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 Good news, snagged a few Kokanee today. Bad news, gill lice
Post By: jig head Posted: 11/2/2009 7:59:15 PM Points: 237
I had a few hours to kill before work and went up to Gross for some lake trout fishing. I got to my favorite spot and to my delight, saw a few Kokanee swiming anround. I landed one within a few casts, my friend met me there and shortly caught his first Koke ever. They wern't ganged up very thick so we took a break and went after the lakers. We each caught 2 average sized lakers (about 2#). By the way the lakers are in full spawn mode right now, they were spilling out eggs and milk as we released them We ended up with 4 nice brick red Kokes after about an hour and we discovered that they all had gill lice. I've caught plenty of Kokanee at Gross in past years and never seen this before. My question is what does this mean? Is the lake infected? How will this impact the Salmon fishing here in the future? I don't know much about gill lice, will it go away or be happening every year now that it's in the lake?
Reply by: brookieflyfisher  Posted: 11/2/2009 8:12:36 PM Points: 1832 The lice will wipe out an entire year class of fish. After that, it dies back a ways. The lack of a run last year is probably due to a gill lice infestation. A year or two from now and it will be mostly gone. On a more positive note, nice job! Those lakers sound good sized. Reply by: catfishking Posted: 11/2/2009 10:10:47 PM Points: 638 nice job on the kokes were they near the inlet? Reply by: spinn3r Posted: 11/2/2009 10:22:37 PM Points: 1166 Thanks for the report, jig head. How were the roads today? I have to be in Denver tomorrow and have the whole morning to kill, so I had planned to go up to Gross for the first time. But looking on the Gross forum here, I just read your post from a few days ago about the snowy roads. I'll be in a front-wheel drive car, so now I'm thinking twice... I'm hoping to catch my first-ever laker, so if there's somewhere to park not too far from the lake, I wouldn't mind snowshoeing the rest of the way. If the roads are impassable, do you (or anyone else) know if there's anywhere to park nearby? Thanks for your time. Reply by: jig head Posted: 11/2/2009 10:30:54 PM Points: 237 I was fishing kind of near the dam. The roads up were just fine today, no problems getting up there. You can park on the north side with a short steep walk to the lake or take the dirt road that goes behind the dam. Park at osprey piont or by the dam, both are right by the lake. Reply by: Wild Trout Hunter Posted: 11/3/2009 8:32:37 AM Points: 124 What is gill lice?? How visible is it? Did both fish have it? Reply by: The Kid Posted: 11/3/2009 11:01:57 AM Points: 112 did you snag the kokes? if not what did you catch them on... also what did you get those lakers on? i was up there yesterday also, couldn't find any kokes but found a huge school of bows early in the morning in a small inlet... they were goin crazy over 1/16oz white tube jigs. i've never seen bows school like that... it was a blast Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/3/2009 12:07:58 PM Points: 74 Went up early this morning. Drove to the south side of the dam and looked around for any sign of kokes but couldn't find any. No bites on any lures... Decided to head to the inlet. Luckily 2 or 3 others had already been so I had some tracks to follow in the DEEP snow. There was a huge ice shelf along the inlet so fishing there was pretty much impossible. Hiked a little further down the lake from the inlet and blindly threw some snagging hooks out. Again, no sign of kokes. Then I tried to target the lakers and did some jigging with a white curly tail at a few dropoffs. Nothing. It was a dam nice day though so I'm not complaining. I'd love to be able to get some kokes at Gross because I'm tired of driving to Cheesman. I'd also like to catch a laker because I never have before. One of these days... Here are a couple photos I took this morning of the inlet and moon on its way down... Reply by: The Kid Posted: 11/3/2009 12:37:42 PM Points: 112 i'm pretty sure those were my tracks haha... i didn't make it all the way back to the inlet though, i've never been there and couldn't really find a solid route to get to it... but i'd love to get some kokes close to home so hopefully they show up soon Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/3/2009 1:08:56 PM Points: 74 It took me several trips earlier this year before I found the ideal route to the inlet. Just make sure that you stay high and don't follow the "trails" that follow the water. Keep looking for the silver reflective tree markers. They are on the quickest trail the whole way to the inlet. I was amazed at how much of a faster hike it was when I actually took the right trail! It climbs more elevation but is a much more direct route to the inlet. Reply by: jig head Posted: 11/3/2009 5:20:06 PM Points: 237 I snagged the Kokanee, I didn't try any lures for them but I think I might next time I go. We caught the lakers on large spoon down deep, no luck on the tube jigs this time. Only the salmon had gill lice. I never heard of other kinds of fish getting that but I could be wrong. Reply by: Thresher Posted: 11/4/2009 8:00:07 AM Points: 42 jig head, thanks for the report i was starting to think the kokes all died at gross. as far as the gill lice i caught kokes last year with it and the two biggest rainbows i caught there this season had it too so it definatly is spreading? Reply by: skiingalot1234 Posted: 11/4/2009 4:01:23 PM Points: 2 Hey, thanks for the reports everyone. I've been checking this site daily for the koke report. I would of reported earlier but i had some tech difficulties! I've been trying the inlet with fly fishing, snagging, and just about everything else before the storm, with no luck for three weeks. I will be going some time soon if my cold lets me. But thanks for the reports! daniel Reply by: jamesp Posted: 11/4/2009 5:18:37 PM Points: 129 jig head, JWurgaft and I must've been there before you Monday (we left right after 1) They were acting real aggressive, chassing off other fish (probably trying to eat their eggs). It was real hard to get them to bite though. A orange/gold Little Cleo ended up working for me. We also caught a Small Laker, and a few small Rainbows I had hat hair in my pic... lol Reply by: bachmann Posted: 11/4/2009 6:11:25 PM Points: 22 I caught a couple nice rainbows 3 weeks ago below down in South Boulder Creek and they all had gill lice, I wonder how far down it can spread? Reply by: skiingalot1234 Posted: 11/5/2009 8:52:59 AM Points: 2 Where is everyone catching those kokes? I'm freakin sicker than a dog but i might try for sunday if possible. Nice little koke! Love that bright red on their back! Also, with the lice, i hear you can still eat the fish as long as you cook them well? Thoughts? Reply by: Thresher Posted: 11/5/2009 9:06:45 AM Points: 42 jamesp, great catch on the kokes! looks like you were by the boat ramp? or ospray point? did you get your limit or just a few? did you try snagging any or just lurers. great you got some in the mouth rather than the side! Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/5/2009 9:51:32 AM Points: 74 Or is that the north shore near the dam? Reply by: kokee Posted: 11/5/2009 12:36:01 PM Points: 139 i was there this morning and snagged one koke , yesterday when the wind wasent blowing and the water was calm we saw two huge school of kokes , but they were hard to snag , they would swim in fast and then vanish , i snagged one yesterday also here is a pic of the one i got today Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/5/2009 12:46:35 PM Points: 74 kokee... near the dam? Reply by: The Kid Posted: 11/5/2009 12:47:17 PM Points: 112 i've been up here twice this week and have fished the entire south shore from the inlet to the dam and not been able to find even one koke... i've caught some really nice up to 20" wild bows though... but i'll be heading up again tomorrow... any suggestions on where to search? is the north shore close to the dam prodcuing kokes? any help is greatly appreciated Reply by: Doc Posted: 11/5/2009 12:48:13 PM Points: 224 I like those pics boulderrr, too cool (moon shots) Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/5/2009 12:52:02 PM Points: 74 thanks doc! the first moon one is my computer background now! Kid, I also searched most of the southern shore the other day, from the inlet back to the boat ramp, over to the dam... the water was really calm but definitely did not see any sign of kokes... i reckon the only way to find them is to see them jumping right? or is it worth it to just throw some snagging hooks towards the dam? Reply by: The Kid Posted: 11/5/2009 1:02:28 PM Points: 112 oh ya i forgot to mention that between the boat launch and the inlet i noticed millions of tiny black organisms lining the water close to shore... is this gill lice? or something else i tried throwing snagging hooks blind for a little bit but realized that would get me no where... gross is too deep, if you can't see em they could be anywhere Reply by: kokee Posted: 11/5/2009 1:36:07 PM Points: 139 they are on the north shore , i dont want to give the exact spot away , you just have to keep ur eyes out for them , they have been hit or miss , i got my koke today blind snagging ,i like to sight fish them when the water is calm Reply by: jig head Posted: 11/5/2009 6:26:32 PM Points: 237 I put in a full days work at Gross today, 9 to 5. I only snagged 1 little koke and didn't see very many. The ones I saw didn't stick around very long at all. On a plus side the lake trout bite is picking up. I landed 8 today, all in the 2# range. They were nice fatties and none of them had any signs of gill lice. The lakers are now in full spawning mode. I have heard some reports of gill lice on the rainbows, its good to see its not getting into the lake trout. Reply by: niamert Posted: 11/5/2009 6:58:01 PM Points: 57 From what I understand, kokanee eat by filtering water through special "gills" that catch plankton. This is probably why they have a gill lice problem. I'm sure someone on here will correct me, but there is my 2 cents. I went boating up there a lot this summer and found a big school of something that would travel from the boat ramp towards the inlet. I only caught lakers running lures through it, so i assumed it was a school of kokes and the lakers would follow them around. I even tried snagging in Sept. but didn't get anything. I obviously haven't boated up there since Sept. 30th so who knows where that school went. I wish they would allow boating longer :( Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/5/2009 7:07:29 PM Points: 74 jig head... i was there grilling with my girlfriend on the south side near the dam... were you one of the nice guys we talked to? if so, it was great to meet you! Reply by: jig head Posted: 11/5/2009 7:28:31 PM Points: 237 Yeah, I was the taller guy. It was nice talking to you. I hope we get some cold weather soon and the kokes might gang up for us. Reply by: kokee Posted: 11/5/2009 10:24:03 PM Points: 139 nice job on the macks , i saw people fishing by the south shore near the dam , that must have been u , ill have to bring some suckermeat next time and try for macks Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/6/2009 12:03:42 PM Points: 74 kokee, were you wearing jeans (or blue pants?) fishing on the north shore, til a little after 5? If so, i think i saw you too (from across the lake) while i was grilling. Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/6/2009 12:21:27 PM Points: 74 Any suggestion on color and size spoons for lakers? Still haven't caught one of those bad boys yet. Fish deep by the drop offs right? Or is it different now that they're in spawning mode? Also, where's the closest place to buy sucker meat? Thanks! Reply by: kokee Posted: 11/6/2009 1:29:01 PM Points: 139 you can get suckermeat at gander or sportsmans warehouse , i use 3 inch berkley power tubes in white for the macks , i caught some last year at this time , but i have been focusing on the kokes lateley , i was wearing blue jeans but i left at 10:45 , i was there first thing in the morning Reply by: jig head Posted: 11/14/2009 9:27:20 PM Points: 237 This cold weather has realy turned on the kokanee run. If you know were to go you should get into some salmon. Some of the ones I caught were larger sized fish than I normaly get at Gross. The lake trout bite has slowed down. I guess that they are done spawning and not very active. Came for the lakers, stayed for the kokanee today. Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/14/2009 11:12:28 PM Points: 74 Bahhhhhhh. how dumb do I feel? Went out into the cold snow today for hours... looked for kokanee for a while but couldn't see much under the water due to the clouds and snow... so decided to throw spoons and sucker meat out for some lakers... hoping to catch my FIRST laker EVER... kept getting good sized followers for my sucker meat... honestly the first lakers i've seen in my life.. all the way to shore but no takers... Just my luck that I targeted kokes the whole last week then decided to switch to lakers today, right when you say the kokes started kickin and the lakers started dying... I'm not going to ask for lots of details... just one... north shore or south shore? How could you possibly see them today in that low light? I had the polarizeds on and everything! (Sorry for so much complaining but I got skunked today!) Reply by: jig head Posted: 11/15/2009 9:58:02 AM Points: 237 Gross is never an easy place, getting skunked here will happen a lot. I've got 20 years put in at Gross and still get my butt kicked all the time. As far as the kokanne, I could see a good number of them from shore because they were close in. Go check the south side. I'm still hunting a 10# laker, I talked to a guy who claimed someone caught and released a 38"er last year. Reply by: boulderrr Posted: 11/15/2009 10:55:25 AM Points: 74 Thanks jig! The other day, koke and I saw a HUGE laker chasing a school of kokes. It made them look like minnows!
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