Some people have their heart in the right place but aren't always fully educated on fish biology. Returning big fish is generally a good idea for systems that have natural reproduction to keep a healthy gene pool. HOWEVER, in most cases, the really big fish are old enough to have grown past their reproductive years. There is a reason that hatcheries will dump their brood stock as giant planters from time to time.
Deadwood Conditions
- Thread starter AkAngler
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hooknhunter
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- Mar 15, 2016
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I was watching for you but I didn't ever see anyone I thought would be you. Did you make it up there?
Fishing was good. I brought home 75 kokes for my 3 days. Spent the afternoons looking for those big rainbows, cuts, and chins. Either I didn't have what they wanted, I just plain wasn't lucky, or I wasn't doing it right. I did have 1 hit that seemed to be a bigger fish, but it didn't stay on long, so it would be hard to know for sure.
Some of the Kokes were starting to blush up. How much longer will they be good to eat?
Wow. You did better than I did. I got up there a day late, transmission in my truck went out on my way up. This is the 2nd time in a year! So I was forced to either miss a weekend of fishing or buy a new truck. Needless to say, I broke my new truck in the right way!! I caught some really nice fish, about 10 in the mornings and 10 in the evenings. So 30-40 overall. Spent the rest of the day hanging out with the family.
Seemed like most of my success was east of the island trolling north, and they liked pink hoochie's, dodger color didn't seem to matter. Caught most of my fish in 70 FOW at about 20 ft down. Tried trolling the middle at 30ft down. But only caught a few.. I'm figuring it out, but still learning that's for sure.
Skipjack24
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- Jun 22, 2016
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The real big rainbows that are not Gerrard's take years 6-9 to hit 15+ pounds, also the Gerrard's which have black down there spine and look more like a steelhead from the gill forward do not get replanted.. The others grow pretty fast an can bounce back. Everyone has the right to keep what they want, but very few anglers understand the long line of breeding it takes to produce these fish. Before word "got out" on the big fish you could catch 6-10 a day. Now days hook 1-3 per trip. Couple more years who knows, but big fish numbers are in the decline. #Catch&Release
Last year my buddy caught 8 rainbows 7-14 pounds in one day using a Lyman November plug 200 ft behind the boat 20 ft deep. That is the best day that I know of. My best day was 3 fish 16 1/2--9--11 I kept the 16 1/2 and had it mounted
MackayGuy
Well-known member
movie89586
spoons
Well-known member
That is one big beautiful trout!
Always knew about the big trout, chinook and kokes...
I've been wanting to get up there for years but never had the time.
So I think Ill be heading up sometime over the next few weeks. If anyone sees a big pontoon boat with a broken trailer axle on the side of the road in, that be me.
Feel free to pm any advice... (nice advice gents)... that'd be great.
Always knew about the big trout, chinook and kokes...
I've been wanting to get up there for years but never had the time.
So I think Ill be heading up sometime over the next few weeks. If anyone sees a big pontoon boat with a broken trailer axle on the side of the road in, that be me.
Feel free to pm any advice... (nice advice gents)... that'd be great.
IDHUNTER
Member
Hi guys, in the past i've always camped on the peninsula at the northern end of the lake along the 556 road. However i'd like to fish a little closer to the dam and it would take me an hour to get there in my little boat so I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the camping situation along the eastern shore of the lake. There will be 4 of us going up this weekend with 2 tents. Is it just designated campgrounds over there or are there other random places to camp along the road on that side of the lake? Thanks for any advice you can give me.
There are several decent places to camp before you get to cozy cove. Most are right on the water and you can beach your boat.
Click on this link and all of the little black dots are "primitive camping" spots.
https://www.google.com/search?q=dea...AUICCgC&biw=375&bih=559#imgrc=UXIYqqbpdXqbSM:
FirstTimer
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- Feb 14, 2014
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- 13
I'm heading up this weekend. I called to lawman ranger district. They said the clear creek/bear valley road out of lowman has recently been improved. Has anyone been that route? Is it a good way to go in? Im pulling a 17' boat.
IDHUNTER
Member
I have found the Clear Creek road to typically be the best (smoothest) route in there, you should be fine pulling your boat. Did they say anything about the fire having an impact on that route? Looking at the closure map part of the road is the boarder of the closure area but the road itself isn't closed but I just want to be sure.
crappieslayer
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- Jul 24, 2015
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- 59
Any fishing reports from deadwood. Im thinking about a 4hr drive just for a day trip up there. I usually go in via cascade/warm lake route.. anybody know for sure if the road is open.
hooknhunter
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- Mar 15, 2016
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I've been doing extremely well up there until this weekend. Fished on Thursday evening, several hours on Friday, and a few hours on Saturday. Did not do well at all. The fish seem to have disappeared. Can't even find numbers on the sonar. I looked all over never found a decent school. The small schools I did find would hit, just couldn't find any big schools.
Small lake + more boats than normal on DW + this forum= over fishing
But I'm sure the guys taking home 75+ fish a trip will chime in and say that's not the problem, oh and my favorite line "the hatchery will stock more fish"
Hahaha
But I'm sure the guys taking home 75+ fish a trip will chime in and say that's not the problem, oh and my favorite line "the hatchery will stock more fish"
Hahaha
FirstTimer
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- Feb 14, 2014
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Fished this weekend. All roads are open. Clearcreek/bear valley is okay. Fish seem to be closer to the inlet and the dam. Bite was good in the morning, and evening. The fishing has slowed down a lot from a month ago. Pink and Orange dodgers/hoochies worked best for me. Firetiger down 20' was producing cutthroat in the morning. I caught a couple little chinook 16 or so inches. I kept different rapalas down for chinook, only caught them by accident on the kok stuff.
hooknhunter
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- Mar 15, 2016
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Seems like the fishery is going exactly the direction F&G was wanting it to go. They were targeting larger fish and that's what they have. https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/deadwood-kokanee-create-fishing-statewide
I hardly think it is broken........
sawtooth
IDAHO Kokanee Forum Moderator
Keep this tread discussion constructive. Discussing views on limit restrictions or trophy fish harvest is fine as long as it can be done without name calling and other 6th grade bullying behavior. Failure to follow this request will lead to shutting down this tread and/or removal of individuals from the forum.
They've been trying to produce larger kokes last couple years, from what I've heard recently directly from the biologist pulling nets on this lake is theyve gone past the point of the target size.
