As we enter mid-September, I must say that this is one of my favorite times of the year at Shaver Lake. Multiple reasons: cooler weather, less boat traffic, the peacefulness of the lake, but most of all, catching mixed limits of kokanee and trout. We find that the kokanee are entering their spawn cycle, but are still good to eat. Kokanee seem to get more ornery during this time and put on a great fight. The trout? Well they seem to always congregate near inlets, making the Stevenson Bay and Boy Scout Cove my go-to places during this time of the year.
This past week has been no different. We have caught three limits a day, half kokanee and half trout. The Eagle Point area entering Stevenson Bay has shown an increase in kokanee. As you enter Stevenson Bay toward Tunnel Creek, you want to raise the downriggers to 24 feet and target trout with a kokanee in the mix often. So, serene back there! The kokanee bite near Eagle Point was 46 feet deep for me this week. The koke bite near the Point and dam areas have been down to 105 feet. I prefer the 46 feet at Eagle Point with less boat activity.
Orange or pink Mountain Hoochies tipped with scented corn, or a Koke Buster in the same colors tipped with scented corn behind a Mountain Dodger, work best for us for kokanee. For the trout in Stevenson Bay and Tunnel Creek areas, I take the corn off and replace with a tip of
crawler, elevate my riggers to 24 feet and normally hit constant schools of rainbows.
The lake has dropped slightly and will even more as we approach the end of the formal season. The marinas remain open with full supplies and great boat rentals. In fact, now is a great time to rent a pontoon or fishing boat and head back to Stevenson Bay, fish for trout with Trout Busters tipped with crawler, behind weighted Mountain Flashers. If you have the family with you, take a break and let the kids run on the shores near Tunnel Creek. It’s so beautiful and crisp this time of the year. I am asked often if Department of Fish and Wildlife will plant again. The answer is no, unless they have extra brooder trout and release them. Our normal DF&W plants come in March, April, May and June. As August arrives, there are few trout to be found. But, as I mentioned before, September begins a round up of schooling rainbows near inlets.
Not too late to get those kids up here and let them experience trout fishing. I will conclude my 2018 charter fishing season at the end of September. I begin my fall and winter fishing at Pyramid Lake (Nevada) on Oct. 7 this year with my friends Keith Matsumura and Wayne Snell. I have been fishing that lake steadily for 36 years. A chance of a 20 pound trout is always the draw.
As long as we are getting away from Shaver, Noe Lopez of Clovis picked up a beautiful 34-pound halibut while deep sea fishing out of Santa Cruz. Congratulations Noe for a good catch!
Until our next issue. Try Shaver now, take the kids and contact me any time by text (559-281-6948) or email me at dickchip@netptc.net to share your ideas and questions. Noe did.
The forecast: kokanee will be good for a few weeks more. Trout will remain active near inlets through the fall. The new Turner’s Outdoorsman store in Fresno, at the old Herb Bauer’s location, will hold its grand opening Sept. 14.