New to this site

[Cosby]

Hello All,

Had no idea this site existed until a friend sent me the link just now. I've been fishing Lake Merwin since I was a kid (50 years now) for Kokanee and been pretty successful at it, but always looking to learn new techniques. I noticed some conversation about the water level at Merwin being dropped. Just an f.y.i. here is a link (below) that I've been using for years that I use prior to pulling my boat (1 hour drive) to Merwin to fish. It not only shows real time water level at Merwin (compared to full pool) but also shows Yale and Swift too.

Fishing for Springer's right now in the Columbia, 4 trips to date and 2 fish. Will start fishing Merwin again, probably mid-late May and continue through the summer until the fall Salmon show up.

Cosby thumbsup


http://www.srh.noaa.gov/productview.php?pil=RVMPQR

 

[skookum9]

Thanks for the tips, Cosby. And welcome aboard. I too had never heard about this site until earlier this year when I went searching the net for more kokanee info. I sure would like to hear about some of your fishing experience on Merwin and Yale. I've never fished them but they are much closer to me than most other options I have and so this year I intend to give them both a try. That and the fact that my uncle and cousin who live in WA got themselves pontoon boats so now I can bring mine up there and join them on the water.

I would like to ask you what your reasons are for waiting until mid/late May. Is there just too much other fishing going on earlier or is there just that much more success with those lakes later on? I'm thinking about trying to make a trip up there early to mid April, what's your take on that?

 

[Bduck]

Welcome Cosby thumbsup

 

[Cosby]

Thanks for the tips, Cosby. And welcome aboard. I too had never heard about this site until earlier this year when I went searching the net for more kokanee info. I sure would like to hear about some of your fishing experience on Merwin and Yale. I've never fished them but they are much closer to me than most other options I have and so this year I intend to give them both a try. That and the fact that my uncle and cousin who live in WA got themselves pontoon boats so now I can bring mine up there and join them on the water.

I would like to ask you what your reasons are for waiting until mid/late May. Is there just too much other fishing going on earlier or is there just that much more success with those lakes later on? I'm thinking about trying to make a trip up there early to mid April, what's your take on that?

I fish the Columbia for Springer's now through end of April or early May and then I'll head to Merwin, and will fish it throughout the Summer, until the fall Chinook's show up sometime in September. Just an f.y.i.... I rarely fish Yale. Another f.y.i..... if you start fishing Merwin in April, you should be able to flat line, and not use any weight due to water temperature (cold). The other thing about Merwin, Yale AND Swift is........once the spring runoff starts, all three lake's will turn chalky in color. That's because the runoff will carry "ash" from Mt St Helen's with it. Generally takes a month or so for it to clear up. Hope this helps, GOOD LUCK.

Cosby thumbsupthumbsupthumbsup

 

[Cosby]

Welcome Cosby thumbsup

Thanks.tooexcited

 

[Petty4life]

thumbsupWELCOME ABOARDthumbsup

 

[skookum9]

Thanks for the tips, Cosby. I'm hoping to try the jigs out on these lakes. I don't know if anyone does this up there but I like to fish jigs right on the surface. Once May hits, I'm probably headed to Odell and Wickiup to see what I can do there. I only fish koke's until the water gets too warm and they start to go deep. By then my favorite brookie hole's are starting to get fired up. As much as I enjoy kokanee and the fishing for them, flyfishing for brook trout still wins. You'll have to let us know how the springer fishing is from time to time. I might just have to give it a try sometime.

 

[Cosby]

Thanks for the tips, Cosby. I'm hoping to try the jigs out on these lakes. I don't know if anyone does this up there but I like to fish jigs right on the surface. Once May hits, I'm probably headed to Odell and Wickiup to see what I can do there. I only fish koke's until the water gets too warm and they start to go deep. By then my favorite brookie hole's are starting to get fired up. As much as I enjoy kokanee and the fishing for them, flyfishing for brook trout still wins. You'll have to let us know how the springer fishing is from time to time. I might just have to give it a try sometime.

Jigs will work early in the season at Merwin and occasionally later in the season in my experience. The Kokanee at Merwin don't "school" en-mass like they do at Odell (I used to go to Odell the second week in May every year for 3-4 days, for a dozen or so years), then discovered Salmon. As much as I like to fish for Kokanee, when the Salmon are in the river that's what I fish for. I used 1/2 ounce nordic jigs at Odell. I remember get up at the butt crack of dawn and going out onto the lake just before light and looking for "basketballs" (that's how tight the schools of Kokanee were), sometimes stretching from just below the surface, down 20, 30 or even 40 feet. The limit used to be 25 fish per day/per person, amazing fishery in early May. About a month or so later the schools start to break up and fisherman start to troll. I always carry an ultra light on my boat when I fish at Merwin and IF I do see a school, I'll jig for them otherwise I troll. The other thing I remember vividly about Odell is the wind. Pretty predictable: starts to blow by mid-morning and usually lasts the rest of the day and then stops late afternoon/early evening. Odell as I recall is about half the size of Merwin (6 miles, compared to about 12 miles). AND Odell is much colder in early May (temperature usually hoovers around freezing or just below with snow on the ground normally). I remember getting caught in the middle of Odell Lake in a blizzard and having to use my compass to get back to the cabin. Good Luck!

 

[skookum9]

Yeah, you're right about the weather at Odell, can get pretty nasty at times. At 4500 feet in elevation I suppose it's no wonder. The funny thing is that one moment it can be tee-shirt and suntan lotion weather and a couple of hours later you're looking for your heaviest parka and trying to get the heater going so you can thaw your icicle fingers from their rod-clinched position. I originally started fishing it the first weekend in May and then decided that I might as well try opening weekend. That worked great for years but then these last few years have had the water temps too low for the little bugger's. Now I really like to give Wickiup a go for the first couple of weekends of the season and then go for Odell.

Not sure what all is going to happen this year because of health issues. My father, my life long fishing buddy, is going to be very limited in when and where he can go fishing because of my mother's failing health. She needs him to help her with her shots and her meds and stuff and so I don't know how much fishing he'll be able to do. I know I can go without him but somehow it just doesn't seem right. I might just stick around closer to home and fish some local waters with him this year.

The limit is still 25 koke's per day at Odell. I too used to feel the need to hit the lake at the wee hours of morning, and I usually still do just that, but not because I think it's necessary. That is the hot time of the day on most days but often I get a great bite at that lake in the early afternoon when the sun is high and the wind dies down, and it often lasts the rest of the day. Usually, the lake will turn to glass about that time and this is what makes the fishing so much better. It's easier to find those surface fish when there is no wind. In the evening is when I think it gets the most frustrating. It's just about dark and the surface fish just go nuts. Large areas of koke's breaking the surface and porpoising everywhere. The killer part is that it seems almost impossible to get these little devils to bite when they get like that. This year, if I get the chance to go, I'm going to try my fly rod out on them when they do that. I know that they are feeding on their plankton and I've recently heard about a daphnia cluster fly that I think is worth giving a try. Don't know if it will work but what a lot of fun if it does.

 

[onlychild]

cosby new to posting on the forum myself but have been read coments for over a year lots of info. to be had here