Merwin Maiden Koke Voyage

[plugs]

After retro fitting the drift boat for Kokanee fishing at Merwin we got out today. By the time I got the down riggers figured out along with the shuttle hawks it was noon before I was getting my line wet. I got off the water about 6:30 with my limit of 5 and had lost 8 during the day. The wife didn't fish but I had 2 rods out. I fished 1 rod with a gang troll and 1 oz. sinker out 100 ft. behind boat with a red wedding ring. That setup accounted for 1 fish in the boat but no other bites for hours on the wedding ring. My other setup was a Pink UV Slingblade with pink UV Wiggle Hootchie set 20 ft deep on the DR & 32 pulls back for the 2nd fish. While I was already set back and waiting for the shuttle hawk to finish returning to the surface I caught my 3rd fish with the rod in my hand on the surface. OK; so I crank the downrigger up to the top 10ft, pull in the gangtroll and set the other rigger at 10 ft. and sent down a silver UV Slingblade and Green wiggle hootchie and the bite was on. The next 2 hours I lost 8 fish almost to the boat and put the last 2 in the box. Most were all on the pink setup. Great start to my new Kokanee adventure. I Imagine I looked funny to some with the downriggers on the drift boat but she got the job done. Beautiful day to be out. Heres a pic

 

[eenakoK]

Nicely done on your maiden voyage!! Thanks for the report and pics!

 

[KokChris]

Nice chromers Plugs!!101goodpost101 Sound like you had your work cut out for you once you had it dialed. Its always funny when you get the right combo going and then its like gangbusters trying to keep up!

 

[Drifterdon]

Great report Plugs.
Can't wait to get out.

 

[plugs]

Thank God for Shuttle Hawks!!! If it weren't for them my arms would have been plain wore out the last 2 hours of fishing.
Forgot to mention I fished dead, dead dead slow and everything was tipped with corn soaked in mikes shrimp oil all night.
I did see maybe 7 or 8 other fish caught.

 

[smokin' Kokes]

beautiful deep fat belly kokes, plugs, and great Shuttle Hawk story.

water must still be BURRRRR COLD, with the fish still so shallow, even with all the sunshine and warm day temps in the 60s

still lots of snow on the hills up in the drainage for this late in year. may be June before the fish drop down from surface.

 

[Bogey]

Fun report to read and good for you for your work at making a non traditional set up work for you!

OK, this is the price I pay for fishing the same way for 40 years...but what's a shuttle hawk??

 

[eenakoK]

Check out Shasta tackle. They make it. It is a device you clip to your downriggers cable and it takes your line down to the ball. This way you won't have to brin up your downriggers everything. Once you release your line, it floats up to the top.

 

[plugs]

Bogey if your using manuel downriggers the shuttle Hawks are a must have!!
I replaced the releases that came on them with Scotty mini releases. They worked just perfect with me using 10 lb. mainline. Also added a thick rubber band from one end to the other so there was no open way off during the day both mentioned by other posters here on the board.
There was so much crap in the water sometimes I was waiting on the return to the surface but for the most part best money spent on tackle in a long time.

 

[Bogey]

Thanks, I'd never heard of such thing before! I finally got a DR a few years ago (manual) but I upgraded to a Scotty 1101 for this year!

 

[Mudinchev]

That was a great day for you I guess.awesomereport

 

[plugs]

Had constant trouble with the motar while fishing trying to keep it running gave me a blister pulling on the rope for 500 restarts so it's in the shop for a few weeks till they can get to it. So I'm stuck without boat to go back for round 2 and hit em again

 

[jerry bro]

great report thanks for putting the depth in that is so critical..... jerry from woodland....