Kokanee are still in Jordy

[chubby chaser]

I've been reading the odd report or two on other sites that people are having a tough time finding the kokes this year, especially at Jordy. Challenge accepted....    Took my FIL and wife up on Saturday morning for a few hours and started off just getting trout after trout, before landing 4  kokes in a row, boom, boom, boom, boom... like a switch got flipped.  

They were about 20-25 feet down, and green was the ticket.  I had a Christensen Tackle tornado spinner that I threw on for the heck of it since I haven't used it since I bought it last year and the kokes loved it.  Also a green hoochie with a spinner blade caught the other and most of the trout.  We started out with pink lures on some of the rods and they got no love. The green stuff was getting the hits so I changed everything over to green and had the best success.

The biggest fish was a hair under 17" and the rest were about 14-16 inches.  It's easy to distinguish the trout from the kokes just from their initial bite because the kokes seek to destroy while the trout just hang on for the water skiing. We were on the water by 9:30 (later start than hoped) and the lake got really choppy from wakeboarders so we left at 1:30. Totaled about 15 fish on the day, only kept the kokes.  

Some salt, pepper, woodfired garlic seasoning and a side of potatoes made for a happy crew.  But yah.... they're still in there- go get 'um.  First pic below is the standard bow we were getting before the kokes got hungry.

[wiperhunter2]

Looks like some good eats, nice report and pics too. How far back were you setting your lures?

[chubby chaser]

Looks like some good eats, nice report and pics too. How far back were you setting your lures?

thank you sir, they were extremely tasty!  My wife is not a big seafood fan and even she will eat a nicely seasoned koke off the grill.    On my line counter reels, we were about 130 feet back from the boat. I had a large green dodger in front of the hoochie on one line, and macks flashlites in front of the tornado on the others with a 2 oz weight which I estimated had me down about 20'-25'.   All tipped with pink maggots and a small dab of pautzke's anise fire gel.

[Mildog]

Good report, nice fishing trip!! Good work!!
Yumm so tasty!!
Tough to quit hitting Willard while it’s good been planning to hit jordy Wednesday, but buddy is pushing for Willard again . So Jordy may have to wait?

[Paddler]

Looks like Jordanelle is putting out a younger year class. They stocked ~120000 in 2021, ~160000 in 2022, only about half that in 2023, and ~130000 in 2024.

[chubby chaser]

Good report, nice fishing trip!! Good work!!
Yumm so tasty!!
Tough to quit hitting Willard while it’s good been planning to hit jordy Wednesday, but buddy is pushing for Willard again . So Jordy may have to wait?

Im in the same boat with Willard.  I live in Utah County and don't love pulling my boat up I-15 that far, but the steady reports of fast catching up there makes me want to make the trip up again.  May have to go again next week because as much as I love to eat the kokes, I like walleye better!

[Mildog]

Chubby Chaser , tough call Walleye last night Kokanee tonite!!
Both pretty tasty!!
Yumm ??

[Paddler]

Chubby Chaser , tough call Walleye last night Kokanee tonite!!
Both pretty tasty!!
Yumm ??

Walleye taste like whatever you put on them.  Byron Gunderson, formerly of Fish Tech, once told me that he didn't care for them because they are so mild.  He called them "styrofoam".  

Kokanee, grilled and seasoned with McCormick's Cedar Plank Salmon seasoning, are very hard to beat.  My wife prefers them to the coho and kings we catch in the ocean.

The Jordanelle reports aren't very encouraging, 14" fish don't interest me very much.  One year I put 50# of fillets in the freezer, doesn't look like that will be happening.

[Mildog]

:P



It’s still early. I’m getting info that koke action has picked up significantly just in the last week at other waters and some larger fish showing up. July has always been good to me in-state  and out for kokes . I think there will be good action ahead! As far as Kokes vs Alaska salmon I like Kokes better too so does my wife. I don’t even bring much home if I have plenty of halibut, spot prawns and other bottom fish. Usually I have plenty of “Utah” salmon, kokes to keep us happy! This Koke slab Blackened fed my wife and I with a bit left over for her lunch today!! ?

[liketrolling]

we were there last week two of us got are Kokanee they are not to big not like they were over a month ago but big enough to keep
. we stop fishing about 10:30  first on the water

my set backs are no more than 30 feet lose less fish with short set backs. if I have a short set back I can see the fish go after my lure
and do not worry about other boats running over my line  and when I'm in kokanee I can turn sharp and get right back on them.
 



3.5 lps

[wiperhunter2]

we were there last week two of us got are Kokanee they are not to big not like they were over a month ago but big enough to keep
. we stop fishing about 10:30  first on the water

my set backs are no more than 30 feet lose less fish with short set backs. if I have a short set back I can see the fish go after my lure
and do not worry about other boats running over my line  and when I'm in kokanee I can turn sharp and get right back on them.
 
3.5 lps

Very nice Koke Robert, did you happen to check it's length? Glad to hear the action has picked up at The Nelle.

[stan55]

Brookie and I did well yesterday. All between 14" and 16" but chunky. Usual gear. Fish were 25 to 30 feet down. Weren't really schooled up either.

[Paddler]

I had a tough day yesterday, first skunk in I don't know how long.  With the full moon I thought I'd go up in the afternoon/evening.  The gusting wind made it tough on my AP and made speed control difficult.  It didn't abate until just after 7:00.  There is a thermocline, it was ~66F on top and stayed above 60F till 15'-20'.  It was 54.3F at 35', and ~52F at 40', so I mostly fished between 30'-35', but went as shallow as 25' and as deep as 40'.  Marked two small schools at around 40'.  Only had two takedowns, both pulled the line out of the downrigger clip and stayed on briefly.  I figure they were kokes with only one hook in them, one of them felt pretty good.  Fished nearly 7 hours, didn't land a fish.  Fished as far down as close to the dam and back in the Rock Creek arm all the way back to the scar on the south side.  I'll be back.

It's just as well, the fish cleaning station was closed and wrapped in plastic. I called and spoke to the assistant manager, I believe her name is Jessica. She told me that they need a new motor and are waiting for the new fiscal year, which starts July 1. They have no idea how much the motor will cost or when the unit will be operational. I requested the park manager give me a call when she's back in the office next week. They apologized, but I told her I'd prefer they just get it fixed. Maybe a phone campaign would light a fire. Seems like they cater more to the wakeboard crowd than us fishermen.

[beerbatterbum]

I hit Jordanelle this morning. Caught a limit of kokes between 7:30 and 8:30. First one was on a pink hoochie with a spinner and a moon jelly dodger. The rest were on green hoochie and dodger, including a couple that didn’t stick. All at 30ft. Three were your average jordy 16-17 inchers and a little one. It’s been 10 months since I caught a Kokanee. Forgot how hard they try to stay out of the net LOL.

[Paddler]

I hit Jordanelle this morning. Caught a limit of kokes between 7:30 and 8:30. First one was on a pink hoochie with a spinner and a moon jelly dodger. The rest were on green hoochie and dodger, including a couple that didn’t stick. All at 30ft. Three were your average jordy 16-17 inchers and a little one. It’s been 10 months since I caught a Kokanee. Forgot how hard they try to stay out of the net LOL.

Thanks for the report.  I was planning on heading up tomorrow, have a few little things to do on the boat today.  Looking at previous photos 16-17" seem about average, but I've caught quite a few larger ones.

[beerbatterbum]

Caught another limit this morning. Took a little longer this time but that was because I only got about every other one in the net. And a little smaller today, 15 inchers and one 16. Half on pink half on green, at 30-35ft.

[wiperhunter2]

Caught another limit this morning. Took a little longer this time but that was because I only got about every other one in the net. And a little smaller today, 15 inchers and one 16. Half on pink half on green, at 30-35ft.

Thanks for that report, good to hear the kokes are biting that good.

[Paddler]

A buddy also limited yesterday morning, 3 16" and had to pick up a 14" floater he'd released.  I went up yesterday afternoon, lines in at 2:30, fished till ~7:30.  Two takedowns, no fish, my second afternoon/evening skunk in a row.  This after hooking 16 fish and landing the majority the day before. No more afternoon trips to Jordy, which is weird because I've done well in the evenings at Strawberry in years past.

It was 66F down to 25' yesterday, 59.4F @ 30', 56.6F @ 35', 52.9F @ 40', 51.3F @ 45', 50.5F @ 50', and 50F @ 55'.  So the temp dropped 6.6* between 25' and 30', which is huge, and only 2.9* between 40' and 55'.  Interesting that the OP caught his fish just below the depth range of the most rapid change in temp.  Hard to believe they spent much time at 30' or above, though they might make short trips if that's where the food is.  I fished mostly around 38', but tried as shallow as 33' and as deep as 55'.

I had to delete my previous posts due to the difficulty in editing them. This forum is clunkier than others in this regard.

[beerbatterbum]

I’ve had to scoop them up when they spit the hook at the boat then struggled to dive or went belly up. Those are probably an endless buffet for the eagle that nests across from the rock cliff launch.

[Paddler]

I’ve had to scoop them up when they spit the hook at the boat then struggled to dive or went belly up. Those are probably an endless buffet for the eagle that nests across from the rock cliff launch.

I saw ospreys up there Wednesday, and frequently have in the past. I think there are quite a few.

It was funny the other day, I released most without incident, they zoomed back down. I don't ever touch or net the ones I release, I take out the hooks with pliers while I hold onto the leaders. I had one that floated, so I circled back to pick it up but couldn't find it. I later saw a gull in the general area, so headed that way. I didn't see it peck at anything and couldn't see a fish, so continued on my way. I have seen them lay on their sides for a while as if they're stunned, only to have them suddenly take off.