Northwest Reel Life April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 9 - Flipbook - Page 17
the net. Adjust your drag and
be patient.
SOCKEYE
If the chinook aren’t biting or
you have bored kids in your
boat, Brewster pool sockeye
are plentiful and hungry! They
are a bit smaller than Baker
Lake sockeye, but they taste
good and are much more
numerous than the chinook.
Like the chinook fishery,
sockeye here are caught by
trolling. There are usually
two groups of boats in the
pool, one that trolls faster for
chinook on the current break
between the Okanagan and
the Columbia, and one that
targets chinook closer to
the mouth of the Okanagan.
Chinook and sockeye do
sometimes bite on the same
gear, especially when the
sockeye really start to stack
up in the pool. If you catch a
chinook on sockeye gear, hang
on! If you’re targeting sockeye,
the same concepts you use
when kokanee fishing apply.
Use short leaders and lots of
scent! Mack’s Lures offer a
variety of sockeye lures that
are all killer in the Brewster
pool. Pink lures work best for
sockeye. Pair them up with a
dodger or smaller flasher, and
you’re in business. Don’t forget
to tip your lure with a piece
of coon shrimp. You can cure
your own or buy some precured ones. No need to use
the whole shrimp like you did
for chinook that morning, you
can just use a small tail piece.
Thankfully, the sockeye bite
all day, but the fish are more
active in the early morning.
Use lighter cannonballs than
the ones that you used for
chinook earlier in the morning.
It’s worth using different
weights to make sure your
lines don’t tangle, particularly
if you’re running 4 or more
rods. The sockeye move
deeper as the day heats up.
There’s a deep river channel
somewhat near the shore that
the sockeye like to hang out in,
but definitely don’t be afraid to
fish away from the crowd and
try new areas. The sockeye in
the Brewster pool are higher
up in the water column than
the chinook, so a good fish
finder can really help you
out. Just like their freshwater
dwelling cousins, sockeye
prefer a slow troll. Again, if
you’re fishing in the crowd, you
will probably have to match
their general speed. Make sure
your gear looks good before
dropping it down. You’ll want
your dodger to give your lure
plenty of action to attract the
sockeye, so shorten your leader
if you need to.
Here’s a few words to the
wise about the Brewster pool.
Wear sunscreen! The sun can
really beat down on those hot
days between bites, you’ll be
glad to have it on board. It’s
a good idea to start fishing
at first light and run back
before noon, before the heat
becomes too unbearable. Also,
make sure to pay attention
to your surroundings. The
Brewster pool isn’t exactly a
secret, so you can expect to
have company. Sometimes
there are hundreds of other
boats out there, especially on
weekends.
JULY 2023 | 17