Kokanee-Toni
Well-known member
I had the alarm set for 4:30am. I am excited for the mornings' trip to Clear Lake since it will the first this year. Reality: Awake at 3:30am, back hurts, I liked the chicken last night but my stomach didn't. Therefore, I couldn't sleep.
I don't care. I am going to chance it and go. I leave the house about 5:15am. At Clear 5:30am. Shock!! Not a soul there. I get everything ready and launch just before 6 and now the boats start showing up.
Right away I got some rainbows that got off at the boat. It can't be helped, I guess, since the WDFW planted 14,800 of them in this small lake.
Then the fishfinder quit working as I troll down the north side of the lake. I unplug it and start it back up again but the screen only shows for a second. Drat! I will have to wing it on a prayer.
So I am over by the east end and south side when I get a fish at 11 feet. The sun is in my eyes as I am watching the rods and I figure it to be a bow. I am waiting for it to come off and it won't. Remember I have been blinded by the sun and can't really tell what the fish is. So I grab the fish that WON'T come off and it is a kokanee!
I go around in circles trying to get more bites but there isn't anything. Then I think...I will try putting the fishfinder on my other battery.
After my previous outings I brought an extra battery and a paddle. I switched the fishfinder battery and turn it on. It works! Thank you, Jesus! Time to get rid of that other battery.
I am working the middle of the south side and I only have the one fish. I need to use the restroom so I angle that direction. I get to the middle of the lake, in about 60 feet of water, downrigger is stacked, 30 foot and 20 foot. I get a hit off the bottom clip. Get it netted and before I can get it unhooked my other rod goes down. Take that rod out of the holder and make sure the fish is still there. Dump the fish out of the net into the boat, then dip the net into the water and get my third fish. Rerig and try again. I have a few more bites but only one fish again. No more doubles. Total of four.
I have to use the restroom so I figure I will come back out for my last one. Now there are a lot of boats lined up to come in.
I get back in my boat to go get that one last one. Just past the first buoy going south and west in front of the tan high dive, I get one on in 46 feet of water at 20 feet. Now I am thinking this is a rainbow but as I get the net and the fish comes close I see it is a koke. Before I can net it (it is close to the boat) it jumps into the boat! I am not lying! It had been jumping and it just jumped into the boat! What a day! My first day at Clear and my first limit of all kokanee.
I used Dick Nite Watermelon and Pink Splatter dodgers with Wannafish A Lures' Pink Splatter Squiddy Thing (and a variance of it). It was blinding bright out but still cool. I fished from 6-8ish.
I don't care. I am going to chance it and go. I leave the house about 5:15am. At Clear 5:30am. Shock!! Not a soul there. I get everything ready and launch just before 6 and now the boats start showing up.
Right away I got some rainbows that got off at the boat. It can't be helped, I guess, since the WDFW planted 14,800 of them in this small lake.
Then the fishfinder quit working as I troll down the north side of the lake. I unplug it and start it back up again but the screen only shows for a second. Drat! I will have to wing it on a prayer.
So I am over by the east end and south side when I get a fish at 11 feet. The sun is in my eyes as I am watching the rods and I figure it to be a bow. I am waiting for it to come off and it won't. Remember I have been blinded by the sun and can't really tell what the fish is. So I grab the fish that WON'T come off and it is a kokanee!
I go around in circles trying to get more bites but there isn't anything. Then I think...I will try putting the fishfinder on my other battery.
After my previous outings I brought an extra battery and a paddle. I switched the fishfinder battery and turn it on. It works! Thank you, Jesus! Time to get rid of that other battery.
I am working the middle of the south side and I only have the one fish. I need to use the restroom so I angle that direction. I get to the middle of the lake, in about 60 feet of water, downrigger is stacked, 30 foot and 20 foot. I get a hit off the bottom clip. Get it netted and before I can get it unhooked my other rod goes down. Take that rod out of the holder and make sure the fish is still there. Dump the fish out of the net into the boat, then dip the net into the water and get my third fish. Rerig and try again. I have a few more bites but only one fish again. No more doubles. Total of four.
I have to use the restroom so I figure I will come back out for my last one. Now there are a lot of boats lined up to come in.
I get back in my boat to go get that one last one. Just past the first buoy going south and west in front of the tan high dive, I get one on in 46 feet of water at 20 feet. Now I am thinking this is a rainbow but as I get the net and the fish comes close I see it is a koke. Before I can net it (it is close to the boat) it jumps into the boat! I am not lying! It had been jumping and it just jumped into the boat! What a day! My first day at Clear and my first limit of all kokanee.
I used Dick Nite Watermelon and Pink Splatter dodgers with Wannafish A Lures' Pink Splatter Squiddy Thing (and a variance of it). It was blinding bright out but still cool. I fished from 6-8ish.
