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Fact! our last 2 trips 17 days and then ten days past ,they where turning pink and the good news is there mouths are beginning to harden so our last trip the landing rate was like 90%. Good luck get them while they last!
 
I caught a bunch on july 6th and there backs were just darker blue, meat was fine, not sure what you mean by turning pink, not sure how to post pics on here
 
well did not make it to Anderson, drove to Mt. Home and seen the lighting and black rain clouds over in the area, turned around and went to LP.
even the LP fish are starting to turn.
 
Went out yesterday, caught one, 25" down.
Tried the pink hoochie behind a dodger, no luck, switched it out for a chartreuse dodger and wedding ring, got one soon after. Winds and sun came out so I picked up and left.


Long line got 1 bite, but was a soft one.

Going out tomorrow.
 
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What I meant by turning is the fact that as I scaled them there is a slight pink tone to the skin.
Yes the fillets are nice and firm and should be for some time yet.
And I also have not mastered posting pics.
Good luck!
 
I fished three days, 6th, 7th, and 8th with a friend and we landed 75 nice fat Koks.
Color change hasn't gotten really noticeable yet.
The flesh is in great shape too.
There was an afternoon rainstorm every day that forced us off the water but was still an enjoyable trip.
 
Fished this morning 5:30 to 11teaching a freind to "kokanee". Had a decent morning puting 10 in the live well, relesed 5 under 10" and had 10 to 12 hookups that came off. We tried spinners and hoochie behind dodgers, but end up switching everything to dodgers and hoochies. Hoochie colors were pink and orange/yellow fished on the DR's at 20 and 30 FOW and 5 colors on the lead core.
 
Went out Wednesday. Fished from about 7 til 10. Only put 2 in the boat, about 15 or 16 inches. One on red net wing Arrow flasher with a red blade Kokabow and lost another really nice one. The second was on a green net wing Arrow with a green hoochie. Red corn on both. Fishing at about 20 feet about a half mile above spring shores.
 
Hit Anderson today (Sun) from 3:30-6:30 pm and landed 9 kokanee. Since I was solo, managing two downriggers, and netting my own I thought it was a good trip. Lost about 3 I couldn't get to quick enough. All were at depths of 72-80 ft. The first hour I fished 35-50 ft (was marking fish) without so much as a tap. The fish now have a pinkish hue on the outside, and some are starting to develop a hook in their mouths. Meat on the inside is still a nice dark salmon color. Males were 15-16" and females were 16-17 1/2". Chrome dodgers with pink hoochies and kokanee killers were the ticket. Nothing on wedding rings today.
 
hooked said:
Hit Anderson today (Sun) from 3:30-6:30 pm and landed 9 kokanee. Since I was solo, managing two downriggers, and netting my own I thought it was a good trip. Lost about 3 I couldn't get to quick enough. All were at depths of 72-80 ft. The first hour I fished 35-50 ft (was marking fish) without so much as a tap. The fish now have a pinkish hue on the outside, and some are starting to develop a hook in their mouths. Meat on the inside is still a nice dark salmon color. Males were 15-16" and females were 16-17 1/2". Chrome dodgers with pink hoochies and kokanee killers were the ticket. Nothing on wedding rings today.
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Sound like nice fish, I'm probably going to camp at Anderson, Tuesday-Fri. Probably buy a down rigger before going up, I've been using trolling stinkers, but 80' would mean a lot of line out. Been needing to get one anyhow. Any tips from anyone for fishing this deep? Dodgers/flashers? Small pop gear maybe? Any tips would be great. Ill probably start fishing near the power lines and then head towards pine, until I find fish.
 
Armyducker,
When trolling that deep, I use a larger dodger (5-6 inch), then when near the surface (3-4 inch). Or use downrigger trolls. Also get a heavier 10 to 15lb. downrigger ball when you buy your downrigger. This will help keep the downrigger line under the boat and help make turning easier.
 
sawtooth said:
Armyducker,
When trolling that deep, I use a larger dodger (5-6 inch), then when near the surface (3-4 inch). Or use downrigger trolls. Also get a heavier 10 to 15lb. downrigger ball when you buy your downrigger. This will help keep the downrigger line under the boat and help make turning easier.
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Great advice sawtooth. This will be my 1st down rigger. This was my 1st kokanee season and I've tried everything, did well on all techniques. Now that they are 50+ seems I've got to use a down rigger now. Do you think they may come up at sunrise for a bit?
 
armyducker said:
Sound like nice fish, I'm probably going to camp at Anderson, Tuesday-Fri. Probably buy a down rigger before going up, I've been using trolling stinkers, but 80' would mean a lot of line out. Been needing to get one anyhow. Any tips from anyone for fishing this deep? Dodgers/flashers? Small pop gear maybe? Any tips would be great. Ill probably start fishing near the power lines and then head towards pine, until I find fish.
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If you can afford electric cranks on a DR, it'll save some effort. I was cranking a heavy ball up from 80 feet a lot yesterday, and it's a workout. I hang some bling off the balls, yesterday had a gang troll on one and a big chrome flasher on the other, and did well wth setbacks of 20-30 ft.

At dawn the fish may be shallower. When I started yesterday it was overcast with a breeze and the first hits I could get were at 65+, then when the wind stopped and the sun came out they dropped to 80. Later when the next thunderstorm approached, blocked the sun, and kicked up some chop the fish came back up to 72-75. If I fished at dawn I'd start by trolling 30ish then keep working down in 5 ft depths until they start hitting (easier with 2 DRs, start at 30 and 35, and every 10 minutes drop one down 10 ft). The flashers that worked for me were Luhr Jensen's, dimpled chrome, 5 and 8 inches, mild action. Late in the day a pink kokanee killer really lit their fire. If I didn't get forced off the lake from a nasty thunderstorm I could have kept cranking them in as fast as I could reset, reel, net, and repeat.

When things were quiet enough I also ran a planer board 70 back and 50 out, with an ounce of lead on thin braid line and red wedding ring, but no hits.
 
hooked said:
If you can afford electric cranks on a DR, it'll save some effort. I was cranking a heavy ball up from 80 feet a lot yesterday, and it's a workout. I hang some bling off the balls, yesterday had a gang troll on one and a big chrome flasher on the other, and did well wth setbacks of 20-30 ft.

At dawn the fish may be shallower. When I started yesterday it was overcast with a breeze and the first hits I could get were at 65+, then when the wind stopped and the sun came out they dropped to 80. Later when the next thunderstorm approached, blocked the sun, and kicked up some chop the fish came back up to 72-75. If I fished at dawn I'd start by trolling 30ish then keep working down in 5 ft depths until they start hitting (easier with 2 DRs, start at 30 and 35, and every 10 minutes drop one down 10 ft). The flashers that worked for me were Luhr Jensen's, dimpled chrome, 5 and 8 inches, mild action. Late in the day a pink kokanee killer really lit their fire. If I didn't get forced off the lake from a nasty thunderstorm I could have kept cranking them in as fast as I could reset, reel, net, and repeat.

When things were quiet enough I also ran a planer board 70 back and 50 out, with an ounce of lead on thin braid line and red wedding ring, but no hits.
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Great advice, proabably can't spend the funds on electric one's, that would be nice though, guess ill start stretching today. I plan on camping a few nights, so I hope to get on the fish, any advice on where to start? I normally launch at elk creek, and work down.
 
After reading the posts here gave Koke fishing a try. Went out in Inlaws boat and we caught 4. Yesterday we went up again and caught 2 more. Was long lining flasher with pink and orange hoochies. No fish finder just hoping to get lucky. My question is how long will the Koke fishing be good up there and is it worth it to try make a makeshift down rigger setup? Btw my lady thinks it's a great time and likes the way those kokes taste.
 
armyducker said:
Great advice, proabably can't spend the funds on electric one's, that would be nice though, guess ill start stretching today. I plan on camping a few nights, so I hope to get on the fish, any advice on where to start? I normally launch at elk creek, and work down.
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As I'm new to this area I can't offer much advice on the "where" advice part. That said, we've done okay launching at the dam and fishing the eastern side of the lake on both sides of the Little Camas Creek arm, and up around the powerlines. Just watch your depth around the points if you're deep so you don't snag a ball. There seem to be more fishing boats and less numbskulls around the dam area.
 
hooked said:
As I'm new to this area I can't offer much advice on the "where" advice part. That said, we've done okay launching at the dam and fishing the eastern side of the lake on both sides of the Little Camas Creek arm, and up around the powerlines. Just watch your depth around the points if you're deep so you don't snag a ball. There seem to be more fishing boats and less numbskulls around the dam area.
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hooked, that's basically what I do, that dam ramp I believe is called elk creek, I zig zag till I find the fish or drink to many beers. You are for sure right about the knuckleheads! Seems the ones that do make it down that way don't realize some boats have 100 yards of line at times. Its been very fun fishing up there, and the kokanee are delicious. I think I will be up there there from tues till Friday, I will try different techniques until I find the fish. The furthest I have made it is those power lines as well, did real well july 3rd between the snowman on a tree to the powerlines, was getting hooked up at least every 15 mins.
 
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