, normally three years, then they spawn if spawning is available, and die. They don't/can't live an extra year.

Size of fish, especially Kokanee, is dependent on the available food. In the case of Kokanee, the food is plankton. Kokanee are filter feeders, cursing the lake with their mouths open. If there is an increase in the Kokanee population, then the size will drop, a reduction and the size will increase. If the Plankton concentration is up, the fish will be larger, down and the fish will be smaller.

To the best of my knowledge, the Kokanee have no spawning streams feeding Loon, and no suitable shore spawning, so the state puts the fish in. As a result, the population is stable. This means the only other factor impacting fish size is Plankton. Higher or Lower water levels, warmer or colder water temperatures, etc., can have major impacts.

Again, I do not fish Loon, but I have noticed that the algae bloom in many of the lakes has been lower then normal the last two years, and the water temperatures are way behind this year, so it is possible that you are indeed seeing smaller fish. Still, raffen seems to have found them, so it would appear that perhaps it is just a matter of luck.

Now, one last question, the light. No, a light is not necessary, but it can help. Plankton comes in two versions, phito (plant) and zoo (animal). {I am sure I am not spelling a lot of this correctly} Zoo plankton will move to the light, thus concentrating them. This will attract the Kokanee. If you will, you are chumming legally. But as we all know, you don't need to chum to catch fish.