I'm absolutely determined to find another Kokanee fix near home, and this lake is heavily stocked with Kokanee fry every year. For some reason though, it's trout stocking was majorly reduced this year. No catchable trout this year and only 350 triploids. With Kokanee on my mind, I had my first long lined rod in the water about 6pm. Same small dodger and green spinner hoochie setup I had good luck with on Meridian the other day. (100ft back no weight added) It took me quite a while to get the second rod set on the downrigger because the long lined rod kept dancing in the rod holder. I had 1 15 inch trout on ice and lost 1 smaller one at the boat before I could get the downrigger rod set up... Within a few minutes of getting the 2nd rod down to 10ft, I caught and released a 10 inch cutthroat on the pink dodger and spinner fly. Next the long line rod caught a small cutt, also released. I had been using scented corn or power maggots on everything until this point, I ceased with the bait to legally catch and release, even though first 2 bait caught cutts were definitely going to count against my limit. -Which sucks because they were lip hooked and never left the water. Oh well. The bite definitely slowed a bit after going baitless, but I still went home with 2 15 inch rainbows and fat 16 incher. And now for the one that got away.... I had switched green hoochies on the long line rod to one with a flashier spinner blade (getting dark) and was letting line back out, but it seemed like line wouldnt pay out, was the autopilot minn kota dead? Am I even moving?, check the gps speed, yep 1.4mph. Splash in the distance.. then the reel starts screaming. I knew he was big, and my gear was light and wanted to slowly tire him out before he got too close, but he kept running toward the boat, under the boat, around the outdrive, back down deep. I had him up next to the boat way too early in the fight and snap. The trailing hook broke off right in front of me. 20 inch plus Lake Sawyer cutthroat swam away with my gamakatsu. Through out the rest of the evening I would catch and release several more small cutts, even after upsizing to a pink f5 flatfish with an oversized treble. Looks like Sawyer might be a hot cutthroat fishery next year!? Was a 5 star night, but I gave it a 4 because no kokanee were found.

I hadnt had time to throw my crawfish pots in yet, so I looked around on way back in to the launch, found a spot, threw them in and notice a school on the sonar in 20ft of water. Cast out the flatfish and a 6 inch black crappie. I pulled the boat out at 9pm, in the dark. The photos are of my keepers, the pile of gear I cycled through trying to find Kokanee, and the little fst spoon/dodger and hootchies that caught most of the fish. (note the missing trailing hook!)

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