This is a channel designed to simply teach people how to catch fish. I have been an outdoors writer and professional angler for 25 years. I have 2250 articles published worldwide and have written for Bass Master Magazine, Bass Times, and have owned and published Bass West Magazine. i also wrote the "On Fishing" column for the third largest newspaper in Utah for 21 years. My goal is to show people how to be more successful as anglers with a focus on Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. From rainbows, cutthroats and burbot to Kokanee Salmon, Lake Trout, and Small mouth Bass, this in my way of giving back for all the wonderful things I've learned over the years. It pleases me to be able to share my knowledge with as many as possible. On this channel, you won't see much of me, because I record using a chest cam.
The live well actually doesn't take up a lot of space. It is rather shallow and long rather than deep. Underneath the live well is the compartment for batteries, wiring, and other Guts of the boat. So, I don't know how much more space you would get if you took out the live well. But who knows, I just own the boat.
Well, I enjoy sharing them. But, you have to take the good with the bad. I just want to help folks catch more fish. If it were about ME, i wouldn't wear a chest cam. Thanks for the comment.
There are a couple of "tells" when a kokanee bites. First, if the fish immediately comes to the surface it is generally a kokanee. Next, a kokanee shakes their heads upon the hook set. And, that is a very quick action, not the slow-motion head shake of a lake trout. Beyond that, you must remember that I know how to tell by looking at how the schools show up on the finder. Kokanee travel in tight schools that appear to be in a straight line. When I find kokanees that aren't specifically in tight schools, i say they are "rogue" kokes and the only way to prove that is to catch one. I hope that helps.
One of my reels started acting like that just the other day. Cheap reel. If you know my history, I used to by expensive reels for my professional bass fishing days, but I would wear them out, send them into the factory to be repaired and theyNEVER came back in very good condition. So, I discovered less expensive quantum reels that I could wear out in a year or two and replace the twice or three times for the same money I was spending on the expensive reels. So, these reels I have are cheap reels and I will experiment with them and upgrade until I am satisfied with the quality. Thanks for the comment.
Although the Kokanee do not “eat” corn, maggots, or bright lures, I believe they “react” to lures AND to scent. I have noticed that a lot since I got my Garmin Live Scope. I notice certain colors and scents seem to attract them.
Thanks Don for the great instructional video. Picking up my first real fishing boat in August and am excited to take it to the Gorge. I’m watching all of your laker and Kokanee videos to learn how to catch them at different times of the year. I’m curious why you bait your squid with corn flavor when Kokanee eat zooplankton?
Great FEESH to jar or can! I notice you are not using a rubber snubber, it will help in the hook ups, as that will increase the hook being driven into their soft mouths and helps prevent tear outs! thanks for the Vid ! New Subscriber!
I used rubber snubbers in the early 90s but went away from them because I found other ways. Although I miss some it all depends on the day. I thinks they short hit sometimes and don’t get both hooks.
I agree. However, most of my viewers do not have Live Scopes, so I would rather not have it on while I am filming so that they think they NEED a Live Scope to know where the fish are. So, there are times I will have it on but not all the time. And, It is very cool to see them fly to the gears or run away from it.
Don, you need to take a guest so you can fish 4 rods and try several colors, depths, etc. I'm sure you could find several volunteers among your subscribers.😄Keep up trolling for kokes!
One of the challenges I face is that when I have other people with me, I usually have a kids in the mix. And, I cannot film a child according to the terms i must live with on You Tube. So, you are correct, if I was really concerned about fishing all four of the downriggers plus a surface road out of the back, I'd better figure something else out. Thanks for the comment. By the way, are you volunteering?
Don, great video. What speed are you trolling and how are you keeping your depth. It doesn't look like you're using the down riggers. Thanks for the videos, you've taught me so much.
My speed is between 1.4 and 1.7 mph. I was using downriggers (just the back two, not the front ones. So, one on starboard and one on the port side. I know it looked weird, but I don't usually run my Garmin Live Scope when i troll and because of the transducer and how it is mounted interferes with the front starboard transducer. When I have more people on my boat, I put the Garmin transducer in the water even though I don't always use it so it is out of the way of the starboard front downrigger. I'm sorry i didn't make that clear in the video. Look closely and you'll see i have a bungy cord wrapped around one of the downriggers to secure my Garmin transducer. Thanks for the comment and I hope that answers your question.
Yup ! I found fish in the canyon and had to leave because of constant traffic. Moved up to Buckboard, tons of fish and no recreational boaters, just fisherman 🙏 today is the 24th and perfectly tranquil up here. Stay safe
Thanks for sharing another great video! I caught kokanee, while trolling, right in that exact spot. What settings do you use to get your live scope so clear?
Thanks for the comment. That is a tough one with regards to the live scope settings. This is all trial and error. The first thing you need to do is to choose a color pallet that works for the depth and the water you are fishing. I chose blue because a friend of mine who jigs for lakers suggested it to me. BUT, that is only a small part of the equation. Sensitivity needs to be higher than 70 and many times all the way to 100. I am not kidding. I don't even know exactly what each of my internal settings are because I just played around with it and when it became clear I stopped messing with it. The things I have suggested to you are certainly the major ones for certain. Good Luck!
It's good to be back but I will be leaving again in a week, and for half of August. But, I hope to do at least two mor videos before I go. One will be trolling for kokes right now and through staging for the spawn, and the second will be my personal experiments with Lake Trolls and other downrigger methods for summertime lake trout. i may even slip in one more pup video if all goes well. Thanks for watching!
I was just there for the past two weeks. The lake trout are in a little deeper water than the last couple of years. We found lake trout on the outside edges of Mary Bay, Steamboat Point, and Stevenson Island. We used Jake's spin-a-lures in gold with red dots and found the fish between 12 and 30 feet. There are so many places to try on Yellowstone Lake, just start on points and then just explore. It is a fantastic destination. Good Luck!!
What a stupid comment! I was out with a 74-year-old friend that had caught very few burbot. In the middle of a day, ANY burbot is a "nice" or "great" burbot. I'm sure you must always catch 30-plus inchers (in the middle of the day) and have the contract to decide which burbot are "nice" or "great" To each his own.
Nice fish you would think that you would invest in some reels for right handed guys those reels are set up for left-handed people it's really hard to reel stuff in like that.
I own 75,000 dollars in rods, reels, and tackle. And, i am NOT a guide. So, I choose to have right-handed level winds in my boat because for "most" of my friends I take fishing would rather have right-handed reels. IF a person wants a left-handed reel, I have nine spin cast reels that with in 20 seconds they can be switched form right hand to left. or vice versa, "Investing" in fishing tackle is not new to me and I challenge you to let me know how many rod and reel combination you own. Those who know me understand they are welcome to bring their own tackle should they not care to use mine.
All I can do right now with the helix 9 is turn the sensitivity up to 100 percent. Now, it is showing more fish but I actually believe where the transducer is mounted “may” also be the problem. I will continue to experiment and report back in. Thanks for the comment.
No I won't do that type of video. Unless i am mistaken, you cannot use live bait in Utah. I can't be sure about Wyoming but in my experience, when we are releasing "unharmed" 99 percent of the larger (over 25 inches) lake trout that we catch, I shutter to think how much mortality there would be if we were allowed to use live bait. i have used live bait for pan fish in states that allow it and certainly in the ocean, but not here and never for lake trout.
Lucerne Point is very good this time of year. It is next to the Forest Service boat cove south of the marina. all the way along the point which gradually goes from a few feet to 30 to 50 feet with a good cast can produce pup lake trout and rainbows using a 1/4-ounce tube jig tipped with a piece of nightcrawler.
Thanks Don for making this video. I am buying a 2024 1875 Fisherman, picking it up next week in Nebraska. I subscribed to your channel. I am from the Midwest, just retired and moved to Northern Alabama. Is there a way to contact you for more details on your boat setup, like messenger or email etc.? Again thanks for sharing. I have been researching what new batteries to buy for my new boat to get rid of my 5 heavy weight AGM’s. As far as trolling motors go, I contacted Minkota Tech Support today and if you don’t have a new brushless TM and you employ the new Lithium batteries, you cannot exceed 80% power or you will overload and fry the mother board in your older TM.
Hey great vid! I searched Flaming Gorge lake trout fishing ...and here I am haha. Nice catch seriously - thats expert level right there. I really appreciate your content, you are very knowledgeable on the species and the specifics of the area. I'm new to the area and am planning on Flaming Gorge / Green River being my main fishing destination. I'm ex Northern California Dept of Fish & Game field biology, though I never worked with lake trout, our main areas (Region 2) was the Middle Fork Eel river (Yolla-Bolly Wilderness) summer steelhead runs, and coastal Coho and Steelhead runs mainly out of Ft Bragg. Targeting huge Mackinaw FROM the shore 'surf casting' style, has become somewhat of an obsession haha. I've been studying lake trout for about 20yrs now and developed successful shore fishing techniques that overlap certain variables you mention in the vid so it caught my attention. Spring time water surface temps at 50 or lower is usually a green light for shore casting where they do hit lures (my go to is large Cleo spoons, but plastics,crankbaits if I need plan B or C - they all can work) at surface down to 50-60ft, and often fairly close to the shoreline....casting distance - at least where I did the majority of my Lake Trout fishing which was Cle Elum lake in East Cascades Washington. My largest was 9-10lb area, I'm sure they have monsters there - but the goal is no boat - rod and reel only. If I could get a 30lber from shore...that would be awesome! This July I have the entire month to explore the area so of course studying maps, watching vids.......but to me, Flaming Gorge is like the U.S Crown Jewel fishery for Lake Trout! What I would like to see in future vids is how people can read lake structure to know where to fish a lake for what fish - and where not to. Also since I'm going this July, I have no boat but very able boots and backpack - is there anywhere you know I can camp out (primitive camping) from Red Canyon to the dam that could be good for shore access? I'm really looking for a sloping shoreline area that turns into a steep rocky dropoff, yet accessible to someone with solid 'mountaineering skills'.... its hard on the ankles but I have had good luck in that transition zone. Thanks for the great channel!
I actually do that very thing on most of my videos. All you have to do is find shallow flats that eventually drop off into deeper water. From the shore it is easy if you can cast at least 50 feet off shore. Once again, find shallow flats that go deep. just get up on a hill behind where you want to fish and look at the water. You will see the drop offs. Good Luck!
@@doafish Thanks Don! Hoping to find some good shore casting spots in a couple weeks. I'm going to try looking for spots around Hideout Boat Camp ,then travel lake shore to Carter Creek. I think I can get access there but not sure if its steep or good enough - I havent been there yet, so working from maps until I get there. I'm hoping to have access where Eagle Creek comes in to the reservoir (Red Canyon) but I'm not sure yet how much access to good water I have until I get there. If I get a good one I'll take some vid and share it...Thanks for the tips!
Awesome! That is precisely how I fish…but you catch way more than I do! I seem to have a hard time catching kokes though. Mostly pups and bows shallower. I dont have the live scope either. Fun video!
Gary, in the film your gift to me was the star. I got that carbon steel net from Scheels. Thank you! And, i just saw you thought about the foot pedal. I will get back to you via text about that. I can help you with your livescope. Just let me know when you are in town again.
I use a lot of different jigs for kokanee. Just check out my other jigging videos. But, the short list is as follows: 1/2 to 3/4 ounce Kokanators by P-LIne, Lakeshore Tackle's version I call the "Coltonator" available online and in town in Manila, Pout Bombs, once again by Christenson's Tackle. This video was NOT about the jigs but rather how to read my finder. But, if you look on my site, I show everyone of the jigs I use. Thanks for watching.
That's why I do them. That was one of the toughest ones to make because I needed two hands to jig for the fish. And, the wind was something else entirely. I am glad you stuck with it.
Heading up with my family (including 3 fishing obsessed boys) to Manila on Friday for 3 days. Setup for pretty much any species and method. Any general areas from Manila to hit for good fish numbers? We have always camped in the Dutch John area so Manila will be new territory. Thanks for any advice!
Awesome! I was up there the last 3 days too (buckboard). I would love to see a video on how to attempt to distinguish kokes from Lakers or rainbows on your fish finder. The best I can tell so far is that the pups are grouped up around 40-70’ deep and if I see a much tighter group (red cloud on the graph) come in 20-30’ down I think they are kokes but sometimes they end up being bows too🤷♂️. I would love to learn more about this. (We had a hard time getting spot-locked and getting lures down to them before they disappeared until the last day when we sat on a continuous school of small pups and caught like 20 in 4 hours time. No size but fun!)
i will try to put something together. You are not necessarily incorrect with what you are doing BUT the key to it all is catching fish. Simple as that. You catch a fish and you are almost there. Next, you notice which fish respond to your lures and which do not. Most of the time, no bites means they are kokes.
@@phillipdickson7065 This is my long-lost Cousin correct? You only need yourself and usually a coat and maybe something to eat and I will handle the rest. Just give me a call. 801-358-5583
Subbed! Great video and commentary! Can't wait to actually try this out at some point i'm just so stuck in my ways trolling and im efficient. Once thing I really like though is that Garmin screen compared to my Lowrance. Sure looks cleaner and easier to read. I can't believe how clear they show up. What kind of transducer are you using with that... it looks like you have it mounted on the side? Thanks!
The transducer for LiveScope is an LVS 34. And, yest, I have it mounted on the side of the gunwale of the boat. When I had my bass boat, i had a turret mounted on the side of my trolling motor which allowed me to use a foot pedal to turn the transducer around. So, it is not the best to have it on the side, but I can't think of anything better right now.
thanks for another great video! my biggest question is how you find these schools? do you just slow motor around until you find marks and then spot lock?
I simply look around starting in the main channel. i look for "clouds" on the finder.. Many of them are just immature kokanees or even other types of minnows, but THEY will lead me towards the mouths of coves. Then, i slowly move (on my electric trolling motor) towards the back of the cove looking for fish in the same basic depths as the 'clouds" in the main channel. Believe it or not, that's it. Just this year, I have found kokanees in 20 or more coves from Anvil down to Carter Creek.
Great video! I’ll be camping at Mustang Ridge in June. Will be fishing Antelope Flats, Linwood Bay and Mustang Ridge area. Are those areas I could try the glidebaits? I have many of the same glide baits you showed in this video
Yes, but as it gets into June, you must use them in the very early morning (just at dawn) until around 9:00 a.m and then again in the late evening between 7:00 pm and dark. I do not know much about the shallow lake trout in the Mustang area, but Antelope and Linwood are great areas to fish glides. Good Luck!!
I will try to do more close ups. The challenge is that I am usually by myself when filming and the one thing I cannot figure out how to do is jig my rod while staying close with the camera on the screen. But, I will do my best to help out.
