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Thread: Merwin 2014 Post it here!

  1. #26
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Woodland Wa & LMCH
    Posts
    263

    Default Sunburn in March!

    From freezing temps at daylight to almost 60 degrees by noon, gotta love spring! Fish are still shallow but they are really aggressive. The water is still down but the launches are very usable, the key right now is finding fish that want to play, if your not getting bit, move, still no bite, move......you get the idea. We started out at a rate of 1-2 fish per hour for the first couple of hours and had our limit by noon.
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    Team Wild Child Follow us on Youtube! http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMeIbuRWhobsmMmpM4xQayQ?feature=watch

  2. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Vancouver WA
    Posts
    128

    Default

    and a word about launching your boat, I observed this last weekend at merwin one guy yelling at another guy who was launching his boat by himself screaming to hurry up, the guy launching was doing nothing wrong, he was by himself and yes that takes a little longer....geeeezzz guys COOL YOUR JETS WE ARE THERE TO HAVE FUN!!!

  3. #28

    Default

    Hit the lake the last 2 days managed near limits for my son and I. All fish 12.5 to 14 inches and real nice. The fish are scattered no real pattern caught on various things from sling blades and mini squids to ford fenders, also at various depths using no weight to 4 ounces of lead it all worked just not consistent. Hopefully we will get some downriggers soon.

  4. #29
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    203

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kokaguy1 View Post
    and a word about launching your boat, I observed this last weekend at merwin one guy yelling at another guy who was launching his boat by himself screaming to hurry up, the guy launching was doing nothing wrong, he was by himself and yes that takes a little longer....geeeezzz guys COOL YOUR JETS WE ARE THERE TO HAVE FUN!!!
    My wife Melanie and I load out a 15 ft. old town flat backed canoe, takes us a little while with taking the outboard (and everything else!) out of the back and tightening it down, my wife laughs at jerks like this and tells them, "the more crap you give us the longer it will take us!" That usually shuts them up, if someone is moving as fast as they can then others should S.T F.U. We all have diff. issues. Know what I mean? BE NICE!! Bob R

  5. #30
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Kelso, Wa
    Posts
    23

    Default

    My son and I have run into a few of the jackasses who are so important they have no tolerance or respect for other folks launching or on the lake. Fishing is supposed to be fun.

  6. #31
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    maple falls, wa.
    Posts
    535

    Default

    I used to have the same problem with my 15' Grumman canoe. I found that if I unloaded the canoe into the water and moved it off to the side, I could then load at leisure from another spot. Only problem was that some launch ramps had no beach at ll. Or that the DF&G had filled the sides of the launch area with large rocks.

  7. #32
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    203

    Default

    We will pull over if the launch has space, if 3 ramps or more there usually isn't room due to buildup on sides but if that many ramps no big deal. Chehalis river launch at Montesano in the fall gets a little dicey at high tide , though.Not enough patience in some folks anymore. How has the wind at Merwin been lately? Has it just blown up in the afternoon or have the mornings been breezy as well? We are thinking of a trip soon, but a long way to go for too much wind.Bob R

  8. #33
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Kelso, Wa
    Posts
    23

    Default

    My son always pulls the boat to the end of the dock, if room, and around to the outside of the dock when possible. Sometimes my merc is a little cold blooded and takes a bit to start.

  9. #34
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Monmouth Or
    Posts
    36

    Default

    I would like to make a trip to Merwin tomorrow for the first time this season. What is the report on water level and how has the fishing been lately? Is the day use open at Cresap?

  10. #35
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Woodland Wa & LMCH
    Posts
    263

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kokanut View Post
    I would like to make a trip to Merwin tomorrow for the first time this season. What is the report on water level and how has the fishing been lately? Is the day use open at Cresap?
    Wind : http://windalert.com/spot/2021 = Looks Good
    Water: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_foreca...id=PQR&pil=RVM = No Problem
    Cresap: http://www.pacificorp.com/about/or/washington/cbp.html = Not yet

    Fishing has been spotty some good days some not so good days, If your not catching fish try a different area, don't pound the same dead water all day.
    Team Wild Child Follow us on Youtube! http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMeIbuRWhobsmMmpM4xQayQ?feature=watch

  11. #36

    Default

    Good fishing this weekend. Kinda weird for me as I caught fish at 28 to 40 feet on riggers. Top lines weren't working for me but saw they were for others. Pink was the most popular color. Fish seemed to be more at the Hideaway end of the lake. Sunday had a lovely squaller come through and I was thankful for a top to hide under!

  12. #37
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Vancouver, Washington
    Posts
    64

    Red face

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ID:	7137I had a good day. The bite for me was on and off. I would catch a couple and then a dead period for up to an hour. I finally got my limit after four and a half hours around 1020. All my hits were between twenty and thirty feet on the downrigger. I tried several colors and types of lures but caught all my fish on a pink wedding ring that I make. The fish were not as big as some folks have been catching. They ranged from 12 3/4 to 13 3/4 with most being 13. They all were nice and fat. Cleaned with heads, tails, fins and scales removed they weighed 5 3/4 pounds. I have never seen so many boats on the lake. I am concerned that too many fish are being taken in the spring. I hope that this does not result in a poor fishery during the summer.

  13. #38
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Vancouver, Washington
    Posts
    64

    Red face

    There was a fast bite early this morning. I got my line in the water at 0530 and by 0615 I had five on ice and lost another at the net. I caught two on a glow white wedding ring and three on a pink wedding ring. All were caught at 45 ft. From 0615 to 0730 a squawfish was all that I could catch. The bite for me just quit. I moved west three miles and picked up the other five by 1055. The pink wedding ring that I make caught four at 35 ft. and a ruby red bead spinner caught one at 45 ft. I ended with one 11 inch fish six between 13-13 1/2, two at 14 and my first 15 inch kokanee this season. Fishing pressure has eased. When I left there were only about a dozen trailers in the lot.
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  14. #39
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Vancouver WA
    Posts
    128

    Default

    5:30am to 4 pm it was a grind but managed 14 koks and one very nice rainbow with 4 or 5 lost.

  15. #40

    Default

    Headed down tomorrow to do the Merwin, how are you kids fairing down there?
    "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle."

  16. #41
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Redmond,Wa
    Posts
    59

    Default

    JoAnn and I made our annual trip down to Merwin to target the kokanee this weekend. We fished from Saturday to Monday morning. The weather started out rainy on Saturday , improved on Sunday, and was beautiful on Monday. Regardless of rain or sun, Merwin is a beautiful place to visit and fish.

    Saturday we had lines in by 8am after driving from Redmond at 4am. We started across from the boat launch and it was a slow first two hours, hitting a couple pike minnows. We were fishing four rods, running the starboard side with mealworms and the port side with small pieces of shrimp. Initially we ran hoochies and wedding rings and simple sling blades or dodgers. On the outside rods we ran Luhr Jensen Double D dodgers, the smaller ones.

    After having little success we ran up to the dam and started fishing this area, working back down lake. We started hitting fish on a consistent pace at the dam. For the next couple hours we worked the dam area and had eight nice fish. The fish this year come in two classes, 10-11” and 13-14”. Running four rods allowed us to cover prime water column spots. Most fish I saw were 25-60 feet deep. Our best success were with the Double D’s at 25-35 feet and a pink mini hoochie at 40 feet. Also, I rigged up a bit more bling on my inside deep rods, running a sling blade slightly bent for extra action, then two feet to a small hammered thin blade salmon lure, then 8-10” to a hoochie. I notice a lot of guys use cow bells on this lake. I am loath to use cow bells. I know they catch fish, but I enjoy having some sport and will sacrifice numbers for enjoyment. That said, on our second day I compared our catch to someone running cow bells, and we compared much better, the other person had a bunch of 9-10” fish and we had a 60/40 ratio of 13-14” to 10-11”. Anyway, day one we called it a day around 4pm, and had 13 nice bright kokanee in the boat, mostly the bigger 13-14” fish.

    Sunday dawned less rainy and I ran us right up the dam at 6am, lines down and gear fishing. To my dismay, my kicker motor started running rough, which improved when I opened the choke, but still the motor just kept dying until – it was gone. Great, now I have only one option, to troll with my main motor, which I hate doing for salmon and already know I will really hate for kokanee. Getting a 120hp motor to troll down to 1.2 mph is impossible. I threw out a sea anchor and managed to get us to 1.5-1.9. I don’t know but maybe the kokanee liked the faster troll, at least, they certainly didn’t mind. We started hitting fish very consistently at 7am and had a super bite that lasted an hour and a half, boating nine fish. The golden depth was the 40 foot deep rod running my homemade micro pink hoochie/spinner. That rod had steady action. The rod I ran at 50-55 feet, even though there were fish marking, got just one fish. The Double D rods I switched to a small thin blade lure I got at the Portland show, a “Baby Simon”. I ran these with one piece of corn and both rods produced well. The Baby Simons were pink, and the second was a yellow/ornage. The pink was the better of the two lures.

    One thing I want to mention - we got a lot of fish this trip on the retrieve. When it was time to check/change bait I would release the line and let the gear slowly drift up. I would say we got at least ten fish this way. I am so sold on NEVER reeling in a kokanee rig, let it drift up. You’ll be pleased with the results!

    Day two ended again around 4pm, this time we caught 16 fish. Again, probably 60/40 big fish versus small guys. At this point we are up to 29 fish over our first two days, well within sight of a possession limit of forty fish for two anglers (WDFW allow you to have a two days’ worth of limits in your possession). We retired to our RV spot, watch a movie in our cuddy and asleep by ten. Monday morning here we come!

    OK, 11 fish to go. Back up to the dam and I figure if we have another bite like yesterday we’ll be done and on the road by noon. Funny how fishing can humble us all. The fishing today was slower and started a bit later, but by 8am we started (slowly) hitting fish. A fish here, a fish there, and I’m watching my fuel gauge as it hits under a quarter tank. Dang, gotta start working back to the launch! We catch 6 fish in the dam area, 5-6 are the bigger fish, with the biggest running 15 ½ inches. I should mention, by today I have stopped using shrimp. The mealworms are flat out producing, as is the plain corn. Keep it simple!

    I decide to run us down and fish close to the boat launch as my eyes nervously check the fuel gauge. We arrive at our final spot and the gauge shows a 1/16 of a tank, plenty of fuel, right? Wrong! The motor dies and JoAnn says to me “don’t you have spare fuel”? Well, yes, but it’s for the kicker and has oil mixed in. So I figure I’m going to have to wave someone down. I decide to try the kicker motor, figuring it’s futile, thinking something like the fuel pump died, otherwise why would it run so rough and then stop and not turn over the other day? Open the choke, pull, pull, pull, the motor turns over, this is hopeful… pull, pull… it fires up. I open the throttle and decide best to just head in. The motor is running fine, smooth as silk in fact. Weird. Bad gas? Water in the line? What do you think?

    Anyway, our trip ended up with 35 shinny kokanee soon to be processed for smoking and dinners. I have lot’s of relatives willing to trade homemade beer and Montana beef for kokanee and salmon. Life is good. If you get a chance do be sure to fish Merwin. The limit is ten a day and the lake is fishing very good right now.

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    Last edited by washingtonlakes; 07-01-2014 at 12:47 AM.
    Angling the Northwest one fish at a time.

  17. #42

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by washingtonlakes View Post
    JoAnn and I made our annual trip down to Merwin to target the kokanee this weekend. We fished from Saturday to Monday morning. The weather started out rainy on Saturday , improved on Sunday, and was beautiful on Monday. Regardless of rain or sun, Merwin is a beautiful place to visit and fish.

    Saturday we had lines in by 8am after driving from Redmond at 4am. We started across from the boat launch and it was a slow first two hours, hitting a couple pike minnows. We were fishing four rods, running the starboard side with mealworms and the port side with small pieces of shrimp. Initially we ran hoochies and wedding rings and simple sling blades or dodgers. On the outside rods we ran Luhr Jensen Double D dodgers, the smaller ones.

    After having little success we ran up to the dam and started fishing this area, working back down lake. We started hitting fish on a consistent pace at the dam. For the next couple hours we worked the dam area and had eight nice fish. The fish this year come in two classes, 10-11” and 13-14”. Running four rods allowed us to cover prime water column spots. Most fish I saw were 25-60 feet deep. Our best success were with the Double D’s at 25-35 feet and a pink mini hoochie at 40 feet. Also, I rigged up a bit more bling on my inside deep rods, running a sling blade slightly bent for extra action, then two feet to a small hammered thin blade salmon lure, then 8-10” to a hoochie. I notice a lot of guys use cow bells on this lake. I am loath to use cow bells. I know they catch fish, but I enjoy having some sport and will sacrifice numbers for enjoyment. That said, on our second day I compared our catch to someone running cow bells, and we compared much better, the other person had a bunch of 9-10” fish and we had a 60/40 ratio of 13-14” to 10-11”. Anyway, day one we called it a day around 4pm, and had 13 nice bright kokanee in the boat, mostly the bigger 13-14” fish.

    Sunday dawned less rainy and I ran us right up the dam at 6am, lines down and gear fishing. To my dismay, my kicker motor started running rough, which improved when I opened the choke, but still the motor just kept dying until – it was gone. Great, now I have only one option, to troll with my main motor, which I hate doing for salmon and already know I will really hate for kokanee. Getting a 120hp motor to troll down to 1.2 mph is impossible. I threw out a sea anchor and managed to get us to 1.5-1.9. I don’t know but maybe the kokanee liked the faster troll, at least, they certainly didn’t mind. We started hitting fish very consistently at 7am and had a super bite that lasted an hour and a half, boating nine fish. The golden depth was the 40 foot deep rod running my homemade micro pink hoochie/spinner. That rod had steady action. The rod I ran at 50-55 feet, even though there were fish marking, got just one fish. The Double D rods I switched to a small thin blade lure I got at the Portland show, a “Baby Simon”. I ran these with one piece of corn and both rods produced well. The Baby Simons were pink, and the second was a yellow/ornage. The pink was the better of the two lures.

    One thing I want to mention - we got a lot of fish this trip on the retrieve. When it was time to check/change bait I would release the line and let the gear slowly drift up. I would say we got at least ten fish this way. I am so sold on NEVER reeling in a kokanee rig, let it drift up. You’ll be pleased with the results!

    Day two ended again around 4pm, this time we caught 16 fish. Again, probably 60/40 big fish versus small guys. At this point we are up to 29 fish over our first two days, well within sight of a possession limit of forty fish for two anglers (WDFW allow you to have a two days’ worth of limits in your possession). We retired to our RV spot, watch a movie in our cuddy and asleep by ten. Monday morning here we come!

    OK, 11 fish to go. Back up to the dam and I figure if we have another bite like yesterday we’ll be done and on the road by noon. Funny how fishing can humble us all. The fishing today was slower and started a bit later, but by 8am we started (slowly) hitting fish. A fish here, a fish there, and I’m watching my fuel gauge as it hits under a quarter tank. Dang, gotta start working back to the launch! We catch 6 fish in the dam area, 5-6 are the bigger fish, with the biggest running 15 ½ inches. I should mention, by today I have stopped using shrimp. The mealworms are flat out producing, as is the plain corn. Keep it simple!

    I decide to run us down and fish close to the boat launch as my eyes nervously check the fuel gauge. We arrive at our final spot and the gauge shows a 1/16 of a tank, plenty of fuel, right? Wrong! The motor dies and JoAnn says to me “don’t you have spare fuel”? Well, yes, but it’s for the kicker and has oil mixed in. So I figure I’m going to have to wave someone down. I decide to try the kicker motor, figuring it’s futile, thinking something like the fuel pump died, otherwise why would it run so rough and then stop and not turn over the other day? Open the choke, pull, pull, pull, the motor turns over, this is hopeful… pull, pull… it fires up. I open the throttle and decide best to just head in. The motor is running fine, smooth as silk in fact. Weird. Bad gas? Water in the line? What do you think?

    Anyway, our trip ended up with 35 shinny kokanee soon to be processed for smoking and dinners. I have lot’s of relatives willing to trade homemade beer and Montana beef for kokanee and salmon. Life is good. If you get a chance do be sure to fish Merwin. The limit is ten a day and the lake is fishing very good right now.

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    I was telling my brother that I thought I saw the Washington Lakes guy and JoAnn out there. Saw your motor smoking, but it looked like you were fine and having a hunky dory time and figured it an older two stroke. Maybe it was flooded??

    Cowbells and Crazy Carl's is what I attach to the downrigger ball and the release to those. We ran either Arrow and Simon dodgers with hoochies. Gold was the ticket Saturday and Sunday. Baby Simon gold plated slayed em with bumblebee tuna oil soaked shoepeg. Tried to mimic more gold with brass lures lol. Went to Fisherman's Saturday night, found a gold Clancy and converted into dodger. Gold did good Sunday. All footballs. One squawfish, which we gave a watery grave.

    Highly recommend Gold Arrow Flash Dodgers, gold Slingblades. Asked Hawken fishing to come out with a gold Simon dodger since baby did so good. Or you can take a gold Clancy or Brad's Wobbler and convert it into a dodger. Merwin should be Midas lake ;-)
    "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle."

  18. #43
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Redmond,Wa
    Posts
    59

    Default

    Maybe so, it was weird that it would flood while running. Anyway, I need to get out next week and run it again before going up to Baker lake for sockeye, assuming the run numbers perk up. I know I saw a red boat out there, must have been you. I need to go buy some gold gear! BTW, JoAnn had such a nice weekend she wants to come back in August. We fished Merwin late August of 2012 and there was no one around. It was like a Ghost Town and the fishing was great.

    You run the cowbells off DR and then releases - how far back to you set? I run my gear back 30 pulls which would seem too far away from DR releases.
    Angling the Northwest one fish at a time.

  19. #44

    Default

    How old was your mix? Could have been bad fuel.

    I believe they call running the crazy carls or cow bells off the rigger weight, ball trolling. I'm still learning all the lingo. Your not fighting the pop gear this way. I have a 18" release hanging from the back of the pop gear. I only do about 12 to 15 pulls behind release. In theory the pop gear is mimicking a school of bait fish or kokanee and the dodger is thumping around like a kokanee or predator fish and then your little guy at the end is the tasty morsel any fish in the area is taking advantage of. In theory.....but I am no theorist. It just works for me....lol Some say pop gear only attracts big predator fish, (which if its big doesn't bother me ;-)) but we caught 14" footballs all day with them.

    I am a tackle hoarder so if you want to save money and not buy 2 of each dodger out there, I recommmend a couple of these:

    https://kokaneekidfishing.com/store/...product_id=371
    https://kokaneekidfishing.com/store/...product_id=234

    In a pinch you can do like I did Saturday night (cause I forgot my Arrows) and buy a Clancy, Simon, Alvin wobbler and convert to a dodger. I know Clancy and Simon for sure make a gold plated dodger. I think I've seen Alvin's gold plated, but I could be wrong. They don't advertise well, but you'll find some on the rack at Bob's in Longview, or Fisherman's in Portland. There is also the Brad's knockoffs. Mini-Extreme and Extreme come in gold plate.

    You'll find gold plated Baby Simons at those places too. Yakima Bait 00 F.S.T. 50/50 or all brass are ok too. Dick Nite's and Wild Weasels.....working on Cascade Poulsen to get a gold plated Wild Weasels.

    Good luck with that kicker. If you are in the market, Suzuki makes an nice 9.9 power thrust power tilt 4 stroke.
    "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle."

  20. #45
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Redmond,Wa
    Posts
    59

    Default

    Gold it is! Kicker will go in the shop for some maintenance. It's been two years and I run it hard so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

    BTW, JoAnn enjoyed herself so much we'll be going back, August 23-25. If you're fishing Merwin swing by and say "hi". But don't do like a guy in a hardtop Northriver did - came I swear 10 yards from us on full plane while we were trolling along, grinning at us. Wearing an orange shirt. Don't know what his deal was. Maybe he thought we were someone else and decided to buzz us. Weird...
    Last edited by washingtonlakes; 07-01-2014 at 01:07 PM.
    Angling the Northwest one fish at a time.

  21. #46
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Vancouver WA
    Posts
    128

    Default

    Hi Folks, the wife and I were up at Merwin on Sunday as well went straight to the dam, started a little slow but just kept changing gear, speeds etc until we finally started getting into them, ended the day with 16, 11 of which were all 13 to 14 inchers. All beautiful fish even the little guy's were fatties. We were using sling blades and hoochies black and green was hot for awhile then it was back to pink then over the orange pink and white. They were liken the orange spinner s as well for awhile. Tuna and tuna/garlic corn both worked well....pink not so much. We were floating around in a white Alumaweld super vee no engine problems and plenty of fuel...hahaha Going to hit it again Thursday hope this hot weather doesn't turn the bite totally off!???

  22. #47
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Vancouver WA
    Posts
    128

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    you know that makes me soooo madd when folks do that, it's a big lake there's no reason to get that close to other fishermen...I think it's very disrespectful

  23. #48

    Default

    Love too, but that is prime time Buoy 10 Fall Chinook and I will be partaking in the projected 1.6 million return.

    You are a celebrity on Youtube, maybe they wanted to get a quick shot of ya. I recognized the hat.

    Your wife has good taste, incredible reservoir and Cresap a nice place to put the feet up. Now that I know there is a E-free gas station down in Chelatchie, won't have a low fuel situation again. Turns out my float was just sticking. Still a 1/4 tank in there. grrrrr Better safe than sorry. Tight lines.
    "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle."

  24. #49
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Redmond,Wa
    Posts
    59

    Default

    Hey, does anyone know if the little marina just down from the dam sells gas? I remember the white alumaweld kokaguy1. Sunday morning that bite was one of the better I've been in on.
    Angling the Northwest one fish at a time.

  25. #50

    Default

    No I don't know. Its my understanding its a private marina used by the adjacent property owners.

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