Color Changes at The Berry

Fishing Time:  8:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Weather:  Sunny, clear, no wind, T-70s
Moon Phase:  97%  Moon
Location:  Strawberry Reservoir
Water Temp: 61 degrees
Best Bait:  Tube jig tipped with worm
Who Went:  Bobber John, Dunc

It's fall at Strawberry Reservoir and the leaves are not the only thing changing colors.  The kokanee salmon are in full spawning colors as well. 

A quick check on the strawberry river prior to launching to see if any kokanee salmon have begun spawning came up empty.  We launched the boat in warm weather and moss infested waters.  From past experience I knew this wasn't good.  The lake has yet to turnover and the moss is thick throughout the water column.  This usually makes for tough fishing at the Berry. 

We started fishing just outside the narrows and soon ventured into the narrows with only a few fish to show for it.  Bobber did land one nice picture worthy cutthroat deep inside the narrows. 

We moved to Haws Point only to find fishless water.  We made one more big move over near the mouth of Mud Creek Bay and finally started putting some fish in the boat.  Most were rainbows with a few cutthroat mixed in, but the surprise of the day was when my jig bounced off the bottom in 40 ft of water and got walloped by an unsuspected fish.  As I reeled it in I noticed the bright red color and yelled to Bobber to grab the net.  This was my first kokanee salmon from Strawberry and what a fish it was.  A three and a half pound kokanee salmon in full spawning colors!  It wasn't a long fish, but man was it fat!  I was shocked the fish took a jig.  Must have been a last meal before hitting the river to spawn. 

Scary moment in the morning on our way to Strawberry.  We stopped at a gas station in Heber to grab some breakfast and as I pulled out of the gas station I failed to see this giant sandstone boulder.  The boat trailer slammed into it and I immediately thought the worst.  I looked at Bobber and said, "this is gonna be bad!"  Luckily the axle took the brunt of the hit and no noticeable damage occurred, but a scary moment when you think you have demolished your boat trailer.  First close call in seven years of owning the boat, so I guess I was due.  Lucked out big time!