Strawberry 6/23-6/26

[obifishkenobi]

I had another successful annual trip to the Berry, I fished with 13 different people and they all went home with Kokanee. It was a grind and defiantly not fast and furious but we put 38 kokanee in the box between Thursday morning and Sunday morning and caught several dozen Cutts each day plus about 15 rainbows for the trip.

Thursday morning Jarner and one of his kids towed my boat down from my place, while I towed my camp trailer down and we got on the water around 6am, starting out in front of the dry storage area and working towards Mud Creek and out to Sage Island. We got a few kokes in that area but decided to try an area that Allen 2knotts suggested that I have never fished before, where we got a triple. I sent them home with 7 kokes and 1 Bow at 12:30 then went back out in the evening and got my limit including a double and a couple lost as I dropped my net in the lake and had to land my kokes by swinging them into the boat. My wife was not happy about stopping at Sportsman in Heber on her way up to camp to buy me another net. Those EGO sliding nets float just long enough for you to watch them slowly sink as there is no way to back up or turn around quick enough when your trolling. 

Friday I fished with TigerPincer, Catchenon, Jmorefish we where fishing by 5:30 am at the spot where we doubled and tripled the day before. TigerPincers  gear stared out the catching he we got a limit on his gear and we got a limit on my stuff by midday when I dropped them off. sending everyone home with kokes. I went back out in the evening and got my limit between 5-6pm. Friday night my wife and I had a hoot catching  half a cooler of Crawfish with the family I fished with Sunday, SmittySlead and his wife for the Crawfish boil on Saturday.

Saturday morning was a double date with my wife, SmittySleads and his wife. It was the fasted action of the trip It started slow with only a few cutts and bows early, then we put 8 kokes in the box between 7:30-8:30 am. we finished with 11 for the day. I didn't fish that evening because we had a Crawfish boil where Brookie and his daughter turned up, along with a couple of his campground neighbors. and Corey's family of 5. 

Sunday morning I fished with Corey and his family it was by far the toughest day we hooked 6 kokes but only managed to boat 3 of them. we bagged it about 11 am. I packed up camp and went home.

We spent 90% of our time grinding on the spot Allen suggested it was the only place I fished Saturday and Sunday. My theory is that where I was getting them was the old river channel that the fish where using to transit from one part of the lake to another. We would go long periods between Kokes then when they passed through we would pick them up. We had one triple and 4 doubles I circled in an area that was 300yds across. I caught 33 of 38 kokes in that area. at one point I caught 6 rainbows in a row there. 

The most productive set up was a pink billed squid behind a 4.5" pink and silver sling blade it accounted for about 25% of the kokes and the rest where caught on a variety pink squid Colorado blade hoochies and watermelon pattern bead and blade combos. The few we picked up out in front of Mud Creek came at 18-20' down, 28' and 38' where the best depths at my honey hole. The odd thing was that my Fish Hawk showed the thermcline down around 50' where we saw lots of marks, but when I fished that deep all I got was Cutts. 

Over all a great trip with a lot of great people, it really felt like a grind, going long stretches without getting any kokes but the cutthroats kept us busy in between. There is an abundance of small cutts this year that would get hooked and give up without us noticing the bite and we would drag them around taking that set up out of action for the kokes. I caught more rainbows this year than in the past as well.

I didn’t take many pictures this year, if anyone that fished with me have some to post on this string that would be great.

[JArner]

It was great fishing with you, really appreciate the opportunity and education.

[Kent]

Sounds like a fun trip.

[EyLayo]

Good job Sean. Glad your tradition is keeping on. Tell Scooby waassup

[wiperhunter2]

Great report Shawn, sounds like you made a lot of members happy with getting them on those kokes. That is one big toad in that one pic. What was the largest one you put in the boat?

[obifishkenobi]

Great report Shawn, sounds like you made a lot of members happy with getting them on those kokes. That is one big toad in that one pic. What was the largest one you put in the boat?

The one JArner got, that I believe was 21.5 inches and about three and a half pounds, was the largest.