2019 Blue Mesa Kokanee Fishing Report
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So last night I wrote a 1000 word report on here on my weekend (might be exagerating a bit) I went to submit reply and it had kicked me out and wanted me to log back in...lost it all.
Anyways in less words. Fished both days this weekend, almost sank boat in storm, caught 8 Kokanee, lost a few, caught 10,000 lake trout.
Not in a great hurry to go back. Caught all fish early in day at 35-40ft. Blue beads and various dodgers. Marked some deeper schools, but couldnt get them to bite.
Anyways in less words. Fished both days this weekend, almost sank boat in storm, caught 8 Kokanee, lost a few, caught 10,000 lake trout.
Not in a great hurry to go back. Caught all fish early in day at 35-40ft. Blue beads and various dodgers. Marked some deeper schools, but couldnt get them to bite.
montroseone
New member
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2019
- Messages
- 3
Lake Trout
What do you do with the many lake trout you catch. Keep them, kill them, what??
What do you do with the many lake trout you catch. Keep them, kill them, what??
montroseone
New member
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2019
- Messages
- 3
Lake Trout
What size lake trout have you been catching? Is it a good idea to return them to the lake? I have read, I believe on this forum, that lake trout are devouring the kokanee fingerlings. True or not?
What size lake trout have you been catching? Is it a good idea to return them to the lake? I have read, I believe on this forum, that lake trout are devouring the kokanee fingerlings. True or not?
Lakers caught are between 1-4lbs. I’m sure they don’t treat the kokes well. I should be dispatching these fish...just feels wastefull sometimes, but then again I have no issues shooting 500 prairie dogs a year. So no real reason that I release them I guess.
COfisherman
Well-known member
Next month
We are going for a week next month. Only date we could get a camping spot at the KOA. Where we stay. The fish should be schooled up by then. Planning to take lots of jigs, is there a better color than orange and pink? Never been to BM this late in the year. Ordering some Blue and silver jigs, which jigs work best?
Wanting to go badlaugh hyst.
CH
We are going for a week next month. Only date we could get a camping spot at the KOA. Where we stay. The fish should be schooled up by then. Planning to take lots of jigs, is there a better color than orange and pink? Never been to BM this late in the year. Ordering some Blue and silver jigs, which jigs work best?
Wanting to go badlaugh hyst.
CH
Who knows with these fish. Prepare to try it all. My pink and white pline jig was my best overall last year but not everyday. I have my better days when I take the time to center over the schools exactly. Also scents have really upped my game. I’m not so sure color is as important as it might seem.
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kokanee64
Well-known member
We still haven't seen a substantial school of kokanees at around the 80 ft depth level but it should happen soon if it is going to happen this year. I have doubts whether there are enough fish to actually create a school but we plan to take the electric trolling motor and other jigging accessories out to the lake today just in case.
When jigging was hot and easy several years back almost any heavy lure worked well. Most people seemed to use Luhr Jensen Crippled Herrings, 1.5 oz, glow white w/ green stripe. I've also used much cheaper Cabella jigs that worked fine -- I gave a lot of them away to people who came up on us to ask how to set up for jigging. I replace the galvanized (and dull) single hook that comes with the jigs w/ a very sharp size 6 extra wide gap (EWG) treble hook -- I lose fewer fish with better hooks. When I can, I like to add the whisker things to the hooks. Practically any weight will work. I'm too impatient for the lure to hit 80 ft to use anything less 1.5 oz jigs. In the last couple of years we've seen lots of different brands. I'm with furmaster that color probably doesn't matter much -- at this depth science tells us that every color is grey, but that doesn't explain why blue and purple lures trolled at 80 ft deliver better than other colors this year. I think glow is important and I sometimes slip a large, glow tube jig over my lures without glow paint on them. I prefer 10 lb braided line and I tie in 2 ft of high vis yellow PowerPro braided line at 80 ft for easy depth management. As furmaster said above, scents can help a lot when the fish don't want to bite. I hate the slimy, stinky stuff and rarely use it. I encourage jiggers to try meal worms rather than corn or scents. We sometimes get bass like hits when we use meal worms. If fishing is slow I also recommend using a second rod dead stick if you have sufficient space on your boat. It is hard to know whether to use lights or not. Sometimes lights seem to scare fish away but other times it seems you can't catch a fish without a light. We still use the very bright C&H lights I found in a Cabellas salt water catalog about 10 years back, but we also use the new, dimmer lights that turn off and on from contact with the water.
The folks managing the fishery recommend not returning lake trout to the lake -- in other words, eat them or kill them. I've never liked killing fish unnecessarily but after seeing them nearly destroy the kokanee fishery in the past (and maybe now), I'm pretty cold-hearted with them. My wife really, really hates lakers and watching her smack them with a wooden club and cut a gill is almost scary -- that girl can carry a grudge about fish that eat salmon.
I'll also second furmaster's advice about taking time to get centered right above the fish. The schools can be so small that we sometimes catch fish from the center of the boat but not from the bow or stern. It can take some fussing to get the transducer pointing straight down. Good luck. Let's hope there are enough fish this year to create schools.
When jigging was hot and easy several years back almost any heavy lure worked well. Most people seemed to use Luhr Jensen Crippled Herrings, 1.5 oz, glow white w/ green stripe. I've also used much cheaper Cabella jigs that worked fine -- I gave a lot of them away to people who came up on us to ask how to set up for jigging. I replace the galvanized (and dull) single hook that comes with the jigs w/ a very sharp size 6 extra wide gap (EWG) treble hook -- I lose fewer fish with better hooks. When I can, I like to add the whisker things to the hooks. Practically any weight will work. I'm too impatient for the lure to hit 80 ft to use anything less 1.5 oz jigs. In the last couple of years we've seen lots of different brands. I'm with furmaster that color probably doesn't matter much -- at this depth science tells us that every color is grey, but that doesn't explain why blue and purple lures trolled at 80 ft deliver better than other colors this year. I think glow is important and I sometimes slip a large, glow tube jig over my lures without glow paint on them. I prefer 10 lb braided line and I tie in 2 ft of high vis yellow PowerPro braided line at 80 ft for easy depth management. As furmaster said above, scents can help a lot when the fish don't want to bite. I hate the slimy, stinky stuff and rarely use it. I encourage jiggers to try meal worms rather than corn or scents. We sometimes get bass like hits when we use meal worms. If fishing is slow I also recommend using a second rod dead stick if you have sufficient space on your boat. It is hard to know whether to use lights or not. Sometimes lights seem to scare fish away but other times it seems you can't catch a fish without a light. We still use the very bright C&H lights I found in a Cabellas salt water catalog about 10 years back, but we also use the new, dimmer lights that turn off and on from contact with the water.
The folks managing the fishery recommend not returning lake trout to the lake -- in other words, eat them or kill them. I've never liked killing fish unnecessarily but after seeing them nearly destroy the kokanee fishery in the past (and maybe now), I'm pretty cold-hearted with them. My wife really, really hates lakers and watching her smack them with a wooden club and cut a gill is almost scary -- that girl can carry a grudge about fish that eat salmon.
I'll also second furmaster's advice about taking time to get centered right above the fish. The schools can be so small that we sometimes catch fish from the center of the boat but not from the bow or stern. It can take some fussing to get the transducer pointing straight down. Good luck. Let's hope there are enough fish this year to create schools.
The last time I was out I was seeing some schools later in the day in that 75ft range. I found 4-5 of these schools. I hope that a lot more fish show up or else it will make for a rough jigging season.... and I look forward to it all year. I even built myself a new rod just jigging kokanee. If I can figure how to post a pic off my phone I will send a pic I took of these schools.
montroseone
New member
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2019
- Messages
- 3
Schooling
We have caught Kokanee while trolling, even when they are schooling. I assume only 3-4 year olds school up for the run up the river. Suppose some of them aren't in the big school where the scrum is and are in small schools or wandering around. The scrum is fun once or twice, but trying to catch kokanee without chasing the guides is challenging and more fun. We also keep and eat lake trout as well as others we catch. Jigging is fun if you can locate a school and stay over it. Seems as soon as you catch one, many other boats show up. Guess they don't have sonar or can't use it.
We have caught Kokanee while trolling, even when they are schooling. I assume only 3-4 year olds school up for the run up the river. Suppose some of them aren't in the big school where the scrum is and are in small schools or wandering around. The scrum is fun once or twice, but trying to catch kokanee without chasing the guides is challenging and more fun. We also keep and eat lake trout as well as others we catch. Jigging is fun if you can locate a school and stay over it. Seems as soon as you catch one, many other boats show up. Guess they don't have sonar or can't use it.
kokanee64
Well-known member
Jigging has started but is quite slow so far.
Our friend Willie told us on Monday afternoon he had caught 3 salmon jigging, all three bang, bang, bang, then nothing. We were bringing out fuel and went out into the white caps to take a look. We found a small school and I also unthinkingly came too closely to a couple of guys jigging and probably washed them off anything they were over. It was a good reminder that most people aren't intentionally mean but all of us are thoughtless at times. Sorry who ever you were.
We went out Tuesday around 9 and saw quite a few very small schools. We were able to stay right on top of several schools but never had a bite and never felt a fish bump a line, which is very common when you put a jig into a school.
We went out today - Thursday - at the same time and Mary had two good bites and dragged one fish about half way up before her shoulder gave out and the fish used the slack to sneak away. Willie reported no bites / no fish, and the same was true for Andy and Sue. All three are experienced jiggers. It happens.
The first photo was taken right in front of the Iron Work and US 50, in pretty shallow water. The left side shows the wide cone sonar shot and the right shows the very narrow cone shot. I put my rod in a holder and brought my jigs from it and the my dead stick rod above the school, which you can see on the right side. The next photo is in deeper water over the Gunnison River channel. The first photo shows a school only 5 ft in depth while the second school was 10 ft thick. Both schools were very small. We stayed on them for over 15 minutes and felt nothing except for Mary's two bites. That seemed to be par for the other 20ish boats -- we saw no fish caught.
Finally, the photo below shows some of our go-to jigs, none of which has caught us a fish this year.
We have no idea what is going to happen next. Good luck.
Our friend Willie told us on Monday afternoon he had caught 3 salmon jigging, all three bang, bang, bang, then nothing. We were bringing out fuel and went out into the white caps to take a look. We found a small school and I also unthinkingly came too closely to a couple of guys jigging and probably washed them off anything they were over. It was a good reminder that most people aren't intentionally mean but all of us are thoughtless at times. Sorry who ever you were.
We went out Tuesday around 9 and saw quite a few very small schools. We were able to stay right on top of several schools but never had a bite and never felt a fish bump a line, which is very common when you put a jig into a school.
We went out today - Thursday - at the same time and Mary had two good bites and dragged one fish about half way up before her shoulder gave out and the fish used the slack to sneak away. Willie reported no bites / no fish, and the same was true for Andy and Sue. All three are experienced jiggers. It happens.
The first photo was taken right in front of the Iron Work and US 50, in pretty shallow water. The left side shows the wide cone sonar shot and the right shows the very narrow cone shot. I put my rod in a holder and brought my jigs from it and the my dead stick rod above the school, which you can see on the right side. The next photo is in deeper water over the Gunnison River channel. The first photo shows a school only 5 ft in depth while the second school was 10 ft thick. Both schools were very small. We stayed on them for over 15 minutes and felt nothing except for Mary's two bites. That seemed to be par for the other 20ish boats -- we saw no fish caught.
Finally, the photo below shows some of our go-to jigs, none of which has caught us a fish this year.
We have no idea what is going to happen next. Good luck.
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kokanee64
Well-known member
Slow Jigging
We took friends and their grandson jigging on Friday. We got on several schools and stayed on them long enough to irritate the fish, but no luck until suddenly Mary hooked a first and then a second salmon. The grandson got to reel one up from the depths, plus drive the boat up and down the lake, and the day went down as a success. Ok, so maybe benchmarks are a little low right now; we take the W when we get one. We skipped the weekend but tried again on Monday. We searched vigilantly but never found a school large enough to temp wetting a line.
I've not wanted to say anything for fear of even more jinxing, but I've noticed over the course of the summer than the few fish we have caught show more and more gill lice and the summer progressed. Early in the summer some fish appeared lice free based on a casual look. The two fish caught on Friday were overloaded with gill lice -- impossible to miss. I'll leave it to others to speculate what this might mean for future years. This year is already in the books as the worst in 20 years.
We took friends and their grandson jigging on Friday. We got on several schools and stayed on them long enough to irritate the fish, but no luck until suddenly Mary hooked a first and then a second salmon. The grandson got to reel one up from the depths, plus drive the boat up and down the lake, and the day went down as a success. Ok, so maybe benchmarks are a little low right now; we take the W when we get one. We skipped the weekend but tried again on Monday. We searched vigilantly but never found a school large enough to temp wetting a line.
I've not wanted to say anything for fear of even more jinxing, but I've noticed over the course of the summer than the few fish we have caught show more and more gill lice and the summer progressed. Early in the summer some fish appeared lice free based on a casual look. The two fish caught on Friday were overloaded with gill lice -- impossible to miss. I'll leave it to others to speculate what this might mean for future years. This year is already in the books as the worst in 20 years.
COfisherman
Well-known member
Ok Mary and I are loading the Motor Home for our week long trip(9/12-leaving 9-20) to the Blue Masa hoping to put a few in the freezer for this winter. Will be doing some trolling, but looking for a school to jig. It has been tough for the Kokanee here on the east side. Only taken a dozen or so from 11 Mile. I think the Pike and Browns have hurt Kokanee fishing as much as any lake trout pond has suffered. Been doing my part, targeting Browns and broom stick pike they get gilled and dropped back in the lake,the pike. Yes it is legal in fact the rangers ask you not to return the pike, of any size. If we can get a few Laker Pups we will smoke them Mary likes candy smoked trout a lot. Me not so much. We will be a he KOA in Gunnison. If any of you are up there drop by. Just look for my Black&White Lund.
Take care and good luck.
CH
Take care and good luck.
CH
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Trolling might be the ticket early, but come about 9 I would be on the jigging rods. Me and my dad fished both days this last weekend and managed to put a few 2 man limits in the cooler. 75-95ft and schools aren’t real hard to find, although I wonder how long they will stick around. Weather permitting I will be there Sunday. Maybe I’ll see you there.
Good luck to ya!!!
Good luck to ya!!!
COfisherman
Well-known member
First day on THE Blue Mesa
Well we made it out to the lake today and saw a fellow forum member. Looked like knew what he was doing.
I’ll let him give the report since Mom and I didn’t eve get bumped pewee the smell as in skunked.
tongue2101chromefish101. Fish are acting weird guess it must have been the full moon last night.
CH at The Blue Mesa.
Well we made it out to the lake today and saw a fellow forum member. Looked like knew what he was doing.
I’ll let him give the report since Mom and I didn’t eve get bumped pewee the smell as in skunked.
tongue2101chromefish101. Fish are acting weird guess it must have been the full moon last night.CH at The Blue Mesa.
The full moon should drive most these fish up the river. The fish were acting really weird yesterday morning. They wouldn’t sit still...which is typical early in the morning but yesterday it was at least 11am before we could sit on a school longer than 10mins. I think they are all ready to go party up river. They weren’t spooking away, they were just moving around a lot.. My dad and I did meet Cofisherman as well. He has one sweet boat!!! Good luck to ya on the rest of your trip!!
We did get over one nice school just as wind started picking up and finally left with 8 fish.
Jigging season was better than I expected after a slow trolling season. But I think I have made my last trip to “the blue” for this year or until ice season.
Cofisherman....you have a private message!!
We did get over one nice school just as wind started picking up and finally left with 8 fish.
Jigging season was better than I expected after a slow trolling season. But I think I have made my last trip to “the blue” for this year or until ice season.
Cofisherman....you have a private message!!
kokanee64
Well-known member
End of Season
Nothing says the season is over like putting the winter cover on a winterized boat, which was yesterday's project for us.
While I feel like we had a winning fishing season at our house, it was a hard fought year. At the start of the season I was on oxygen 24/7 and everything was a little more complicated. When we weren't fishing as much as we would have liked, and couldn't give much in the way of fishing reports, several of you posted on your trips. Thank you, I enjoyed reading your reports and they helped us catch more fish on our next trip. By jigging season I was breathing well at 8000 ft but my hip, which I had earlier scheduled for replacement on Nov 12 so as not to mess up the fishing season, was causing more discomfort, so we didn't fish as much. Besides, we had some big projects to handle at home that competed with fishing time, and the projects won out over slow fishing at Blue Mesa. Again, reports from a bunch of you helped the rest of us do better at jigging and fishing at Blue Mesa. Again, my thanks.
We managed 2 weeks in the spring and 1 week in the fall camping up the San Juan at Lake Powell. Fishing for us was just as slow at Lake Powell as it was at Blue Mesa, but we didn't really care that much, and had a wonderful time anyway. Looking back, I can't say we had a single hot day of fishing this year at BM or LP, and we didn't even have very many good days. But a season of mediocre fishing is way better than not fishing at all, and we went fishing this summer. I hope you did too. Lets all fish more days and catch more fish next year.
Kokanee64
Nothing says the season is over like putting the winter cover on a winterized boat, which was yesterday's project for us.
While I feel like we had a winning fishing season at our house, it was a hard fought year. At the start of the season I was on oxygen 24/7 and everything was a little more complicated. When we weren't fishing as much as we would have liked, and couldn't give much in the way of fishing reports, several of you posted on your trips. Thank you, I enjoyed reading your reports and they helped us catch more fish on our next trip. By jigging season I was breathing well at 8000 ft but my hip, which I had earlier scheduled for replacement on Nov 12 so as not to mess up the fishing season, was causing more discomfort, so we didn't fish as much. Besides, we had some big projects to handle at home that competed with fishing time, and the projects won out over slow fishing at Blue Mesa. Again, reports from a bunch of you helped the rest of us do better at jigging and fishing at Blue Mesa. Again, my thanks.
We managed 2 weeks in the spring and 1 week in the fall camping up the San Juan at Lake Powell. Fishing for us was just as slow at Lake Powell as it was at Blue Mesa, but we didn't really care that much, and had a wonderful time anyway. Looking back, I can't say we had a single hot day of fishing this year at BM or LP, and we didn't even have very many good days. But a season of mediocre fishing is way better than not fishing at all, and we went fishing this summer. I hope you did too. Lets all fish more days and catch more fish next year.
Kokanee64
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Mediocre fishing days is God’s way of humbling us and showing us just how spoiled we get. I was able to catch a couple of bucket list fish this year, Tarpon, Dorado and Tuna. The rest of the season did seem rather average or maybe just below that but lots of good memories were still made. We also added a member to the crew this summer, Bella the wonder dog. That was a first for me too.
