Green Peter 4-7

[Gettin' Jiggy Wid It]

Monday was my second time fishing for kokes at Green Peter. My first trip for them was last July and I was skunked (didn't have a downrigger to get to the fish at 50 - 70 ft depths.).

So, I though i'd try trolling in the spring when the kokes are shallow...

I figured the ramp at Thistle Creek wouldn't be too busy on a Monday...
I was wrong...by the time I left there were 50 trailers in the lots.

Launched the NuCanoe just before sunrise and I was first boat on water...fished until 1 pm with 6 kokes caught and 1 rainbow trout landed. The kokes were about 10" and the bow was 12" or so. I got to experience the infamous kokanee "roll" as I got them in close to the boat...they go absolutely nuts -- reminded me of the way a crocodile rolls over and over when it grabs its prey.

The kokes and the trout were all caught on those ridiculous looking pink hoochies that I never thought would catch a fish as I trolled them 1.2 mph behind a pink/silver sling blade or red/silver mack's flash lite troll. Both rods were set at 100 ft back with a half-ounce of lead to get the gear down about 8 ft or so. I had a couple of doubles, but landed only one fish each time. I landed only about 40% of the hits...

I made my own maple syrup shoepeg corn and garlic powder corn -- both caught fish, but the garlic seemed to work a little better and was much less messy/sticky!

As for finding them, I caught them all over the lake...in the arms, toward the dam, toward the island, etc. They seemed very spread out and I saw only very small schools of half a dozen fish or so on the fish finder. I did see a few dense schools 50 ft down, however, and some fishermen reported catching them as deep as 40 ft on their downriggers. Three other fishermen reported 7 kokes each when i returned to the boat ramp at 1 pm, so 7 fish seemed to be the magic number.

Wife baked the kokes when i got home and we had our first taste of these land-locked salmon...amazing! I had trouble believing people that kokes tasted as good as their coho or king cousins, but i'm a true believer now. :worthy:

Can't wait to go again. Going to try crafting a homemade downrigger soon for the summer.

 

[bass]

Congrats on a good day! Thanks for the report.

 

[mosd]

when i use to fish out there i would fish around the floating crapper and the island, usually in 35-60 foot of water.. check out my threads ive posted a few years back and you would be able to get a idea what i was using and where, fyi garlic shoe peg corn is the hot ticket

 

[troutdude]

when i use to fish out there i would fish around the floating crapper and the island, usually in 35-60 foot of water.. check out my threads ive posted a few years back and you would be able to get a idea what i was using and where, fyi garlic shoe peg corn is the hot ticket

^^^ What he said. MOSD, is one of our resident Koke Kings on here!

Great report. Felt like I was riding shotgun! eace:

P.S. You are now addicted to: KOKE KANDY!!!

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:

 

[Gettin' Jiggy Wid It]

Thanks for the koke kudos and tips, everyone.

I just ordered an attwood mini-downrigger from Cabela's. Looking forward to trying it out.

I wonder how well these catch kokes when run solo without a dodger in front of them.

 

[troutdude]

Glad to see you posting again, btw, Mr. Jiggy.

Those Hoochie Things, look great! Might have to get some, to try for the Fall Ho's. Give 'em a try, and keep us...ahem...posted! LOL

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

Good job on getting out there and getting some koke from your kayak! That's one fish iv yet to get from my pontoon, got their landlocked friends coho, and chinook, but not a tasty koke yet.

Tight Lines!

 

[capblack]

Those look pretty fishy, but I would still fish them behind a dodger, you could get away with a longer leader than a regular hootchie though, those will have plenty of action on their own.

 

[Gettin' Jiggy Wid It]

Those look pretty fishy, but I would still fish them behind a dodger, you could get away with a longer leader than a regular hootchie though, those will have plenty of action on their own.

They seem kind of spendy, too, at $5 apiece. It would probably be easy to make them for about a $1 each just by rigging up a normal hoochie and adding a bill. I may try that.