Hayden Lake Kokanee

First of all many thanks to SsendaM (Brian) for taking me out today. We have been wanting to get together since last year and finally made it happen.

Got the lines in about 8:30, it was in the upper 30's with overcast; we were hoping for the sun to burn off the clouds but alas only a glimmer for a little while mid day. Almost no wind and the the water was a balmy 38 degrees. We ran a top rod, a leaded line outfit, and two downriggers. Brian rigged up with his tried and true wedding ring style home brewed lures and I set up with some new tackle and kokanee rod I got at the Portland Sportsman's Expo last week. (Gotta try the new stuff you know)!

Brian got the first fish, of course, at 35 feet deep on the downrigger. Then he got the second.......third, fourth; you get the idea. Wait a minute I normally catch fish????? So I hang in there and finally catch a couple of fish after several drive by's and mid releases. You know the usual stuff when kokanee fishing. The colors of the day were green, orange/green and firetiger mini hoochie with watermelon Crystal Basin dodger. Fish were caught from the top down to 55' deep; just one here and there. The bite died around noon and we finished up with 10 beauties that were 12" long on average.

Great day, lots of fun and oh yes fish stories........ worthy12
Thanks again Brian - Alan

thanks for the report, hayden is at the top of my kokanee wish list,,,planning a couple day trip over spring break the first of april

I may be fishing Hayden when you are up. Always great to meet other Forum anglers.

(agree, have met the nicest people at the boat ramp)

Ok went to Hayden today wow was it crazy busy. wife and I did well 17 in the boat. Lost a lot at the net I'm thinking we might be getting to excited at the wrong time like when I yell fish on. O well we always seem to get it together about the time the wake board boats start to hit the lakes still a great day. To top it off I finally caught my first Kokanee on a Hoochie

Yahoooo fish on is good! 17 in the boat; awesome. What depth did you find them at today if I may ask? Anything thy liked better than another?
Thanks for sharing - Alan 101chromefish101

set one rod at 50' and one at 35' both depth had equal action. 50' was producing larger fish 4 of them 16". Pink and white,pink and orange I'm thinking if it has pink on it they want to taste it. Wedding rings seem to do the best tipped with gulp maggots pink or white chasing a pink uv Shasta sling blade.

Thanks for the info Rrogers. Always good to have a starting point for the next trip. The cold water should hold off the wake boaters for a bit yet.

Kokanee are still biting at Hayden a lot more work at getting your limit but if you can spend the day it can be done. I'm Afraid they are getting way to much pressure with all them boats running around in circles trying to figure out who knows where to go. Kinda funny watching them play follow the leaded.most of the guys that I talked to on the water gave up on fishing after only landing three or four fish after about five or so hours. I got my limit but I didn't fish but where everyone else was still finding some fat ones at 14".

Did you fish in the howling rain/wind last weekend Rrogers? I fished on CDA Lake on Saturday for chinook. No fish but got to explore some new territory. Really got rained on; sure glad for the top! No fishin' this weekend; honey do projects that have been delayed too long. 101yawn

No I'm trying to stay away from the lake (Hayden)on the weekends due to way to many boaters out there trolling. I really don't want to walk a mile to park my truck. I've been wanting to go out after chinook but hate the no guarantee your going to even get a bit with them suckers better odds on koke. I heard the water was very low at the ramps on CDA did you have any trouble launching?my buddy has done well on CDA for chinooks trolling let me know if you want some information on where and how. sorry to here that momma took your boat keys for the weekend but it's supposed to be raining again good time to get caught up. I'm staying in and going to smoke up the latest catch of Kokanee.

Ok, went out on hayden today. There was 27 boats on the water. The bite was very sporadic. Nailed it down to pink behind chrome. Didn't land many but the best bite was at 50'. That's the most boats I've ever seen out there. Pend Oreille is a much more consistent bite. Tight lines,Brentdog

Brentdog
You,Downriggeral and I should meet at Hayden and form a trolling wall and dominate the lake
Where about on CDA are you hitting the kokes and how are the ramps putting in and taking out?
A little secret the wife figured out on Hayden is try a small white and coper needle fish tipped with white gulp maggots behind a Shasta white and pink sling blade caught all the 14" ones on that set up.

Correction where on pend Orelle ?

Glad to hear you hooked some up Brentdog. Thanks for the tip on the Needle Fish Rrogers.

why not, weather depending i'll be headed up in the morning, love dworshak but for now will pass on catching a couple 8" fish,,,any advice on where to launch?

There are two launches on Hayden lake. One is at Honeysuckle on the south end and the other is Sportsman's on the north end. Sportsman's is free and Honeysuckle is $5 for Idahoans and double that for us visitors from Washington. Nice docks and facilities at both locations. signfishin

Usually I'll fish couple hundred yards off the shore from the slide across from the Farragut launch and make my way to Lake side. Or from the launch to and around the cape. I've done best on chrome flashers and a orangish pink apex tipped with yellow corn.

Rrodgers, my buddy and I have fished cda for Chinook w/o much luck any tips would be much appreciated. Thanks

enjoyed the day, lost 6 or so and landed 4 12-13"