It felt great to get outside today. While I’ve been fishing a few times this year, today was my first time targetting kokanee in the open water this season.
Life has been busy this year and finding the time to get out fishing seems to continue to become more challenging as my family grows and is involved in many other activities other than fishing which is keeping us busy from dawn to dusk.
For those who have been following our healthy competition over the years, I caught more fish than Sarah today. She will have to try her new hoochies another day. Now, to be fair, my trip was a solo trip today, so she did not stand a chance at winning.
This year, I have decided to start learning more about small engine mechanics. My motor has been causing me more troubles (its not always the same issue). While I’ve been able to do a few things on my own, I can’t thank Reg enough for helping me through some steep to me learning curves. If you are in the area and need some help, I highly recommend sending Reg a message for all your small engine needs.
My latest troubles came from what I believe was mostly bad fuel. I cleaned my carburetor last year and have been using some new fuel this year. My motor has not been happy and stalled on me a few times while in forward gear and trolling. Mercury parts are difficult to find in Quesnel, so I picked up a new fuel filter and some other motor maintenance necessities on our recent trip to Salmon Arm at Gibbons Motor Toys. I also adjusted my throttle screw to increase my revs while idling. After changing my fuel filter and making the adjustment, my motor sounds and feels happier, but there is still a small amount of hesitation when revving up. The good news, I still have oars in my boat so if something happens I can get home and try again. If you’re following my YouTube channel, stay tuned as I learn about my motor over the next couple months.
Yesterday, I was hoping to get out fishing for kokanee, but the weather was too unstable and I had yard work that needed done anyway. So, when I woke up this morning to better weather, it was time to get out to the lake.
When I arrived at the lake, the wind was picking up. Thankfully, I brought a sweater and was comfortable trolling in the wind.
The kokanee were biting and it did not take long to get a limit (45 minutes to an hour maybe). Then, as soon as I had my limit, the rain started sprinkling all over the lake. I’m curious to know if the fish felt the changing weather and went into bite mode before the storm came through completely.
My winning setups were a Gibbs Fishing skateboard dodger paired with a pink micro hoochie by Paulina Peak Tackle on one rod and a Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear dodger with a pink Paulina Peak micro hoochie on the other. I used 1 piece of my Anise corn on each hook which proved irresistible to the fish. You can find this corn at Corlane Sporting Goods PG or South Hill Shell, Quesnel.
Keeping my catch fresh has always been a high priority in the process to eating great tasting fish. Ice is important here. While some people say gutting and bleeding the fish right away makes it taste better, I am happy with the taste of throwing the fish on ice and gutting them at home. Although, I soon hope to try and gut, bleed, and clean them more on the water to see if I can notice a difference. My favorite ice is the cylinder style ice with the hole in the middle. I find it cools the fish down quicker and stays cold longer. It can be hard to find, but I found some today at Chevron.
The best part of catching kokanee is eating them. I am excited that my family also likes eating kokanee. I can’t say enough good things about my Fillet Away Fish Mats. Every time I fillet kokanee I am happy that I have it. Even Austin loves learning how to cook them. We will be eating like kings and queen tonight!