Spring Kokanee - Green Peter

Great day for kayaking and catching kokanee on Green Peter reservoir.  The fish were biting every kind of tackle we had: long line, downrigger and jig. Pink micro hoochie was the best producer for me.   I was having problems with getting fish to the net on my long lining rig (no snubber), but The consolation prize was a spectacular show of an eagle swooping down to take a floater when the Kokanee came off my hook about 30ft away.

Where's the fish fotos, Ms. fish?  Those of us still locked-down on shore by the weather want to see pictures of fish!

I watched an osprey take a lively (non-floating) trout at about the same distance away from me as the eagle you watched.  Pretty cool stuff, eh?

Where's the fish fotos, Ms. fish?  Those of us still locked-down on shore by the weather want to see pictures of fish!

I was on that trip. Here is a picture of the hog I got to the boat.

Nice tactic using the tiny paring knife to look like a fillet knife to scale the fish bigger! 

That happens to be an L.L. Bean "trout knife".

Haha, I guess those green peter Kokanee are staying “fun sized.”

That happens to be an L.L. Bean "trout knife".

Yes!  When I was a kid in the early 1960's, I invested some of my 25 cents a week allowance in one of those LL Bean "trout knives." I immediately recognized the knife in the picture posted by C_Run. I used that knife to process the many trout I caught around our house in Bozeman, Montana. This was before "catch and release" fishing was invented.  Everything I caught got eaten.

 I would like to learn green peter for kokanee. Any recommendations on what ramp and general areas to troll?

Nice tactic using the tiny paring knife to look like a fillet knife to scale the fish bigger!

And your fish were how monstrous, Ms. fish?  At least Mr. Run gets cudos for showing us his piglet.

Looks like it was a nice, sunny day.  What were the temperatures?  I have a 10' 5wt that bends under it's own weight.  I should get up to the reservoir and give it a try one of these days.

I would like to learn green peter for kokanee. Any recommendations on what ramp and general areas to troll?

I think you can find kokanee all over the lake. We put in at Thistle and trolled to the beginning of the Quartzville arm and back.I got 4 and bb2fish got 10. Personally, I have mostly gone to the little dirt ramp way up the Quartzville Arm and done well in the past. It can be more protected from the wind up the arm and there have been plenty of fish. Early in the season you can just troll with an ounce of weight and get to the fish without a downrigger. There is not much boat traffic up there compared to the big boat ramp areas, also. 

Seemed like all my fish were 9-10". Talking to other boaters about the same size.  Kind of scrawny, but that size is great for tacos and/or smoking.

Thistle creek is the best launch at this low water level. Kokanee hang out in the arm near the boat ramp so you don't have to go far before catching something.  Straight across (south) from thistle creek is a good area to catch.  All the way up to tally creek (east) and down to the dam (west).  In the summer, the island is a good place to start. Later summer kind of requires downriggers but early spring jigging and surface lures are effective.  Quartzville arm is a great kayak destination- protected from wind, lots of fish but a little distance from the power boat traffic.