Oct 12 - 26 , 2018

27

Slowly drop your jig to the top of the kokanee school . You can use a line counter , or what I usually do is just watch the jig going down on the sonar unit . The cool thing about this method is that you can actually see fish rising up out the school to nail your jig ! If a fish doesn ’ t grab it on the way down , stop your lure at the top of the school and start jigging . Jigging employs a yo-yo motion that makes the lure dart up and flutter down . Start by placing your rod tip a few inches above the waterline . Quickly pop the rod tip up about six to twelve inches , and then follow the jig back down to the starting point . It is vital that you stay in controlled contact with the jig as it falls – don ’ t let the line go slack on the way down . The up-motion gets their attention , but they almost always hit the jig on the way down . The strike will be very light – almost undetectable to some . Set the hook at the slightest tick , tap , bump , slack line , or change in feel . At first , you will miss a lot of strikes . After a few hours of jigging , you will start to figure out what a bite feel like . Try progressing down through the school in ten-foot intervals if you don ’ t get bit within a few minutes . One mistake I see people make is using too high of a swinging motion . You don ’ t need to jerk your lure up to the sky . Six to eighteen inches of vertical movement is enough . If you notice that you are snagging fish in the belly , you are probably swinging too high . Don ’ t be afraid to alter your tempo , but too many high swings and your trolling buddies will start to call you a snagger ! One of the toughest parts about jigging is controlling the boat in the wind . An electric motor is almost mandatory . Having a motor that automatically holds your position with spot lock or autopilot is a real plus . You need to keep your jig vertical , so if your line starts drifting out to the side you need to reposition the boat . If you can ’ t stay vertical , switch to a heavier jig . When it gets too windy , it ’ s time to pack away the jigging outfits and start trolling . That gets us to our next technique – trolling . Most of you kokanee anglers out there are already well versed in trolling . However , there are a few changes you can make to adjust to late season kokanee . First off , try switching your spinners or squids for plugs such as Hot Spot Apexes or Pro-Troll Kokanee Killers . I like to run these lures sixteen inches behind a small Sling Blade type dodger . I put a lot of bend into the dodger so it really kicks hard . The next change is in speed . I will

stay under one mile-per-hour all day when working late season kokanee schools . When you see a school , try making sharp turns , killing the motor , or speed bursts to get them to strike . Don ’ t leave fish to find fish - keep working the schools until they bite . Table fare for late season kokanee is no different from river salmon . Throw the brined fillets into a smoker with some coarse-ground pepper and you are in business . I ’ ll see you out there on the water looking for some hook-jawed sockeyes !

Before jigging , you want to see at least this many kokanee on your sonar unit . These fish are scattered near the bottom in 60 to 90 feet of water .

Photo courtesy of JAY KLINE .

Sponsored by

Top 50 adult finishers from all 2018 tournaments are eligible for a chance to win the Grand Raffle Prize : A New 14 ’ Tracker boat & 9.9 Mercury motor and trailer package !

Top 25 youth finishers from all 2018 tournaments are eligible for a chance to win the Grand Raffle Prize :

Derby hours 7am to 2 pm TOC Entry Fee : $ 25 per Qualifying Adult

Qualifying Kids 15 and under FREE $ 10 High Roller Side Pot Option ( 5-Qualifiers Awarded ) FREE Raffle after Weigh-in for Eligible Tournament Participants State Fishing Licenses are required and Calif . DFW rules apply ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE AT WWW . ANGLERSPRESS . COM

GREAT PRIZES FOR THE KIDS DIVISION !

Fisherman ’ s Warehouse

2018 TOURNAMENT DATES

• FEB . 3rd .................. San Pablo Dam Res .

• March 3rd ............... Lake Pardee

• APRIL 7th ................ Collins Lake

• APRIL 28th .............. Lake Amador

• OCT . 13th ................ Lake Pardee

• NOV . 3-4th ... Tournament of Champions ... Collins Lake

Brought to you by

TONS OF FUN FOR YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY !

Phone Entry Reservations : ( 916 ) 768-0938 • Enter Online At www . anglerspress . com Mail Entry To : Anglers Press P . O . Box 601956 , Sacramento , CA 95680 EXHIBITOR BOOTHS • HUGE RAFFLE AFTER THE WEIGH-IN • PRIZES • FAMILY FUN & EXCITEMENT ! * Prizes and payout are subjected to change without notice

A Sheldon Bright Production . * Boats shown with options .

CASH and PRIZES for the Adults Division !

3709