Northwest Wild Country Radio Station

There is just something about mirror-bright, aggressive, fast, willing biting - and it goes without saying very good on the barbecue - salmon. Having that fishery close to home?

Bonus *ding ding ding*.

So you will pardon my enthusiasm for the landlocked version of sockeye in local American Lake. Thank the stars, it’s only 15 minutes from the house, otherwise I would burn much fuel - like I normally do to get to the funk - to get a shot at these exceptional kokanee.

A fishery better be special to draw some nut job like me away from the anadromous side of The Force.

Away from Drano Lake, which has just turned on for springers ...

Away from the Strait of Juan DeFuca, most notably Neah Bay and the top-shelf ling and rockfish action ...

Away from the Olympic Peninsula’s Sol Duc, which right now has more than enough catchable numbers of hatchery summer steelhead and sufficient spring Chinook to raise an eyebrow. ...

Away from the resident coho (16-21 inches) that are swarming the beaches of the South Sound. Away from the giant triploid rainbows of Rufus Woods reservoir that are just emerging from winter’s lethargy ...

Bet yer azz these little salmon are out of the norm.

The Class of 2009: Last year, American Lake was not itself. Lights out fishing, due to a tremendous winter of survival and quite frankly too many fish. There was unprecedented numbers of anglers, due to the plethora of 12 to 13 inch salmon. This year, back to normal.

Fewer fish means larger average (15-17 inches) and FAT. My partner Ron Soden was on a segment of NWWC a couple of Saturdays ago, on live while fishing the lake. His partner de jour was yelling in the background, immediately after landing a 16 inch kokanee - “I can’t get my hand around this thing!!!”.

Not as many fish, much larger average size plus a bit tougher to get to strike a lure is what makes American Lake the draw for yours truly.

And right now, the party is just beginning.

About 10 days ago, 48-degree water meant the kokes were two places: either right off the bottom in 80 feet of water or spread out all over the surface. Neither bodes well for getting to bite. A few hot days, water temps are now 54, the kokanee are beginning to school up between 25 and 45 feet and becoming aggressive.

This will only get better through May until the “bloom” takes over the lake in mid June and the water skiers become intolerable.

But oh, the fish…

It’s the tremendous amount of feed that makes these kokes grow large and thick. Every salmon stomach is so packed with chironomids, daphnia and other wiggly creatures it’s no wonder these kokanee are of such high quality. It’s the perfect storm of food biomass and not too many fish.

American Lake kokanee are, however, not that easy to catch. They feature a temperament not shared with their brothers from other lakes. One missing ingredient from the troller’s cookbook- be it wrong color, speed, depth, scent, line weight, hooks style and size, choice of attractor, separation or bait- and a 10-fish day drops to one or zilch.

Feeling the love (American style): Here is your formula for a limit of the highest quality kokanee in western Washington. Pay attention, there will be a quiz later.

I will assume for this bit your boat is equipped with downriggers. First, find the fish. Start around the north end of little Silcox Island in 70 to 80 feet of water. On your fish finder, you should see schools at 25 to 45 feet.

On the business end (also assuming you are using very light, whippy rods like the Lamiglas FC 76 UL, the ultimate fiberglass noodle for kokanee) tied to your 8# mainline, a 4/0 all nickle dodger, 10 inches of 8-pound Maxima Ultragreen leader, two No. 1 Gamakatsu red “drop shot” style hooks tied 1/8-inch apart, four 4mm orange beads under a glo hot pink mini squid on the first rod. The second, a 4/0 50/50 (nickle/brass) dodger, 34 inches of 8-pound Ultragreen tied to an all orange (not red) beaded spinner.

The spinner is made from a ¾-inch Rooster Tail silver plated blade, seven beads from 2mm to 5mm (in this sequence - 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2mm) on top of tandem N. 1 red Gamakatsu drop-shot hooks.

Now for the magic ju-ju….

Place a single natural white Gulp maggot on each hook. Forget corn, live maggots, shrimp … nothing, and I mean NOTHING out-produces this Berkeley stuff. Set each a minimum of 60 feet back, clip to the ’rigger and set one at 25 feet, the other at 35. Keep your troll speed from 1.1 to 1.3 mph, no faster or you will not get bit.

After the hookup, stay in gear while fighting the fish. This prevents the little dynamos from whizzing under the boat and fouling in the motors or downrigger cables.

Be prepared to get your ass whipped by red hot fish. From daylight until approximately 9 am, until the bite shuts off. And it will shut off. Bring a long handled net to ensure a safe landing from these extremely soft-mouthed animals.

There you go. Join me on the lake. Look for a blue 17-foot Smokercraft, “The Edgar” (small statue of the Mariner’s Hall Of Fame DH Edgar Martinez on the dash), silver Honda motors. Swing by, say howdy.

Being hooked on koke is a bitch, man.

Metal To The End,

-Bill Herzog