08-04-2023, 01:11 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-04-2023, 01:12 AM by wiperhunter2.)
(08-03-2023, 08:45 PM)Mildog Wrote: I use a fish hawk periodically. It’s very accurate easy to put on downrigger ball, drop it down bring it back up it will show temp every 5 feet. I got it for about 100 bucks online. As far as using it to find kokes, IMHO Temperature is WAY overrated. It can be one factor but I prefer to fish where they are, Not the temp they are supposed to be in.
I now have Garmin pan optix, which has been an eye opener and often makes me ask more questions than it answers. I can now see Kokes pretty clearly and a big advantage is the shallow ones that are hard to see on conventional sonar as the cone is very small at shallow depths and fish tend to move away from boat. I had so many follows this year (now that I can see them) without hitting!! I’ve switched colors gear lures tipping items. It seems sometimes they just won’t hit other times they hit often! Crazy!!
For many years at many lakes in the west, I have caught kokes very shallow , depths most koke guys won’t even try because temps don’t line up.
My best koke trip at an unnamed lake this year we hooked 15 kokes (landed only 11)
All were hooked at depths of 14 feet or less! Surface temp was 69 degrees
From past checking the depth at 14 feet was only 1-2 degrees cooler. From watching schools on Pan optix I never saw koke schools deeper than 15 feet in 3 days of fishing.
Overall been a very tough koke year for me and guys I fish with.
Interesting, that gives hope for those of us that don't have a Fish Hawk. We have always done OK, without one but with so many members having them I've considered buying one for sure. I never knew they were $100. When fishing that shallow, how far do you have your setbacks?