2013-2016 Idaho Kokanee Fishing Reports Quick Links

**SuperD** · 04-06-2015, 11:01 PM

It will be less and less likely with the triploids being the new preferred way to plant fish. I don't know if you read more than the second paragraph of the first article but it lists the advantages F&G use to justify that line of thinking. Glad you enjoyed the debate, nothing said was meant to be taken personally.

**crawdad376** · 04-07-2015, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by crawdad376

Oh heck,
I have room for all 4, and the set up is nice. however, when fishing with my grand kids, or folks that are not familiar with them, I get really busy. With that in mind, I would rather just cut to 2 downriggers, and stack if i must.

Ok, I just realized that this response was to an ad I had on the classified. So, I guess y'all think I'm a goober huh. Oh well, not the first time for me..

**Lunddude** · 04-07-2015, 01:45 AM

Originally Posted by terek

Attachment 7879 Attachment 7880

proof is in the puddin'

If you think that bigger fish in your photo weighed 6 lbs. you are a "FISHERMAN" that's for sure

In comparison that would put your 14" kokanee at about 3 lbs. each

**Lunddude** · 04-07-2015, 02:00 AM

Originally Posted by sawtooth

Lunddude, Check out post #18 on page 1 of this thread. The two larger fish in the pictures are the ones he is referring too. I would guess three and four lbs. respectively. Looks like 18" and 19" in length.

Oh, I'm well aware of the fish he's talking about

**Lunddude** · 04-07-2015, 02:11 AM

Originally Posted by 30carbine

Went to Anderson last Friday 4-3-15. Started fishing at Lime Creek somewhere near 2:00 and quit at 7:00. Brought home 17 kokanee and 1 chinook. 12-14" on the kokanee and 19" for the chinook which weighed 2.25 pounds on my scale. Pink was good as well as orange. Corn or Gulp maggots on the hooks. A dab of Smelly Jelly Shrimp/Anise seemed to be important as well. Had the rigs stacked at 25 and 35 the whole time with one rod at 45 pulls with a 1 ounce weight. Everything worked. The first 4 fish were on 4 different rods. The chinook was on the weighted rig. Heading up again tomorrow hoping the wind doesn't blow too much.

Attachment 7882

Sounds more like it, a 19" Chinook that weighed in at 2.25 lbs. Now that I believe

**terek** · 04-07-2015, 09:28 AM

well, next time i will take a pic of the scale. The small one was 3.89 and the big one was 5.15. They were fat and thick, eating well. The koks are still kind of skinny. Length does not dictate weight. Granted most of there weight was guts, but who weighs fish after gutting. Who knows, mabe my digi scale is off. Like I care though, believe what you want. I got to eat the 2" thick fillets

**SuperD** · 04-07-2015, 01:54 PM

Do you guys know what the primary bait fish is in Anderson? I'm surprised that you are saying that the Chinook taste good. Most of the folks I know that catch them think they taste like crapola because of the food they eat, unlike ocean salmon.

**terek** · 04-07-2015, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by SuperD

Do you guys know what the primary bait fish is in Anderson? I'm surprised that you are saying that the Chinook taste good. Most of the folks I know that catch them think they taste like crapola because of the food they eat, unlike ocean salmon.

from what i can tell, they eat koke fry. That is the main reason for f&g stocking them, to cut down on the overpopulation of kokanee. It seems to be working. The year before they stocked, the average size of the kokes was 7-8in. This will be the 3rd summer for the chinook, and the average kokanee size we have seen is 13-14 in. In 2013 (the spring they stocked the chinook) they estimated the koke population at over 4 million. And anderson really is not a big reservour. About 17 miles long and mabe a half mile wide. The ones I ate has a slight pinkish hue to the whiter meat, with good fat marbling. And the meat was rather thick compared to the length of the fish. I was rather suprised. A good 2 in thick in the middle on the 19 incher. The meat was pretty hard and flaky compared to kokanees softer meat. I think the next one I get I will steak it out. That is how i prefer cooking salmon, but kokes tend to be too small for it.

**Pauli** · 04-08-2015, 07:21 AM

Hey Guys....
I'm down in Africa working for about 3 weeks now and have been watching the site for any news. Seems like Anderson and LP are really heating up these days. Haven't seen much about Arrowrock. Anything happening there? How is the water level?

I should be home in about a week or so...... More than ready to get out on the lake.

Pauli

**Mojo** · 04-08-2015, 10:07 PM

Been pretty slow, but the water is still chilly. By the time you get home, it should start picking up...

**microfish** · 04-09-2015, 11:00 AM

Over all the years I have been fishing/guiding on the lake, anytime the Corps is letting out water for an extended amount of time, the larger koke's start traveling up the lake. When the dam gets shut off they come back down. Currently most of them are Reed's Cr and above. From what I have experienced, water temp doesn't mean much. That lake down 30' has a pretty stable temp reading year around. What I think happens is when they let water out it creates current. Salmonoids have what is called Positive Riotaxis. When they feel current they swim into it. few years back IDFG tagged some Koke's. They traveled 20 miles in 2 days when the Corps was letting out water. they were netted both times. 1 for tagging and a second for indexing. Idfg was shocked they traveled that much. They aren't going to be overly large this season...... 10" will be a good one.
My advice: Hang in there, they will be back and ready to Play! Good Luck out there and Be Safe!

**stevec** · 04-09-2015, 11:39 AM

Think it would be worth putting in at Dent?

**Stripes** · 04-09-2015, 11:58 AM

So next weekend the wife and I are going to head up for a couple days, plan on camping on the beach, we'll bring plenty of sharing beer in exchange for tips. Should I plan on 2 hours from South East Boise to Curlew? We'll be in the camo'd jet sled camping out of a white ford van, with a few pups.

**terek** · 04-09-2015, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Stripes

So next weekend the wife and I are going to head up for a couple days, plan on camping on the beach, we'll bring plenty of sharing beer in exchange for tips. Should I plan on 2 hours from South East Boise to Curlew? We'll be in the camo'd jet sled camping out of a white ford van, with a few pups.

Wish i could make it, but im being forced to move. It takes me 2 hours and 10 min to get there, and I live about 2 min. away from lake lowell. So, depending on driving speed and traffic, you should make it in 1 and a half hours. Its about an hour from the mt home exit

**BoiseBlueback** · 04-10-2015, 03:24 PM

Wow! Nice to hear of the turnaround at Anderson, which appears to have been helped by the Chinook! Might have to head up this weekend!

**Trailbob** · 04-10-2015, 10:42 PM

Fished Anderson Ranch for the first time, on Th. Fished between Lime Creek and Wood Creek. Caught 5 kokes between 7:30 and 12:30, then the wind and clouds came in and the bite (at least for me) died. We caught all the fish between 15' and about 20', misc gear (pink spoons, bead spinners-- all behind various color dodgers), all tipped with corn (no added scent). Marked quite a few fish around 40', but couldn't get them to bite. One fish was around 17", the others were 13-14" and very healthy looking. I launched at the dam, and it was a very bumpy boat ride back. Next time I'll launch at Curlew.

**JTM** · 04-10-2015, 11:42 PM

Hit AR Today, Tried everything water is still cold 48 max temp. Anyhew caught 2 Kokes lot's of trout let them all go 2 Squaw's and a Sucker!! I have never caught a Sucker trolling that was a first for me and he was a big one, thought I had a nice Koke on for a minute.

**JTM** · 04-11-2015, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by MackayGuy

Ok, ok, ok....in the spirit of good sportsmanship to fellow fisherman.....here's the secret parking spot. Feel free to use it.

That's pretty sneaky, there are several parking spots in your picture. I notice you never identify the true secret one.

**terek** · 04-12-2015, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by Trailbob

Fished Anderson Ranch for the first time, on Th. Fished between Lime Creek and Wood Creek. Caught 5 kokes between 7:30 and 12:30, then the wind and clouds came in and the bite (at least for me) died. We caught all the fish between 15' and about 20', misc gear (pink spoons, bead spinners-- all behind various color dodgers), all tipped with corn (no added scent). Marked quite a few fish around 40', but couldn't get them to bite. One fish was around 17", the others were 13-14" and very healthy looking. I launched at the dam, and it was a very bumpy boat ride back. Next time I'll launch at Curlew.

got any pics? I bet the 17 incher was a chonook. kinda curious what was in its belly. Anywhoo sorry about the slow day. Last time we went up for 3 days it was great fishing. although it was hit and miss. like, I went out one morning and caught 2. then went back and ate for a few hours. went back out for an hour and got 12. they were moving around a lot. where a school was hitting good, was gone 3 hours later

**sturgeon8r** · 04-12-2015, 09:59 PM

fished today 9 am to 2 pm. landed 2 fish. had 3 other bites. Water is COLD 46-48. Fished 12 to 30 feet. VERY SLOW!

**livingidoutdoors** · 04-12-2015, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by sturgeon8r

fished today 9 am to 2 pm. landed 2 fish. had 3 other bites. Water is COLD 46-48. Fished 12 to 30 feet. VERY SLOW!

We fished from 2-430. Landed on koke and a rainbow. had two other on that we could not land. Do not know the exact depths. Had three lines, one lead line at 6 colors in the water, another with 3oz of weight 85ft behind the boat, and another with 2 oz about 50 ft behind. All different tackle.

**Trailbob** · 04-13-2015, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by terek

got any pics? I bet the 17 incher was a chonook. kinda curious what was in its belly. Anywhoo sorry about the slow day. Last time we went up for 3 days it was great fishing. although it was hit and miss. like, I went out one morning and caught 2. then went back and ate for a few hours. went back out for an hour and got 12. they were moving around a lot. where a school was hitting good, was gone 3 hours later

No, we didn't take photos. I thought it might be a chinook, but it looked "identical" to the smaller kokes that we caught (and I'm no fish expert). My buddy kept that fish and said the meat was bright pink, just like the kokes, but I'm still not sure sure it wasn't a chinook. It was the first fish we caught, and I think it was the deepest. Going up for a couple days is the way to go, I look forward to doing it down the road.