So what about the size of pop gear? If you troll small 1-3 blade string with 1" blades, do you think the Koks will think they are predictors or feeding Koks? Do you just bag trolling and just look for fish and jig them? Just a few questions from someone wanting to learn.
Great info Don, I’ve noticed that fish depth issue, in the Spring and Fall but I had never heard of the Pop gear issue. I don’t use pop gear but I had never heard that it will spook them. Thanks for sharing that with us.
So what about the size of pop gear? If you troll small 1-3 blade string with 1" blades, do you think the Koks will think they are predictors or feeding Koks? Do you just bag trolling and just look for fish and jig them? Just a few questions from someone wanting to learn.
I don’t see the small willow blade pop gear as a problem. It’s the bigger thumping kinds that really hit their lateral lines and send them scurrying. We jig all winter so summer time is generally trolling time. Slower action dodgers in the spring and faster speed dodgers like sling blades as we fish deeper.
Thanks for the feedback. I know at Mackey we troll two blade pop gear with 1" blades and do real well but have not thought about using bigger strings.
Thanks
I’ve been using a combination of things this spring including a string of Colorado blades. One other type is the large plastic two prop blade. The larger pop gear I use is only about 1.5" blades and seems to catch fish. I really can’t say if the bigger blades scare the fish. This spring the fish are really shallow and I figure the boat prop scares them as much as any thing. I have noticed that if we run through the school a second time really quick the bite seems to be off, so what you mention about scaring fish may very well be true. I’ll have to test it out a bit further. In the summer I run dodgers with the downriggers but have not done well during the spring.
Always good to learn new things about the fishing sport. I’ll probably get out next week so will have to check out the new theory.
Any recent reports ?
Monday I caught 13 kokes. Most of them were around the power lines to meadow creek. Tuesday a friend caught 20 kokes down by the dam. It looks to me like they are spread out.
All of the fish were caught shallow with just a long line. They are so shallow that you don’t pick them up on your fish finder. Nothing over 12". I’ve tried the down rigger last week at 30, 40, and 50 ft with no response. They have been hitting pink and orange wedding rings.
Thank you . I was going to go to Palisades, but they dropped the water level from 13 to 10 percent this week .
Went out today and caught 10 kokes. Nice that it was warm and very little wind. I caught them up by the power lines and Meadow Creek. Biggest was 13". Saw about 8 boats that were fishing. Even had some recreational boaters out.
Me and the wife are going out tomorrow.
What else can I say other than HOT!!! Koks are hitting about anything you throw at them. Spread all over and still shallow. Sad 
that I am done for over a month. Heading to Wabaskang Lake in Ontario, Canada on Tues. then get hernia taken care of when I get back so I’m down n out till at least mid July. Hit em hard and fast. I imagine Memorial Day weekend will be a mess with folks on the water. Reservoir is full full full. Good luck to everyone.