[shanem]

Happy New Year everyone! Looking forward to seeing all those catches and information sharing. Here’s to another great year, fat fish and full limits!

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[Boss Hawg]

Thinking of going tomorrow (Friday) any reports?

 

[Denneroll]

1st Saturday of the new year!
Bite was good early, then pooped out at 8:45 ish, then finished 2 man limit

at about 10:45. Surface to 30ft down, 100ft setbacks. 7 and 15 ft were good for me.
We were the first boat and arrived to an unlocked gate at 6:00.


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[Splash]

Way to kick off the season. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Boatbuddy16]

Made the most of the few hours in the morning yesterday before the wind picked up. It poured on us all morning.I was last boat to pull into the lot around 8 (5 other trailers) and I was the first to pull out after getting my limit at 10:30. Went 10-13 and had a great morning. Size 16 shoe pictured for reference.

 

[AnnaDraMoss]

Great report boatbuddy

 

[ccpastork]

1st Saturday of the new year!
Bite was good early, then pooped out at 8:45 ish, then finished 2 man limit

at about 10:45. Surface to 30ft down, 100ft setbacks. 7 and 15 ft were good for me.
We were the first boat and arrived to an unlocked gate at 6:00.


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Made the most of the few hours in the morning yesterday before the wind picked up. It poured on us all morning.I was last boat to pull into the lot around 8 (5 other trailers) and I was the first to pull out after getting my limit at 10:30. Went 10-13 and had a great morning. Size 16 shoe pictured for reference.

Thank you gentlemen for the report and pictures, I can hardly wait for my next free day to give this a try. This will be my first time/year fishing for kokanee and operating my own boat (15ft Smokercraft Alaskan w/ 15hp Honda). I have been collecting rods, reels, and tackle since December 1st and I now have what I think I need.

Any suggestions for a first time boat owner/Kokanee fisherman?

 

[BigbearLittlebear]

Thank you gentlemen for the report and pictures, I can hardly wait for my next free day to give this a try. This will be my first time/year fishing for kokanee and operating my own boat (15ft Smokercraft Alaskan w/ 15hp Honda). I have been collecting rods, reels, and tackle since December 1st and I now have what I think I need.



Any suggestions for a first time boat owner/Kokanee fisherman?

Speed, speed, speed... 1.1-1.6mph. I prefer 1.2mph and do excellent at Merwin. Make sure to also have your corn too. Everything else is going to be testing to see what works best for you. I like Arrow or Brads Kokanee Dodgers with Deadly Venoms squid. Caught multiple limits with the setup. Good Luck and if you see a blue Duckworth Advantage on the water, feel free to ask what I’m using.


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[gohappy]

This time of year, when flatlining, do I need put out like 200 ft of line?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[steelheadslayer]

Totally depends on conditions but for the most part 100 to 125 will work.

This time of year, when flatlining, do I need put out like 200 ft of line?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[shanem]

Any suggestions for a first time boat owner/Kokanee fisherman?

Wear your PFD, watch for floating logs when running across the lake. As the water comes up stuff starts floating around.

Watch your trolling speed (1.1-1.4 range). If you have DR great but if not bring some .5,1,2oz lead to help get you down. You can flatline now but as summer rolls in you will want to go deeper. Here is a useful depth guide.

Here’s a helpful map of Merwin. Note the danger zones.

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[Williams]

Size 16 shoe pictured for reference.

We call that a water ski!

 

[Coastalhounddog]

Great Post there Shane!
Thanks.........

 

[Denneroll]

I learned a lot of stuff reading the Merwin threads from years past.
I do the tuna cure from guide Sam Baird that is on YouTube. Hideous video but the cure works. Then after the early morning bite dies off we start dipping our cured corn in stuff like bloody tuna and shrimp/krill, trophy trout, garlic bloody tuna etc, and that seems to help also.


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[gohappy]

Denneroll,
after the morning bite slows, thanks for your changing scents advice.

After you change scents, do you find any consistency?

Or does it seem like the various scents attract kokes like when we were kids at the movie matinee, some like Good n Plenty, others want the Jujyfruit.

At times, I've used shoe peg corn with out any scent on one rod and that catches 2 or 3. So I mistakenly concluded that scent was the least important of all the variables: speed, depth, dodger, hoochie or Brad's kch; length of leader.

Again thanks for your help.
Lately how much line have you been using when flatlining?

 

[Boss Hawg]

Here’s my lesson. Take it or leave it
I used my gain to find the thermocline which was 30-35’ down Fished 8-2 and ended the day with 8 (no dinks) all from 30-40’ down 75’ setback lost 5-6 very light bites - in fact 2 I only knew they were on when I saw a fish constantly jumping behind the boat. So just because it’s January doesn’t mean they’re always on the top. They would show up on my screen as small tight schools.

 

[ccpastork]

Thank you again gentlemen for providing quality information! I will take the advice given and let you all know how it turns out.

How do you determine your speed? I have an older Hummingbird fish finder, but I do not see where it would show a speed. Other than what has been mentioned, do you have a favorite set up you would be willing to share (perhaps even a picture)?

 

[Denneroll]

Denneroll,
after the morning bite slows, thanks for your changing scents advice.

After you change scents, do you find any consistency?

Or does it seem like the various scents attract kokes like when we were kids at the movie matinee, some like Good n Plenty, others want the Jujyfruit.

At times, I've used shoe peg corn with out any scent on one rod and that catches 2 or 3. So I mistakenly concluded that scent was the least important of all the variables: speed, depth, dodger, hoochie or Brad's kch; length of leader.

Again thanks for your help.
Lately how much line have you been using when flatlining?

We have staying around 100ft back. Doing the rule of 100 thing. 5 down, then 95 back etc. Haven’t seen any morning jumpers yet and they are still at various depths it seems. All this rain and then snow melt might bring them to the surface. You can’t see them on a fish finder and that’s when 150 and farther back comes into play.


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[BigbearLittlebear]

Thank you again gentlemen for providing quality information! I will take the advice given and let you all know how it turns out.



How do you determine your speed? I have an older Hummingbird fish finder, but I do not see where it would show a speed. Other than what has been mentioned, do you have a favorite set up you would be willing to share (perhaps even a picture)?

There are a couple of speed apps you can get on your phone, just make sure they do tenths of MPH to get into that sweet zone. Here is a picture of a setup I use every time I go out. Never lets me down.

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[ccpastork]

There are a couple of speed apps you can get on your phone, just make sure they do tenths of MPH to get into that sweet zone. Here is a picture of a setup I use every time I go out. Never lets me down.

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Thank you; that is the pic I hope to re-create with my eight year old daughter.