fishing strawberry in the dark

[liketrolling]

could not sleep
so started fishing strawberry at 4:30 am
it was fun I was alone it was hard getting the kokanee in the boat could not see them to net them. I may start fishing at night, bigger cuts, kokes bite good
no boats, but will need some one to net the kokanee.

used glow dodgers and glow squids

at 6:30 picked up 4 people that was new to fishing for Kokanee
I got limits for them
downriggers down about 35 to 42 feet
would change speed with MY itroll

for the 24th not a lot of boats, Maybe no one can catch Kokanee at strawberry so they are staying away.
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[Paddler]

Use a headlamp. I've caught quite a few fish at night. It can be quite peaceful.

I had a tough time on the 22nd like everybody else. Lines in at 4:00PM, only had two koke bites before dark, both got off. Beautiful day, though. Heading back up Friday, I may fish after dark.
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[a_bow_nut]

Took my niece up yesterday morning for her first time after salmon.

We did ok fishing southeast of the marina on the strawberry side till about eleven. Took some time to show her how to run the boat and what to do if I went overboard so that she could swing around and come get me. Then went for a ride in the narrows and stopped and fished on the last big bend before it opens up to the Soldier Creek side and hit a school of likes and picked up a triple just as the wind was picking up. Was lucky enough to get all of them in and not run a ground so we called it a day with six salmon and around two dozen cutts.

Same method as everyone else. Pink and orange squids behind pink, orange, and purple sling blades down 37'-42' going 1.5-1.9 mph.
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[brookie]

I was there this morning as well. You are right there were very few boats for a holiday. Guess they all went to Jordanelle.

We actually did better yesterday. I had a friend and his young son on board. They had 8 by 0900 so I took them in. I went back out and got my 4. Best part of the trip - Just as they were getting ready to leave, I heard the boy say, "Dad, that was the best fishing trip ever!". That makes it all worth it.

This morning another friend and I went out. We found today slower, even though we fished the same area we fished the day before. I guess we should have started at 0430. We came in with 4 at 10:00, one was 20". They seem to be getting bigger - I guess they have been putting on the plankton feed bag all summer.

Also this was the first time I have been checked by the DNR this year. Really nice guy, of course it helps when you are legal.
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[KeelnTime]

I was one of the few on the water this morning as well. I took a a couple guys from work. Had a rough go at this morning. Only hooked in to 3 kokes, none of which found the net....picked up a few nice cuts at the top end of the slot, and several smaller ones. I'm pretty sure speed was my issue, still trying to get the new boat dialed in without a trolling motor....
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[muirco]

How many did you hook in the dark?
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[dubob]

[quote KeelnTime]I'm pretty sure speed was my issue, still trying to get the new boat dialed in without a trolling motor....[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]I have no idea what boat/motor you have, but my last boat was a 16 ft Tracker Varga with a 2005 Merc OptiMax 75 and no kicker. I put a trolling plate on the Merc and ran it for 11 years. Would troll down to 0.5/0.6 mph with the plate. and the iPilot electric up front (steering control) running about 3. The plate was worth every penny. Highly recommend it for bigger boats with single motors. And no, trolling with the bigger motor (Merc OptiMax) had no detrimental effects on it.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[liketrolling]

I don't know
I had two poles out on my front downriggers
from 4:30 to 5:30 AM had a fish on all the time
would be reeling in one pole and look over and the other pole was going off
the cuts I could pull up over the side by garbing the line, but the kokes would flip off.

but that made it faster getting the lines out I use pink corn and maggots
one dodger had green glow the other had blue and pink glow

I could have got the kokes in better if I would have brought them in from the back of the boat but being alone and with the 2 guys missing I stayed in the deep part of my boat I think I missed 5 kokes and got 2 in the boat and I got more cuts.
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[limitone]

As a side note to fishing in the dark: my buddy and I went up last Friday with the intention of staying out on the lake two nights by sleeping on the boat. We went into the Renegade Marina to launch and were told that "nothing could be left overnight" in the marina parking lot. We were told this by the marina store guy and his wife. We asked if there were any launch sites on the reservoir where we could leave the vehicle and boat trailer overnight. They had no idea but told us to drive over to Aspen Grove campground.

Since that is a long way to go to ask a question, we decided to try the main marina. We were informed at the toll booth that they had no idea if we could leave the trailer and vehicle overnight. They said we could try and find out if we got a citation. How nice of them!

I called the forest service office in Heber today and was told we could have left them overnight if we weren't in them since Renegade is a "day use" location. I was told that phone calls would be made to inform the attendants up there but I have not yet heard back a confirmation.
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[Kent]

In previous years, when I have fished overnight, at Strawberry, I have been told that I would have to pay for parking for two days, because the parking for the first day ends at midnight.
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[KeelnTime]

Thanks for the tips Bob, I have been playing with the idea of either a trolling plate or a bow mount electric.

I have a 23' campion with 5.0 Volvo inboard with and dual prop outdrive. I have been trying dragging 2-24" drift socks I am pretty sure with 2 I'm at 2 mph. Curious to see what 3 will do. Wont know till next trip.

The drift socks are a much cheaper option than the others at only $50 so far. And if I can dial in the speeds with them, then I can deal with them until I can afford a more convenient solution.
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[a_bow_nut]

If you're interested I have two trolling plates that I will be putting up for sale soon.
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[dubob]

[quote KeelnTime]The drift socks are a much cheaper option than the others at only $50 so far. And if I can dial in the speeds with them, then I can deal with them until I can afford a more convenient solution.[/quote][size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Here is a link to the one I bought and had on my Merc 75 - [url "https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Pacific-016-1-EasyTroller-Trolling/dp/B001NI8XE8/ref=asc_df_B001NI8XE8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312148125047&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17081195803380301814&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029824&hvtargid=pla-761644559512&th=1&psc=1"]LINK[/url]. They really aren't that expensive - $125.33 from Amazon and free shipping if you are an AMAZON PRIME member. I would call the company - Ironwood Pacific - and verify it will work in your application before buying it. Verify your speed with GPS. You can do that with your sonar if it has GPS or with your smart phone with a GPS app. [/#][/font][/size]
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[Paddler]

[quote KeelnTime]Thanks for the tips Bob, I have been playing with the idea of either a trolling plate or a bow mount electric.

I have a 23' campion with 5.0 Volvo inboard with and dual prop outdrive. I have been trying dragging 2-24" drift socks I am pretty sure with 2 I'm at 2 mph. Curious to see what 3 will do. Wont know till next trip.

The drift socks are a much cheaper option than the others at only $50 so far. And if I can dial in the speeds with them, then I can deal with them until I can afford a more convenient solution.[/quote]

I use two 18" drift socks on my 20' Hewescraft. Mercury 115HP EFI, I can get down to 1.4MPH. Pretty simple and inexpensive.
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[KeelnTime]

Thanks paddler, I too am using drift socks, I have 2- 24" on and I am still too fast,(out running the other boats I am trolling near). I have bought a third and will try it out next trip out....which will be fish lake 2nd weekend in August. I downloaded a top rated speedometer app which uses the GPS on my phone( thank you again bob) and see how it goes. In addition to the drift socks I have installed tarp eyelets on the discharge side of them so I can use bolts to control the discharge of water and hopefully make minor adjustments to speeds if necessary.
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[KeelnTime]

I might be interested, are any of them spring loaded? In addition to fishing my family tubes and skies, so a fixed position trolling plate wouldn't work for me.
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[a_bow_nut]

No they are the fixed position type.
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