Ron Campbell with Kokezilla
Okay, this is getting ridiculous. In March, Oregon’s Wallowa Lake gave up the
U.S. record kokanee, an 8.23 pounder…and then in May, it surrendered an 8-pound, 13-ouncer in May.. Now, this: On June, 14 Ron Campbell of Pendleton, OR caught what should be the new all-tackle world record koke, a 9.67 pounder! WTF???
Pendleton’s Wallowa beast measured 27 3/4 inches long and had a girth of 17 3/4 inches and just topped the current
IGFA World Record, a 9.6 pounder caught in British Columbia back in 1988. After the paperwork goes through, it should be recognized as the new record…that is until somebody catches a 10 pounder!
Read more about this from our friends at
Northwest Wild Country.
Trolling for kokanee salmon on Montana’s Lake Koocanusa with an ultralight rod and 4-pound test, Jeff Gould hadn’t planned on nearly getting his ass handed to him…but that’s exactly what happened when this 10.6-pound bull trout came calling.
Gould said that the fish nearly spooled him and there was even some talk of backing the boat up and chasing it like a big blue marlin. Eventually, however, he was able to slip the net under the huge char. After a quick photo session, the fish was released…much to the dismay of the kokanee population of the lake! As the latest entry into our Hawg of the Month Contest, Jeff will have a chance to compete for a free fishing trip.
On March 24, a giant, king kong sized kokanee that weighed 8.23-pounds (yes, that’s pounds, not ounces!) was taken from Wallowa Lake in northwestern Oregon by Wan Teece of Enterprise, OR..and I swear this is not an April Fool’s joke!
Teece hooked the ridiculously large koke while trolling a flasher and blade rig. The 26.25 x 16 incher crushed the Orgeon state record by over a pound and is believed to be the largest kokanee ever taken in the U.S. (the world record 9-pound, 6 ouncer was caught in Canada).
For more details on the story, check out Northwest Wild Country
by JD on November 5, 2009
Okay, so maybe California’s Pacific salmon have gone into the tank…but at least there’s one population of salmon in the state that seems healthy — the kokanee of Taylor Creek. I was there a week or so back and snapped a few pix… [click to continue…]
Flaming Gorge Reservoir, the world’s most prolific big kokanee salmon factory, out-did itself on June 14, 2009 when Brian Ekx of Vance’s Tackle set a new reservoir and Wyoming State record with this monster 24.75-inch, 6.26-pound koke!
The leviathan smacked a pink/blue No. 1 Vance’s Sockeye Slammer towed behind a blue/copper Vance’s dodger. At the helm? The man himself, Vance Staplin, who said that the record fish almost didn’t happen because Brian’s dad Scott, had a “small” 3.5-pound koke on at the same time that tried it’s best to tangle up Brian’s line.
The ocean-sized landlock set the record — and also helped propel Team Vance’s to victory in the Buckboard Marina Fishing Classic.
Ekx’s fish beat the previous record of 6.04 pounds, which had stood since 2009. Though certainly a massive koke, the new Wyoming record was still well shy of the all-tackle world record of 9 pounds, 6 ounces, which was caught by Norm Kuhn in Okanagan Lake, British Columbia on June 18, 1988.
The downside of the whole deal…if you can call it that…is locals say that the fish are so big this year at the Gorge, that Ekx’s record (and who knows…maybe the world mark) may not make it out of the summer alive. Stay tuned!
Summer’s here and that means it’s time for those loveable, hard-scrapping, tasty and pint-sized cousins to sockeye salmon…kokanee. Lakes from Central California to interior British Columbia will be buzzing with activity over the next few months. Here’s a little photo propaganda to get you psyched! [click to continue…]
by JD on February 1, 2009
When Northern California’s Lake Pardee re-opens to fishing on Friday, Feb. 6th., 2009, anglers should see some white-hot fishing…if it’s anything like the action we encountered on Media Day on Sunday.
The preview day of fishing was open to a select few bass pros and media members (organized by Kent Brown of Ultimate Bass Radio and hosted by Pardee Recreation Co. owners Richard and Kerry Copper). Record-class smallmouth bass were the target de jour. Pardee is rapidly gaining a reputation of being a top-notch smallie fishery, and several bronzebacks in the 8 to 9+ pound class were taken there last season.
But’s let’s back up here…
[click to continue…]
by JD on October 27, 2008
All-you-can eat: A big brown trout hanging with a school of kokanee salmon.
