Kokanee Scents

Kokanee salmon are extremely sensitive to scents. They can smell people and they can smell food. Kokanee can also smell when you use attractant scents. Using kokanee scents wisely can have a tremendous impact on your catch rate. Controlling your scents is critical to your presentation.

The different scents let chemicals and little microparticles into the water that are foreign and that stimulate a fish. They signal that there’s something there. The salmon especially smell that and hone in on your presentation, even before they can see it. Long story short, scents and scent gels work.

I have spent the last several years studying and trying to learn what make kokanee tick. I have run experiments and talked with hundreds of fishermen trying to see what works and what doesn’t. I’m not about to tell you all my honey holes, but I do want other fishermen to be successful. Here’s what you need to know about scents for your kokanee fishing.

Most Popular Scent for Kokanee Fishing

Kokanee are extremely sensitive to scents, so many anglers use a scent spray or gel to help both cover the human scent, and attract the kokanee. Gulp maggots or scented shoepeg corn can help cover that scent, but others like adding a gel as well. According to our analysis of the forums, the most popular scent is Bloody Tuna, with Anise Krill coming in second, and a variety of garlic options coming in third.

Best Selling Kokanee Scents

The top scents on the market are made by Pro-Cure. There are usually at least a couple types of their scent gel or oils on the shelf at your local sporting goods store. I even saw some at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago. You can find it most places, and it just works. Some specific scents do a little better than others for kokanee though.

A few facts about Pro-Cure’s scent formulas

• Pro-Cure scents are derived from actual bait, so it tastes like the real thing
• Has UV Flash in the formula to also increase visibility
• Designed to stimulate fish and trigger a bite
• Great for marinating or coating your baits

Using Scent for Kokanee Salmon

Runs True Fishing is in favor of putting the gel in the hoochie. Jared, the owner of Rocky Mountain Tackle, another major kokanee salmon tackle company, is not. I was just at a kokanee symposium recently and Jared said: Don’t put the scent on the squids. It’s real sticky and thick. The gel on the skirt of the hoochies will kill the action of the skirt. The tentacles won’t be able to move around naturally in the water. He only puts his scent gel on the dodger. Either way, using scent can definitely help you net more kokanee.

About Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee salmon are landlocked sockeye salmon, which means they don’t return to the ocean and live their entire lives in lakes or reservoirs before spawning in rivers, streams, or gravel close to lakeshores. These salmon are delicious and are really strong fighters, making them a prime target for anglers, and the popularity of this fish is growing. Kokanee are a schooling fish that feed on zooplankton in the water. They tend to find where these plankton are at and then they congregate and feed all in that one area. These plankton, and the kokanee that feed on them, like to hang in water that is around 50-55 degrees, so these salmon are usually only able to survive in deep alpine lakes and reservoirs, and can be found from depths of 10 feet, all the way down to over 100 feet deep.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kokanee Scents

Does Scent Matter for Kokanee Video by Spilt Milt