16 November 3 , 2023 VOL . 42 • ISS . 15

SOCKEYE ALERT ! Jim Brittain of Orangevale shows off a massive 20-inch 2.66-pound kokanee salmon landed at Shaver Lake on September 9 . The fish hit a Hot Spot Apex lure trolled at 80 feet deep going 1.3 miles-per-hour . It was big enough to win his team the ‘ Big Kokanee ’ award in the Kokanee Power derby .

Photo courtesy of Kyle Draper in the thirteen to fifteen-inch class between thirty and seventy feet deep . In hopes of catching bigger fish , we explored deeper depths , only to catch fish of similar size . We knew that we needed to find a bigger class of fish , but so far hadn ’ t figured out how . We were keeping our offerings close to the bottom when my downrigger ball started to bounce at 85-feet . I raised it five feet , but my rod was still dancing . “ It ’ s a fish !” I grunted as I pulled the rod out of its holder . Much to my surprise , a red-colored mass emerged from the depths . Once netted , it proved to be our biggest kokanee of the day at eighteen inches in length . Soon afterwards , we trailered the boat and headed into the Affordable Tackle cabin . The top-end dwelling was more like a premium vacation house than a cabin , and Jim and I felt fortunate to be their guests . We were able to relax , eat , charge the trolling batteries , and get ready for the next day of fishing . While our first day of pre-fishing was fairly productive , our second day on Friday featured slow action . We covered the far-reaching areas of the lake looking for a secret stash of kokanee . Although we never found any new areas worth returning to , we had at least eliminated areas to cover during the derby on Saturday , which started out wet . SHHHHHH … the tires of my pickup announced the presence of rain . My wipers worked overtime to give me a clear view of the road on the morning of the derby . It was still dark as we worked uphill along the winding pathway to the launching facility . After getting the boat wet , mother nature gave us a light show off in the distance . As we crept onto the lake in pre-dawn darkness , we were prepared to break for the ramp if lightning made its presence on the lake . The storm passed , but the action started out slow as I guided the boat across the northern arm of the lake . We finally boated a red fifteen-incher as we made a big loop near the dam area . We were able to put a few smaller fish into the boat , but it was nothing to be excited about . As I was

Kokanee Power President Larry Abernathy of Valley Springs gazes across the water during the Shaver Lake derby on September 9 . Loaded downrigger rods like this were a common site on that day , as 103 registered anglers descended upon the lake in search of the biggest kokanee they could find .

Photo courtesy of Kyle Draper

making a pass near the buoy line at the dam , Jim ’ s rod started bouncing . “ I ’ m on ” he said , as I grabbed the net and continued to troll northbound using autopilot . The fish slowly made its way up from the depths , but never went on any wild runs . As it came into view , I got a firm grip on the rear of the net handle and waited in anticipation . “ Loot at this !” he relayed , as a gigantic sockeye-looking salmon ascended to the surface . Without hesitation , I scooped the fish into the net and flung it into the boat as fast as I could . We were jumping for joy as one of the largest kokanee we had ever seen was now flopping around the floor of my North River boat , pretty much guaranteeing us a good finish in the derby . It measured at twenty inches

San Jose ’ s most “ COMPLETE ” tackle store ! With large selection & low prices for fresh and saltwater . THE LATEST BASS TACKLE FOR THE TOURNAMENT ANGLER

Catch A Great Deal At

On your way to : Anderson , Calero , Coyote & San Luis 5 miles south of San Jose

South on 101 , exit at Bernal Road West , South on Monterey Road ( 408 ) 463 – 0711 www . coyotebait . com

Gary Coe ( left ) and Mark Hall ( right ) show off three massive spawner kokanee in front of a magnificent pine backdrop at Shaver Lake on September 9 . These fish garnered the team a first-place finish in the Kokanee Power derby by a wide margin . A bigger class of fish like these were available below 70 feet deep using downriggers .

Photo courtesy of Kyle Draper

on my ruler , tying the largest kokanee that has ever come over the rails of that boat . I must have worked that spot over twenty times or more , but alas no other monsters were in the mood for our offerings . The bite slowed down and we only managed to land a few more fish before it was time to head to the weigh-in . We had high hopes that our one big fish would push us over the top into first place , but those optimisms were quickly squashed when the Gary Coe / Mark Hall team weighed in . Their three-fish bag tapped out at a whopping 6.40 pounds on the scale ! We had seen them catch their big

Adult Leaderboard 3 Kokanee total ( pounds ) 1 . Gary Coe , Mark Hall 6.40 2 . Steve Cowles , Jamie Schulz 5.33 3 . James Franco , Elvia Lopez , Jim Franco , Denise Franco 5.00 4 . Jack Naves , Jim Brittain 4.68 5 . Dean Uhrig , Rod Brown , Rick Childs , Ron Taylor 4.17 6 . Kirk Emge , Jerilyn Emge , Jared Romero , Tom Oliveira 4.08 7 . Matt Gil , Mike Gil , Petit Gil , Bethany Gil 3.98 8 . Richard Contreras , Brian Thomas , Chris Miller 3.97 9 . Kevin Smith , Karla Smith 3.83 10 . David Mayo , Julie Mayo 3.38

4005

• Cafe • RV Park • Waterslide

• Campground • Disc Golf

• General Store

Cafe Open Seasonally On Friday , Saturday & Sundays

4005

209-274-4739

7500 Lake Amador Dr ., Ione , CA 95640

kokanee right next to us , so we knew that they had a good chance to take the crown , and they did ! Although they won the main event , we ended up winning the ‘ Big Kokanee ’ side pot which was a first for my boat . Although we didn ’ t take the crown this time , it was a wonderful three days of kokanee fishing on the majestic high-alpine lake . In addition to the fishing , the accommodations and hospitality provided by the Affordable Tackle group made for a comfortable and relaxing stay . Be sure to check for updates on the Kokanee Power website or Facebook page for next year ’ s tournament schedule and get in on the action !

Big Kokanee Side Pot 1 Kokanee ( pounds ) 1 . Jack Naves , Jim Brittain 2.66 2 . Gary Coe , Mark Hall 2.49 Big Trout Side Pot – 1 Trout ( pounds ) 1 . Chris Dunham , Mary Dunham , Robert DeGroot 0.91 2 . Kevin Smith , Karla Smith 0.87

Junior Leaderboard 1 Kokanee ( pounds ) 1 . Bearett Gil 1.07 2 . Alex Thomas 1.03 3 . Kaitlyn Contreras 1.02 4 . Jack Sacfuri 0.89 5 . Lorelei Cantrell 0.51