If your dodger is the motor of your trolling spread, your lure is the trigger. It’s the part that makes a kokanee decide to bite.
Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon that feed on tiny zooplankton, so they aren’t chasing baitfish the way a trout or bass does. A good kokanee lure doesn’t imitate a wounded minnow. It works through vibration, flash, color and movement, and it triggers fish that are curious, competitive or just plain annoyed.
The trouble for beginners is the sheer number of choices. Squids, hoochies, spinners, plugs, different colors, different leader lengths. It’s easy to buy a pile of tackle and still not know what to tie on. This guide walks through the main lure types for trolling, how each one works, and when we’d fish it.
The Short Answer
- Not sure where to start? Squids and hoochies. They catch kokanee in most lakes, most of the year.
- Murky or windy water? Trolling spinners.
- Deep, slow summer bite? A plug like the Top Devil.
- Fish following but not biting? Go smaller and shorten your leader.
How Kokanee Lures Work
Before you pick a lure, it helps to understand how the lure, the leader and the dodger work together. Most kokanee lures fall into one of three groups, and the group tells you how long to make your leader.
Dodger-Dependent Lures
Squids, hoochies, planktons and similar soft lures have no swimming action of their own. They get all of their movement from the dodger. As the dodger sweeps side to side, the snap travels down a short, stiff leader and makes the lure’s tentacles pulse and dart. Use a short leader, about 8 to 10 inches.
Semi-Independent Lures
Trolling spinners are in the middle. The blade spins on its own, but the body still sways with the dodger. A medium leader, about 10 to 12 inches, lets both things happen.
Self-Action Lures
Plugs like the Top Devil have a molded body that wobbles and swims by itself. If the leader is too short, the dodger overpowers that action. Give them a long leader, about 12 to 18 inches, so the lure can do its own thing.
If you only remember one thing from this section, remember this: leader length changes how a lure behaves. A great lure on the wrong leader will often catch nothing.
Squids & Hoochies: The Best All-Around Kokanee Lures
Soft vinyl squid skirts, often called hoochies, are the most widely used kokanee lures in North America, and for good reason. They’re light, hollow and ready to react to every small movement of the dodger. The fine tentacles keep pulsing even when the dodger pauses, which looks a lot like the zooplankton kokanee feed on.
Rocky Mountain Tackle offers several squid-style options, and they each have a place in the box:
- Signature Super Squids are our go-to starting point. If you’re building your first spread, begin here.
- Super Squids give you a wide range of colors so you can experiment until the fish tell you what they want.
- Hoochies are the classic squid-skirt profile that kokanee fishermen have trusted for decades.
- Signature Plankton is a good option when fish are picky and a smaller, more subtle look is worth trying.
Squid & Hoochie Quick Facts
- Action: quivering skirt and erratic darting
- Leader length: 8 to 10 inches of stiff 10 to 12 lb fluorocarbon
- Trolling speed: core range of 1.2 to 1.6 mph
- Best for: active schooling fish from mid-spring through mid-summer, often holding around 25 to 50 feet
Fish them behind a dodger with a good sweeping action. A dodger that kicks hard will give a squid more life than one that barely moves, and you can browse our dodgers to match your setup.
TOP SELLING SQUIDS AND HOOCHIES FOR KOKANEE
Trolling Spinners: Flash and Vibration for Low-Visibility Water
Trolling spinners combine beads with a small rotating blade. The blade throws flash, and just as important, it sends out a steady vibration that kokanee can pick up with their lateral line before they ever see the lure.
That matters when the water isn’t clear. Algae blooms, wind chop and spring runoff all cut down what a kokanee can see, and a lure that makes some noise can be the difference between a quiet morning and a limit.
- Signature Spinners are a dependable everyday spinner when you want flash and vibration working together.
- Hornet Spinners are built for tougher, lower-visibility conditions where you need extra presence in the water.
Spinner Quick Facts
- Action: continuous blade rotation with bead flash
- Leader length: 10 to 12 inches
- Trolling speed: core range of 1.2 to 1.6 mph. Slow down if the blade stops turning or the lure starts to twist your line.
- Best for: stained or tea-colored water, wind chop, and low-light mornings
Most Popular Trolling Spinners for Kokanee
Self Action Lures and Plug-Style Lures for Deeper, Tougher Bites
As summer heats up, kokanee move down into cooler, darker water, often 50 to 80 feet or deeper. Fish at those depths can get sluggish and ignore the same soft lures that worked a month earlier. A plug-style lure puts out a larger, more aggressive signature that can trigger a reaction strike.
Bill Fish Squids bring a different skirt shape and movement, which can be the change you need when the usual profile stops working.
Top Devil is our plug-style kokanee lure. Its molded body wobbles independently, so it doesn’t depend on the dodger for action the way a squid does.
Top Devil Quick Facts
- Action: side-to-side swimming and a wide wobble
- Leader length: 12 to 18 inches, longer than any other lure type
- Trolling speed: core range of 1.2 to 1.6 mph. Watch your rod tip to confirm the lure is working.
- Best for: deep summer trolling at 50 feet and below, and days when the bite is slow
Most Popular Top Devils and Bill Fish Squids for Kokanee
Lure Selection Chart: Match the Lure to the Conditions
Use this as a starting point, then adjust to what the fish tell you on the day.
| Conditions | Typical Depth | Lure Type | RMT Pick | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring to summer, active schooling fish | 20–50 ft | Squid / hoochie | Signature Super Squid | 8–10″ |
| Murky water, wind chop, low light | 15–40 ft | Trolling spinner | Assassin Spinner | 10–12″ |
| Deep summer, sluggish bite | 50–80+ ft | Plug | Top Devil | 12–18″ |
| Clear water, pressured fish | 15–45 ft | Small, subtle profile | Signature Plankton | 8–10″ |
Three Rigging Rules That Matter
The right lure won’t help if it’s rigged poorly. These three habits fix most beginner problems.
- Use tandem hooks. Kokanee slap at lures instead of swallowing them. Two #4 or #6 octopus hooks tied about 1/2 inch apart give you better odds of connecting.
- Tip each hook with one kernel of shoe-peg corn. Corn adds scent and taste. Keep it to a single kernel per hook. More than that adds bulk and hurts the lure’s action.
- Use stiff fluorocarbon for your leader. Stiff 10 to 12 lb fluorocarbon works like a drive shaft, carrying the dodger’s motion to the lure. Soft, limp mono tends to dampen it.
Troubleshooting: Small Fixes That Turn Followers Into Strikes
- Fish show up on your sonar but won’t bite: Go smaller. Try a subtler profile like the Signature Plankton, or switch to a UV pink color.
- The lure looks dead behind the dodger: Your leader is probably too long. Shorten it to 8 or 9 inches so the dodger’s kick reaches the lure.
- You’re getting hits but missing fish: Check that your trailing hook hangs freely near the bottom of the skirt, and make sure the hooks aren’t loaded with too much corn.
Change one thing at a time. If you swap lure, color and leader together, you won’t know which change made the difference.
Build a Tackle Box That Covers Your Bases
You don’t need every lure we make. You need the right variety. A simple, balanced box might include a few Signature Super Squids and Hoochies in different colors, a couple of Assassin or Signature Spinners for stained water, a Signature Plankton for finicky days, and a few Top Devils for deep summer trolling. That gives you an answer for most conditions you’ll meet on a kokanee lake.
One more tip for beginners: run two or three different lure types in your spread until you find a pattern. If the squids are getting bit and the spinners aren’t, switch everything to squids. If one color is working, copy it on every line. Kokanee fishing rewards paying attention, and a simple spread you understand will beat a complicated one you don’t.
Field Tested by Jared Johnson
Rocky Mountain Tackle was started by Jared Johnson, who has more than 25 years of experience fishing for kokanee and trout. Every lure we sell is tested on real water first, because the only question that matters is whether it helps you catch more fish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best lure for kokanee?
For most anglers, a soft squid or hoochie behind a dodger is the best all-around choice. It works in a wide range of conditions and it’s easy to rig. Spinners and plugs are better when conditions call for more vibration or a deeper presentation.
What color lure is best for kokanee?
There’s no single best color, and it changes by lake and by day. Pink, orange and UV colors are popular starting points. Carry a few colors and keep changing until you find what the fish want, then match it across your spread.
How long should a kokanee leader be?
It depends on the lure. Squids and hoochies do best on 8 to 10 inches. Spinners run well at 10 to 12 inches. Plugs like the Top Devil need 12 to 18 inches so they can swim freely.
How fast should I troll for kokanee?
A good core range is 1.2 to 1.6 mph. Start in the middle and adjust a little at a time based on what the fish respond to and what your lures are doing behind the boat.
Do I need a dodger to troll for kokanee?
In most cases, yes. The dodger provides the motion that brings squids and other soft lures to life. Plugs have their own action but still benefit from the added attraction and spacing a dodger provides.
Why do kokanee follow my lure but not bite?
Usually the lure is too big, the leader is too long, or the action isn’t right. Try a smaller, subtler lure, shorten the leader, and make sure the hooks aren’t overloaded with corn.
Ready to Gear Up?
Explore our full selection of field-tested kokanee lures, dodgers and trolling accessories at Rocky Mountain Tackle, and learn more in our How to Catch Kokanee Salmon guide.
