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June 2015

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Evolution is a key to our survival in the human race, so fishing is no different. Often times, many anglers will find a way of fishing to produce more fish. They will always use the same rod and reel, the same type of line, as well as the same lures. I grew up fishing with a bobber, a couple of split shot weights, a worm and a hook to catch my fish. Times are changing however.

I was recently afforded the opportunity to attend the North Idaho Sportsmen’s Expo, located in Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho. Not only was I there to talk to customers about Mack’s Lure, but I was also invited to give seminars on Kokanee fishing by Hall of Fame Fisherman Jim Grassi. Before the show started however, I took a few days and arrived early, so I could fish Hayden Lake. I had been hearing how good the fishing was on this lake, and I was excited to get the boat in the water and fish a lake that I had never fished before.

The lake in itself isn’t very big. A gorgeous view to be sure, this lake settles in a valley, which is surrounded by Douglas Fir and Pine trees all around the lake. Lavish homes are either on the shore or the hillside. The lake itself is only around 200 feet deep. Normally, I’m used to fishing Lake Chelan in Washington, where the lake is around 1,800 feet deep. The beauty of Kokanee fishing is that each lake has a different style of fishing. The first day that I got to the Honeysuckle Boat launch, I observed some boats in the middle of the lake, trolling very slowly. I had received reports from the folks at Black Sheep Sporting Goods as well as North 40 Outfitters, who relayed where the fishing was the best, what colors to use and what depths to find the fish at. They were pretty close, that’s for sure!

The first thing that you must do when you arrive on a lake that you’ve never fished before is to find the fish. This may take some time, but don’t drop your gear if you can’t see them. You’re just wasting your time if you do. Sure enough, I found the fish at an early time of day and dropped my gear where I was spotting the most fish on my fish finder. It wasn’t long (probably three minutes) that I got my first bite. Fish on! These kokanee in this lake are a good fighting fish and it

Out With The Old And In With The NewBy Lance Merz

wasn’t before long that I had three, four, and five fish in my boat. The limit per person for Kokanee on this lake is 15, which will fill even the mightiest of coolers. A few more boats on the water.

As I was looking around at the other fishermen trolling for Kokanee, I noticed one thing. Everyone was using pop gear. This type of gear is sometimes called “Ford Fenders” or “Cow Bells”, which is nothing more than a trolling attractor, tied to your main line, with a leader of their favorite lure. Later I found out that mostly all of them were using the Mack’s Lure Wedding Ring® spinner. As I would troll by them however, I would ask each person how they were doing. Most replied with three or four, or that the fish just weren’t biting.

I was using the Mack’s Lure Cha Cha® 1.5” Kokanee Squidder with

Perfect fishing conditions on Hayden Lake in Idaho.

Jayson Williams, founder of “Something Catchy” helps this young fisherman in with his first fish.

The author with his limit of 15 kokanee on Hayden Lake.

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Mack’s Lure Cha Cha 1.5” Kokanee Squidder with a 4.4” Double D Dodger caught these fish.

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Mack’s Lure Double D® Dodger

& Cha Cha® Kokanee Squidder

a 4.4” Double D™ Dodger. My leader was 14” behind the dodger, which really gives a unique and lively action for those kokanee to strike. I was trolling at 1.3 to 1.4MPH at depths that ranged anywhere from surface level to 30ft. If I caught a fish, I would re-bait with two pieces of white shoepeg corn, tipped with Pro-Cure Anise Bloody Tuna, and turn right back around to get back on them. It wasn’t before too long that I had my limit. One of the things that I think contributed to my success, was that I put Mack’s Lure Hot Wings® on my down rigger balls. These blades rotate opposite of each other, which gives off another source of attraction in the water. As the day progressed however, the bite started to slow down. This told me that I needed to go deeper with my lures as kokanee will follow the food source. A type of zoo plankton called mysis shrimp are the food source for these fish and normally, they can be found near the surface at first light. As the day goes on, the shrimp begin to drop in the water column.

I fished the lake for five days straight, with each day of my limit and I was typically off the water by around 9:00am, just in time for me to go to the show to talk to folks who came. Whether I was talking to them on or off the water, I told them of a new type of gear that may be even more successful than the old pop gear of which they were

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used to using. It’s called a Flash Lite®, which is a trolling attractor that is new and improved of the older pop gear regimes. The reason why is due to its weight. They are extremely light weight and provide more flash and attraction than that of their predecessors. No longer is that rod tip weighed down by heavy gear to where sometimes you can’t see or feel a bite.

It’s always fun to fish a lake that you’ve never fished before and be successful. Talking to the folks at the local sporting goods store is always of tremendous help, as does talking to people who fish it regularly. It’s exciting, it’s a challenge, and it’s fun! Trying different ways to fish these elusive creators is a challenge in and of itself, but don’t be discouraged. Think outside the box; chances are, you’ll put more fish in them.

Wade Casting With The Sonic BaitFish™ (SBF)

By Captain Pete Rosko

Captain Pete Rosko, Inventor of the Mack’s Lure Sonic BaitFish™.

One of the many attributes of the SBF is its excellent swim qualities on the retrieve and when trolling. It swims like a live bait fish and is more effective than many crank baits because of its darting action…the larger the SBF, the greater its darting action and hydro-sonic vibration.

Cast-wading is a prime example

where the SBF excels. The only reason for wade-casting was for the lack of a boat. Since its inception, the 1/4 and 1/3 oz SBF have consistently out-fished my favorite 5 ¼ inch black/silver floating Rapala for largemouth bass, crappie and walleyes in NE Ohio reservoirs. Typically, I would cast and retrieve the floating Rap over emerging weeds in a gravel-strewn bay noted for its largemouth bass and walleyes. That changed one day after I switched to a 1/4 oz glow/chartreuse SBF. The Rapala had not produced a single strike when I remembered that quarter ounce SBF that I forgot to leave behind from a different trip. It didn’t take long that day to discover how good the SBF was for walleye. I skunked my Rapala-addicted son that day who was fishing near me. Since then, I only fish the SBF.

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Size of the SBF depends upon the distance of the cast. The compact SBF is far-less wind resistant than a Rapala. As a result, it’s able to be cast greater distances than a Rap. This is a great advantage when wading or casting from shore. Depending on depth and distance, different sizes of SBF are used. I almost always use the smallest SBF to effectively reach and catch fish. A 1/10 oz SBF could have been used in that bay if distance was not critical. I was fishing in a large shallow bay where the fish were positioned on the far side of the weed bed where the water was deeper. During a high afternoon sun, walleyes usually staged there. Only after the sun would dip below the tree line would the fish begin their usual foraging migration shoreward where hook-ups were much easier. Fish generally delay moving shoreward until about 1 to 2 hours before sunset. When the bite starts, it will usually continue to between 15 to 30 minutes after sunset. About ½ hour before its difficult to see is usually prime time when every cast can result in a hook-up. That’s when smaller SBF could be used. A distinct advantage of the SBF, over the Rapala, is its darting action. The floating Rap has a tight wobble compared to a darting flutter of the SBF that emits a stronger vibration. As previously stated, the larger the SBF, the greater the darting and vibration. This was

especially apparent at night when the walleyes preferred this action over that of the Rapala. The other advantage of the SBF was its lack of treble hooks where it was superior to the Rap in being almost weed less with its single hook.

Usually, my technique is to

cast and do a slow continuous retrieve. The only time I deviate from this routine is if the fish are not cooperating. My technique then is to jerk the SBF hard, two times to attract attention, before resuming my normal continuous slow retrieve. The realistic fish-attracting swimming action of the SBF seldom requires any other technique modification. This same technique is very effective in both fresh and salt water. NOTE: Error on the side of a slower retrieve versus a fast one. The time for a fast retrieve is when fish are chasing bait and boiling on the surface. Then, I’ll either fast-retrieve or skip the SBF over the surface. This is excitement at its best with savage strikes and non-stop action.

For light tackle fishing, I routinely

use 8-10 lb braided mainline with about two feet of 12-15 lb fluorocarbon leader attached with a double uni-knot to the mainline. A wide bend duo-lock snap (included in the SBF package) is attached to the tag end of the leader. This type of snap maximizes the lively action of the SBF and simplifies lure changes.

Happy fishing,

Pete

Mack’s Lure Sonic BaitFish™

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The Sonic Baitfish is an extremely effective lure when fishing for Walleye.

Cookin’ Your Catch

Barbequed Steelhead

Original recipe makes 2 pounds.

Ingredients:• 2 pounds steelhead fillets• 1/4 cup butter, melted• 2 tablespoons lemon juice• 1/4 teaspoon paprika• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce

Directions:1. Preheat an outdoor grill for

medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.

2. Arrange the steelhead fillets on large piece of aluminum foil. Whisk together the but-ter, lemon juice, paprika, and cayenne pepper; brush the mixture onto the fillets.

3. Cook on the preheated grill until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes; brush the fillets with the bar-beque sauce; cook another 2 minutes.

Let’s Eat!!!

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Jason Brooks selects a lengthy noodle spinning rod and 6-pound leader while employing the “Swinging” technique he often uses for steelhead and salmon.

Stan’s Space

You Better Learn To Dance A JigPart 5 of 5

By Hall-of-Fame AnglerStan Fagerstrom

Jason Brooks, an expert Washington State steelhead and salmon angler, uses a techinque he calls “Swinging” with his Rock Dancer jigs on some of the rivers he fishes.

Mack’s Lure beautiful Rock Dancer jigs come in a variety of sizes and colors.

Sometimes Jason Brooks does a little “swinging” along with his jigging.

I’m not writing about some dancing contest that you’ll find on national television next week. The swinging I have in mind is the name given to a procedure one of Washington State’s top steelhead anglers uses to put the Evergreen State’s fighting steelhead on the shore or in his boat.

If you’ve been reading this current column series you know the man I have in mind is Jason Brooks, of Puyallup. I wrote about Jason and his use of Mack’s Lure Rock Dancers® several years ago. If you missed the details of the approach Jason calls swinging last time, here’s another chance to learn.

The swinging tactic Jason employs is when he’s using a jig with a float. He uses it mainly when he encounters the turbulent water often found in a river’s short runs or tailouts. “For swinging,” Jason says, “I use only 1/8th-ounce jigs. I also use a very long ‘noodle style’

rod for this purpose. My noodle rod is 10½-feet long. It’s rated for use with two to six pound test line.”

Jason says you can either tie your jig straight to your main line or do as he does for turbulent water. If he’s fishing that kind of water he attaches an Invisaswivel to the end of his main line. After he does that, he then attaches a clear two foot leader to the bottom of the swivel and ties his jig to the other end. “I favor using a clear leader like Izorline’s XXX in six pound test,” Jason says.

It’s easy to see why Jason favors using that long noodle rod when he details what he does with it. “The long spinning rod allows me,” he says, “to cast light jigs out to the current seams and also lets me lift my jig off the bottom or from around bottom structure like boulders. This is a great way to fish a jig in rivers where you can actually see the fish you are after.”

If you’ve sat in on one or another of the seminars Jason has done on steelhead fishing you’ve probably heard him name a couple of Pacific Northwest Rivers that are ideal for this swinging technique. “The Wenatchee and Methow Rivers are both primary spots for this type of jig fishing,” he says.

Brooks says his swinging procedure is basically a modified technique patterned after the way fly fishermen use weighted flies or streamers. “The idea,” he says, “is to cast out to the current seam or deep run slot either straight out in front of you or slightly upstream depending on the current and then letting the jig get down almost to the bottom.”

Once he’s got his jig down where he wants it he lifts his rod tip up so he can control the jig’s position above the river bottom as it drifts downstream. “As the jig swings down with the current,” he explains, “you need to lower your rod tip and hold the rod so it points down river.This allows your jig to swing across where the fish are holding.”

Jason says this special procedure

that he has worked out for jig fishing will likely be familiar to anglers who’ve done much steelheading with spoons. He says the two procedures are basically much the same.

Like every other expert regardless of what kind of fishing is involved, this talented steelheader has his favorite colors in the Mack’s Lure Rock Dancers he uses. He says he favors a black & red jig because

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Few fishermen have spent more time on Pacific Northwest waters than the man pictured here. Bobby Loomis, the Director of Sales and Marketing for Mack’s Lure, maintains a jig has always been and still is one of the most effective lures you can use to catch predatory sports fish. Here he displays proof of what he’s talking about.

Mack’s Lure Rock Dancer®

those shades tend to imitate some of the insects that are being flushed down river. He also uses a pink and white color with good results.

Should you use a bait of one kind or another along with the swinging style of jig fishing? Jason says no. “I don’t use bait when using this technique because I don’t want anything to interfere with the jig’s action. However, if it’s legal to do so I will put a lot of scent on the lure.”

Jason’s mention of scent brings up something that has surfaced from time to time all the way through these last few columns I’ve devoted to how the experts fish Rock Dancers.

“The reason I favor Rock Dancers

over marabou style jigs,” he says, “is because you can add scent such as oils, jellies, etc., without hindering the jig’s action. Marabou dressed jigs get all stuck and gummed up if you apply scent and you can’t really clean it off once it’s on. You just can’t continue to fish with them when that happens.” This doesn’t happen, of course, where these beautiful Rock Dancer Jigs are concerned. Brooks says you can sock the scent to them all you want but it’s not going to hinder their fish-catching action.

I remember something else Jason told me he does with his Rock Dancers when his fishing is done for the day. “At the end of the day,” he says, “I toss my jigs into a plastic container I fill with river water and a small amount of Lemon Joy dish soap. This breaks down the oils in the scents I’ve used. When I get home the jigs are fairly free of scents I had put on but I go ahead and rinse them again in another bottle of river water.”

Finally, Jason shared one other thought regarding jigs that many, including yours truly, had never thought about. It’s to never use tap water to wash your lures. “Tap water,” he says, “is treated with a small amount of chlorine and sometimes fluoride. Fish can smell in parts per billion and chorine in any amount will turn them off.”

There you have it. In these recent

columns I’ve detailed what one of the Pacific Northwest’s top steelhead and salmon anglers does to catch fish with his Mack’s Lure Rock Dancer jigs. I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing what they’ve had to say as much as I have had in sharing it with you.

There’s no doubt about it. As the men who call the shots at Mack’s Lure have been saying since they added bucktail dressed Rock Dancer Jigs to their lure line---get one in front of darn near any predatory fish that swims and you just might have a rod bending fight on your hands before you get it back.

-end-

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Question of the Month

Have a question? We’d love to an-swer it! Contact us at MacksLure@MacksLure.com if you have a ques-tion you would like to see featured!

Q: I have recently purchased your four inch Cha Cha Salmon Squidder and the 1.5” Cha Cha Kokanee Squidder. How fast do you troll each of these?

A: Thanks for the question! You can fish both of these squidders at whichever speed you want. Opposed to metal blades however, you have the option of trolling at much slower speeds than that of a traditional blade. Our patented Smile Blade® is made of a light weight mylar plastic, which allows you to troll at those slower speeds.

Holly Bickford is holding a bright kokanee on Lake Chelan on a great day of fishing with friends and family.

www.MacksLure.com

Send your photo’s to WebMaster@MacksLure.com for consideration to be included in a future Mack Attack. For Facebook send pictures to Media@MacksLure.com.

See more pictures by clicking here: Mack’s Photo Gallery

Double Whammy® Classic

The Double Whammy has a 40-year history as a top producer for walleye, trout, and a variety of other species. Enter the code below during the month of June and receive 10% off of the lure on item numbers 17100 - 17314 only.

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If you have video’s to share, we’d love to see them!! Send your video links to: MacksLure@MacksLure.com.

Video of the Month

The wedding is extremely versatile lure, which is highly effective at catching fish in trolling applications. But, the wedding ring can also be used as a castable lure in rivers, lakes,

If you pinch the blades down tighter toward each other, the Smile Blade will spin much faster, giving you more flash in the water. Fold the blade out for it to slow slower. My go-to speed is 1.2 MPH is what I will start off with in the beginning, then I will vary my speed from .8 to 2.0MPH until I find out what the fish want. Normally, when the water is cooler, fish are more lethargic so your speeds should be slower. As the water temperature warms up however, speed up that troll and watch your rod tip bend.

Photo of the Month Castable Wedding Ring® Spinners