What’s hot is still fishing Roses Lake for over wintering Rainbow Trout. Also, continuing hot, is trolling the upper trench of Lake Chelan for nice numbers of Mackinaw. Additionally, the deep water above the Narrows has had a resurgence.
It has been good fishing for rainbows on Roses Lake. Try trolling cone head muddler minnows with an action disk up front or Mack’s Lures Smile Blade Fly for some catch and release action. Look for areas that are holding numbers of fish to drop an anchor and still fish. Pautzke’s Firebait in the American Wildfire on a slip sinker rig with a 30” leader worked best.
On Chelan, fish the upper end of the trench by working water from 200 to 240 feet deep. Troll at speeds of 1.3 to 1.6 mph as close to the bottom as you can. Worden Lures F7 Flatfish in Luminous Chartreuse and Silver Horde’s Kingfisher Lite Spoons in Chartreuse double Splatterback glow worked best. Out in the deep water above the Narrows, Worden Lures T4 Purple Glow Flatfish and Mack’s Lures Cha Cha Squidders were the most productive Lures.
Your fishing tip of the week is slow down when you start making mistakes. Here on Lake Chelan, fishing a lure out of tune or a bit of a head wind turning the nose of your boat can create some crazy line angles that result in line twist or monster tangles. Instead of hurrying up and redeploying your gear after a “cut and paste” operation, slow down and examine the minute details. Things like a clogged bead, a swivel that isn’t swiveling or a turned screw eye can make your life miserable. Fix that, and your problem goes away. Hurry up, and suffer a recurrence.
The kid’s tip of the week is to make a game out of fishing to sharpen their interest. Electronic media has created a competition for outdoor activities like fishing that is hard to overcome. One thing you can do is create tangible rewards for fishing success. Remember to bring up all the other things around you, but a small tangible reward can really sharpen the interest of mercenary grade schoolers. When the Northern Pikeminnow are swarming in the shallows, I pay $.25 a fish for my bait. It keeps them invested in their success. Let the kid that catches the biggest or most fish choose the location for the going home meal. Be creative, you get the idea.
Your safety tip of the week is to check and replace worn out lifejackets and safety gear as you get back out on the water this spring.
Anton Jones of Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service
1-866-360-1523 or http://www.darrellanddads.com
Check out the Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service Page on Facebook for daily updates and timely tips.
Pictured: 4/14/12 - David Carpenter with Ron & Chad Anderson all of Sedro Woolley, WA with their days catch of Lake Chelan Mackinaw.
Also Pictured: 4/9/12 - Alexander (9) and Jane (6) Raffetto of Bellevue with their mornings catch of Roses Rainbows. Their dad John took them out with us.