As hunting seasons come to a close, most sportsmen and women throughout the Northwest just hang up their gear and hunker down by the fire to wait for spring to arrive.

Why not go fishing? Trout and, yes, even kokanee, can be readily caught this time of year and you’re likely to have the best fishing spots all to yourself. So, as you store your waterfowl gun, pull out that fishing rod and organize your gear because it’s time to go fishing! In this column, I’ll provide a few tips about gear and how to fish winter waters.

North central Washington has some of the best year-round fishing opportunities in the Northwest and it happens to be in my backyard. There are also many great fishing holes for winter trout and kokanee in Oregon and Washington, so you can apply my local examples to waters near you.

Most people think of steelhead when you talk about winter fishing, but I prefer fishing for rainbows and triploids because of the potential to catch numerous fish. Triploids are sterile rainbows that are voracious feeders and have the potential to grow to trophy size if not harvested the first season after stocking. They are stocked in 117 lakes in Washington, providing anglesr with numerous fishing opportunities.

Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods Reservoir on the upper Columbia River are my favorite places to catch

these rainbows. It’s not uncommon to catch triploids up to 10- to 12-pounds in Rufus Woods and a fish that size eats much like a spring Chinook, in my opinion.

The best way to catch rainbows is to troll because you can cover lots of water in order to locate lethargic fish. These fish are typically near the surface this time of year as cloudy days and cool water allow rainbows to find food in the top water. We use several different presentations to catch these rainbows.

My favorite setup is the Mack’s Lure Cha Cha™ 1.5 Kokanee Squidder on about an 18-inch leader behind the new Double D™ Dodger 5.8. Shorten the leader for added lure movement or lengthen for less movement. In addition to added attraction, this mid-sized dodger provides a little extra weight to keep your lure in the water while trolling. A nice feature of the Cha Cha™ 1.5” Kokanee Squidder is that they come in a variety of colors. We typically use pinks or hot orange — you can buy them pre-tied or grab the squid bodies and match

WINTER TROUT AND KOKANEE TROUT AND KOKANEE CAN BE READILY CAUGHT THIS TIME OF YEAR AND YOU’LL HAVE THE SPOT TO YOURSELF

BY RICHY HARROD

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Trout and kokanee can be readily caught this time of year and you’re likely to have the best fishing spots all to your-self. — RICHY HARROD | HARROD OUTDOORS

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them with your favorite Smile Blade® 0.8 or 1.1 colors to build your own combinations. I prefer the Cha Cha™ 1.5 Kokanee Series because of its closely tied, dual hook setup. It’s a good idea to tip your lure with a couple pieces of shoepeg corn, brined in our secret sauce, which includes Mack’s Lure UV Bait Scents.

Troll at speeds between 1.5 and 2.0 mph making slow S-turns so that your lures will alternate between slower and faster speeds. Slow your speed if you notice that you always catch fish during the turn on the inside rod, or converserly, speed up if it’s on the outside rod.

A couple variations to the setup above can work well, too. Use a Flash Lite® Troll 2-Blade Series or Hot Wings® in place of the Double D™ Dodger 5.8. These attractors do not have the side-to-side action of the dodger, so lengthen the leaders of your Cha Cha™ 1.5 Kokanee Squidders to 24- to 36-inches. Flash Lites® and Hot Wings® are ultra-light, so you will need to add a couple ounces of weight or place your presentation onto a downrigger to keep your lure in the strike zone.

You can also replace the squidders with a bucktail fly-type presentation, such as the Smile Blade® Fly. This lure does not require bait, but you can add some Mack’s Lure UV Bait Scent for some added attraction. You can set up a rod rigged with one of these variations to see what works best.

If you don’t have a boat, you can

catch rainbows from the bank. Rainbows will cruise the shallow water along the bank looking for food, so using a stationary bait will work well. The setup is relatively simple. Tie a single bait hook — sizes #1 or #2 are best — on a 3-foot leader and attach the leader to a swivel tied to your main line. I also slide a small bead and Smile Blade® on the leader above the hook for added attraction. On the main line above the swivel, place a 2 oz. weight that will slide up and down the main line. The water speed in the Columbia River varies greatly, so you may use more or less weight to keep your gear in place. Lighter weight will work in lakes. Bait your hook with artificial bait, such as Power Bait, worms and marshmallows, or shrimp and marshmallows. You want to use marshmallows or the artificial bait because this will float your hook slightly off the bottom and positions it in the perfect depth for trout.

This type of fishing requires patience, as fish are cruising slowly this time of year. Build a fire, pour your favorite warm drink and enjoy being outside!

And yes, it’s true — you can catch kokanee throughout the winter and early spring. Kokanee tend to be scattered in smaller schools during

the winter months, so you may not catch the numbers of fish you would in May or June. However, four or five of these great-eating fish can make any outing worthwhile. The setup for your fishing tackle is similar to what I previously mentioned for rainbows.

Again, I am partial to the Cha Cha™ 1.5 Kokanee Squidder, though a number of lures, such as the Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™, Smile Blade® Kokanee Hoochie, Double Whammy® Kokanee Pro®, Cripplure™ or Hum Dinger® 1/8 oz. are also in my rotation. I, again, typically stick with hot pinks or hot oranges for winter time kokanee fishing. Tip your hooks with a few pieces of shoepeg corn brined in Mack’s Lure UV Bait Scents.

Downsize the Double D™ Dodger to the 4.4” size or use a Sling Blade™ 4” in UV colors. Be sure to keep your leader lengths under 16” for maximum lure movement. Fish your lures off of the downriggers and look for fish in pretty deep water. In Lake Chelan, we find fish in pretty deep water, anywhere from 50- to 120-feet this time of year.

Trolling speeds should be a little slower than for rainbows, so try to —

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TROUT & KOKANEE FISHING ON LAKE ROOSEVELT

Lake Roosevelt is the stretch of the Columbia River above Grand Coulee Dam. This huge body of water extends over 150 miles to the Canadian border and provides Northwest fisherman with abundant trout, kokanee, walleye, bass, and other game fish. The Harrod’s join Bob Loomis and Lance Merz from Mack’s Lure for some outstanding spring fishing!

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keep your speed between 1.1 to 1.4 mph. Again, use slow S-turns to vary lure speed and this will help you find the trolling speed the fish like. Really pay close attention to your electronics and if you spot fish, adjust your downrigger depth to match the fish depth. And if you catch a fish, mark that spot and depth and stay on the fish. The saying we use is “find the fish, fish the fish, don’t leave fish to find fish,” so stay on the biters until you either lose them on the depth finder or they stop biting.

Winter fishing can be a lot of fun and provides a much-needed relief to cabin fever. Give these tips a try on your next outing and let us know how you do.

Good luck fishing!

The Sonic Baitfish™ (SBF) is the most versatile lure-type and one of the most effective multi-species fish catchers available to sport anglers today. There’s a well-worn phrase that’s used in our sport of angling that, “90% of fish caught are by only 10% of the fishermen”. Is it because of superior skill or attention to detail? Probably, a little of each. This article is about you becoming an instant member of that “10% Club.”

Over many of my almost 83 years, one critical fact in our beloved sport of fishing is anglers not paying attention to the condition of the hook being used! The most important, and most overlooked, factor in catching fish is concentrated in the most distant part of your equipment. It’s the HOOK POINT! The best rod, reel, line, leader, lure, scent or bait is wasted on a blunt hook. I’m very fortunate to be able to fish with many different anglers over many different bodies of water — all enjoyable to fish with. Many are very attentive to their equipment except for the lack of a fine-tooth file. If the hook point does not stick into your thumb nail, as it’s lightly pulled over the nail, your hook-set and catch-rate can be dramatically affected.

Oftentimes, missing a light tick or bump on your SBF, because of a dull hook, can mean missing a hook-set on the best fish of the trip. Become a more proficient angler by becoming a proficient user of a proper file.

One of the best fine-tooth files is the yellow handled file by Luhr Jensen. It’s carbon steel and will rust if neglected. If you take care of it, it will take care of you. Keep it lubricated, especially at the end of your trip on the water, with a spray of WD-40 or other similar-type sprays. (I keep my file holstered in a piece of dense foam material with a slit through the center portion to allow sleeving of the entire blade portion. Then, the outer portion of the foam is completely covered with duct tape to prevent anti-rust sprays, like WD-40, from leaking out. This homemade set-up has kept my files rust-free for many months). A rusted file is useless for proper sharpening. The best technique, for feeling the rough burs on the hook, is to use a light touch in one direction. A good file easily restore’s sharpness in 2-3 light strokes on each of its three sides…the top of the point and its two sides. It’s a filing technique referred to as triangulation. Personally, it’s easier for me to push the file towards the hook point. After you think your hook is sharp, run it over your fingernail, or thumbnail, to confirm a “sticky sharp” point.

Okay, now this is the reason why I stress that every angler needs to become a “file cowboy” by holstering a file whenever fishing. At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that the Sonic Baitfish™ (SBF) is one of the very best lure-types, and even the very best metal jig, that you can fish because of its versatility. That being said, it still depends on how you care for your hooks. Here’s what I discovered, on underwater video, when jigging the SBF…

1) When “dead-sticking” the SBF, with the snap/line attached to the top of its back, the lure closely

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SHOP FOR ICE RIG VALUE PACKS

SONIC BAITFISH™ (SBF)TIPS & TECHNIQUES

SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE SONIC BAITFISH™ FINISH

BY PETE ROSKO SBF TECH GUIDE

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imitates a suspended baitfish. Even though the SBF is not being jigged, it still moves in the water by slowly rotating. This action, though subtle, triggers different strike responses as follows...

2) When fish turn neutral, or negative, dead-sticking is usually the only presentation that will trigger a response as described in #2. Switch to the smallest SBF that will still enable you to easily reach your target fish. Negative fish will respond to a small morsel and almost never to a large offering.

3) Constant pecking of the SBF by a fish as if trying to rid an intruding species. Usually, this will continue until the fish, which seems obsessed with this presentation, persists until hooking itself. Very seldom do I use both a nose, and tail, hook when dead-sticking with the snap/line attached to the back. Almost always, a single tail hook will do. Note 1: I love fishing this technique, next to anglers fishing live or dead bait, in Florida’s Gulf of Mexico. Whether dead-sticking, or actively jigging, the SBF usually out-fishes the real thing. Note 2: Dead-sticking is also a highly-effective finesse type of fishing through the ice, and after ice-out, when the fish are not active because of the cold water. Short-twitching the SBF, with 30 second pauses, is a proven fish-catching technique with the snap/line attached to the back. Through the ice is one of the few times that I recommend attaching a hook to

each end of the lure. Smaller fine wire treble hooks are an excellent choice, especially for adding bait.

4) Active fish will often strike so

fast, and hard, that is just a blur to the human eye. Chinook salmon are an example as they rush in and slash at the SBF. Without a sharp single hook, good hook-sets are almost impossible in their hard jaws, resulting in a lost fish. Note: Single siwash-style hooks are top choices, especially for larger fish. With their wide gap, and deep throat, they are stronger than treble hooks and offer better hook sets with fewer lost fish.

Active jigging with the snap/line attached to the nose or tail… With this active presentation, the SBF has a lively and erratic darting, fluttering and vibrating action. Unlike an almost stationary target, as when dead-sticking, the SBF is more like an elusive target. But it’s also the type of action that emits stronger sonic vibrations to attract fish from longer distances. This lively action must be combined with an ultra-sharp hook as most strikes will be of a slashing nature and easily missed with a dull hook. Note: Single siwash hooks are top choices with active jigging.

A special recommendation for all ice anglers: Mike Hall, ice-fishing expert and professional angler, recently contributed the best technical ice-fishing article that I have ever personally read. It was published in the December issue of the Mack Attack Magazine (MA). I hope Mike’s article can be posted annually in the MA for anglers readying for their next ice season. I have known Mike since 1987. One of his many fishing-related passions is teaching anglers how to be more successful and the special joy its accomplishments bring.

As always, thank you for subscribing to the monthly issue of the Mack Attack Magzine. All the best for good health and success on the water in 2020 and beyond.

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LOCATING PERCH ON THE ICEBY DANNY COYNE | PRO STAFF | BCFISHN.COM

GUEST COMMENTARY

One of the most enjoyable fish to target during the ice fishing season has to be the yellow perch. Once the schools are located, these fish are plentiful and they make some of the best table fare to be had. Perch are found throughout the interior of the Pacific Northwest in many freshwater lakes that are accessible during the winter months. Perch fishing is a great species to fish to take newcomers or young anglers ice fishing as it can offer non-stop action.

The key to a good day of ice fishing for perch is to locate the schools. These fish tend to school up tight during the winter months, so once you locate one, you will locate others. Early ice season offers some of the best fishing for perch and they will tend to bite anything you throw at them. In the first month of fishable ice, you’ll find perch hanging around in shallow bay areas feeding on insects nestled among the weeded bottom.As the season progresses, the fish will move out to a bit deeper water, holding on points and drop off ledges. Unlike its distant relative, the walleye, perch don’t just hug the lake floor. They can vary from one foot off the bottom to suspending within a few inches from the ice surface. Start by targeting near the bottom and then work your way up the water column until you locate the school.

A good tactic in locating the school of perch is to drill multiple holes in a crisscross pattern that covers an area of approximately 40 yards. Start fishing the hole closest to the shallow water first. I like to begin the day by jigging a small spoon, such as a Mack’s Lure Sonic BaitFish™, tipped with maggots, meal worms or even regular cocktail shrimp. Using a small spoon will help locate the active aggressive fish you’ll want to keep the school from leaving — this is when you should slow down your presentation.

Once I get on top of an active feeding group of perch, I switch from a spoon to a Mack’s Lure Glo® Hook or plain hook tipped with bait. If the fish are near the bottom, slap your presentation on the bottom to stir up silt, as this will attract the fish even more, thinking it’s a feeding frenzy.

In no way are perch trophy size fish, but they do provide a lot of enjoyment to catch, especially during ice-over. Once you get a grasp on the basic understanding on how to locate the active fish, you will be in for an enjoyable day of non-stop ice fishing action. Not to mention, the white, flaky meat of a perch is a perfect ingredient for some great tasting fish tacos.

WATCH THIS: CASCADE LAKE PERCH FISHING

Learn effective ice fishing techniques for jumbo Yellow Perch with Mike Hall & Bobby & Robin Shindelar on of the Western Ice Fishing Association on one of the world’s top perch fisheries. Join the Western Ice Fishing Association on Facebook.com/WesternIceFishingAssociation

Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Marc Christophel and Uncle Hugh Huntley join Angler West TV to target kokanee on Stampede Reservoir (CA) using Double D™ Dodger & KAN’s.

Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Brad Hole shows off a gorgeous Green Lake (Seattle, WA) rainbow trout caught on a Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™ while kayak trolling.

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To submit your catch, send us an email at media@mackslure.com or tag us on social media using #MacksLure.

QUESTIONOF THE MONTHHave a questions you want answered? Send your inquiry to us and yours may be featured! Simply send an email to media@mackslure.com or reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Just search @MacksLure and you’ll find us!

Q: I’ve heard a lot about Glo® Hooks, especially for ice fishing. How would you recommend using them?

A: That’s a great question! And the Glo® Hooks are an awesome ice fishing tool that can be used in conjunction with other products or as a standalone lure for various panfish.

Attach a Glo® Hook with a 2-inch leader to the tail of a Sonic BaitFish™ or rig a Glo® HOok with a Double D™ Dodger 4.4 or Sling Blade™ 4” to increase your attraction.

Simply attach a 14- to 16-inch leader to a Glo® Hook in the color of your choosing. In between the dodger and the hook, attach a couple of split shot weights to help keep the presentation vertical, then slowly jig up 4- to 6-inches, then drop and repeat until your rod starts dancing.

Mack’s Lure actually now sells an Ice Rig, which features this exact setup. Choose between three color options in the Glo® Hook variation or three color options in a Hum Dinger® option. Find it in the attractors section online or click on the ad on page three to purchase.

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