Yale 2020

[mr.resnik]

__I fished with beer can lake trolls in Merwin years ago, thes are identical to the cousin carls, like you said they really thump. Do you use super dupers for kokanee, without corn

[gohappy]

Friday, came over from Merwin was unusually slow even trolling at daybreak.

So i launched at Yale about 11:30, sunny, air temp mid 70s.

At Yale, i went towards the dam, took an hour to locate an area with willing biters. Main channel about 230 ft deep, within sight of both dams.
Let out 60 ft line, downriggers 55 ft, Arrow "moonglo" dodgers with Mack's aqua mini hoochies with .8 gold glitter smiles, usual garlic n tuna corn.

These yale kokaneewhile smaller, put up quite a struggle when you use light "noodle" poles!

I include 5 mm white glo beads on my home tied hoochies, you can "charge" up the beads and also the u/v tentacles of the hooch using the flash on your camera phone! Joe Adams told me about the phone flash charging technique.

[adamg]

Good today. Done by 730. All fish on Brad's kokanee cut plugs at 35ft on downriggers, across from the ramp

[Joek]

First time submitting a report so go easy on me here. Attached a couple of snapshots that tell the story this morning.

The bite slowed down for an hour or so for me after solid daylight. I tried some different combinations. The two rigs pictured were the most productive. I tried brads cut plugs (maybe wrong color), different dodger/spinner combinations and different depths and speeds. Spent the whole time across from the ramp. The combination that worked for me today was 55' back and 35' down and 1.4-1.5 with yellow corn (pink didn't work).

All fish pictured were from 10 7/8 to 12 1/8. I returned a couple next year fish and what must have been a pike minnow.

Nice to casually get the boat ready for the road home - sure that the Jet Ski trailer appreciated the spot opening up around 9.

Another nice thing about the quick limit is that I didn't have a Prius pass me around a double yellow corner - traffic back towards I-5 at 9:30 was non-existent. Last time I fished Merwin I stuck it out til maybe 4 and the access road was more active headed west.

I'll say I thought hard about floating Merwin - it was tough to drive past that ramp knowing the fish carry girth. Thing is that a few days ago I tried my hand at Detroit Lake. Ended up with one ~14". So, I'm happy with the experience all-in-all today. Would do it again.

[Hewes1]

Joek - great report and glad you had a good day. Always like the reports with pics!

[Pensacola]

Originally Posted by mr.resnik

__I fished with beer can lake trolls in Merwin years ago, thes are identical to the cousin carls, like you said they really thump. Do you use super dupers for kokanee, without corn

Yes, not even scent but need a light leader to get it to roll nicely and dive from side to side. That's the money action! SMALL LURES

[Joek]

Launched at noon with my wife. Fished three rods across from the launch. Landed our limit at 2:45. Turned the next back that hooked up when pulling in our gear. Left two next year fish. No pikes. 40’ down and 55 back. 1.3 mph. Any color gear (didn’t ever change). Size ranged from 10.5 - 13 1/4.

No wind and scattered clouds. Good day.

[thaxor]

Headed to yale sunday night and fishing through wednesday.

Staying at cougar rv, will be with wife in a 18' smokercraft sled, say hello if you see us.

[thaxor]

Fishing was amazing, 10 first day (5pm launch), limited both days after, with 2 limits by 10am today. Hot setup was 50/50 cowbell, 3oz weight 100' behind the boat with a custom #3 gold bladed pink hootchie spinner.

Trolled middle lake 80-120' of water from about the launch north 1/2 mile.

Big fish was 13.5", most were 11-12.

[honker1]

Originally Posted by thaxor

Fishing was amazing, 10 first day (5pm launch), limited both days after, with 2 limits by 10am today. Hot setup was 50/50 cowbell, 3oz weight 100' behind the boat with a custom #3 gold bladed pink hootchie spinner.

Trolled middle lake 80-120' of water from about the launch north 1/2 mile.

Big fish was 13.5", most were 11-12.

Are the fish starting to show any color ?

[thaxor]

Not really, maybe one or two out of two limits. Eggs are starting to develop with larger females having 2" skeins.

[JettyJunkie]

Great report Thax! I’m headed up there on Saturday, it’s only my second time attempting Kokanee fishing. First time I tried I only caught one at Riffe lake and I would be happy just to double that.

[thaxor]

I'm confident you'll beat it. Try and be there early, it's tough fishing when the wind picks up around 12pm. If the wind gets going just troll with it.

I used corn cured in pautzke fire and krill/anise Mike's gel smeared on the squid. Kokanee cutplug stuffed with tuna was also effective.

Good luck!

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by JettyJunkie

Great report Thax! I’m headed up there on Saturday, it’s only my second time attempting Kokanee fishing. First time I tried I only caught one at Riffe lake and I would be happy just to double that.

At Yale you will just get there early to avoid the jet ski crowd. Right out in front of the ramp should be good

[JettyJunkie]

Which launch is best?

[shanem]

Originally Posted by JettyJunkie

Which launch is best?

Only Yale park is open. The dam launch is closed due to construction


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[JettyJunkie]

Thanks for all the help! We went out yesterday and fought the wind and chop. We caught our limit in 4 hours it was pretty easy and fun once we found them. Brads CP tipped with corn in tuna

[Merganser99]

Limit in 2.5 hours this morning. Probably lost another limit worth. Water was beautiful and the koks were snappy. Got a bonus trout also. Downrigger at 55 with a stacked line at 40. Spin-n-glos in green with green beads and pink with a pink hootchie. Green Gulp maggots outfished the plain ones today. First time they have been really successful for me.

This will be my last trip until Black Friday. Fish are turning to spawning colors.

[steelymann]

Do you find that the fish move towards the spawning grounds to stace just before entering the creek?

[Sam'nilla]

Yale and merwin have been closed due to fire fighting aircraft activities. The big hollow fire started in the trapper creek wilderness and was pushed west by very strong east winds to 4.5 miles from yale dam. Looks like the season might be over for us kokanee heads....dang!

[shanem]

Thanks for the heads up Sam’nilla. I usually stop Koke fishing in Sept and pick it back up in late October. Let’s the spawners get out of the way.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Fourteen]

Does anyone know when the dam launch construction will be completed and a person will be able to launch there ?

[shanem]

Originally Posted by Fourteen

Does anyone know when the dam launch construction will be completed and a person will be able to launch there ?

Likely not until next year.


https://www.pacificorp.com/about/new...-extended.html


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Sam'nilla]

FYI Merwin and Yale boat ramps are open. I am going hunting for the next 2 weeks then we will start our count again.. We got 653 kokes in my boat between merwin and Yale and that is with a month off because the governor thought it was too unsafe to fish with the china virus, Don't forget to VOTE! sammy

[Joek]

All right Sammy - impressive Koke count. I’ve taken a month off, but will launch Saturday.

Merwin or Yale? I’ve never targeted kokes in early October. Got any suggestions? How deep? Where? Colors? I’ve got plenty to learn.

At this point, I’m the one who’s hooked. My counts have been considerably better at Yale.

[Sam'nilla]

Originally Posted by Joek

All right Sammy - impressive Koke count. I’ve taken a month off, but will launch Saturday.

Merwin or Yale? I’ve never targeted kokes in early October. Got any suggestions? How deep? Where? Colors? I’ve got plenty to learn.

At this point, I’m the one who’s hooked. My counts have been considerably better at Yale.

Yale is pretty much done for the year. I would try merwin. You will be getting next years spawners that are about the same size as Yales spawners now. I would guess that they should start coming up a bit with the water temps cooling. This time of year in merwin you will have to deal with the squaw fish but they do make tasty food for the eagles and osprey. Also check out cougar creek. It looks like we did not catch them all. I stopped by there to day and lots of red spawners in the creek... kool!

[Joek]

Merwin it is then. Thinking I’ll start with 80’ back and 30 down. Pinks and oranges. Pink corn. 1.4. Waterfall then toward the dam.

Look forward to checking out Cougar - great intel/info. Thank you.

[Joek]

Just curious if anyone has dropped a boat into Yale recently.

[JettyJunkie]

I did on 11/01 but that was a big mistake and not a good judge. Clear skies and a full moon weekend allowing the kokes to feed at night. Only one other boat out there that day.