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Hayden Lake Report
Kootenai County, ID

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Details

04/13/2014
51° - 55°
Trolling
Kokanee
Corn
Pink
Sunny
Dodger
Morning
41° - 45°
04/13/2014
5
2264

Day two of fishing Hayden and what a 180 from the previous day. The fishing was unbelievable and I created a new personal best for kokanee boated in one day. The kokes were on a terror, biting like crazy, and I ended up going 12 for 17. I was three fish shy of the 15 fish limit but I can't really complain as I'm all smiles and I did technically hook a limit. Could of kept going but decided the fish gods had smiled on me enough for one day and I found the numbers I had come for.

Got on the water early again and was the first boat on the water. I love that feeling and it was so quiet compared to the previous days hustle. Decided to focus on O'Rourke Bay where I've caught most of my fish so far. Fished dawn hours with no luck and only company from turkey gobbles and loon calls. Saw fish surfacing again and this time many small bait fish as well, possibly young kokanee. Continued to fish the bay trying out in the face of the bay where I picked one up the previous day. Was marking schools so I knew the fish were there and persisted. As I headed into the transition waters off of Yellowstone Point the madness began.

I'm going to keep this one short as my captains log is pretty long for the day, but it seemed like fish after fish from 7:00 until 12:30 when I quit (and they were still biting, I'll regret that later). Doubles seemed to be a rule rather than an exception. If it wasn't a true double after catching a fish I would shortly hook another on the rod still in the water. At one point I had a double, got both fish in (have a rubber net now, which I highly recommend and makes doubles real smooth), was setting my line back and got hit on the set back. Unfortunately I lost that fish, probably didn't get hooked that well, but that would have been/was an epic 15 minutes.

The water is warming daily from 41.8 to around 44 degrees. It seems the bite is picking up as the water warms and I was picking fish up in transitions from 60 to 120 feet (30 to 60 feet down) when the water was about 42.5 degrees. Think the fish are starting to put on the feed bag and bask in warmer temps and seems you could catch them anywhere in O'Rourke Bay from Yellowstone to Clark Point. Even hooked up on the South side of Clark Point and saw others hooking up there as well.

I went against my traditions today and used scent on the corn. Don't know if this made a difference but its hard not to believe it with so many takes. These fish are great fighters and I had lots of deep runners, a couple of jumpers and two serious surface thrashers that threw hooks. The eleven pictured were laid out before being gutted and I trolled as I cleaned all my fish. I got a bonus fish like the previous day, but lost it in some salad. Made me want to keep fishing as I cleaned up, and that is when I picked up the keeper bonus fish on the troll home past Clark Point. That is the fish is picture two.

Biggest fish was 15 and 1/2", smallest was 12 and 1/2". I lost a lot of kokanee but landed a good number learning what kokanee fishing is all about... those frantic moments. True kokaholic now. Life is good, Tight lines all!


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Available Guide

Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

Phone: (509) 687-0709