2013 Dworshak Fishing Thread

[amxerhull]

Thanks for the info kenbarb. I was there Tuesday and fished mostly at Canyon Creek although I tried other spots. I caught a few before the heat got me. I spent too much time fishing at 35-50 feet (downrigger) before I found a bunch at 25 feet. I was surprised to find them that shallow when the surface water temp was 81 degrees. What depth did you find them at?

Camped at beautiful Freeman Creek Campground, pulled in late on Monday the 8th, and left Wed. afternoon. We had planned on staying until Friday, but we caught a lot of Kokanee too soon, and were afraid they might get soft if we stayed that long, had them iced down in the cooler, but it was really hot, the back deck of the boat was too hot to walk on without shoes. had to open the cooler every time we caught a Kokanee, so they were exposed to some of the heat, anyway better to be safe than sorry.

Fished from the Freeman Creek Launch to the start of Elk Creek, caught fish constantly, but the hot bite was very early in the morning, found fish pretty much everywhere, when it would get spotty we would change location. Was wondering how the bite was at Canyon Creek so made a trip to check it out, saw hardly any fish on the fishfinder, there were three boats near us, we didn't see any nets out, fished for about twenty minutes, then headed for another spot about half way to Elk Creek, and had a Kokanee before the second line was out.

Had dyed four colors of Shoepeg corn, and marinated in various scents, used Kokabow, Wedding rings, Squid, Needlefish and several other terminal lures, when one was hot we changed all lines to that lure, if it got a little slow we would try something else.

Mornings are very nice and cool, but it starts heating up about 10:00am, and by noon it is starting to get uncomfortable, and at 3:00pm it is really hot, so be prepared. At one point we pulled into a secluded cove and took a dip, the surface water temp. was almost70*, like bath water, that was a good temporary fix.

The Kokanee are really nice size, ten to thirteen inches and very chunky, really nice fish, we were releasing the smaller ones, but we actually didn't catch all that many small fish. Can hardly wait to get back, so nice to have such a beautiful place in our back yard.

 

[kenbarb]

amxerhull I can sure understand your comment about the heat, it got to us too.

We were fishing with 3 ounce banana weights using 10# Berkley Fireline, about 60' feet out, the thin braid gets pretty good depth so I would guess about 25 feet down. Had downriggers on the boat, but we were catching so many fish using weights I did not use them until the last day, and then I only rigged one up, my wife Barb is not fond of downrigger fishing. I had some new Chamberlin Releases I wanted to try, and knew I would regret not trying them out. Well I've got to tell you, we should have been using the downriggers all the time. The terminal gear was 27' down, if I remember right we caught five fish on the downrigger in about one hour, had two long lines out at the same time, but they were not getting as many hits. It was a absolute blast playing the Kokanee without a string of spinners and a heavy weight. From now on Barb and I will be using the downriggers, the Chamberlin Line Release works like a charm, no false releases, and it trips every time a kokanee hits, no more dragging around fish, and watching your rod to see if a fish is on, they really work good. Google up Chamberlin Line Release, when you get on his website, he has a couple of videos showing how they work.

 

[fishslayer13]

Hey glad you guys are doing good. I havent been fishing Dworshak much this year, a couple other lakes have been getting my attention. 4 of us did go down a saturday a couple weeks ago and ended up one short of a limt. Guess we couldnt count that high cause we sure could have caught one more. Everything off the downrigger at 20 to 35 feet. We were up above reeds creek a little. Fish were smaller than last year at 12 inches or so.

 

[JTM]

amxerhull I can sure understand your comment about the heat, it got to us too.

We were fishing with 3 ounce banana weights using 10# Berkley Fireline, about 60' feet out, the thin braid gets pretty good depth so I would guess about 25 feet down. Had downriggers on the boat, but we were catching so many fish using weights I did not use them until the last day, and then I only rigged one up, my wife Barb is not fond of downrigger fishing. I had some new Chamberlin Releases I wanted to try, and knew I would regret not trying them out. Well I've got to tell you, we should have been using the downriggers all the time. The terminal gear was 27' down, if I remember right we caught five fish on the downrigger in about one hour, had two long lines out at the same time, but they were not getting as many hits. It was a absolute blast playing the Kokanee without a string of spinners and a heavy weight. From now on Barb and I will be using the downriggers, the Chamberlin Line Release works like a charm, no false releases, and it trips every time a kokanee hits, no more dragging around fish, and watching your rod to see if a fish is on, they really work good. Google up Chamberlin Line Release, when you get on his website, he has a couple of videos showing how they work.

Ken,
I had never heard of the Chamberlain release till you mentioned it... Thanks for the tip I researched them and wow these are awesome!!! I ordered 2 right off and can't wait to try them out.tooexcited

I have always used the pinch pad and have cussed them the whole time.101thumbsdown101 Now I have a reason (like I need one.) To go out trolling again LOL!!!!!

 

[kenbarb]

JTM, You are going to love the Chamberlain release, no more false releases, or dragging small fish around without knowing it, really makes downrigger fishing fun. We are going to fish Dworshak Lake tomorrow, and am pretty excited about trying some new stuff, will be using six and a half foot light rods, should be a lot of fun without all all the spinners and weight between you and the fish. I have the Chamberlain Stacker releases and have modified them a little to make them easier to use, they were made specifically for braided downrigger line, have tried everything out in the shop, hope it works in the water. Tight lines, Ken

 

[fishfam]

Hi Ken,
we were camping up at Cranberry Creek during the weekend. We kind of took it easy and not out too early. I was watching some of the boats fish in Cranberry and then give up.
So I took that as an omen and we went up to Reed's Creek and Swamp Creek. We fished 2 days and caught about about 35 fish. We were using 3 ounces of weight so I figure we were about 25 - 27 feet. But it took a little time. Never really found a lot of fish in one place or the bite wasn't real hot.
I am curious if wouldn't mind sharing the dye and scents you use for the corn ?
Also, what terminal tackle were you using for on the down rigger if you weren't using flashers? We only have one down rigger but I would like to try that without the weights. Sounds fun.
Thanks!

 

[fishslayer13]

fishfam----------You should be fishing magnus bay or even higher up this late in the year. If your not putting 10 or so fish per hour in your boat move on or do something different with your tackle.

 

[kenbarb]

Hi fishfam, On our last trip we only got out early one morning, the first line went in at 5:30am, before the second line went in we had a fish on, then for about a hour it was a very hot bite, at times the screen was just loaded with Kokanee, when they started getting sparse we would turn around and go back through them. Looks like the hot bite may start at daybreak.

We were wondering how the fishing was up around Cranbury Creek and Magnus Bay, started fishing at Indian and Canyon Creek last month, the fishing has been so good we have not gone past Elk Creek, unbelievable Kokanee fishing, how lucky can we be to have a fishery like this?

Corn, I use the Green Giant Shoepeg corn. The dye I use is the same used for Salmon and Steelhead eggs, you can get it all at Camp Cabin & Home in Lewiston. I use small sandwich bags, put a few tbs. of corn in, them put a couple tsp. of dye, add just enough water to cover the corn, then put in cooler, you will need to monitor the color change, when it gets to the desired color rinse in cold water, spread on paper towel, put in a small plastic container, then add the scent.

Scent, that is a good question, we do a lot of Steelhead fishing, and I have been using the same scents, Shrimp, Anise, and Krill, made by Mike's.

We have also used the Pautzkie dyed corn, the red is very productive, it does not spoil, and has the magic scent they use.

Here is what we do with the downriggers: Attach the flashers directly to the ball, 3' above the ball attach the line release, clip your line in the release so the lure extends 3' farther than the flashers, so if your flashers are 3' long, the line from release to lure would be 6'.

Sure hope this helps with your rigging, there are probably better ways to do it, but this works for us. One thing for sure, just when you think you have it all figured out, you find out you don't. Ken

 

[fishfam]

Thanks for the information Ken.
I was at camp cabin and home and picked up some Pro-Cure Anise Plus.
I looked at the Pautzke corn but didn't grab it.
I am a very surprised at how well the fishing sounds down below Elk Creek still or perhaps we just like to move up for a change of scenery.
The fishing was good up at Swamp Creek but not what I would call hot. We really didn't start fishing until 10:00 or 11:00 AM.
We didn't return to camp until after 6:00 PM. We take quite a few breaks and let the kids tube a little and swim.
Sometimes we drop them off on the shore and my wife and I keep trolling. They do catch quite a few small mouth!
When you rig the down rigger in this fashion what lure do you use, wedding ring, Apex etc... ?
Thanks again.

 

[fishfam]

Ken,
I meant to ask what fishfinder are you using. i have been struggling with my Humminbird I purchased last summer. It seems to want to loose the bottom. I think I have that problem mostly resolved. However, this past weekend we were catching fish but I never saw any on the finder...

 

[fishfam]

fishslayer,
we went as high up as the Osprey nest above Magnus. Didn't do as well there . So we went back down to Swamp Creek. Did better there.
Sure weren't doing 10 fish an hour though. This was probably one of our lesser trips in terms of catch.
We generally stick with wedding ring, banana weight, maggot or corn. We try to change speeds and depth and different color beads.
Also different color flashers. I haven't yet tried a dodger with Apex or hoochie.

 

[fishslayer13]

Fishfam --you were just short of one of my best fishing spots. I have never done well at the nest but I have seen a lot of people fish there. The first narrow spot on the lake above the nest is called the pinch, its about 100 yards wide. This is where a bunch of fish hang up. Its hard to fish with it being that narrow. But run past the creek a little and then hit the other side on the way back down and keep doing circles in there that are about 200 yards long. On the low side turn around in the wide spot where the nest is and head back up the other side. I always fish the narrowest places I can find this time of year. My 10 fish an hour is probably off a bit for most as I forget we run 4 downriggers on our boat. So if your catching 5 or 6 an hour with 2 downriggers , its about equal ! I had some friends last week run up to grandad and said just below the bridge a quarter of a mile they hit a limit in about 3 hours or a little more. They also said the higher up that they went the bigger the fish were. I dont know why that would be. But they felt sorry for me working so much this year and brought a plate of fresh smoked kokes in. Some were 15 inches most about 13 or 14 but heavy. The fish don't stay in the pinch long but should still be there, I would think. These fish are on the move and more active and aggressive. They are moving so as to spawn, so they have attitude. If their not there they will be up at gold creek somewhere maybe. But lots of fuel to get up and back. I always put in at dent.
I run double sickle hooks on everything I run for kokes. I put a white shoepeg corn on the upper hook that has been soaked overnight in smelly jelly anise and only smelly jelly, no other brand has had the same results for me ! If the fishing is slower than what I want I will also add a maggot to the back hook so that the black head part of the maggot is facing the fish and is wiggling at the fish. Some days it makes all the difference in the world, some days they don't care at all.
I'm not going to make it to Dworshak again this year as I'm packing to take the boat to Canada for halibut ,salmon and bottom fish for 2 weeks.
Hope this helps all of you !

 

[fishfam]

Fishslayer, thnaks for the info. We will be going up tomorrow for a 4 day weekend. probably camp around swamp creek or Magnus.
Have fun in Canada.

 

[fishingmom]

Fishfam,,,,is that you Randy??? ....sue

 

[fishfam]

Yep it's me ...

 

[kenbarb]

fishfam, I think the one we have been getting the most hits on is the Mack's cha cha Squider, but Wedding Rings, and Kokabow spinners are good producers, finding the right color seems to be the ticket for us, we have had the best luck with pink. I have a Humminbird too, and have the some problem you are having. I think the problem is the heavy alge in the lake, when you get in a concentration, the fish finder is pretty much useless. We just started fishing with the flashers attached to the ball, was up yesterday to try everything out, used 6' 6" light weight rods, and it a blast, those little Kokanee are real fighters, it's amazing how high they can jump. I'm not sure you can catch as many fish with this method, but it's a lot more fun. We fished from at Elk Creek, and Freeman Creek, did not see nearly as many fish on the finder, think everyone is right, they are headed up lake. Good fishing, and fun with the family on your camp out, boy does that ever bring back memories.

 

[JTM]

JTM, You are going to love the Chamberlain release, no more false releases, or dragging small fish around without knowing it, really makes downrigger fishing fun. We are going to fish Dworshak Lake tomorrow, and am pretty excited about trying some new stuff, will be using six and a half foot light rods, should be a lot of fun without all all the spinners and weight between you and the fish. I have the Chamberlain Stacker releases and have modified them a little to make them easier to use, they were made specifically for braided downrigger line, have tried everything out in the shop, hope it works in the water. Tight lines, Ken

I LOVE my new chamberlain releases!!! Thanks again Ken, These are hands down the best I have ever used. As for the fish finder issues I run 2 H-Birds my 597 is shooting off the back of my boat and often picks up the weight as the bottom. So I use it in map mode to follow the lake contour and track my hookups, up front I run a 596 and it stays true to the depth and shows the fish real well. Point is you might be getting false readings because of your weight.

 

[kenbarb]

Hi JTM, I knew you would like the release, you probably got the standard release, not the stacker, so you might give this a try. Attach your release directly to the cable, then make up a 3' cable, attach this to the bottom of the release, then attach the ball. attach a gang troll, like the Les Davis, you can even put a agitator, like the Big Al in front of the gang troll, when you attach your line to the release make sure the terminal lure is about 36' behind the gang troll. You can also make up a leader that will give you these measurments, then instead of twisting your line to attach to the release, just run the release wire through the eye of the swivel, or the line clip, for me this makes it easier , and quicker.
I have just started using this method, and can tell you for sure, it puts a lot more fun into Kokanee fishing, even if you don't catch quite as many fish (remains to be seen), it would still be better. Try one of your ultra light rods, 6' or 7', you will love it.

I have the 788ci combo in the back, and a 565 in front, which is starting to malfunction when it heats up, have been looking for an excuse to replace it with another color unit, now I have it, I can see the ball on the screen, and use that to position the ball at the position I'm seeing fish, at times the FF is working perfect, the screen will then get mottled with garbage that the pings are detecting, then it will show the ball as the bottom. This usually happens when I go into deep inlets where the algae growth seems to be concentrated more than the main body of water.

 

[JTM]

Great advice Ken thanks!! I love the leader and swivel idea instead of twisting line. I will be trying this out for sure!!!!

 

[kenbarb]

JTM, Another thing I'm going to try if not using the long leader is putting a bobber stop at the spot on the line for the drop back of the terminal lure, then you can get it the same every time, and can move the bobber stop if desired, also want to try a 2' vertical spacing between the terminal lure and spinners. Lots of fun ahead. Right now it is so hot out there, we are staying pretty close to home, waiting for a few cooler days.