Using a Jet Diver for Kokanee Salmon Fishing

Many people don’t have a downrigger and still want to fish for Kokanee Salmon. Or, perhaps you have a downrigger, but want an additional line that is running separate from your other lines. If that is the case, using a Jet Diver is an effective way to get your rig down where you can get the attention of the kokanee salmon, and get some action.

I personally got into using jet divers as a college student. I had a little 12 foot aluminum fishing boat I’d inherited, and no money for downriggers. This led me to experiment with several options for kokanee fishing without a downrigger, and while doing so, I discovered the jet diver.

How a Jet Diver Works

The Jet diver works in water in a similar way to how a kite works in the air. The line produces drag at such an angle that it pulls the line down at a specific angle. You then let out the specific amount of line per the instructions to reach the target depth. The other interesting thing about Jet divers is that they actually float. If you’re trolling in an area where your tackle is prone to snag, usually all you have to do is take the pressure off the line and the jet diver no longer wants to dive. Instead, it wants to rise to the surface, allowing you to save even more money by losing less gear.

How to Rig a Jet Diver to Catch Kokanee Salmon

On most lakes, the best depth for kokanee salmon fishing is between 15-60 feet. The dipsy diver gives you the ability to put your dodger and hoochie at those depths. There are a few different sizes of dipsy divers that allow you to fish at exact depths. You simply select the appropriate jet diver for the depth you want, connect your kokanee tackle, and start fishing.

To rig the Jet Diver for Kokanee, you thread the jet diver with the monofilament line and swivel that came with it, along with a bead to keep the jet diver from going down too far into your kokanee rig. Your actual rig you’re presenting to the fish will probably be a kokanee dodger or a flasher and then a lure, squid, or hoochie of some sort. You’ll want about a 4 foot length of line between your Jet Diver and your actual rig.

The video below shows how to catch Kokanee Salmon with a Jet Diver and how to set up your rig using one. It also shows how to catch kokanee salmon using a dipsy diver, which is similar to a Jet Diver.

What Size Jet Divers Should I Get for Kokanee Salmon?

I recommend that you have 2 sizes of Jet Divers in your tackle box to target kokanee: A 50 foot, and a 30 foot Diver. Why? You’re able to adjust depth by the amount of line you have out with each diver. Having these two sizes allows you to get into pretty much all the depths within the range that most kokanee hang out in. In the spring and maybe the early summer I would use the 30 foot Jet Diver. As things warm up, the kokanee salmon go deeper, so I switch to the 50 footer through the summer and fall. Buying several jet divers is still much cheaper than buying a down rigger. Though there are some inexpensive downrigger options on the market, the Jet Diver is just cheaper.

50 Foot Jet Diver

30 Foot Jet Diver

You can find Jet Divers in various other colors and patterns, and for other depths as well, but these are the ones that I run.

Using Jet Divers In Addition to Downriggers

I’m no longer a starving college student, and I’ve gotten into the world of downriggers. I’ve been told there are 2 types of kokanee fishermen- those with downriggers, and those that wish they had downriggers. That’s no reason to throw away your jet divers though. These two systems can work together. The best part is, they bring the lines down to the target depths in different ways and at different angles. That means lines don’t tangle. I usually try to have as many poles as I possibly can out while fishing. The more poles you run, the more chances to catch fish. There are also more chances to tangle line. Jet divers help avoid that.

About Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee salmon are sockeye salmon that are landlocked in fresh water. They primarily feed on Zoo plankton and are generally found in larger lakes that can maintain a cool temperature, or have enough depth to maintain a cool temperature. Kokanee are native to many lakes in the western United States and Canada including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho in the United States and British Columbia and Yukon in Canada. Populations of kokanee salmon are also found in Japan and Russia. 

Additionally, kokanee have been introduced to many other lakes in the United States including in those states mentioned above as well as in Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico in the west, as well as in New England, New York and North Carolina in the east. Kokanee have also been introduced to lakes in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada.