Jumbo sized kokanee

Last week a couple of friends went kokanee fishing on the Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir and caught a bunch of jumbo-sized kokanee, including a 16 incher.  On May 24 I hit the reservoir, hoping to repeat their success.  I caught seven kokanee, including several over 14 inches.  I didn’t catch any 16 inchers, but hey, a 14 inch kokanee is still a pretty nice kokanee.



I was going for a limit (10), but a rain storm blew in, so I called it a day.

I love kokanee fishing.  14 inchers produce some great filets and I think are one of the best eating fish.
That rain storm did not look like one of those you would want to fish through!

Wow those are some nice kokes. WTG!. They are one of my favorites as far as eating.

Screw you and all your kokanee they hate my kayak.I think they know my kayak is around and run away.nice fish Pete.

I'm still looking for the secret to getting into the Jumbos. I got a pile of medium sized ones this weekend. I lost count of how many small ones I culled thru. If they are less than 15" I just shake them off and let them grow up.

I'm still looking for the secret to getting into the Jumbos. I got a pile of medium sized ones this weekend. I lost count of how many small ones I culled thru. If they are less than 15" I just shake them off and let them grow up.

Hey, those are some nice sized kokanee!  Where did you catch them?  In general, Montana is the land of teenie weenie kokanee, so it's exciting to be able to catch bigger kokanee in the Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir.  But it looks like you are routinely catching 15" kokanee.

Odell Lake in Oregon is producing ~14" kokanee right now.  That's pretty awesome for this time of year, and with a limit of 25 per person per day, that's a LOTTA kokes for the smoker.  Caught my limit over memorial day (but it was power boating...soon I'll be banished from NWKA).

In central WA from Lake Chelan north to Canada there are a string of productive lakes that are producing nice Kokes this year. I think the mild winter had a lot to do with it. Big schools of bait on the meter - I'm assuming they are some fresh water shrimp that Kokes love to eat. It seems like a banner year. I'll head back later in the summer to see if I can find that 20" fish.

I'm still looking for the secret to getting into the Jumbos. I got a pile of medium sized ones this weekend. I lost count of how many small ones I culled thru. If they are less than 15" I just shake them off and let them grow up.

Hey, those are some nice sized kokanee!  Where did you catch them?  In general, Montana is the land of teenie weenie kokanee, so it's exciting to be able to catch bigger kokanee in the Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir.  But it looks like you are routinely catching 15" kokanee.