06-25-2008, 02:43 AM
Well, my dad called me up late Friday evening because had hand some time for fishing. So, I took an early 4th of July weekend and we hit the Gorge.
The plan was to try a few places and get into some great kokanee fishing and of course look for the big Macks. We took off around 1 AM that evening and decided to spend the first day around the Jarvies/Dam area. Well, we were on the water by 8:40 and motored our way up to Jarvies to hurry up and try to jig for Macks. Didn't graph too many on the bottom or anywhere and we only had one bite, which turned out to be a really small Mack pup; but what the heck, they taste great anyway. Well by around 10:30 we gave up on the Macks and started fishing for kokanne. Caught a small kokanee, and surpisingly a small cutthroat. In that area we did not find good kokanee fishing. Couldn't catch our limit. We were using kwikfish and the Rocky Mountain Serpent spoons and dodgers that I have read about here.
We looked for smallmouth in the area, but it was getting late in the afternoon and the weekend skiers and jet skis were out in full force, I tell you what. The whole bay and canyon were waked up like a storm. Got the heck out of there and headed to our next planned spot, Anvil Point.
By the time we got to Anvil Point camping spots it was evening time already and we were sleepy so we decided to call it a day and turn in for the night. Got up real yearly on the 22nd about 4:30 am and prepared to launch. We took off to the 80-100 foot flats and channles in the area to find the big Macks. First jigged but only got two good bites and one hook up which we did not land. No idea how big or what fish it was, but probably a Mack. Got tired of jigging and decided to troll with kwikfish and plugs. Then nothing. Not a single Mack for that day. But, the kokanee fishing there was great. Around 10:30 we started trolling for them with small kwikfish and Rocky Mountain Tackle. Caught enough to fill our limit considering the previous day's catch. We made ourselves a fine meal later.
Later that night we tried to fish for burbot but could not find a spot that held some in high numbers there. Did not catch any burbot.
The last day turned out to be the shortest but best for fishing. Not for large fish but descent ones nontheless.
We did not head out too far, just a few hundred feet off the ramp and started trolling. The kokanee were hitting great. This is the firts time that I have so quickly caught my limit of them at the Gorge. Then, it was small Mack pups after pups. A larger fish broke the the hook on my kwikfish so that may have been the catch of the trip, dang it.[mad] We caught 14 before we prepared to head back. Real small ones, the biggest was about 20 inches.
As far as water temperatures, the Jarvies/Dam area was 59-64 depending on depth and location. The Anvil spot was around 56 in the morning and then reached 59-60. But the shallow coves and bays around Anvil had reached 62-63. You can see the Smallmouths Bass are in spawn preparation mode. They have built redds, and are everywhere around the gravel/rubble shallows and coves. Caught two of them, because it would not be a complete trip without some bass.
On our way back, we decided to take a little detour because the wind had forced us off the lake early and we had some time. We drove up to Hoop Lake to check out the area and conditions. I will post a new thread for that and call it Hoop Lake Report, so if interested you can read it.
Now huge fish but great country and fishing anyway. Can't wait to go back.[
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The plan was to try a few places and get into some great kokanee fishing and of course look for the big Macks. We took off around 1 AM that evening and decided to spend the first day around the Jarvies/Dam area. Well, we were on the water by 8:40 and motored our way up to Jarvies to hurry up and try to jig for Macks. Didn't graph too many on the bottom or anywhere and we only had one bite, which turned out to be a really small Mack pup; but what the heck, they taste great anyway. Well by around 10:30 we gave up on the Macks and started fishing for kokanne. Caught a small kokanee, and surpisingly a small cutthroat. In that area we did not find good kokanee fishing. Couldn't catch our limit. We were using kwikfish and the Rocky Mountain Serpent spoons and dodgers that I have read about here.
We looked for smallmouth in the area, but it was getting late in the afternoon and the weekend skiers and jet skis were out in full force, I tell you what. The whole bay and canyon were waked up like a storm. Got the heck out of there and headed to our next planned spot, Anvil Point.
By the time we got to Anvil Point camping spots it was evening time already and we were sleepy so we decided to call it a day and turn in for the night. Got up real yearly on the 22nd about 4:30 am and prepared to launch. We took off to the 80-100 foot flats and channles in the area to find the big Macks. First jigged but only got two good bites and one hook up which we did not land. No idea how big or what fish it was, but probably a Mack. Got tired of jigging and decided to troll with kwikfish and plugs. Then nothing. Not a single Mack for that day. But, the kokanee fishing there was great. Around 10:30 we started trolling for them with small kwikfish and Rocky Mountain Tackle. Caught enough to fill our limit considering the previous day's catch. We made ourselves a fine meal later.
Later that night we tried to fish for burbot but could not find a spot that held some in high numbers there. Did not catch any burbot.
The last day turned out to be the shortest but best for fishing. Not for large fish but descent ones nontheless.
We did not head out too far, just a few hundred feet off the ramp and started trolling. The kokanee were hitting great. This is the firts time that I have so quickly caught my limit of them at the Gorge. Then, it was small Mack pups after pups. A larger fish broke the the hook on my kwikfish so that may have been the catch of the trip, dang it.[mad] We caught 14 before we prepared to head back. Real small ones, the biggest was about 20 inches.
As far as water temperatures, the Jarvies/Dam area was 59-64 depending on depth and location. The Anvil spot was around 56 in the morning and then reached 59-60. But the shallow coves and bays around Anvil had reached 62-63. You can see the Smallmouths Bass are in spawn preparation mode. They have built redds, and are everywhere around the gravel/rubble shallows and coves. Caught two of them, because it would not be a complete trip without some bass.
On our way back, we decided to take a little detour because the wind had forced us off the lake early and we had some time. We drove up to Hoop Lake to check out the area and conditions. I will post a new thread for that and call it Hoop Lake Report, so if interested you can read it.
Now huge fish but great country and fishing anyway. Can't wait to go back.[
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