It was a stormy week at Shaver. Rain, snow and cold wind hit the lake most days. I think the kokanee bite slowed a bit from the past two weeks, and the trout bite had little to offer.
Even with the nasty weather, many fishermen hit the lake over the weekend. The kokanee were scattered but could be found. On Saturday, Heath and Theresa Pardieu, their cousin Sunny Yecny, and his 10-year-old daughter Jayda, all of Hanford, fished with me. We picked up three limits of kokanee out of 34 hook-ups. Nearly all our kokes came on the side poles that were equipped with pink Dick’s Koke Busters and tipped with scented corn, behind a purple-silver Dick’s Mountain Dodger.
On the downriggers were Dick’s Mountain Hoochies in pink, white, and champagne pink behind the same purple-silver Mountain Dodgers.
Also having great success on the same set up of Koke Busters and Mountain Dodgers was Jay Irvine, of Visalia, and his friends Joy and Payton Allen, also of Visalia. The trio picked up multiple limits of kokanee on this trip. The week before, Payton Allen bagged a trophy trout on the same set up. Most of our fish are coming between the triangle at Shaver Marina, to the Point, and over to the island. However, I received word that there is a decent bite of kokanee near roads one and two. With the surface water temperature at 54 to 55 this past week, most fish were found from the surface to 15 feet deep with an occasional kokanee at 31 feet. As I said before, kokes like the 55 and slightly lower water temperature.
Trout enjoy the 55 to 65 degree temperatures. So, those of you who do not have downriggers can have good success by doing what Jay Irvine did: putting your trolling poles out with pink Koke Busters tipped with scented corn behind a Mountain Dodger in purple and silver. With mono filament line, go 120 feet back from your boat. It has been a wonderful combination to use the past two weeks. We have had to cancel some trips due to adverse weather, but as of the May 18-19 weekend, we caught, or caught and released, 172 fish. Some were trophy trout, both brown and rainbow, but most were kokanee.
The unsettled weather conditions continued through the Memorial Day weekend. Rain and snow were present most of the week. I expect the kokanee bite to be fair to good through this weather crisis. Shaver should soon be clearing up with low 70’s temperatures during the day. Let’s hope so, I have spent some cold days out there the last two weeks.
When the weather clears and warms, we should experience a good bite of kokanee at the 25 to 35 foot deep range. Check the Sierra Marina web cam before traveling up the hill for the latest weather conditions. Both marinas are completely stocked with supplies and rental pontoon and fishing boats. The June charter dates are quickly filling up for all guides.
Once school is out, we will be fishing mostly non-stop until the fall. So, if your interested in a charter trip with me, I would contact my reservation center at Shaver Lake Sports, 559-841-2740, for your date.