# Fish Lake Kokes



## Elkdude (Oct 25, 2014)

Anyone have any success fishing for kokes at Fish Lake? I'm headed down there in a couple of weeks. Any info would be appreciated as I've never fished for kokes at Fish Lake.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

Id also like to know if anyone are catching kokes at Fish lake.

all I know is that the DWR said it would be about 3 years from the time of their introduction before people can expect to start catching 12-14" kokes.

that was 3-4 years ago so id say try it! couldn't hurt. You'd probably slay a few Rainbows in the process.

give us a report when you do


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

I saw pics of some 15-16" red kokes, late last year. They're in there. Just have to learn the specifics of catching them there, I guess.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

LOAH said:


> Just have to learn the specifics of catching them there, I guess.


QFT!

It took years of learning for us to be able to consistently catch them at Strawberry. Even then there are days they dont want to bite. But, with kokanee find that water temperature transition and fish that... watermelon usually seems to do ok until you zero in on what specific color triggers them for any particular day. Stagger pole depths.

Coolest thing where we fish at strawberry, we have waypoints for 90% of the kokanee we've caught over the past 10 or so years... when we display the lake there are regions that are just black with points, and areas without any points. Sure makes it easy to decide where to go 

Wish fishlake was closer to spend the time to learn it, but to me its like Flaming Gorge, just too far.

-DallanC


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## Elkdude (Oct 25, 2014)

DallanC said:


> Wish fishlake was closer to spend the time to learn it, but to me its like Flaming Gorge, just too far.
> 
> -DallanC


I agree with you there. I usually only make it down to fish lake once per year. I figured I would try the same things that I use at Strawberry. Who knows maybe someone at the lodge can give me some good advice.


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## DeadI (Sep 12, 2007)

I was down there two weeks ago and we caught 2 that were about 16" long and fat.
Couldnt get any more than that to play.


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## Elkdude (Oct 25, 2014)

I went last week. After the first day, my downrigger malfunctioned so I didn't have that most of the week. We never found them but we still were able to catch 2 on leaded line about 7 colors down. The funny thing is that we caught them with pop gear and a worm and pop gear with a frog flatfish tipped with worms. They were both around 18" and fat. 
I did talk to a group that had a lot of success catching them. They said they were about 50-65 deep and across the other side of the lake. 
Overall the fishing was very slow for fish lake standards. According to the marina guy, the DWR did a gill net survey and they say about a 75% decrease in rainbows in their nets this year. I was also able to talk to a DWR guy and he said that the rainbows are showing signs of a lack of protein in their diet.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I hit Fish Lake Friday evening. Everyone I talked to hadn't caught a thing all day. Most were trolling, but I talked to a few guys on the shore and they weren't catching anything either. 
I casted 2 poles in by Twin Creek and had 2 fish in 2 minutes. A couple of 20" fat rainbows using powerbait. I caught 7 more after that and released the smaller ones. I hooked a big fish and played him in for several minutes, but every time I got him close to the shore he would strip drag and run. One of the barbs on my treble hook broke and he was gone. I really wanted to see that fish, and not just the big whirlpool he was making when I would get him in close.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

We caught 2 kokanee last night at Fish Lake. They were 2 1/2- 3 pounds and turning red. First time catching them on powerbait. We caught a bunch of rainbows too. The wind was terrible and finally settled down at 8:30. We lit the lantern and started catching them when it got dark.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> We caught 2 kokanee last night at Fish Lake. They were 2 1/2- 3 pounds and turning red. First time catching them on powerbait. We caught a bunch of rainbows too. The wind was terrible and finally settled down at 8:30. We lit the lantern and started catching them when it got dark.


Wait a minute....

....you're at Fish Lake, fishing after dark and you are using powerbait???

What has this world come to?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

PBH said:


> Wait a minute....
> 
> ....you're at Fish Lake, fishing after dark and you are using powerbait???
> 
> What has this world come to?


Chroma Glow Rainbow Powerbait to be exact. :mrgreen:


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> Chroma Glow Rainbow Powerbait to be exact. :mrgreen:


probably scared every splake, brown, lake trout, and tiger musky within a mile to swim out to Widgeon Bay!


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Nope...not every. I bet the "big" fish he lost was one of the hatchery mutant brood stock lake trout that they throw in there!


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

PBH said:


> probably scared every splake, brown, lake trout, and tiger musky within a mile to swim out to Widgeon Bay!


Well, when you talk to several people that trolled the lake all day and they tell you "fishing sucks, didn't catch anything" You kind of have to try a different tactic. I guess I just haven't reached elitist status yet because I still bait fish.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I guess I just haven't reached elitist status yet because I still bait fish.







[/QUOTE]

Is that what it's called? Bait fishing? I thought it was called something else..


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> Well, when you talk to several people that trolled the lake all day and they tell you "fishing sucks, didn't catch anything" You kind of have to try a different tactic. I guess I just haven't reached elitist status yet because I still bait fish.


I'm pretty sure PBH was ribbing you on the type of bait not the use of bait. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was implying that you should have been using a bait much more likely to tempt a large lake trout, splake, or brown and not a laboratory engineered product designed to catch planter rainbows. So, when you figure out what that bait is that he was referring to, maybe you can say you have reached elitist status. Until then, keep throwing powerbait and enjoy the jelly!


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

wyoming2utah said:


> I'm pretty sure PBH was ribbing you on the type of bait not the use of bait. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was implying that you should have been using a bait much more likely to tempt a large lake trout, splake, or brown and not a laboratory engineered product designed to catch planter rainbows. So, when you figure out what that bait is that he was referring to, maybe you can say you have reached elitist status. Until then, keep throwing powerbait and enjoy the jelly!


Fish lake a couple weeks ago. Yellow/reddish colored power nuggets. 









Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Awesome...nice fish. But, only one little one? The point is that if you are really targeting lake trout, splake, brown trout, or tiger musky, powerbait is hardly the best bait. Using powerbait to go after lake trout is kind of like fishing for tiger musky with grasshoppers....sure, it might work once in a while, but you are better off using something else. But, whatever floats your boat...if you want to use power dough after dark at Fish Lake, go ahead. Personally, though, I will use something that will maximize my chance of catching a big fish!


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Just when it appears the Bros Grimm are off their high horses one rides back in on a warm blood. 

That girl caught a lake trout at Fish Lake. Congrats to her!


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Packout said:


> Just when it appears the Bros Grimm are off their high horses one rides back in on a warm blood.
> 
> That girl caught a lake trout at Fish Lake. Congrats to her!


What about Fowlmouth...is it a girl too? Because that was who our posts were aimed at.

Oh...and by the way, I would never ride some damned horse! Stinky dirty animals...I'm way too good for that!


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

What does PBH stand for? I thought it was Power Bait Heppy. >>O


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Dunkem said:


> What does PBH stand for? I thought it was Power Bait Heppy. >>O


There is only one Power Bait Heppy and that is me!










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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

wyoming2utah said:


> What about Fowlmouth...is it a girl too? Because that was who our posts were aimed at.
> 
> Oh...and by the way, I would never ride some damned horse! Stinky dirty animals...I'm way too good for that!


I know the OP was about koke fishing at Fish Lake. I wasn't specifically fishing for them, just happened to catch a couple, so I thought I would share that information. I obviously wasn't trying to catch Macs either, although I have caught a few over the years on powerbait, worms and Targhee cheese (if you remember that stuff)....


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

Hey, I love using bait. I have used powerbait, worms, and even good ol' Velveta many a time in my day...every bait has its time and purpose. But, back to PBH (PowerbaitHeppy's) original post, the point was that of all the baits you could have used after dark at Fish Lake, you chose powerbait. It is difficult for me to imagine fishing after dark at Fish Lake with powerbait. But, again, whatever...I just wouldn't do it. I would, though, throw out a worm and bobber or ball of power dough with my kids during the day at many other places. Good on ya, for catching some fish.

Forgive me; I have a hard time not following Norman Maclean's personal mantra that "nobody who did not know how to fish would be allowed to disgrace a fish by catching him.”


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