Downsizing your dodgers can be the ultimate secret weapon for finicky late-spring and summer kokanee.

While large, aggressive flashers have their time and place, smaller profile dodgers (ranging from 4 to 4.5 inches) offer distinct advantages:

• Lower water resistance for a better rod fight.
• Tighter, faster wobble to trigger reaction strikes.
• Subtle presentation that prevents spooking sensitive schools.

To get the definitive playbook on running downsized kokanee gear, we tapped into the expert minds of Central Oregon’s premier kokanee authorities: Tom Schnell, former board member of Kokanee Power of Oregon , and Sean Koepf, owner and veteran guide at Chrome Diggers Guide Service.

Pro Staff Blueprint: Tom Schnell’s Precision Setup

As a long-time regional advocate with Kokanee Power of Oregon, Tom Schnell heavily relies on preformed, hand-crafted dodgers like the Half-Fast Tackle Arrow Flash .  Because these require zero manual tuning out of the package, you get identical action across multiple trolling rods.

When fishing conditions get tough, Schnell downsizes specifically to an ArrowFlash Jr. to target four critical lake scenarios:

• Early-Season Lethargy: During the ice-out transition into early spring, cold water slows fish metabolism. Kokanee may not be aggressive enough to chase a massive flasher footprint.
• Predator Pressure: In lakes where massive mackinaw (lake trout) or bull trout hunt kokanee, a large flasher can mimic an attacking predator. A smaller presentation keeps the school calm.
• Angler Combat Pressure: On heavily fished lakes, kokanee quickly become conditioned to standard gear. The ArrowFlash Jr. offers a subtle, stealthy look they haven’t seen all morning.
• Micro Lure Matching: When “matching the hatch” with micro-lures like the Arrow Spin, smaller dodgers provide the perfect mechanical balance. This allows the blade to kick effectively without the dodger overpowering the lure’s action.

The Guide’s Playbook: Sean Koepf’s Deep Water Dominance

When you are guiding clients daily on pressured waters like Central Oregon’s Lake Billy Chinook (LBC), consistency is everything. Sean Koepf of Chrome Diggers Guide Service uses compact, high-action dodgers to target tight thermoclines.

When to Downsize Kokanee Gear

“I typically drop down to a smaller dodger when the bite gets tough or when fish become more pressured,” Koepf explains. “I also find on brighter, calmer days, a smaller profile can sometimes make all the difference.”

Tactical Trolling Adjustments for Small Dodgers

Whenever you switch to a smaller dodger, Koepf recommends making a few critical trolling adjustments to keep your presentation balanced:

• Shorten the leader: Keep the lure’s action tight and responsive behind the smaller dodger.
• Reduce trolling speed: Slow down slightly to match the physics of the smaller presentation.
• Downsize the lure: Pay close attention to lure size and color to maintain a balanced profile.

The Go-To Finesse Setup

“The Arrow Flash Jr. definitely has a place in my lineup,” says Koepf. “It’s one of my go-to options when fish are being finicky or when I want a more finesse presentation. There are days when the Jr. will consistently outproduce a standard-sized dodger, especially on heavily pressured lakes or during mid-summer when kokanee become more selective. By far my most reached-for Jr. color pattern is the gold/moon glow!”

Conclusion: Adapt Your Trolling Gear to Catch More Fish

Success on the water requires versatility. Conditions, water clarity, light penetration, and fish mood change constantly. Having both standard and junior dodgers rigged and ready allows you to quickly adapt to what the fish want.

When the summer kokanee fishing gets tough, going small is often the difference between a good day and a great one.

Poulsen Cascade Tackle, based in the Pacific Northwest, specializes in crafting high-quality tackle solutions tailored to the needs of dedicated anglers. Renowned for innovative designs, exceptional craftsmanship, and the use of premium materials, the company is a trusted name in the fishing community.

We invite you to Share Your Thoughts and Questions. Please Submit Your Comments.

If a 3.5 Spinner Blade is Good, What About a 3.75?

Does a Bigger Blade Make 360° Salmon Trolling Better?

We think it probably does.

So does Gary Geis, owner of Double G Guide Service in the Pacific Northwest.

Gary tested our 3.75 BV Spinner Blades on a soft-tie rig with a hoochie by trolling them behind a 360° flasher for Fall salmon.

In fact, the whole idea for a larger blade was Gary’s.

The concern was that it would still allow the flasher to rotate properly so as to impart the desired action to the spinner. It does. And does so with flying colors. Not only that, but lots of salmon liked it too.

So why should you care that a 3.75 spinner blade is a bit larger?

In a word, the bigger the blade the easier for a fish to see it. It’s as simple as that.

Since the advent of this specialized trolling technique, guides and other serious anglers have sought to improve on an already super productive salmon trolling method. BV 3.75 spinner blades are designed to do just that. 

A few examples:

In our own trials we found that the action of a 360° flasher is not impeded whatsoever by the additional size of these blades.

We are also of the opinion that a blade that is any larger than our BV 3.75 blades might indeed slow the rotation of the dodger, thus detracting from the intended benefit of 360° trolling.

Conclusion: To increase the odds of a salmon seeing your offering when trolling with a 360° flasher try the largest spinner blade that still allows the flasher to function as designed. They won’t bite it if they can’t see it.

Poulsen Cascade Tackle, based in the Pacific Northwest, specializes in crafting high-quality tackle solutions tailored to the needs of dedicated anglers. Renowned for innovative designs, exceptional craftsmanship, and the use of premium materials, the company is a trusted name in the fishing community.

We invite you to Share Your Thoughts and Questions. Please Submit Your Comments.

New Kokanee Lure, Twirlee-Gig, Surprises Anglers

It’s Also Great for Walleye, Perch, and Smallmouth Bass!

Lure Design is More Art Than Science

The ideas usually come from the minds of anglers, not fish. Since no one I know speaks ‘Fish’, we are left to create and test our designs to determine if they have merit in the eyes of the species we are targeting.

In other words, it’s a trial-and-error process.

While we are confident that almost any lure design will catch some of the fish some of the time, the quest is to develop lures that will catch the intended species most of the time. In fact, our goal is to give anglers a competitive edge whenever they are fishing and to maximize their fishing experience.

Such was the case when we designed Twirlee-Gigs to be an innovative Kokanee trolling lure.

Brent Soule kokanee catch results with Twirlee-Gigs

We were confident this would be super effective at catching kokanee. But the kokanee would have to make that determination. We needed a real test before we could make claims about how well it worked.

The best way we know to test the product is to put it in the hands of someone who can and will fish it hard alongside more traditional gear. After all, the quest is to find out if it works better than the same old, same old. 

Enter Brent Soule of Soule’s Sportfishing

Brent guides kokanee trips on Lake Merwin in Washington State. He’s known for working hard to optimize his customers’ fishing experience as well as his willingness to try new ways to increase the catch rate. His trial of Twirlee-Gigs for kokanee was so successful that they are now one of his absolute go-to rigs. The same holds true for the many others who followed his lead.

However, we were surprised, though, when another guide, Tony Owsian of Tony O’s Guided Adventures, told us that he tried Twirlee-Gig bodies on worm harness rigs for walleye with outstanding results. We had no idea anyone was trying this, so it came as a complete surprise. 

Tony Owsians catch of walleye on Twirlee-Gig worm harnesses

Tom Hester – 9lb, 13oz walleye on a Twirlee-Gig
Walleye, small mouth bass and perch caught on Twirlee-Gig worm harnesses

These rigs outfished any worm harness rigs Tony had used up to that point:

Well, at that point, we knew we had to try them out ourselves to see what else they might catch. Four of us put into the mid-Columbia River and trolled various worm harness rigs. 

I used a pink and purple Twirlee-Gig rig while each of the other three used various other setups. While everybody caught some fish, my rod caught perch, smallmouth bass, lots of walleye, and a personal best 9-pound 13-ounce brute of a walleye.

The Moral of the Story? 

Don’t let yourself get mind-locked into thinking a lure will only catch what it was initially designed for – you might just discover the hottest new thing for a species you never expected.

By far, the Twirlee-Gigs have made a difference in my walleye success, catching twice as many as my other worm harness setups. Wonder bread, pearl/purple, and pearl/pink have been the hottest. My U.S. Veteran clients are very satisfied with our results. Thank you for a great product.  ~Tony O Guided Adventure

Poulsen Cascade Tackle, based in the Pacific Northwest, specializes in crafting high-quality tackle solutions tailored to the needs of dedicated anglers. Renowned for innovative designs, exceptional craftsmanship, and the use of premium materials, the company is a trusted name in the fishing community.

We invite you to Share Your Thoughts and Questions. Please Submit Your Comments.