Silver Lake Cowlitz County, Oct 11-12

My plans for coming down for fishin' Silver Lake haven't been totally tanked, but it's close.

Pole², I might be able to carpool, but not exactly sure yet.

Won't know until I hear from the doc.  Here's the deal.  I'm in between cycles of R-CHOP chemo, but need daily Neupogen shots.  I'm going to be pushing my limits by going, but I am going if they will send me off with the doses for Saturday and Sunday.  I'm also going to try and find a warm, dry place to sleep (resort, hotel or motel) on the cheap once I get down there.
 
Any recommendations for area places to stay?

OK what fishing gear do I need to bring?  I know what to bring for trout, and bass, but what else are people going to be targeting? Is anyone going to go for grass carp?  Do you use jigs?  What about crappie?  Just wondering what I need to pick up... Thanks

Depending on the bass bite, I am bringing some crappie jigs and trout spoons to use with my ultralite setup.  I think the water is going to be too cold to really have any success with the grass carp (optimum temp range for carp is pretty warm, around 75*).  I am also bringing catfishing gear just in case.  If a local bait shop is open when I get down there tonight I'll stop in and try to get some tips, pointers, and general FYI about what species are actually in there.

OK what fishing gear do I need to bring?  I know what to bring for trout, and bass, but what else are people going to be targeting? Is anyone going to go for grass carp?  Do you use jigs?  What about crappie?  Just wondering what I need to pick up... Thanks

I'd stick with gearing up for trout and bass.  Crappie will hit small stationary baits or jigs.
It's easy to frustrate yourself with too many options.  You can spend half your day changing rigs cause you haven't hooked anything in the last 10min but then you've just lost half a day of fishing.
For as much hardware, plastic and flashy stuff as I have in my tackle boxes, the lowly worm is responsible for over 1/3 of my points in the AOTY.

Good to know Spot.  Ya, I know what you mean about changing rigs and then wasting time I've definetly been guilty of that.  What I like to do now is have a bit of everything and then I wait until I see what is working for others and give it a shot, haha.  Worms, ahh the standard classic.

Another thing to consider with Silver Lake is that it's shallow (<10 ft most places) so you can leave home the deep water stuff. 

My plans might be changing a tad as I feel like I'm getting slammed by a cold.  Will still come down on Saturday morning, but I'm up in the air about staying the night in a cold tent.  I don't plan on being there at the crack of dawn either ... gotta let the air warm up a bit, right?    Ready to launch at about 8AM is my plan, so leave Seattle about 5:30-ish.

My plan would be to work the edge of the pads/weeds near the launch for a bit and perhaps down the north side, then shoot the canals through over to the NE area and work some docks after the lunch break.  I'll be rigged for reaction bite bass fishing with crank or spinner baits on one rod.  And the other will have a crappie jig and perhaps a chunk of worm ready for crappie and perch.  I'm gonna skip the trout bite.

Channel 69 on the VHF.

-Allen

I don't plan on being there at the crack of dawn either ... gotta let the air warm up a bit, right?   Ready to launch at about 8AM is my plan, so leave Seattle about 5:30-ish.

Channel 69 on the VHF.

-Allen

Hey Pole, if you are just going for Sat you're welcome to carpool with me. And everyone, if you do have a VHF, bring it along for some good ol' smak talk!!

Z

I don't plan on being there at the crack of dawn either ... gotta let the air warm up a bit, right?   Ready to launch at about 8AM is my plan, so leave Seattle about 5:30-ish.

Channel 69 on the VHF.

-Allen

Hey Pole, if you are just going for Sat you're welcome to carpool with me. And everyone, if you do have a VHF, bring it along for some good ol' smak talk!!

Z

Oops.  I forgot.  I got to bring down Spot's new yak.  Can you fit 3 on top of your car?

-Allen

Woo Hoo!  It's in stone now.  I'll be there, bells on.  Probably not make it until Saturday morning-ish, but better late than never.

I found that it wasn't much more expensive to rent the small cabin at Silver Lake Resort, just down the road from Seaquest.  I also spoke to Jessica, the woman at the front desk about launching the yaks from there.

Launching kayaks from Silver Lake Resort is FREE OF CHARGE and there is PLENTY OF PARKING.  

Oops.  I forgot.  I got to bring down Spot's new yak.  Can you fit 3 on top of your car?

-Allen

I'm sure we can find some way to wrangle it up there. If we can't maybe we can just drag it behind the truck.... JK Spot!

Z

I found that it wasn't much more expensive to rent the small cabin at Silver Lake Resort, just down the road from Seaquest.  I also spoke to Jessica, the woman at the front desk about launching the yaks from there.

Launching kayaks from Silver Lake Resort is FREE OF CHARGE and there is PLENTY OF PARKING.    

Is the kayak launching free because you're staying at the resort, or is that an open invitation to the public?

I'm sure we can find some way to wrangle it up there. If we can't maybe we can just drag it behind the truck....

Z

 

What time should I plan on picking up the pieces?

I found that it wasn't much more expensive to rent the small cabin at Silver Lake Resort, just down the road from Seaquest.  I also spoke to Jessica, the woman at the front desk about launching the yaks from there.

Launching kayaks from Silver Lake Resort is FREE OF CHARGE and there is PLENTY OF PARKING.    

Is the kayak launching free because you're staying at the resort, or is that an open invitation to the public?

In the conversation with Jessica, I told her that there were a group of guys that would be kayak fishing Silver Lake this weekend. I said that there might be as many as 10, maybe less - maybe more.  I asked her if the $5 launching fee that their website mentions was one that applied to kayaks, and if it did, was parking included.  She replied that they never charge for kayaks, and that there was plenty of parking.  She said that they are primarily worried about power boats.  I also told her that the group was called Northwest Kayak Anglers (I dropped the url reference), and that we were a great bunch of guys.  She then wished us all the best of luck fishing.  The number for the resort is 360.274.6141 if we have a volunteer to confirm this info.

Thanks, that sounds great I just wasn't sure what you meant.   I guess I'll have to look at the map to see if the resort is closer to places I want to fish.