My Oh My

[gonefishing]

Just ate one of the filet's that I caught in August in the Gorge. My wife and I followed Bduck and his wife around for a couple of days really enjoying the fishing. Just eating one of those filets has really got me comitted to planing several trips to the Gorge this coming year.

I have decided to save one filite for the fist part of May. I need to be sure and pump myself up for early Koke fishing in 2011

 

[Bduck]

I usually have a filet then too. 101cheers101 Waitin' out the long winters here is what makes it worth its while.

 

[kokaneekid]

Just ate one of the filet's that I caught in August in the Gorge. My wife and I followed Bduck and his wife around for a couple of days really enjoying the fishing. Just eating one of those filets has really got me comitted to planing several trips to the Gorge this coming year.

I have decided to save one filite for the fist part of May. I need to be sure and pump myself up for early Koke fishing in 2011

Nothing better than kokanee..... I have it smoked, canned, and vacuum packed. It’s going to be a long winter, but my family is going to be eating GOOD…

 

[FISH]

Nothing better than kokanee..... I have it smoked, canned, and vacuum packed. It’s going to be a long winter, but my family is going to be eating GOOD…

and i wonder just how many more of you have smoked canned and vaccumed koke's? and how many over your 3 possesion limit you stuff in your freezer for the long winter to just turn around and come back do the same thing and bitch about the declining koke number's. wow just some thing's I wouldnt post!

 

[SilverBullets]

and i wonder just how many more of you have smoked canned and vaccumed koke's? and how many over your 3 possesion limit you stuff in your freezer for the long winter to just turn around and come back do the same thing and bitch about the declining koke number's. wow just some thing's I wouldnt post!

I guess the regulations are different where you live. Here in Oregon it reads...
Possession Limit: Maximum number or amount of a type of fish or shellfish that a person may lawfully possess in the field or forest, or in transit to the place of permanent residence.

 

[twisted lines]

Guess I am glad the limmit is 25 per person per day, here that puts me close, and I don't need anything to bitch about I can bitch about nothing, and I am good at it; have references..

 

[gonefishing]

Idaho, no limit for the Freezer (At Home). However, I practice a good sportsmanship comon sense approach with kokanee. My supply on hand is limited more than fair.

But, I will catch and keep all the Mackinaw, the young ones around 20 inches, that I can lawfully keep. I plan on learning how to catch burbot as there is no limit, they are great eating. Burbot are bad for any sportsmans fishery.

 

[kokaneekid]

and i wonder just how many more of you have smoked canned and vaccumed koke's? and how many over your 3 possesion limit you stuff in your freezer for the long winter to just turn around and come back do the same thing and bitch about the declining koke number's. wow just some thing's I wouldnt post!

I have never complained about the kokanee numbers here in Oregon, Fishing is awesome and the numbers ARE HIGH... The problem we have is to many kokanee in the lake and not enough of a food source. The fish get small and don't have a chance to grow. This is why we have a 25 kokanee limit per day per person in most lakes. There is a ton of thing that effect the fish population I hope I'm not one of them. I'm just taking advantage of a great fishery, and loving every moment of it.

Fish on kokaneekid

 

[TrophyBoat]

I 2nd what FISH said.

 

[SuperD]

FG will be a put and take lake from now on, IMO. If this year was any evidence of how F&G plans to combat the burbot, hatchery fish will be dumped in and hatchery fish will be taken out.

 

[Propnut69]

FG will be a put and take lake from now on, IMO. If this year was any evidence of how F&G plans to combat the burbot, hatchery fish will be dumped in and hatchery fish will be taken out.

Unfortunately,this is a simplistic,out look from out of state people that only fish the gorge once or twice a year. Kokeanee have always been a fish in,fish out for the gorge. I don't know how many koke fry has been planted in the gorge,but I'm sure it's a few million at least. When I first started fishing for kokes the limit was eight. Now is down to three,and not all that can be blamed on the burbot. Sure the burbot have made a difference but this was a off year at the gorge.

Not all years can be banner years. I have been saying for the last two years that the gorge was in trouble,and now we are seeing it happen. super d if you have a better plan to deal with the burbot,please step up to the plate ,and tell the Wyoming Game and Fish how to do it. I have a better plan for all of you out of staters that what to bitch about the burbot. Come on out the gorge in January and go ice -fishing for them . That when they are the easiest to catch. Maybe less fishing pressure might be the way to go? What ya think Dave, you think that might help the kokanee at the gorge?

 

[gonefishing]

Propnut69

I sure would like some where in the Gorge to go and how to information on Burbot fishing. I want to take a shot at them in a couple of weeks, though it not be the best time. Thought I would chase Macks during the day and Burbot late into the evening.

 

[Kokaholic]

I will share what little info I have on the Burbot with you. Most any rocky out cropping any where from an hour before dark through to the next morning. However things usually tail off around midnight and the cold usually runs you off way before that anyhow,

3" glow jigs tipped with some sucker meat and some scent will due the job. Keep the jig head and tube charged! I would recomend Radical glow tubes and Gary yamamotto tubes in glow. grubs will work also.

Some evenings they like it dead sticked then it will change to a slight jigging motion. start drilling holes at depths from 6-8 feet out to 30-40. keep moving around until you find them.

Dont use a bunch of lanterns up on the ice. use a small amount of light like a head lamp or such. The light will drive them away.

Remember, ALL burbot caught must be kept. nothing returned. They are WONDEFUL table fair. Little slimmy but good eatin and fun to catch.

 

[SuperD]

Propnut, it appears that you've mistaken me for an out of state bitcher. I'm simply making an observation. You're still welcome to disagree with me. There will be no solution that nulifies the effect of the burbot just like there was no solution to the lakers running off all the browns. I'm guessing another 5 years before the full impact of the burbot is felt. I'd ultimately love to hear how many more Kokes get planted on a yearly basis to maintain the fishery to pre burbot introduction.

 

[Propnut69]

Super D, as far as the macs runnin off the browns, I'm going to have to dissagree to a point. I grew up in Green River, and every fall when the browns came up the river to spawn everyboby and there dog was on the river catching them.This happened year after year I believe the limit on the river at that time was 6fish reguardless of size, my point is this, I"m sure there were other factors contributing to the browns decline, but i can tell you fishing pressure was one of them.Sound familiar can you say kokanee.

 

[Ryno]

There will be no solution that nulifies the effect of the burbot just like there was no solution to the lakers running off all the browns. I'm guessing another 5 years before the full impact of the burbot is felt. I'd ultimately love to hear how many more Kokes get planted on a yearly basis to maintain the fishery to pre burbot introduction.

Kokanee are stocked in the Gorge by three agencies- The Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Game and Fish, and Utah Division of Wildlife. The number stocked are totally dependent on the quality of the spawning runs. Some years, like 2009, as many as 1.4 million have been stocked. Other years, as a result of poor runs and eggtakes, only a few hundred thousand are stocked. Kokes are typically stocked into the Gorge around May at about 3-inches. Getting them much bigger than that is pretty difficult due to their sensitivity to hatchery conditions and available space. Once they hit the Gorge they run the guantlet of predators, most of which are small lake trout (as seen in stomach samples). Burbot and even smallmouth and rainbows will also take advantage of the disoriented kokes. Like others have stated in this thread, getting those fish to catchable size means anglers can help to reduce predators, and small lake trout and burbot are the biggest concern to do their abundance.

Kokanee conservation is also a concern. Like stated, the limit has been dropped from a historic "8 fish" to the current "3 fish" because of declining trends in the population. Another thing to think about is C&R kokanee fishing. While fishing the Gorge, I see a lot of anglers targeting kokes day in and day out and for extended periods of time. There are a lot of kokes being released and I've wondered how many released kokes actually survive, no matter the C&R tactics used. I've yet to personally see a koke with a hook scar (which you see quite often on lakers and bows) and that's pretty surprising if they are surviving the catch. They are energetic fighters and quickly go from below the thermocline where water temps are in the 40s to the surface where water temps get to 70. That's pretty tough on a fish. It's something to think about......

Brown trout dropping off also occurred at the same time the reservoir went through some changes. As a result of aging, brushy cover along the shoreline declined and along with it the Utah chub. Utah chubs prefer to spawn in and use brushy cover for nursery habitat. Their still out there, but without good habitat, their numbers will remain low. Brown trout were highly dependent on chubs and were effective at preying on them in the brush. While the browns dwindled the lake trout prospered. As you know they're pretty opportunistic but prefer kokes and bows for forage in the Gorge.

Hope it helps, Ryno