merwin

[Kokecatcher]

The bite is early. Today I launched in the dark and got my line in the water at 0555 by 0641 I had five kokanee and a hit that did not hook. I did not see another boat the whole time that I was fishing. While I was cleaning fish and setting the boat up fo my next trip one boat passed me. I arrived back to Speelyai Bay at 0730. Besides me there were only six trailers in the lot. Another half dozen or so arrived by the time I left around 0815. The lake was down seven feet. The first two sections of dock were out of water. I continue to use UV sling blades with either a white or red wedding ring. Today I used one ounce with the white 75 ft. back and 1/2 ounce back 90 ft with the red. I got three hits on each. My fish were a little larger than they were on Tuesday. They were all 13-13 1/2. I am having trouble moving pictures from Kodak Easy Share to My Pictures. When I get this resolved I will start posting pictures again. My best advice to my fellow fishermen: more often than not the early bird gets the worm!! I did get a report from Al that another good bite came on around 1130.

[southside]

I made it to the lake around 6:40am on Saturday and found 8 rigs in the lot. Went down to the dam and put out a uv sling blade and a clear and pink hoochie tipped with corn and a bit of worm. Flatlined at 100ft. hit the mark on the counter and hooked up. Nice 13"er.
The other rig was a ford fender and a tiny spin glo tipped the same. I went 5 for 6 on hook ups. 3 for 3 on the spin glo 2 for 3 on the hoochie.
Trolled like a drunk and was done in an hour.

Peace, Tom

[Koke Hunter]

Landed 5 nice ones between noon and five today. It was best outing on Merwin so far this year. Ford Fender and a wedding ring with corn.

[joruuu]

Three people fishing yesterday for three hours and landed 13 fish; lost about 20. I am very impressed with the bite and the size of the fish this early in the year. Going to be some BIG fish come August.

[Kokecatcher]

I made my first trip to Merwin since April 27. I fished six hours. I caught four all 13'' or better and lost a couple. I also got my first squaw fish of the season. I hope that these are few and far between. I started where I got a limit in 46 minutes on April 27. Nothing after an hour. I could not find any concentrations of fish. I fished several of my favorite spots catching one here and one there. I talked to a number of fisherman who not only did not have any fish but not even a bite! The wind picked up about 1100. I quit about noon when the wind was pushing me 2.4mph with my trolling motor in netural. Two fisherman I talked to that had nothing said that fishing was good last weekend. They got limits. Now that I have my house painted I hope to spend more time fishing! All my hits were with 1 1/2 oz. 75 feet back. At noon the parking lot was only 30-40 percent full.

[Kokaneebum]

Anyone fish the derby on Saturday, how was it?

[hot rod]

My boat is a 15' SmokerCraft Alaskan with a 25hp Mercury (big foot). I have been out 3 times with my new boat and have had fairly good luck each time. was last out Friday 5/11 with a friend and caught 7 and lost 4. all fish caught were in the top 25'.

[Koke-n-a-smile]

Hit the lake at the crack of 9:30 today. Weather was a perfect 64 degrees, sunny and only a slight breeze. Water temp is finally getting up to 56 at the surface. We had two easy limits of nice fat 13-14 inchers. Ran the usual spinners and, hoochies behind sling blades from the surface to 25ft.

[Kokecatcher]

I fished Merwin this morning. It was a nice overcast morning with calm water. I found a school of fish and caught five kokanee 13 to 14 3/4 in an hour and a half. I was the second boat to leave the dock at first light. I caught the fish on downriggers, 18 ft down and 60 back. The red wedding ring and UV sling blade continues to work for me. There are a lot of fish in the east end of the lake. With the price of gas it is nice to not have to motor miles down the lake. After cleaning fish, the boat and setting up for the next trip I got back to the dock about 0800. There were only 22 trailers in the lot. The fishing pressure has been much lighter than last year. The host has arrived. I believe that they will start collecting next Friday. With warming weather there will soon be a hatch of water vermin!

[yimmee]

went out today, 2 limits in 3 hours. was 9 fish in 2 hours, took one hour and 7 lost fish to pick up the 10th. ford fenders with a green/silver wedding ring flat lined at 84 ft back. also sling blade with green/silver wedding ring at 8 ft on the d/r @ 30 pulls, did good also. cought a couple on hochies, but the w/r was the goto. thanks to koke-n-smile for putting me on the fish

[king koke]

fishing was good for us 5/19 took awhile but got it done by 5p.m with 2 limits. 6 on pink/green beeds behind a 50/50 pink/greed slingblade at 1:30 switched to pink hoochie to finish out the limit. lost many due to a short net

[Koke Hunter]

Rainy but still a good time today on Merwin. Lots of debris in the water and more squaw fish biting than usual. I still took home 5 nice Kokes for dinner. I was surprised how many boats were out with the crummy weather.

[widgeon]

fished merwin today took 2 kids with me got 8 nice fat fish. I just ran the boat and let them do the catching lost at least 15 at the boat this was the 1time they ever netted fish.little wet but still fun. did any 1 elese see the wierd wave that came fromm campers hideaway headed towards speelyi around 130 today big rollers with a standing wave in the back no boats going by fast just trollers the bots around us all looked puzeld the guys we talked 2 said merwin monster to sub 2under ground eathquake

[lowe1648mt]

I didn't see it, but I vote for the Merwin Monster. A lake that deep should have 1.

[ThatKokaneeKid]

700 pound kokanee came up and swallowed a boat whole...

[plugs]

Ya I saw the wave too and was looking around wondering where the hell that came from lol. Didn't see anyone hauling butt or nothing.

[Kokaneebum]

Heading Up in the morning, has anyone been out in the last day or so?

[Thor's Fishing Adventures]

http://youtu.be/6EX3QPD-8Vo

I by no means claim to be a cinematographer...but you get the idea...hahaha

[Kokaneebum]

Fished merwin yesterday, and got our two limits of kok's along with a handful of trout(released unharmed). They were loving the WR's, green mostly. Tony's custom spinners were a close second. Couldn't get em to bite the hoochies. Marked fish from 20 to 55ft, the biters were around 20ft. Good luck this weekend

[MackPrince]

Did any 1 elese see the wierd wave that came fromm campers hideaway headed towards speelyi around 130 today big rollers with a standing wave in the back no boats going by fast just trollers the bots around us all looked puzeld the guys we talked 2 said merwin monster to sub 2under ground eathquake

While I'd love to vote for the giant muskie known as the "Merwin Monster" I think this link will have your answer.

http://pnsn.org/earthquakes/recent search for event #60404937

My hunch, vibration/movement came south from the 0.8 quake, moved enough water towards the Hideaway side of the lake then once the groundwave passed the wave you saw was the water headed back. Just like if you lightly shake a coffee cup one time and watch the motion.

But hey, I'm just a guy in an old riveted boat, and still say it's gotta be the monster.

[Thor's Fishing Adventures]

Got on the water about 715am....lines in by 730am....had our five limits by 1230pm. Beautiful weather! Quite a few boats on the lake for a Friday...must've been a few from Cresap campground too. From 730am-1000am...the majority of fish that made it in to the boat were caught on the long lines at 80-100' with 1-1 1/2 oz...fenders...with a white hoochie on one side and a red/orange WR on the other side. DR's were slow for that period....then things swapped around! DR's set at 40' were busy from 10am on, and the long lines slowed down. Most of the fish were caught on the red/orange WR with a brass hammered blade at 40' down and 25-30' back. All in all, great day on the water. Should be a busy weekend this weekend. Hope everyone has a safe one!

[Kokecatcher]

I was the first boat out Friday. I caught a nice 13 1/2 inch kokanee in the first five minutes. I thought that it may be a quick day. This was not to be. I lost one nice fish that broke the back hook off the new leader material that I was trying and hooked four small kokanee about 10 inches. Fortunately three of them were able to get off the hook. I had to keep one that could not free itself. Remember, gentlemen, that in lakes there is no catch and release if you are using bait or scent! Then, everything went dead. I moved a couple of miles down lake and found slow but steady fishing. At the end of four hours I had three large kokanee and two small ones. The hatchery must have released some fish recently. I looked real close: blue backs, forked tail and dark orange to red meat. I have heard that some trout were being caught but the two that I had were kokanee. I got hits from 13-30 ft. on the downrigger. Most were at 25. All my hits were on a modified red wedding ring behind a uv sling blade. I tried other lures but could not get hits. When I left Speelyai the first water vernin that I have seen this year had just arrived!

[king koke]

3rd boat out and slowww... fished 6-130 and boated 1

[daveo]

Got out early and had one of the best bites in several years. 3 limits in an hour and a half. They would not leave a fruit salad dodger with a macks lure pink mini squid tipped with tuna corn alone. 32 feet on riggers was money. Had a new 8 year old friends daughter on her first trip and she thinks kokanee fishing is really fun!

[plugs]

Didn't get started till the crack of 12 noon lol. Finished with a limit at 6pm finally. 1 was 16 inch fat sonnagun.
Got really windy the last couple hours with white caps on the water.
Trolling against the wind I must of been going to slow and kept catching squawfish. Long day but just put away a couple nice kokes for dinner.