Gorge Report 7-29-12

[Ryno]

Thought I would drop another report for the lower lake, although things haven't changed all that much. Kokes are plentiful, only getting bigger, and it's just been one heck of a season!

Just for more of a challenge, I've been doing some vertical jigging the last couple of weeks. Finding concentrations of kokes is the hardest part and it seems to change daily. When you find them, it's pretty cool watching them come through on the graph, and how they respond to the jigging spoon. My best technique has been a big sweeping jig, followed by some subtle jingles. Most of the hits come on the jingle or when I do my next sweep. I've used a lot of different spoons, and 1/4-3/8 oz in white, pink, and chartreuse work great. Tipping the lure with bait (Gulp maggots) is a must. Occasionally, I see the lake trout underneath the kokes and drop to them with equal success. Good times!

Trolling in Jarvies yesterday was awesome. It was overcast, which only seems to extend the bite. We caught limits of nice fish 2-2.5 lbs. We did well with RMT dodgers (Fusion and Hyperplaid) but did better with larger squids like the Shasta Pee Wee in pink. The RMT Serpent in Tequila sunrise was also successful. Depth was 40-60 ft, speed was 1.8-2 mph, and surface temp was 72F.

The lake trout have also been more active, so after getting a limit of kokes, we're moving on to find the pups. When they are in "active" mode they've been really hitting the 3-inch tubes (white w/ blake flake) and Gulp minnows. Most main channel points and humps are holding fish. The fillets have been as red as a koke, and fantastic on the grill.

Hope it helps, Ryno

 

[SmokeOnTheWater]

awesomereport Always happy to hear of GREAT success using other than standard methods.

Keep on experimenting and sharing! thumbsup

 

[Downrigger]

Ryno, what are the lake trout numbers looking like this year? Based on my experience, it seems like we are catching many fewer lake trout this year than compared with previous years.

There even seems to be fewer of the big ones around.

Any thoughts?

 

[Ryno]

Ryno, what are the lake trout numbers looking like this year? Based on my experience, it seems like we are catching many fewer lake trout this year than compared with previous years.

There even seems to be fewer of the big ones around.

Any thoughts?

Downrigger, I'm curious, are you seeing less on the fish finder, on the end of the line, or both? Regardless, I will still try to answer.....

I recently had a break in the field season and I've actually been summarizing the spring gill netting data this week. For an intro, both states use two different gill nets here at the Gorge, experimental and exploratory. The first has multiple mesh sizes (0.75-2.5 in) and is set along the shoreline to target multiple shoreline oriented species and size classes. The second is one standard mesh (1.75 in) and used to target trophy lake trout. The uniform but relatively small mesh size on the later net is meant to hook their mouth parts and not their gills, so they can be measured, weighed, pumped for stomach contents and released to fight another day. We sample sites along the length of the reservoir and it takes 2-3 weeks to complete.

This spring was very odd and the average water temp was 53F, the second highest we've recorded during this time period in 14-years. In UT, the number of fish in our trophy lake trout sets was up from 2011, and our catch rates went from 3.0 fish/hr to 3.5 fish/hr. In the UT shore sets, the catch rates were extremely high for smallmouth bass (1.8 fish/hr) and rainbow trout (2.3 fish/hr) compared to 2011, but lake trout dropped from 0.38 fish/hr to 0.27 fish/hr. I should note, you would expect bass and bows to be very active in the shallows with the surface temps ranging from 54-57F in the Canyon which would inflate their catch rates. In UT, it looks like there was a slight decline in lake trout in the shore sets, but an increase in the open water sets.

So there's some summary, but unfortunately I'm still in the process and don't have more to show or discuss as of now from netting. I also don't like to make to many assumptions without looking at all the data, which hopefully you will agree with. I can vouch for my angling catch rates on lake trout pups this year compared to two years ago and tell you they are much lower. The year 2010 was awesome. I can also tell you it's from me not being able to catch them because I'm still seeing them on the graph, in the same locations, but they just don't hit as readily as they did before. I often think about what causes a lock-jawed lake trout, especially a pup. I can understand big lake trout being lock jawed being they don't eat as often and I think they get easily educated. The pups perplex me. Some of the pups I've hook-n-lined and handled are extremely healthy, with very high fat contents, and the stomachs have been full of crayfish instead of zooplankton, like I'm more used to seeing. Based on that, maybe the change I've observed in catchability is a result of so much forage right now, especially crayfish? Based on angler reports on this end of the reservoir, lake trout fishing has been better as of late, which I can also vouch for in my catch. I haven't heard much from up north though. I've heard way more kokanee reports (than anything else) from up there, much like you would expect with a year like this.

Not sure if I helped or not, but don't hesitate to send me some follow-up questions if you like. You could also call me at (435)885-3164 if that's easier. Thanks, Ryan

 

[Downrigger]

Thanks Ryno, that is very interesting information. I'm going to think about it for a little while and give you a call. I appreciate that offer.

I have noticed many many fewer lake trout in the first couple months of the season (May, June). I haven't been up in a few weeks so I can' t speak to whether or not the lake trout fishing has improved recently.

I have noticed fewer fish on the finder in the classic areas - Antelope, Swim Beach, Linwood but not substantially so. Enough to be noticeable, or make me wonder, not some sort of catastrophe.

Thanks though. I'll be in touch.

 

[Ryno]

I have noticed many many fewer lake trout in the first couple months of the season (May, June). I haven't been up in a few weeks so I can' t speak to whether or not the lake trout fishing has improved recently.

Downrigger,

Your comments struck my curiousity, so I made a trip uplake this morning to poke around. I typically fish the lower canyon, so I was wondering what the lake trout fishing was like uplake. I fished the Pipeline area and found the fishing pretty good, catching 9 pups, 3 kokes, and 1 rainbow. The graph was exploding with lake trout, especially at the lower end of the Pipeline (see pic). I also marked a lot of kokes, but the fishing was slow (for me anyway). I stuck to trolling, assuming your handle is Downrigger for a purpose. I caught all my lake trout on a Northland Forage Minnow spoon in "rainbow trout" trolling at 70-80 ft and 1.6-1.8 mph. My kokes came on a RMT dodger in "Fusion" with a RMT squid in "double glow pink" at 50-60 ft. At the same time, my buddy was trolling around Jarvies and also did well, catching 7 lake trout (pups) and 3 kokes. He was trolling Needlefish in "pearl/red". I think the lake trout fishing is starting to catch up to the kokanee fishing so hopefully you notice a change your next trip.

Good luck and hope this helps! Ryno