Strawberry is not the same

[Kent]

It was strange launching at Strawberry Marina, yesterday at ~6:15, with the parking lot maybe 1/4 full.  It is also unusual to not see a parade of boats trolling the triangle. With the increased water elevation, it has taken awhile to locate the cutthroat, for vertical jigging and casting and bouncing back to the boat, but, thanks to Randy, we have found where they have moved.  The highlight of the day was when Kory caught a 22 1/4" rainbow.  That was a beautiful fish.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks for the report Kent, boy Kory needs to share with you a little bit... Seems like he always gets the big one... or at least the one you report, maybe you're just too modest to say when you get a good one... Congrats and thanks for the info... Later Jeff

[Kent]

Thanks for the report Kent, boy Kory needs to share with you a little bit... Seems like he always gets the big one... or at least the one you report, maybe you're just too modest to say when you get a good one...  Congrats and thanks for the info... Later Jeff

I have been accused of being lots of things but being "... too modest..." isn't one of them, until now.

[RockyRaab2]

Remember, it's not the head but the humility.

[BYUHunter]

Strawberry has been unusually quiet, because the Kokanee have been almost non-existent. I saw the Kokanee Guides were on Jordanelle this weekend, apparently even they threw in the towel this year.

I think a combination of years of drought have made Strawberry's tributaries less productive and conducive to Kokanee spawn, as well as the additional COVID pressure, has done a number on the Koke population. Not to mention the several guides that are up there every day trying to catch limits for their whole boat. Last but not least, the DWR has been putting fewer Kokes into Strawberry, in favor of stocking new reservoirs.

Certainly ain't what it used to be.

[fisherdude9]

Strawberry has been unusually quiet, because the Kokanee have been almost non-existent. I saw the Kokanee Guides were on Jordanelle this weekend, apparently even they threw in the towel this year.

I think a combination of years of drought have made Strawberry's tributaries less productive and conducive to Kokanee spawn, as well as the additional COVID pressure, has done a number on the Koke population. Not to mention the several guides that are up there every day trying to catch limits for their whole boat. Last but not least, the DWR has been putting fewer Kokes into Strawberry, in favor of stocking new reservoirs.

Certainly ain't what it used to be.

I think that we can't overlook the pelican population at Strawberry. On most days I know that there are at least a thousand of those mangy birds flying around and when an adult can consume up to 4 pounds of fish per day - each!  How many of those fish are young kokes?

[BYUHunter]

Strawberry has been unusually quiet, because the Kokanee have been almost non-existent. I saw the Kokanee Guides were on Jordanelle this weekend, apparently even they threw in the towel this year.

I think a combination of years of drought have made Strawberry's tributaries less productive and conducive to Kokanee spawn, as well as the additional COVID pressure, has done a number on the Koke population. Not to mention the several guides that are up there every day trying to catch limits for their whole boat. Last but not least, the DWR has been putting fewer Kokes into Strawberry, in favor of stocking new reservoirs.

Certainly ain't what it used to be.

I think that we can't overlook the pelican population at Strawberry. On most days I know that there are at least a thousand of those mangy birds flying around and when an adult can consume up to 4 pounds of fish per day - each!  How many of those fish are young kokes?

There's a fairly limited time of year when the Kokes are available to be scooped up - they are shallow in the spring when the ice comes off, and the late fall when the water cools. Pretty much the Months of May, October and November.

Pelicans are migratory, they are usually gone from the high elevations by mid-September, and don't return until late May/early June. 

Long story short, there's a small window of opportunity in May when the Pelicans and shallow Kokes may overlap, but I am guessing most of their diet consists of chubs, planter cutts and bows, and whatever is gut-hooked and released by the powerbait crew.

[Joe_Dizzy]

Strawberry has been unusually quiet, because the Kokanee have been almost non-existent. I saw the Kokanee Guides were on Jordanelle this weekend, apparently even they threw in the towel this year.

I think a combination of years of drought have made Strawberry's tributaries less productive and conducive to Kokanee spawn, as well as the additional COVID pressure, has done a number on the Koke population. Not to mention the several guides that are up there every day trying to catch limits for their whole boat. Last but not least, the DWR has been putting fewer Kokes into Strawberry, in favor of stocking new reservoirs.

Certainly ain't what it used to be.

I think that we can't overlook the pelican population at Strawberry. On most days I know that there are at least a thousand of those mangy birds flying around and when an adult can consume up to 4 pounds of fish per day - each!  How many of those fish are young kokes?

Kokanee are out of reach to White Pelicans. They cannot dive so the majority of fish they take are at the surface. In the case of Strawberry there are so many dead trout floating around that the Pelicans don't have to work hard to find a meal.

[cody121ydoc]

Strawberry has been unusually quiet, because the Kokanee have been almost non-existent. I saw the Kokanee Guides were on Jordanelle this weekend, apparently even they threw in the towel this year.

I think a combination of years of drought have made Strawberry's tributaries less productive and conducive to Kokanee spawn, as well as the additional COVID pressure, has done a number on the Koke population. Not to mention the several guides that are up there every day trying to catch limits for their whole boat. Last but not least, the DWR has been putting fewer Kokes into Strawberry, in favor of stocking new reservoirs.

Certainly ain't what it used to be.

Thanks for the information.  I did so bad trying to catch kokes last year at Strawberry, I didn't consider trying this year.

[stan55]

Not all bad at the Berry. Caught more bows today than cutts that's good in my book. Also got two cutts over the slot as well. They were fun. Marked a few Koke schools but they weren't playing today.

[mule_skinner45]

Strawberry has ALWAYS been a fickle little lady. This is a late report but Monday the 17th, I launched at Soldier Creek. I assumed that because of the high temperatures, the Kokanee were deeper than they were. I have a Lowrance Fish-N-Temp, which is a pain in the butt to use, because you have to unwind a wire from the spool to get the temp sensor to drop using a bell sinker. The sinker was not heavy enough, so there was some coil in the wire. I assume the readings are off by 10% or so. I also found the batteries were weak so the readings are off a little more. but here is what I found:
surface 70 deg.
20' - 66 deg.
30' - 54 deg. (kokanee)
40' - 46 deg.
50' - 42 deg.
60' - 41 deg.
70' - 40 deg.
80' - 38 deg.
90' - 38 deg.
100' 37 deg.

The point is, I was fishing below the Kokanee. I hooked up constantly with Cutthroats, (some big) as deep as 55'. Finally, fished shallower and landed a really nice kokanee, (which is all I wanted). In the future, I intend to take temperature readings before I start seriously fishing for Kokes. The Cutties were fun and it was a really good day. Had fun and was off before the wind kicked in.

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the report. Have you ever tried putting the Fish n temp on your down rigger ball and sending it down really slow so it doesn't tangle?

[PAC12_AfterDark]

There is a YouTube program called fish west I like a lot. He has something similar called the fish hawk i think. It was insane the different temps at depth on the ocean.

[dubob]

mule_skinner45,

If the cost isn't a killer ($200), I would invest in the Fish Hawk TD.  Attache it to your DR weight and send it down to whatever depth you want and immediately retrieve it.  It gives you the water temp at 5-foot intervals.  I've been using mine for about 3-years now and wouldn't be without it for kokanee fishing.

[stan55]

I second the Fish Hawk TD. I attached a 4 oz weight to mine and drop it down using a one of my rods before I start trolling.

[Mildog]

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.

[doitall5000]

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.

I agree with you,  this year has shown us that kokanees don't use the fish hawk. 
Thanks for your help.

[liketrolling]

I love the fish Hawk X4 system I will put one down rigger at the 52 or 54 deg.  next I find them on my fishfinder some times that is hard to do if they are not schooled up. but downriggers will go where the fish are.

look at this and you can tell where the 52 deg temp is by where the school of kokanee are at.

[Bduck]

I have & use the Fish Hawk as well. An 8lb DR weight makes a quick job of retrieving the temp.

[wiperhunter2]

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?