®
T F R O O R U A T G & E K
know your
Story
BY MIKE GORMAN
W
elcome back friends. It’s the winter
issue…which means we are going to
start pulling out the swimbaits; so
for this edition of “Know Your Bait”, we are going to talk about trout and kokanee. The
double double with extra fries and a large shake of
the forage world. The food source that makes the
big bass dreams are made of.
There is a common thread among lakes,
particularly here in California, where the big bass
come from – an abundant source of caloric rich prey
requiring minimal caloric output. Some of which are
stocked and some of which are naturally produced,
but either way, they are an irresistible food source for
big bass. Think about it, would you rather chase down
1000 peanuts or eat one big slice of deep-dish pizza?
LIFE HISTORY
Let’s start off by reviewing a bit about the life history of trout and kokanee (primarily speaking of rainbow trout as other trout species are not as ubiquitous or numerous).
Kokanee normally spawn between early-August and early-February (given water temperatures and locations in California where bass and kokanee co- occur, most often during winter (Oct-Jan).
Fry emerge April-June and move downstream immediately, often at night and during spring freshets. Strategically, target the mouths of tributary streams early in the day/late in the evening and during periods of elevated flow (particularly if there has been a lull in flow). If there is an abundance of prey, chances are you will find a wolf pack of bass.
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