12 August 9 , 2024
FRESHWATER
VOL . 43 • ISS . 9
GONE FISHING continued from page 2
Kokanee Power board members , officers , and volunteers wrap up the weigh-in portion of the 2024 Stampede derby in a pouring rain . A mountain thunderstorm did not dampen the spirits of the volunteers or derby entrants . The barbeque lunch , raffle , and derby prizes continued without a hitch . These folks are responsible for making the derby events happen . Any support such as derby participation or KP membership are great ways to thank them !
Photo provided by Jack Naves , Fish Sniffer Staff boat and started probing the fishing conditions . It didn ’ t take long before Adam was hooked up with our first fish of the morning . The fishing action was reminiscent of 2018 , as we couldn ’ t keep all our rods in the water due to clouds of kokanee spread throughout the lake . The plan was to pre-fish the lake in our boat , while my derby partner Jim Brittain also fished separately in his boat . The divide and conquer strategy ended up paying dividends in the end , but Gina thought we were crazy . “ Why do you both have to pre-fish ?” she asked . “ You guys are so competitive !” The pre-fishing was a good opportunity to refresh Adam on the ins and outs of downrigger fishing , as he would be fishing with Jim and I the next morning under the derby ’ s junior division . Adam did great , and we left the lake with limits of kokanee around 11:00 am . We had a solid game plan for the next day ’ s derby . Saturday morning came early .
Adam Naves shows off two typical Stampede Reservoir kokanee after pre-fishing the lake with his parents on August 2 , the eve of the 2024 Kokanee Power derby . Beautiful scenery , nice weather , and tasty kokanee await this summer if you decide to venture up to the lake which sits between Truckee , California and Reno , Nevada .
Photo provided by Gina Naves , Roseville
Adam and I winded our way from the flatlands up through jagged granite mountains to the lake . Sprinkles pelted our windshield on the way up , as a rare summer storm system blanketed Northern California . Jim had already launched his boat and was waiting for us at the lake ’ s edge in the pre-dawn darkness . Adam and I stumbled down the levee from the parking lot with our ice chest , nearly tripping over several chunks of rock on the way down . Using our combined pre-fishing intel , we concentrated on the west end of the lake , as this was the area that we found the most ‘ spawner ’ looking kokanee the day before . The looming cloud cover made the morning darker than usual at the 5:30 am derby start time . Shockingly , the huge clouds of kokanee would not touch any of our gear . Nobody else was catching fish either . Jim and I both have enough experience to know not to panic in such a situation . Kokanee are odd fish , and the bite can turn on and off like a light switch . We kept working the same area , knowing it was just a matter of time before they turned on . After about twenty minutes , we finally had the first fish in the net . We turned around , and as we passed a rocky point , all the rods started getting bit . It got crazy at one point , with Jim , Adam , and I scrambling across the back of the boat , or what Jim likes to refer to as “ the dance floor .” Although we stumbled over a few rods and nets , we worked well together considering how fast paced the fishing action was . The fish were averaging between ten and twelve inches in length . In derbies like this that feature small fish , it ’ s tough to know how well you are doing compared to the other entrants . We knew that we were catching lots of fish , but we heard the typical ‘ dock talk ’ stories about fourteen and fifteen-inch kokanee being caught before the derby . Just as we were packing up rods at 1:25 pm , Jim ’ s rod went off . “ I think I need a net for this one ” he called out , and I scooped under the fish as it danced on the water ’ s surface . It turned out to be our second biggest fish – a clutch last-minute kicker fish ! We rushed back to Jay ’ s Cove and beached the boat near the weigh-in parking lot . As we approached the weigh-in line , Adam was surprised at the number of entrants in line . “ There are a lot of people in this derby . Do you think I have a chance of winning ?” he asked . “ You never know ” I replied , and we got in line . Drop . Drop . Drop-drop-drop . “ Dad , I think it ’ s raining ,” Adam remarked . BOOM ! Thunder crashed , and there was a flash in the sky a few moments later . Even though we were getting soaked by a summer mountain thunderstorm , the participants and volunteers hung in there ! It was actually quite refreshing compared to the oven-like conditions we had been experiencing back at home . There was a large raffle event , and then the final derby standings were
Jim Brittain ( left ), and Jack Naves pose at the Kokanee Power trailer with their first-place trophy for the 2024 Stampede event . Jim and Jack have been fishing together for several years , and their dedication to detail and strategic pre-fishing paid off in this contest . They trolled Pro-Troll and Hot Spot Apex lures behind goldplated dodgers at 1.1 to 1.5 miles-perhour . They fished between 60 and 80 feet deep at the west end of the lake to entice their fish to strike . Photo provided by Adam Naves , Roseville
announced . This year ’ s derby was as popular as ever , featuring 68 teams and 160 total anglers . As it turned out , the dual-boat pre-fishing paid off for our team , as we finished first in the team and big kokanee divisions , and Adam placed third in the junior division . Here is a rundown of the results :
Adult Leaderboard - 5 Kokanee total ( pounds ) Jim Brittain , Jack Naves 3.29 Rand Smith , Kaye Smith 3.14 David Mayo , Gary Forcier 3.09 Richard Contreras , Chris Miller 3.08 Tom Hamada , Mike Steer 3.06 Mikey Mullin , Josh Elliott 3.04 Joe Smith , Danielle Limme 3.02 Kevin Smith , Karla Smith 2.99 Jack Schultz , Brian Thomas 2.99 David Liske , Matt McMonigal 2.95 Mike Gogliano , Jay Winchester 2.95 Adam Carpineta , Jaime Wheeler 2.94 Christopher Shallow , Ian Gil , Taran Womack 2.94 Joe Donatini , Sam Shallow , Scott Sipes 2.94 Tim Farnham , Tyler Farnham , Tori Farnham 2.94
Big Kokanee Side Pot - 1 Kokanee ( pounds ) Jim Brittain , Jack Naves 0.72 Mikey Mullin , Josh Elliott 0.67 John Dahl , Tory Tilley 0.67
Big Trout Side Pot – 1 Trout ( pounds ) Christopher Shallow , Ian Gil , Taran Womack 4.70 Richard Contreras , Chris Miller 3.65 C . J . Sierra , Mike King 2.14
Junior Leaderboard - 2 Kokanee ( pounds ) Paige Parker 1.31 Ethan Ling 1.23 Adam Naves 1.20 Christian Yep 1.19 Callen Christophel 1.14
If scorching valley temperatures are getting you down , don ’ t hesitate to make the trip to Stampede Reservoir this summer . Enormous numbers of kokanee await , and you might even want to stay after you limit out to enjoy a cool morning on the mirror lake . Tranquility awaits .