American Lake Boondoggle 1 Feb

Have to confirm with the wife, but should be able to make it

American Lake winter tactics, tips and techniques

American lake is an extremely diverse fishery that has many different tactics for each time of year; this guide will cover what I have found to be the most effective way to fish American Lake (AL) during the winter months.
The main fish to target during the winter are Cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, Kokanee and perch. 
TROUT
Cutthroat trout. 
   To study the owl, you must first understand the mouse.  American lake has one inflow located close to the public launch by Camp Murray.  It is called Murray creek.  In this area of the lake there are several small islands that create points, with under water ridges creating awesome ambush points for the apex predator in the lake, the CTT.  The kokanee spawn in Murray creek in the fall, by the winter months this area is inundated with kokanee fry.  This is the time of year in which the CTT are spawning in, you guessed it, Murray creek.  When fishing this area the bite is best in either the early morning or late evening.  Use lures similar to (2) Yozuri 66mm L Minnow (Discontinued, sorry) or (6) Krocodile casting, trolling, jigging spoon/wobbler in BRIGHT FINISHES.    Match the hatch, the hatch is kokanee.  Other good choices are (1) deep diving yozuri chrystal minnow, and (3) Yozuri Pins Minnow Magnet, Fry finish, both have potential to be deadly as well.  I prefer to use Yozuri lures because they have a lead based paint finish, which allows for a brighter, more vibrant flash, causing some awesome reaction strikes.   Up until the point when I tried using (6) Krocodile spoons, I found the (2) Yozuri 66mm L Minnow to be the absolute best lure to use on AL for trout, out fishing other lures in similar styles and patterns at a rate of 6 fish to one.   Also, I always at a minimum tip a couple hooks with Berkley gulp maggots,  it seems like you get a lot more takedowns with a little incentive on them.  Anise scent is a great choice as well
   Flatline your presentations, I troll between 1.5 to 2 Knots, keeping track on the FF, and stay as close to the edge as you can, I generally try to stay right at the ten foot line.  The average large CTT in the winter is right around 17-18 inches, though larger specimens are always possible.  They generally have been in dark spawning colors as well.
Rainbow trout
   The same tactics as used for CTT work well.  The trout will often be seen feeding on hatches at the surface, I haven’t tried it yet, but slow trolling a fly may be an extremely productive way of targeting them.  AL is stocked with trout, the most recent stocking being only a few weeks ago.  Triploid trout are stocked in the lake, the largest of which last year was right around 15 LBS (as reported from Bills boat house by Bill) The sky is the limit, though the average fish I have caught lately is 12-14 inches.
Kokanee
   Kokanee fry are stocked yearly into AL, with the returns varying by year.  Last year was a good year for large Kokes, the largest I caught was 19.25 inches.  The winter koke fishing has been good this year so far as well.  The fish have been holding at the top of the water column, last time I was out there were schools rolling and feeding at the surface.  Try to stay close to the buoy line on the west side of the island (Highlighted in green) using standard Kokanee gear (4)/(  I prefer to use tandem single hook rigs.  They hook set is generally deeper and more secure, and it makes it easier to essentially mooch a night crawler.  I use a small dodger with a 12 inch leader from the connection to the dodger to the tip of the second hook.  The bottom rig is the exact rig I used to catch the 19 inch koke, and has been the top producer this year for me.   Always tip the setup with either Berkley gulp maggots or a night crawler.  I fill the body of the squid hoochie with anise and put a line of it on the dodger as well.  I generally use a down rigger for Kokes as I have more control over it, though with the fish high up in the water column other options include Deep 6 divers, Lead core line, or even just attaching a 2 oz mooching rig a few inches above the dodger.  My preferred trolling speed for kokes is 1.2 knots or less.  I use braid on my setup, however I use a 10 foot light action steelhead rod for them, so the smallest fish puts a good bend in the rod, though it has the ass to land fish up to 20 lbs or more. I have a 20 foot leader of 15 lb fly tippet off of the 30 lb braid mainline, then go lower from there, I refuse to lose a fish because I was using gear that was too light. 
Perch
   I don’t fish for perch, but the winter fishery is decent.  You can see large schools on the fishfinder close to the bottom in deep water (60-70 ft) target them with a dropper rig with either nightcrawlers or small jigs.

Winter fishing can be frustrating, some days it is red hot, others slow slow slow.  Persistence is key, change your setup often until you find what works.  This is by no means the be all and end all of effective tactics, rather just what I have found to produce consistent results
Make sure you check the regs as well, chumming is legal, the limit for trout is 5 total with 2 over 14 inches, kokanee not included in the 2 over 14 restriction.

I refuse to lose a fish because I was using gear that was too light. 

That stings a little

I run braid for koks too. Just have to play them a bit, and give them a lot of leeway while keeping the line tight. +1 on the two rods, but I don't add any weight to my flat line, just the weight of the dodger is enough. Here's a video I shot there back in 2012. Just ignore my misspelling of kokanee...

I refuse to lose a fish because I was using gear that was too light. 

That stings a little

Sorry Gordon, not my intent.  I was justifying why I use 30 lb braid on 2lb fish... Drinking while typing, got excited.

Great information and tips.  The Wavewalk will have to hit American lake soon!

I generally run heavier line on AL as well, hate getting broken off, plus, I've found trolling with those multi bladed flashers can produce the big gals, and light line can't handle those flashers and a 24" rainbow.

I'm in!!! Went out to Sportsman's Warehouse last night and loaded up on Kok gear. Wallet is a little lighter but what the hell. Everyone is just meeting at the launch? 

I plan on launching from the public launch off of exit 122, map attached below.  You need to have a discover pass to park there, it doesn’t officially open until 7 am, however I have been getting there around  0630 and have had no issues.  This is the location I will set the grill up.  There are other places to launch on American lake that do not require a discover pass, Russell’s landing on north fort, if you have access to post, is a nice spot.  On the other side of the lake, American lake park north is free to park and launch your kayak from .

I refuse to lose a fish because I was using gear that was too light. 

That stings a little

Sorry Gordon, not my intent.  I was justifying why I use 30 lb braid on 2lb fish... Drinking while typing, got excited.

No sweat...I deserve it. Great information, as always.

If you catch a big CTT with a silver jointed rapala trailing several yards of light mono in it's mouth...I'd at least appreciate the lure back

Thanks for the great intel, Fil and Gordon.

I'm going to bring some of my wife's killer kalbi short ribs to share.

Sounds good, I will have a cooler of sodas too.  Its gonna be one of those nights where I can't sleep cause I am too excited to go fishing tomorrow.

Go to bed Fil, you're drunk.

We're probably not going to make it.  Too many obligations.

Nice seeing all of you today...Thanks Fil for setting this up.

BTW, I hit my fifth fish on the way back across the lake.

My first three came in the early morning on a flasher/hoochie...once the bite stopped I switched it up with a dodger/tiny "Dick Nite" spoon. Three fish came off the downrigger running at 26' and the other two off the flatline with a 1/2 oz sliding egg sinker.

Thanks Fil!  Good time had by all.  I finally figured out how to catch a fish - put up the sail, catch a puff of wind, all hell breaks loose.  Got a nice 15" kokanee - at 2:00 between the island and the vet home - 25' deep.