What a great site, glad to have found you!

[azbohunter]

I first started doing some research on the internet in regards to kokanee fishing and wound up here. What a great source of information.
I live in the desert southwest, Phoenix, AZ to be exact. I do more bowhunting than fishing but I love to fish also and do my share when there is no bow seasons open.
I have never fished kokanee but plan to spend a week at Wallowa Lake, OR in late June of 2011. It will be a family vacation but I will be on the water as often as possible. Hopefully I will learn enough here that I have "a chance" to catch some of reportedly great eating fish.
Hope to meet some of you some day and thanks in advance for any and all tips!
Dick

[SuperD]

Welcome Dick. Besides the guys that cheat and fish through the ice, we're all chomping at the bit for the Koke season to start. Sounds like you are going to skip all the beginner stuff and go straight to one of the premeire Koke lakes in the country.

[Mav186]

Glad you're here Dick!

[DLM]

Welcome.

What is the kokanee situation in AZ? I don't think I have ever heard from someone in your area on the subject.

[azbohunter]

DLM: I think the kokanee situation in Arizona is "there are none".

Super D I signed up for the family gathering at Wallowa before I knew about the Kokanee fishing, after some surfing on the internet and discovering what a gem it is, I decided I better get serious. I love challenges and learning new (to me) techniques.

Dave 186 Thanks, glad I found this site, you all seem to be very helpful! Looking forward to my first kokanee trip for sure.

[kokaneekid]

Glad you found this site, it's a great place to learn about kokanee fishing. Looking forward to meeting up with you and your family at Wallowa. You have been getting a ton of tips on the Oregon Forum here is mine. When I long line I use my Steelhead rods with 15lb test line. Make sure your reel moves back a forth so you can keep track of how much line you have out. I personally don't like line counters. Bring some inline weights 1/2oz 3/4oz 1oz 1 1/2oz 2oz and 3oz, and rubber snubbers. You'll need to get some lake trolls, but bring extra ones those big kok's can do a number on you gear. I'll know what is working because my dad is going to fish it before I get up there, I'll bring you over a few things and tell you how much weight, how far back, and how fast. There is a few tackle store up around the lake and they all stock most of the top kokanee tackle. You can also check out Kokaneemart.com or KokaneeTackle.com there carry most of the stuff that I use.

I'll E-Mail you a list of must have gear next week.

Fish On kokaneekid

[azbohunter]

kokaneekid,
Thanks for the tips, looking forward to the email.
Not to get any of you that live in the northern tier of states jealous but we are just getting ready to head to the lake for a day of striper fishing, yep, supposed to be 84 here today! Last time I had my boat in the water was Hyatt Lake last summer in Oregon. Will be good to get on the water.

[SuperD]

Dick, since you come from a state that has AIS, have you any special requirements for launching your boat in Oregon?

[azbohunter]

SuperD
Not that I am aware of, I found out about the stamp in Oregon last year and as a non resident, I think it was around $25. I double tow a 28' fifth wheel and my boat (not in Oregon but I wish) and when I came through the inspection station from Nevada to California I was not sure I was going to get through. It had rained hard the night before and I had some standing water in my boat. That was when I first became aware that it is illegal to even have the plug in the boat when trailering in CA.

[smokin' Kokes]

azbo,
wait until you roll through Idaho the first trip with that boat behind. they run weight scale stop and rest area AIS boat checks with a sign out on the hwy pointing you in.

I hit 3 of them the last trip thru the state. luckily they put a wire seal on the bow eye/winch at the first inspection station so only 1 full inspection. every boat stops or they radio the Idaho trooper to chase a guy down. they called on one while i was stopped. poor fool had to drive about 10 miles back.

no fee, YET!

I'll be at Wallowa for a week starting May 16. Hunting for that 12lb Grizzly koke.
maybe see you there. should be lots of snow up on the mountains right above the lake.

[azbohunter]

smokin' Kokes
So, it sounds like you double tow also?? If so, what do you or others do in Oregon?
My B-I-L lives 1 mile north of the CA border so I tow illegal from the CA line to his house on a black top county road. Our daughter lives in The Dalles which is about 270 north of there, last year I played leap frog, took the boat to Bend and left it, went back and got the fiver, took that to The Dalles, went back to Bend and got the boat then back to The Dalles, then the same thing going home. That amounts to nearly 1100 miles with my Dodge diesel, now this year I have to add another leg from The Dalles to Wallowa which will be another 1,000 miles or so? My wife is not happy with me, and I understand. She thinks I could take up reading while fishing from shore. I will be in Oregon for at least 3 months and maybe 4 (depending on if I draw an archery elk tag) I am not spending that time without my boat.
I know I could get closer to Wallowa by going through Idaho but I have to go to K.Falls area in southern Oregon the end of May for a family gathering.
Even with all this, I am excited to heading to Wallowa, got Kent's book yesterday and will start on that today.

[smokin' Kokes]

no, don't tow doubles. Wa. is not a doubles state.

my fishin' rig is the Cummins, a camper and my Trophy. couldn't imagine towing doubles into some of the holes and snakey logging roads I go in. wife hates the camper so she doesn't fish except locally.
we have a 5er for her with the carpeting, generator and all that jazz.

she doesn't go on most fishing trips, gotta have someone working to pay for all my toys
she doesn't know about this site so I'm safe

forget about sneaking doubles into Wallowa. have to go thru LaGrande, there's an OSP office there, they patrol I84 like fleas on hound

[azbohunter]

smokin' Kokes
Never consider trying to sneak into either WA or OR, it is a little too big to sneak anywhere. One of our closest friends in OR (we usually spend a week at their place) is retired OSP and we have discussed the double tow thing quite a lot. I opt to make two trips if I want my boat. Because of the cost of diesel I may try to find a young man or woman who needs to make a few bucks and hire them to tow the boat to Wallowa. I would be coming from The Dalles,OR. We have a daughter and S-I-L there who know a lot of young people. I think in the long run that would be cheaper than me making two round trips. I think OR and WA are the only two states west of the Mississippi that double towing is not legal. CA has restrictions but non-residents can double tow if it is legal in the state you are licensed in.
Having my own boat there will be worth a lot to me. And it's going to cost me to have my own boat there.

[smokin' Kokes]

they do rent boats w. 4stroke kickers at the st. park concession marina.
didn't see any downriggers on them but decent size trolling boats for Wallowa.

http://www.wallowalakemarina.com/

most of the highways here get too much wind for doubles towing. I've seen tall 5ers on Hwy101 on the coast flipped over from side gust. I90 east to Spokane is notorious for winds, my route for most E. Wa, Idaho and Montana fishing. I've seen the winds there roll semi trailers over or the rig crosses 2 lanes the center median and ends up in the oncoming traffic before the driver gets his big rig back under control.

my boat tows great in the wind but the tall camper really gets shoved back. 50 mph headwind cuts my mileage in half.

it's about 250 round trip The Dalles/Wallowa. watch for high wind gusts from The Dalles to south of Pendleton. Usually have 20>40mph constant winds there, but the gusts will take a rig off the pavement. If the propellers are coming off the wind towers, it's starting to blow.

get your reservations for Wallowa park and the boat dock early, May is filled already. Park camp spots are online, boat moorage-you have to call Reserve America reserv. desk #

http://www.reserveamerica.com/campin...ex=CampingSpot

ReserveAmerica Oregon State Parks
Reservations 1-800-452-5687
Local Number 503-731-3411

[mrmike]

Smokin'Kokes thank you for the heads up setting here planning a trip to Wallowa this Spring and your note got on the phone and made Reservation for the first week in June thanks again.

[azbohunter]

get your reservations for Wallowa park and the boat dock early, May is filled already. Park camp spots are online, boat moorage-you have to call Reserve America reserv. desk #

We made our reservations at the private campground on Wallowa a year ago so we are set there.
We lived in The Dalles for a couple years and I fish the Columbia so am aware of the winds there.
As for double towing, I see commercial rigs pulling triples down I-84 all the time. Not trying to be disagreeable, just mentioning the way it is.