New Melones Kokanee Tips?

I'm thinking about going out to New Melones to hunt for Kokanee.  Anyone have experience on what part of the lake to shore fish and what gear to use?  All my rods, besides my fly gear, are too heavy, wouldn't make the occasional rainbow much fun.  So I was thinking about trying to cast a hoochie like a streamer or something I could return from one of my lighter fly rods.  Is there room to fly cast?  Is that a ridiculous idea?  Should I find a bass rod with a casting or spinning reel?  LMK!  Thanks!

You could troll a hoochie with a dodger off your fly rod. They might be near the surface this time of year. Trout might be more likely.
If no weight, probably let out 70' - 100' of line. If sinking line then maybe 60'-80' of line out? Depends on sink type, etc.. Most people target Kokanee deeper but occasionally they are shallow.

I recall in the past no kokane at the surface there until May, remember trying Memorial Day weekend, but I haven't tried in a very long time. It's a big lake to chase kokes in a kayak, if you can get intel on where they might be and make a targeted outing it's worth a shot. Plus, you can always catch trout and brown trout there too. I would be prepared to downrigger though it's a deep lake and if you spot them on you FF you want to easily make the depth.

+1 for needing to get deep. With colder water temps sometimes kokes will be closer to the surface but this time of year they're still scattered and as mentioned, it's a big lake. Most reports I've seen have been folks catching rainbows around 25' down.

I had luck launching out of Mark Twain and heading up towards the Parrotts Ferry bridge for rainbows. I think most of the big boats are going up and trolling the canyons right now but it was further than I had time to pedal.

Last year the kokanee stayed deep, no idea about this year though. In previous years I've had luck at the Carson Creek mouth and in the scattered coves south of Tuttletown.

Anyone have experience on what part of the lake to shore fish and what gear to use?  Is there room to fly cast? 

You guys all missed the part about "to shore fish" unless your thinking he should cast a dodger set up on a fly rod from shore?   

That's Fishingrod's area he lives up that way, perhaps he will chime in with some tips?  I'm interested in knowing the basic shore spots there as well.

Haha oh shoot, looks like I fail the reading comprehension portion of this test.

If the water level is the same as when I last saw it then it's mostly steep banks, good for practicing roll casts or spey?

Catching kokanee from the bank can be tough. I've caught them from the bank (not at New Melones) on a 1/4oz kastmaster with a spinning rod. The key for me was being within casting distance of deep water. I would cast and retrieve. After each cast with no action I would count another 3-5 seconds down on the next cast, working the whole column. I eventually found a school near the bottom, probably around 40' deep.

Thanks for all the helpful input.  Probably going to take my kayak anyways, but I’m going with a friend who doesn’t have a kayak, so I planned on walking with him.  Now that I’ve heard so much about depth, I’m going to borrow a simple trout spinning rod setup from my brother and try and work some spoons and other traps towards the bottom.  Friend of mine just caught a couple nice Kokanee last weekend out there in the rain, looked cold and beautiful so I’m gna pack up and head out there mid week before the next system moves in.

Best I’ve done from shore Kokanee was at dawn and/or dusk low light conditions, stripping a nymph with a tiny corn on it lol. It’s tough to do for sure. But lowlight conditions in a hot area of the lake could produce.

The best spot I can think of to try from shore would be the tip of glory hole point. From the point. You could try the fly rod, and/or casting a spinning rod/reel with a slip bobber setup. That would allow you to try jigging on both sides of the point. The slip bobber would allow you to adjust the stop knot and try everything from 5’-20’.

I read that kayaks are subject to inspection for Golden Mussels, so bring a towel and wipe your rig down before you pull up the the launch facility just in case.

“Trout are active near inlets with flowing water, from the surface down to 20 feet. Bright-colored spoons and small, shallow-diving crankbaits are pulling limits. Four-inch Senkos are getting both trout and bass when cast from shore.

Access remains limited due to mussel quarantine regulations, with few boats out on the water. Be sure to check inspection requirements before your trip, as kayaks and paddleboards may also be subject to inspection” -Fishcaddy.com

Angel creek has some water inflow, and is fairly shallow and accessible from shore. That may be a good place to try for the trout and bass if that has any intrigue for you guys.

Thanks Sea-bree Angles Creek looks like a nice place to hike in.

Quick Google of the trial head pulls up this sign, might be worth carrying a big stick!