Lake Washington Feb 17 report

Got a late start about 10:30 and met up w/ Pisco and his daughter at the south end of the lake. Was a bit windy and cold so was a little worried the wind could just go nuts and ruin it. But it was supposed to be a nice day so went ahead.



trolled straight across the south end to the mouth of Cedar River w/ no luck. Found some marks on the FF so drift while jigging but no action.


Pisco and daughter in the distance.



We decided then to head up north on the east side of the lake and I set my downrigger to 20' w/ a needlefish. About an hour later I got my first hit and the rod went BENDO! Was my first fish on the downrigger so was interesting juggling the two but not as hard as I'd imagined. Fought  for a bit and pulled up what I thought was a rainbow. Upon closer inspection I realized it was a cutthroat. She went out to 14.5".




Went back for some more trolling but no action there. Did see the pimpest of all houses on lake wash though. The house looked pretty nice but when the owner opened the garage door it went to another level. He rolled out his helicopter... Fired it up and flew away.... PIMP!!






Anyway, a nice day and great to fish w/ Pisco.

Z

Zee,

No doubt, you DO realize that the guy was only trying to show off to you and didn't even really have a destination when he took off, right?  I'm certain that he looked out his big picture windows and saw you out in the lake, paddling your fancy pimped out trolling machine and turned green with envy.  Give the poor shmuck a break and try to troll on the other side of the lake next time.

Come to think of it, hey, I'm envious too!  Wish I could have come out with you guys.  That's one BEAUtiful cutthroat Zee.  Good job.

Fishin-T

Nice fishy Z, Congrats on the first AOTY points..

That'll motivate a guy...

I watched the pimp come back, some 1/2 hour later, with a full load of passengers. I'll download pics when I get home- I'm at the inlaws, right now.

No fishies, here, but it did turn in to a gorgeous day. We did find a nice looking reef that should be full of perch and bass in a couple of months. Guess I'm going to have to pick up a DR, too. It'll be handy in the salt, and if there's a sockeye season.

Yeah, a fish (and some points) up on the AOTY board.

I actually think I'm more envious that you got out on the water and do some fishing.

Brian

Yeah, a fish (and some points) up on the AOTY board.

I actually think I'm more envious that you got out on the water and do some fishing.

Brian

Not me, I'm pretty damn envious of his 101.5 points...

Well done Zee!!!

I guess I'll have to put a leaderboard up on the site.  Ok .. Done!!!  Front page, right side, above the AOTY announcement.

For a better idea how all this AOTY stuff works, see the leaderboard at the AOTY link ... http://aoty.northwestkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list

See Zee's entries (or one entry) here ... http://aoty.northwestkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list_by_angler/5

And the details of that entry here ... http://aoty.northwestkayakanglers.com/catch/show/10

-Allen

Thanks guys. It was a beautiful day and the cutty was just the topper. Cutties out of Lake Wash. are absolutely beautiful! Perfect fins and colors. I'm used to all the stockers I used to catch in Cali so this is nice.

I'm certain that he looked out his big picture windows and saw you out in the lake, paddling your fancy pimped out trolling machine and turned green with envy.  Give the poor shmuck a break and try to troll on the other side of the lake next time.

Yeah, I guess yakfishing is more pimp!!

Z

Is this like what you used..Color?

http://www.eangler.com/product/478621642msk.htm


I went to Eel lake again today. Fish were surfacing all over but after  trying floating eggs off the bottom, floating power bait off the bottom,Floated with a bobber  both eggs and power bait. Trolled with a orange bladed blue fox and trolling a small rapala, not even a bite.. Well, except for frostbite

I actually use the Luhr Jensen Needlefish.


They don't have the color posted that I used. It's basically a silver spoon w/ prism tape on it and the baby flasher on the hook o-ring. Like this Kroc:

Although the hook on it is ok I always switch it out for a Gamakatsu siwash. They're just so darn sticky I can't give em up. And also put a bearing swivel on the front to kill the line twist. BPS has a nice assorted box of 50 for $16. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_37178?cm_mmc=froogle-_-100-10-5-_--1-_-38-463-391-00&hvarAID=46KY&mr:trackingCode=24FC5950-89DD-DC11-AA92-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA


When the fish aren't biting but surfacing like that, you just have to go through the box like you did. Could you see what they were feeding on? If it was insects the fly rod could have gotten some action. Hard to say though. I'm trying to always keep that on deck when I fish lakes recently.

Z

Zee ... that's the style of spoon I reach for.  It should only get better in South Lake WA as the sockeye smolts flush out of the Cedar River.  A small orange label herring should work good too.

CBY, are those steelhead you're talking about that are surfacing?  In the winter put and take steelhead fisheries in WA (excess hatchery steelhead used to be planted in area lakes for harvest), there were some people who had success dangling sand shrimp below bobbers.  The steelhead would push up into the shallows and work the surface.

Zee, your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to go get a winter bass for AOTY points.

Lake Sammamish tournament this last weekend ... http://www.gamefishin.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1802&p=20176

A nice article on dragging up winter time smallies ... http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/bass-fishing/gf_aa056304a/

-Allen

Zee, your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to go get a winter bass for AOTY points.

Any bonus points for bringing one up in winter? Dragging Hawg... oh yeah, have used that technique. Just my style!

Z

When the fish aren't biting but surfacing like that, you just have to go through the box like you did. Could you see what they were feeding on? If it was insects the fly rod could have gotten some action. Hard to say though. I'm trying to always keep that on deck when I fish lakes recently.

Z

They were feeding on insects..Been ages since i fly fished, what little i did. My buddy and i used to go to Pinecrest in Cali and drive down below Beardsley Dam...Trophy Brown Trout spot, but i was usually busy catching trees.

But we would troll a dry fly in an zig zag pattern on the lake when the trout were surfacing, they would come out of the water takin that thing. It was fun. I might go get a few flies and try it here sometime.

I need to get some spoons, i don't have any good ones
for the lakes..

Yea Pole, they were steelhead. I found out when i left that they put 100+ in there this weekend. Just like you said, excess hatchery steelies. Some guy caught a couple on a earthworm from a bobber

Zee, your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to go get a winter bass for AOTY points.

Lake Sammamish tournament this last weekend ... http://www.gamefishin.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1802&p=20176

A nice article on dragging up winter time smallies ... http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/bass-fishing/gf_aa056304a/

-Allen

gosh allen, i learned more off that 2nd link about bass fishing out here than i ever learned actually doing it in the southern states i;ve lived in.. thanks for sharing
Rich