average size

[RalphL]

At Heron, and Navaho as well, it seems the koke netted get bigger as the season progresses. I know the big pre spawners are growing out, as is the entire school, but I dont pick up many three and four year olds (fourteen plus inches) untill about mid June, than, that becomes the average untill mid August when the size starts easing up to the 15 and 16 area. By end of season they are mostly all hogs. We always catch the odd hog or two early but the average size netted seems to increase with the season. not complaining at all, I love a pan full of ten and 12 inch fish as much as a porker, just wonder if I'm missing something. These pics (to be posted tomorrow) span the season from the April opener to the close on September 30 (when they close the lake to start harvesting eggs). Is it pretty much the same with everyone else???

 

[RalphL]

These are early season photos. Mostly smaller kokes with an occasional 14.

 

[RalphL]

These are mid-summer Kokes, getting bigger, still with an occasional 14 or better.

 

[RalphL]

End of season, and hogs rule. Rarely catch a shaker this time of year.

Where are the bigger fish earlier in the season and how do you guys fish for them?

 

[SuperD]

Kokes grow literally inches in a summer. With the mature class of fish dying off every Fall, the next season always starts out with the previous seasons immature fish. Your observations are simply the lifecycle of Kokanee. Consider a 3 year old fish getting to 18" - 19"'s. Now do the math. ;-)

 

[RalphL]

Assuming 6in. of growth a season that would leave the largest of last years "holdovers" at about 12-13 in. when the season starts,,growing out to 15-16 by end of season. OK, makes sense, but seems like a huge amount of growth for a single season. Any bio stats or studies with tagged fish around? If we cant be fishin might as well be learnin......

 

[SuperD]

Sites like Kokanee Power have a lot more science and fish biologists than we do but knowing that Kokanee are a planted fish would indicate that the entire lifecycle of a Kokanee has probably been observed in a tank.

 

[Ryno]

Assuming 6in. of growth a season that would leave the largest of last years "holdovers" at about 12-13 in. when the season starts,,growing out to 15-16 by end of season. OK, makes sense, but seems like a huge amount of growth for a single season. Any bio stats or studies with tagged fish around? If we cant be fishin might as well be learnin......

Out of curiosity, in 2008 I collected scales from 15 kokanee (up to 17-inches) caught in Jarvies Bay near Flaming Gorge Dam. Granted the lower reservoir has slower growth rates than the upper (WY end), but growth averaged about 4-inches per year. I would suspect the upper end of the reservoir could have growth rates approaching 6-inches some years.

 

[jacksonlaker]

Think about chinook salmon, they grow 20 to 30 pounds in four years !!!