View Full Version : Another Paulina report
joemomma
06-20-2009, 04:57 PM
16th-19th Like Silver bullets, started off trolling, I didn't have much luck,boated around 5 or 6, then went to jigging! It was hot, tuesday through thursday, bro showed up thursday! I would imagine we landed around a 100 kokes with the dreaded pink and white Gibbs! Casting and jigging back with 1/2 oz was the ticket, then at or near dark went to 1/4 oz and casted to the rizers, never did go back to trolling! all fish were 10" to 12 1/2" we jigged fish from usually from 5' to 25'. Friday morning some weather rolled in and put a hurt to the bite, but it came back on in the evening! A guy friday nailed two nice 10lb browns! It was a fun time! There are lot's of fish, I wish they would buck up the limit to 10 to thin them out, so they can get some size to them, it's a theory but it's mine!
moknots
06-21-2009, 05:46 PM
Thanks for the great report! Glad you had a great time with your bro!
Dullhook
06-22-2009, 08:22 AM
Thanks for the report Joe. Sounds like a great trip! As far as raising the limit to increase the Kokanee size, that might just result in less fish to catch. Paulina, unlike Wickiup, Odell, Billy Chinook, or GP...is a put and take fishery. Because of the make-up of the lake, there's little or no natural reproduction there. It's stocked with a set amount of fingerlings each year, therefore can't get over populated. I can remember back in the '70's and 80's it was common to catch fish in the 17" to 20" range. Although the lake is just as food rich as ever, many other factors have changed. Raising the limit at the natural reproduction lakes has helped the fish size, but Paulina, East, and Crescent are in a different category.
Paulina also gets a lot more local pressure than it used to. Every time I've camped there, the day use lot is packed full of boat trailers. It's just a short trip up a very good paved road from an area that has really grown in population. Has some pretty saavy, informed koke fishermen also. Lots of retired folks and others who can fish just about any time they like. Tactics have really improved too. Downriggers, advanced electronics, jigs, all sorts of new terminal tackle, have really made limits a whole lot easier. There's only X amount of fish to catch and many don't get a chance to reach the size they used to back when it was just a 'Ford Fender, nightcrawler, and banana weight' type fishery.
I'm not a fish biologist or expert by any means, but have been fishing Paulina since the early '70's and have seen first hand the gradual decrease in fish size. I like to fish the lake in July and August when the fish do put on some size because the lake is so rich. That said...the carry over rate from year to year doesn't seem too great. Those were the hogs from past seasons. It's still one of my favorite lakes for fishing and camping and am looking forward to visiting again next month. Just my :twocents:.
pharmseller
06-22-2009, 08:37 AM
Good analysis.
P
joemomma
06-22-2009, 02:12 PM
Good analysis.
P
I agree, I thought it was a natural reproduction lake? But now I think about it, I don't know of an inlet for them to spawn, just an outlet! Yea noticed the decrease in size too over the years, they have got the reddest meat I have ever seen!
pathfinder
06-22-2009, 02:55 PM
Don't anybody work anymore???????
FallRiverGuy
06-22-2009, 03:07 PM
There is no inlet, and the thought is there is no natural reproduction. However, Kokanee are know to shore spawn in some lakes. It is not known if shore spawning is occurring at Paulina. One biologist told me they were going to reduce the number of Kokanee planted. I think this is a move to try and improve the size of the fish. This lake use to produce large fish and it is curious why it no longer does so.
It seems to me that I mark many more fish than I use to. Anyone else think they have noticed this?
Dropshot
06-22-2009, 04:45 PM
There is not inlet and the thought is there is no natural reproduction. However, Kokanee are know to shore spawn in some lakes. It is not known if shore spawning is occurring at Paulina. One biologist told me they were going to reduce the number of Kokanee planted. I think this is a move to try and improve the size of the fish. This lake use to produce large fish and it is curious why it no longer does so.
It seems to me that I mark many more fish than I use to. Anyone else think they have noticed this?
I was reading an article by a WA state biologist and they have found kokanee spawning on lake beds down as deep at 60 feet.
SilverBullets
06-22-2009, 08:36 PM
Great report joemomma! We got back up there today (6/22) and had our best day jigging so far! We got into some nice size...biggest being 14.5". Most of our limits came while jigging, and a few trolling. While reeling in a koke I saw a brown that had to be at least 10lbs. follow it up to the boat! Jigs used were the Gibbs and ones made by Aufish101 and Twistedlines.
joemomma
06-22-2009, 10:37 PM
Great report joemomma! We got back up there today (6/22) and had our best day jigging so far! We got into some nice size...biggest being 14.5". Most of our limits came while jigging, and a few trolling. While reeling in a koke I saw a brown that had to be at least 10lbs. follow it up to the boat! Jigs used were the Gibbs and ones made by Aufish101 and Twistedlines.
Thanks SB, the gibbs worked good for me too! I forgot to mention, that one of the hot jiggs was an Aufish101 white with red stripe and an eye on it!
I think if I saw a 10lb brown following my koke, I would have to change my undies! :passout:
As far as number of kokanee in the lake I was picking up scattered small schools everywhere, me and my brother even fished on purpose where we saw no fish and caught them!
Thanks SB, the gibbs worked good for me too! I forgot to mention, that one of the hot jiggs was an Aufish101 white with red stripe and an eye on it!
I think if I saw a 10lb brown following my koke, I would have to change my undies! :passout:
As far as number of kokanee in the lake I was picking up scattered small schools everywhere, me and my brother even fished on purpose where we saw no fish and caught them!
The same Aufish101 jig worked for me at Odell several weeks ago too!
twisted lines
06-23-2009, 06:37 AM
Don't anybody work anymore???????
:yeahthat:
Thanks for the report SB, I am gassed up, the battery is charged, got my new Berkley, Thanks Fall River Guy, and a few of those white with red jigs from Aufish101. Think I may even find a Gibbs, now if the sun just keeps shinning for a few more days! I'm tired of fishing in the rain :applause:
Dullhook
06-23-2009, 07:22 AM
Don't anybody work anymore???????
Nope. Priorities rule! BTW, this is a family friendly website and there are certain taboo words that are subject to removal at the discretion of the mods. :eek: :D
SilverBullets
06-23-2009, 08:49 AM
:yeahthat:
Thanks for the report SB, I am gassed up, the battery is charged, got my new Berkley, Thanks Fall River Guy, and a few of those white with red jigs from Aufish101. Think I may even find a Gibbs, now if the sun just keeps shinning for a few more days! I'm tired of fishing in the rain :applause:
I also want to Thank Fallriverguy for the rod recommendation. Yesterday was the first time out that Dad and I used our new Berkley rods...I'm a believer!!
Hondo
06-23-2009, 01:04 PM
My family was up there last week, too...bank fishing. We had good luck on Sunday, my wife caught a 3-pound rainbow, and the meat was so red it looked like kokanee meat! Super tasty, probably the best tasting trout I've ever had.
We did notice quite a large algae bloom that wreaked havok on our lines. We were going to stay through Thursday, but decided to leave on Tuesday after removing over 100 pounds of algae (I'm sure) form our lines.
Great lake, want to go back next month after the algae clears up!
joemomma
06-23-2009, 10:59 PM
Don't anybody work anymore???????
Oh, your one to talk! :wink: What ya up too buddy!