Report: Lake Chelan

Let me start by saying this lake is just amazing.  Super clear, HUGE, largely uninhabited.  Even on a calm Sunday at 100+ degrees, there weren't too many personal watercraft or wakeboard terrorists. 

Depthfinder = no
Downrigger = no
Sit on Top = no

I Only got to fish for about 2 hours.  I put in around 1pm at Twenty Five Mile Creek State Park and headed straight across the lake towards this brown wood cabin on the other side.  I used a diver that supposedly gets me to 200 feet.  When I reached the far side of the lake I got about 200 yards off this point (the name escapes me, I'll have to look on the GPS) with the brown wood cabin (only cabin in the area) and got a 17" mackinaw.  When I got him up he jumped off the hook and back into the water (looks like I need to get a net too!).  Not wanting to lose the fish, I reached in and threw him in my kayak.  I think the depth and temperature change had him stunned.

Method was trolling with a Double Deep Six diver #002 (200+ depth) with about 400 foot of line out.  I had a green Ace Hi fly lure with the glowing beads in it and a string of flashers.  No additional bait, but I did spray it with Gulp Alive shrimp scent.

I'm sure I would have had more luck with a proper fishfinder and downrigger.  Didn't get to fish Monday because it was too windy and my GF wanted to go look for a smaller lake with less chop to fish in.  I drove us to Cle Elum Lake in hopes of fishing for more Mackinaw, no such luck though, it was really windy there too so she wanted to keep looking.  We ended up at Cooper lake and I caught a 12" brown trout as well as a pinemouth that got away with my wedding ring. 

Good work on getting on some fish. And great to hear that Chelan was a fun fish for you. Yeah divers have a way of letting those fish off the hook at the surface. With all the weight if you're not moving one way or the other slack line is a nightmare!

I think the depth and temperature change had him stunned.

When you bring these fish up from depth most of them will have barotrauma. The big belly is a dead giveaway. They pop when you fillet them.

I drove us to Cle Elum Lake in hopes of fishing for more Mackinaw, no such luck though, it was really windy there too so she wanted to keep looking.   

Cle Elum is always windy. You gotta fish that place early AM.

Z

Ah yeah, he had a really fat belly, but didn't 'pop'.  At least not that I noticed, but the water was running kinda loud, so maybe I just didn't hear it.  I'm really glad he was stunned, otherwise I wouldn't have two fillets in my fridge waiting for the grill.