20 Aug 3- 17, 2018 VOL. 37 • ISS. 17

Unlike many waters, Lake Don Pedro, nestled in the Mother Lode foothills on the Tuolumne River in Tuolomne Couty near La Grange, is renowned around the state for variety catches of rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, kokanee salmon and king salmon that anglers can catch on the same trip.

This summer the lake, located at 804 feet in elevation, is producing limits and near-limits of both rainbow trout and kokanee salmon for the first time. Unlike in previous years, anglers can catch both five salmon and five trout as part of their daily bag limits, according to new regulations that went into effect this March.

The launch ramp at the Blue Oaks Recreation Area is one of the most popular spots to launch a boat at Don Pedro. Photo courtesy of GOLD COUNTRY SPORTFISHING, Oakdale.

After spotty fishing so far this spring and summer, the kokanee have finally gone on the bite at Don Pedro, according to Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing.

“ On July 16, the two anglers fishing with me, Harry Moitozo and Robert Stack of Modesto, each landed a five-fish limit of rainbows and a five-fish limit of kokanee,” Smith said.“ That’ s the first time this year that we have been able to do that.”

“ Then on July 18, the 3 guys fishing with me ended up just two fish short of full limits by catching 14 rainbows and

14 kokanee totals,” he said.“ They returned 7 of the trout back into the lake.”

The kokanee caught that day ranged from 10 inches to 17-3 / 4 inches and the average fish was 14-1 / 2 inches. The rainbows ranged from 12 inches to 3 pounds.“ This year we’ re seeing three year classes of kokanee on the lake,” said Smith.“ There are the larger third-year class fish from 15 to 17 inches long. There are the second-year fish ranging from 12 to 13 inches long. And there is another year class measuring 9 to 10

This fisherman was elated to bag this gorgeous rainbow trout at Don Pedro Reservoir during a trolling adventure with Captain Monte Smith. Photo courtesy of GOLD COUNTRY

SPORTFISHING, Oakdale. inches long.”

Smith and his customers have been hooking the kokanee while trolling Micro-Hoochies and Brad’ s Cut Plugs behind Sling Blades and Vance’ s Dodgers at 40 to 60 feet deep, with the best depth at 40 to 50 feet. The rainbows are mixed in with the kokanee and are hitting the kokanee set-ups.

This appearance of kokanee in large numbers in mid-July is unusual, since the kokanee have usually already started migrating up the Tuolumne River to spawn by late July or early August – and normally can’ t be found anywhere on the lake.

Earlier in April, Smith was focusing on catching rainbows with big spoons and landed fish up to 4-1 / 2 pounds. The rainbows being caught in Don Pedro now are a mixture of wild fish, holdovers and fish from an emergency plant in March. Mixed in with the rainbows are some colorful brook trout.

Located downstream from the Moccasin Creek Hatchery, Don Pedro received an emergency plant of 150,000 rainbow and brook

Mack and Richard Dyer and David Langston of Galt, Sacramento and Elk Grove caught 14 kokanee and seven rainbows while fishing with pro guide Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing on a trip on July 18.

Photo courtesy of GOLD COUNTRY SPORTFISHING, Oakdale

trout in late March when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife( CDFW) had only a small window of time to return to the evacuated hatchery and rescue fish after the hatchery was flooded by a storm-swollen and overflowing Moccasin Creek Reservoir that sits immediately upstream from the facility.

The total weight of trout stocked in Don Pedro immediately after the flood was approximately 40,000 pounds.“ This emergency measure made the best use

Harry Moitozo and Robert Stack, both of Modesto, display their two limits of rainbow trout and kokanee from Don Pedro caught during a trolling adventure with Captain Monte Smith on July 16.

Photo courtesy of GOLD COUNTRY SPORTFISHING, Oakdale