Joe's Fishing Report

July 27th, 2010
This evening started off with a battle with the wind blowing out of the east so i had to fish the Yacht Club area to find the Biters today..
The Ace Hi-Fly by Silverhorde baited with Pike minnow Strips with the "Secret Sauce" smeared on was the ticket for a successful night of Laketrout fishing.
Targeted depths from 115 to 185ft to find  the fish that were aggressive..Varied my speeds between 1.2 to 1.6 mph to trigger the strikes. There is alot of fish at and around the Yacht club so remember this spot when Momma Nature decides to throw you a curve in your plans..The only thing to remember when fishing at the Yacht Club Area is, you have got to pay real close attention to your Sonar because the bottom really changes fast and there is alot of floating Debris that can cause you problems with tangling on your downrigger line and fishing poles.
Tight lines to all and good luck out there..

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July 25th, 2010
Started again today going to the BAR!!!!! Mack Bar on Lake Chelan that is...But without a nibble in 4 passes over the shallow hump, I decided to move into the Lower trench and Pull the Ace Hi-Fly in Green spatterback Flavor to bang 7 nice laketrout in 2 hours..Really had my doubts that maybe this was going to be my "Day in the Barrel" but ended up being a real good trip.."If at first you don't Succeed Keep on Sucking until you do Succeed".. I just love that saying..
Thanks so much to Brenda & Mike Heinz and there 2 Girls for fishing with me today..
Tight Lines to all and be safe...

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July 24th, 2010
Today was alot tougher fishing than Yesterday..Trolled over alot of fish but they were light striking everything I passed by them. Wasn't that the fish were not hungry I think that it had to do with the pressure change that went on over night.
Targeted depths today between 120 and 160ft to find the few that we boated..
Kept my trolling speed between 1.2 and 1.5 mph
Thanks a bunch Greg Smith, Noah Phillips and boys for fishing with me today..
Tight lines to all and good luck on the water..

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July 23rd, 2010
Today started with the wind just ripping out of the Narrows. Wasn't sure I was going to be successful but when finally made it to Mack Bar the wind had slowed enough to fish..
Trolled the Ace Hi-Fly with Pikeminnow Fillets and Purple t-4 Flatfish today.
The fish bite was real good all morning long. Kept my presentation 1 to 3 ft off the bottom to find the biters..Ended the day with 12 nice laketrout.

Tight lines to all and Be careful of all the drift that is out there..Thanks to Andre Edgekowski and Father Bob for fishing with me today..

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July 21st,2010
Had an evening to spend with Family so we went out swimming and fishing on Lake Chelan..Trolled uplake over Mack Bar and saw lots of fish but no biters..Marked the fish on the GPS and let the Auto troll do its thing..Took us right back over those big fish and first hook up Both rods went off..Lost 1 and Boated a nice 6...lb. laketrout then on the turn banged a nice 5lb. Chinook..
Hit the auto pilot again and took us over these big fish again..This time a unbelievable hit on the right side Rod..I don't think I ever had a laketrout smoke it so hard..Instantly this fish peeled over a 100ft of line off so I new it was a monster, even for a moment I was thinking this might be "Walter".
The fight from this bad Boy lasted for 30 minutes..When I finally netted this fish it sounded like a Pack of Coyotes going off with my ladies on the boat..ended up weighing 21lbs. 5 oz.
My intention tonight was to catch 3 or 4 laketrout for the smoker..Success is always nice!!! Pictured first is my Youngest daughter Mariah and  then my Oldest daughter Miranda with the Biggest laketrout they have ever seen.. Tight lines to all and be safe on the water..

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July 12th, 2010

Well my day job made me take today off, so I got to go Fishing!!!!!

Started today in the Lower end of the Trench out from Rocky Point to get the "skunk fish" out of the boat. We boated 2 here .Mother nature decided to try to Blow Me Off the Water in this location so I had to make the move to the Yacht Club to get out of the wind. It was real nice up there for about 1 hr. then Momma did it again blowing in the opposite direction as it was earlier.

Pulled Gear in again and moved to the Face of Manson Bay to find our Big fish of the day...Trolled the Ace Hi-Fly in Green today..We ended the day with 5 nice laketrout..
Thanks so much to Larry Holter and Mel Loucks for Riding the Waves with me today..

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July 11th, 2010

This report is different than the norm, but thought that I would put this Link on here because I would like all to see that Chelan and our "Lake"  along with our Local Businesses,  getting very high rankings for Places to Visit in the United States..Everybody should be very proud to live in such a Beautiful Place!!!

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July 10th, 2010

Laketrout fishing on Mack bar today was tough goin..Lots of fish showing on the Sonar but would not commit to hammering my Wardens Lure T-4 Flatfish and well anything that I dropped to them in that manner..Really worked hard today to get them to go but we ended up getting a few in the long run..

I do expect the Mack bar to turn on in the near future with this many fish Showing..Keep your Baits 3 to 5 ft. from the bottom to be productive.

It was real cool to see all the Cigar Boats take off from the Boat Club on the Annual Poker Run to Stehekin this Morning..I do believe there was over 300 boats this year It was AWESOME to see..The roar from those Huge Motors echoed throughout the Lower Basin..Hope that everybody that lived on the water were not trying to sleep in this morning:)
Big Thanks to Jeff Ravenstein For fishing with me today..Tight Lines to all and Good Luck!!

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Fishing this morning was great again out on Mack Bar here on Beautiful Lake Chelan..Fished depths of 120 to 190ft.
I trolled the Purple Flatfish today..Did catch fish on the Ace Hi-Fly also. Thanks to Brian Byrd and Phyl Watson for fishing with me today..I did see a bunch of Logodiles floating around out there so be careful.. Tight Lines to all...

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Go to the Bar...Mack Bar that is on Lake Chelan..The Big boys are stacked on mack bar now but they are tricky to catch.

We trolled 3 times over these big fish and on the 4th pass the Biggin hit..Changed baits and lures 3 times trying to figure out what they wanted..The Ace Hi-Fly by Silverhorde in Green Glow again out-performed the Flatfish 8 to 1 in a 4 hour boat.

Trolled slower than average today because I could not get bit trolling fast over these fish..Slowed down to .9 to 1.2 mph to tick them off..I do think that the big Rain Storm we had the evening before really affected these fish..

Be willing to adapt here on Lake Chelan..Persistence was the key for this day for me to be successful. Thanks a Bunch to Jeff Tuttle and Gloria Tuttle for fishing with me today..

Tight Lines to all and be careful out there..There is a feww Logagators floating around now in the Lower lake:)

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Fishing on Lake Chelan remains very productive for Laketrout in the lower basin below Wapato Point around Rocky Point and Minneapolis Beach and on Mack Bar..Troll the Ace Hi-Fly and Glow Flatfish to find the biters.. Kokanee fishing remains slow on Lake Chelan. Troll Macks wedding ring baited with Pautzke Fire Corn behind a 4/0 dodger. The upper reaches of the lake is also producing some nice Rainbow and cutthroat as the lake reaches it's full Pool.. tight lines to all and good luck out there..

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June 12th, 2010
Wow what a great day to be on the water..Trolled the Action Disc with fish fillet strips today on Mack Bar to just bang the dickens out of the Laketrout..

Found nice fish in the 120 to 160ft depths today..They started hitting real hard then as the morning progressed the lakers started nibbling at the baits and when I saw that I would pop off the downrigger and they would come right back for it almost like Jigging..It was really cool to have them chase the baits and feel the strikes and then set the hook..different technique than usual, but remember to always be willing to change..I find Laketrout get used to the same old lure passing by them as the season goes along..Trolling the Purple Glow and Luminous Chartreuse Flatfish day in to day out gets old for me..My father told me at a young age and I quote " If at first you dont succeed Keep on Suckin until you do Succeed"..Big fish are smart they did not get big for being Dumb so dont be afraid to change it up especially if you are graphing those big arches down there..They sometimes need to see something different and that is what I did today..

Big fish today tipped the scale at 10lbs. 5 oz...ended the day with 9 very Quality Laketrout
Thanks so much to Brittany and Max for fishing with me..It was a Birthday Present to Max from Brittany..What a great couple..you were alot of fun..

Tight lines to all and good luck out there..

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Today was a repeat of my last outing on Lake Chelan by targeting the big arches on Mack Bar, except this time the fish cooperated well today..had 15 hits the first 2 hours with the Big fish tipping the scale at 12lbs. 11 oz.

I trolled the Ace Hi-Fly and a new rig that I have come up with..Wiggle fin disc in front of a double mooching rig baited with a strip of herring or other fish..This has been real productive for me when everything else don't seem to work. I trolled speeds of 1.2 to 1.5 mph to get um to bite today..Targeted depths from 119 to 185 ft to find the biters..A big thanks to Dave Helton and Vicky Shumaker for fishing with me today..Tight lines to all and be safe out there.

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Feel free to contact me anytime with questions.. Thanks so much to Scott Adams and son Jordan for fishing with me today..

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Today was different from yesterday..My Father had a saying that he used a lot when we were out fishing..We would catch fish in one area one day and then go there the next day and not get a bite he would say "Boys Chicken 1 day and feathers the next"..This is exactly what happened today..

Found all my fish off Rocky Point today instead of the Trench. It was like they just said we have had enough and it was time to move..Trolled the Ace Hi-fly again to out fish any other bait.. Ended today with 11 laketrout..not bad for our first 70 degree day and being on the receiving end of my first sunburn of the year..

Keep your presentation 1 to 3 ft off the bottom to be most productive and do not be afraid of change..Pay close attention to your sonar..I graphed a bunch of Shrimp balls today and where you see shrimp there will be Laketrout ..Tight Lines to all and good luck

Thanks so much to Benny Colobung, son Isaiah and Todd Coleman and son Max for fishing with me today..The Boys were real troopers..

                                                 

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What a beautiful morning of fishing today here on Lake Chelan..
Started today off dropping into the Trench in the lower Basin and before I could get all rods out we hooked up on a dandy laketrout..10lbs 9 oz. This fish hit in 65ft of water just off Pat and Mikes right before you start the drop into the Trench..

Trolled Bait today with the wigglefin disc and Ace Hi-fly for the top producer.. Ended the day with over 15 light bites and boating 7..

Keep your baits within 1 to 3 ft from the bottom to find the feeding Laketrout..Kokanee still have not shown themselves in the Lower lake in numbers but i do expect them to start hitting anydfay now that we are in a warming trend..

You will want to fish for the kokanee with 0000 silver dodger with Macks Lure Kokanee Pro with the hooks tipped with Green Giant Shoepeg Corn.. Stack the hooks full of the corn.. Also a great Alternative bait for the Kokanee is the Pautzke Fire Corn in Natural color and Green color.

A big thanks to Jeff Kluzak and Father Dave for fishing with me today..Tight Lines to all and good luck on the water..


                                                     

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April 10th, 2010

Boy what a great day and evening of fishing today.
I had 2 different Families out today.. My Morning group was Brian and Debbie Beavers from Montlake Terrace..We started trolling the edge of the trench to find a few but as the day progressed I found the strongest bite dead center in the Trench in front of Rocky Point..We flat Banged um on the Ace Hi Fly..ended the day with boating 14 with well over 25 bites..

Started my evening trip at 3:00pm with Joan & Jeremia(9yrs old) and Mike Thorn of Lake Stevens..
Same story started in the trench where we got the skunk out of the boat with a 5lber. As the evening progressed I started working the Southshore line along Minneapolis Beach where I found a whole pile of Lakers showing up on the ledges to start the evening feeding..We boated 10 Laketrout in 4 hrs..Thanks so much to all that fished with me today..Tightlines to all and good luck on the water...First Pictured is Brian and Debbie Beavers and 2nd Pictured is Joan, Jeremia and Mike Thorn

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Ok where to start...Got to Rufus at 7:00am..Launched the vessel into a Full Force Gail Wind and tied the boat to the dock. I had such high hopes of banging the Trips today but my High Expectations was getting blown away with every 20 mph wind gust that was slapping me in the face.

All in a matter of 20 minutes the wind gusts slowed and my customers showed up so we decided to tackle 1 thru 3 pump stations for the morning bite instead of getting pounded to death making the run to the pens.

Started trolling the "Joe" wooley bugger fly on 2 rods and 2 rods with jointed Rapalas. Got a few light strikes on the flies but no hook ups. So I decided to pull in a trolling rod and do a little casting to shore using a kastmaster spoon. Had few follows to the boat but they were acting curious not hungry. After about 20 minutes finally got a real good takedown on the Rapala and we boated our first real nice Triploid Rainbow. After pictures and getting the boat functioning, I spooled the Rapala back out 100ft. and know sooner put the rod in the holder got another hit. Fish shook his head a couple times and the rod went limp..Lost this fish and it was a dandy. It wasn't "Walter" but it was very nice fish. So I had Ken reel his spoon in and I tied on a Jointed Rapala on the casting rod since this is what the fish were hitting. Within 10 casts Ken hooked up on this dandy that is Pictured here. Any trout over 14lbs. is a dandy in my book.

Ended up being a great day of fishing, just a slow day of catching. Worked really hard to find biters but I do think that the Full moon and the weather had alot to do with the fish bite today
We experienced Wind, Rain,Hail,Snow and Sun oh ya did I say Wind all in 7 hours on the water.

Thanks to my crew today for battling it out..Tight lines to all and good luck out there..

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Lake Chelan remains productive for Laketrout but it has been challlenging with the Pressure changes as we are rolling along into spring time.
I have been working the lower basin hard by dragging the Ace Hi-fly in Green by Silverhorde to be most productive. Make sure when using this bait to vary your speed to create the wounded bait fish look to entice those light strikes. please feel free to contact me with questions anytime either by cell# or email..Tight lines to all and good luck. 1st pictured is Lonnie and Stacey Thomas from Lynnwood with a few Lakers..

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You have heard the saying "Chicken one day Feathers the Next"
After yesterday of catching 22 to go to catching 5 today was a shocker to me. I had numerous bites but they were lite striking everything. Really had to play with the baits today to get them to commit. I trolled Minneapolis Beach area again and did graph a bunch there but they just didn't like me today.
Found my aggressive biters in the trench today. Did manage to bang a 9 pounder for the big fish today.

Thanks a bunch to Sam and Steve Dilly and boys for fishing with me today.

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Well all I have to say is Wow for today..
I haven't had a bite like this in quite a while now..This is going down in my history book as 1 of the best bites that I have had here on Lake Chelan.

Started fishing the lower end of Rocky Point in depths of 180ft and trolled up Lake towards Minneapolis Beach along the South Shore to bang the dickens out of the Laketrout today. After I saw what the bite was like I new that I was going to have a 20 plus fish day from the start. They started just hammering the Ace Hi-Fly by Silverhorde in Green Spatterback and continued throughout the day to be productive but I thought that I would change it up and pull a Flatfish in Purple glow by Warden Lures which was very productive also..You know I think that I could have trolled a wool sock today and caught fish..The Ace with Northern Pikeminnow strip with my secret sauce smeared on has Proven to Out fish anything else not only for the Laketrout but for the Chinook here on Lake Chelan.

There is some tricks that I will share with all when rigging the Ace Hi-fly..Got to have a Wigglefin Disc by www.wigglefin.com or a Glow Smile Blade by Macks Lure in front of the Ace to start. I do like to run a double mooching rig with the Ace Hi-Fly. The front hook I use just to hold the bait on and rely on the back hook to do all the catching..Pike Minnow By far is the best bait but I know that is is hard to come by for most so herring is the best alternative. You should salt your herring until the fillet is stiff making the skin a lot tougher so then you can get more than 1 bite on the bait. next is to very your speed from 1.2 to 1.5 miles per hour constantly which makes the Ace look wounded. Hope this helps all in the Ace Fishing here on Lake Chelan.

A big thanks to Wayne Smith from Olympia and Buddy George from Wenatchee for fishing with me today. We ended the day with 22 Laketrout with well over 30 bites.. Tight lines to all and feel free to contact me anytime either by cell# or email and I will try my best to help you catch these Laketrout..

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Today was outstanding for the Laketrout in the lower Basin of Lake Chelan. Trolled the Purple glow Flatfish by Yakima bait Company today to boat 9 Laketrout with 6 other bites.

Found these fish off Minneapolis Beach in depths of 200 to 230ft.

I found today that when I kept my lure right at 5 ft off thew bottom the bite was better than my normal 1 to 3 ft.

Saw some more schools of Kokanee on the surface feeding on the daphnea bloom. The kokanee bite should pick up real soon. 

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Well it was tough this morning but managed to catch..The bite was real light. they were acting like they just were not hungry.

Trolled off the Yacht Club and the Cove to find this biggin..Moved to the lower basin off Rocky Point to find some biters but it was a battle to get the fish to go today.

I trolled the Ace Hi-Fly in the Green double glow and the T-4 Purple firetiger in glowand the U-20 luminous Chartreuse but here again the Ace Hi-fly out fished the other baits..

I saw 3 or 4 schools of the small kokanee again on the surface..I do expect the Koks to start turning on here in the next couple weeks with the weather that we are having..Tight Lines to all and good luck out there.

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Lake Chelan remains very productive for laketrout and a Chinook here and there in the lower basin..
Targeted depths this morning from 150 to 240ft to find the biters off Rocky point..
Troll the Ace Hi-Fly by Silverhorde and Whole herring to be most productive.

The Chinook bite seems to happen for me within the first hour of day light. Then the laketrout bite seems to start picking up as the sun gets high in the sky. For the Chinook troll herring with a green dodger at 50 ft right at daylight and gradually drop this presentation down to 150ft

After the first 2 hours, if you have not banged a Chinook, I would change to the Ace Hi fly in green and troll this bait 1 to 3 ft. off the bottom. Primarily when I change I am targeting laketrout but I do catch Chinook this way also.Good Luck to all and enjoy this beautiful weather..

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Well this week has still remained real good for the Laketrout here on Lake Chelan..I am still targeting Laketrout in the trench and on the edges..The Ace Hi-Fly has still been the bait of Choice but the U-20 Flatfish has been working well also in Purple Fire Tiger (Glow)..

A big thanks to all that fished with me..Pictured here is Owner of the Stillwater Inn Bed and Breakfast, www.TheStillwaterInn.com here on Lake Chelan..Don Forbush and brother..I will have a link real soon under my link section on the front page..Check out Don's website if you would like a real nice stay here in our beautiful Valley..

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Started this morning at Millbay launch at 7:30 am..Motored down the lake off Pat and Mikes and started fishing in 170 ft. of water where we caught our first Laketrout..Slowly worked our way into the trench and got into a real good bite in 200 to 215ft of water..we boated 14 in 4hrs with the big fish coming off the outrigger rod at 40 ft deep with a 12 oz. snap weight attached. 11lbs. 5 oz. 
A big thanks to Dr. Michael Downey, Casey Downey(15) and family friend Mark Richards for fishing with me today..Nice Pile of Laketrout!!!!

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Friday, February 5, 2010

Laketrout fishing in Lake Chelan remains very productive. I am catching fish in the normal Locations but today I found that there is more Laketrout showing up on Mack Bar now which is strange to me to see good numbers here this early in the year. I guess this early spring like weather is also affecting these fish.. I am banging some nice fish above the Yacht Club and also in the slot out from Rocky Point. Try trolling the Ace Hi-fly in Green Glow to be most Productive. Also dont be afraid to change to a Luminous Chartreuse U-20 flatfish.. A big thanks to all that fished with me over this last week..Also Pictured here is Doc Paris and wife with a nice mess caught off Rocky Point. Feel free to contact me either email or cell anytime and I will do my best to answer all questions.

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Today I am calling it a Logging day..We did nothing but Yard um in. If there was a rating 6 STARS this would have been the day.

Started in the Abyss above the Yacht Club targeting depths of 250 to 335ft. to find a few laketrout and boating our biggest at just under 10lbs. Bite was slow up there so I motored down to the lower Basin off Rocky Point and and Wow whaty a great bite..

Fished the Ace Hi-fly in Green to be most productive..Troll this bait within 1 to 3 ft. off the bottom at 1.2 to 1.4 mph. I did try some custom Spoons today that Bill Johnson brought along and I believe we got 6 on the new spoons.

With all that said we ended the day with 23 Laketrout. This will go down in my book in the top 20 trips of my guiding career..

A big thanks to Jeff Metcalf and son Nate(8yrs. old) of Mount Vernon along with Bill Johnson of Arlington for fishing with me today..I got to say to Nate, who is 8 yrs old ,wow what a treat to have you on the boat and you did a great job helping me with the fish..Tight Lines to all and be safe

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Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Well the weather was not as nice today but the fish bite was even  better than yesterday..We targeted Laketrout today above the Yacht Club in depths from 185 to 335 ft.

The Ace Hi-Fly smeared with Pautzke Kreel Gel out fished the T-4 Flatfish  5 fish to 1 today..troll this bait between 1.4 and 1.6 mph to be most productve...Thanks again to Mr. Wine for fishing with me this weekend. Tight Lines to All..

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Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

What a beautiful day...I don't think that I could think of anything that I would rather be doing on such a nice day..Oh ya the fishing on Lake Chelan is down right on fire for the Laketrout in the lower basin. Troll the Ace Hi-Fly with Pautzke Kreel Gel smeared on  within 3 ft. of the bottom to be most productive. I think that we had over 15 hits by 9:00 am after starting at 7:30am. Off Rocky Point is where they are stacked..Finding these fish in the 185 to 220 ft. depths.. If you do head out to tackle some of these Laketrout take some time to just look around at where you are and you will find that you are in one of the most beautiful spots in all of the United States with the snow capped hills. It is always a reminder to me personally on how blessed I am to be able to live in such a beautiful place. Tight lines to all and good luck fishing.

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Monday, January 18, 2010

Lake Chelan remains very productive for Laketrout and the occasional King..Been catching a few Laketrout above 10lbs. now above the Yacht Club..Ace Hi-fly still remains the lure of Choice for me.. Rufus Woods has been real challenging for catching the Triploid Rainbow now that the water Temperature has dropped below 40 degrees..Catching a few fish with Jigs around the pens and getting some to bite trolling Jointed rapalas along the shorelines..Patients is the key now..Don't give up keep hammering away with changing presentations and it will pay off with the possibility of banging that 10+ lb. Rainbow trout..Tight Lines to all and good luck..Pictured is Marla of Lake Wenatchee with a nice triploid from the lower Pens

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1/09/2010
Rufus Woods this last week has been a challenge to get the Big Bows to bite. But managed to catch a few casting Super Roostertails in Black and also Trolling rapalas has been real affective when the fingers get a little cold. Lake Chelan is still real good fishing in the lower Basin of Lake Chelan. Troll the Ace Hi-Fly by Silverhorde in the Green Spatterback color to be most productive. A big thanks to Brian Gather and Father for fishing with me today at Rufus Woods. That is a Trophy Rainbow that you caught. Tight Lines to all and be safe at the boat launches..

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Holy Smokes the fishing in Lake Chelan is outstanding right now for the Laketrout in the Lower Basin of Lake Chelan off Rocky Point and Minneapolis Beach. Troll the Ace hi-fly smeared with Pautzke Kreel Gel, 1 to 4 ft off the bottom at 1.4 mph to be most productive..I think I had well over 20 hits today.. Big thanks to Mike Dzuik and boys from Seattle for fishing with me..I do have to say that this is one of the best days I have had in quite a few months out on the Lake.. Tight Lines to all and stay warm...

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Rufus Woods has picked up now that the water Temp has dropped and the Triploid Bows are hungry..Try pitching a Roostertail by Warden Lures or a Black Rock dancer Jig by Macks Lure to be most productive..I am finding that the Rainbow are starting to hold tighter to the shores now looking for critters to eat.  When the fingers start getting cold switch it up to trolling Black Flies close to the shoreline. I am running to the Pens most every trip then work my way back down the reservoir throughout the day hitting some hotspots where I have done well in the past. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all and a Huge Thank You to all that Supported me through my separation away from Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service. It was the best move that I have made to grow Lake Chelan Adventures. Just wish that I had taken the step sooner. Tight Lines to all.

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The Fishing and Catching remains very good for Laketrout here on Lake Chelan in the Lower Basin off Rocky Point and Minneapolis Beach in the depths below 180ft. The Picture of the 3 fellows is our second day outing of a 2 day trip.
Most of the Lakers that I am catching now are just stuffed full of the Little Shrimp which really creates a real red flesh in these fish making them really good eating right now. Troll the Ace Hi-Fly in green glow smeared with Pautzke Kreel Gel to be most productive keeping this presentation 1 to 3 ft off the bottom. don't be afraid to slow your speed down and then speed up, this really is working to trigger the strike.
I had mentioned in a previous report that I will include a photo of prime Locations where I target the Laketrout..The Picture here is of Minneapolis Beach which is on the Southshore of the lake about 2 miles from downtown Chelan.
Everybody be safe and careful at the Launches..Tight Lines to all and Good Luck!!!

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November 27, 2009

Well Rufus Woods has been very challenging over this last week but I am seeing a change for the better as the water temperature gradually drops.
Most of the Triploids are feeding on snails and stickleback still..Trolling over this last week has not been productive and the reasoning is that most fish are feeding over and in the weed beds that are still real thick along the shorelines.
I have been doing my best pitching spoons and spinners and little black marabou Jigs and ripping them over the weeds and then letting it fall on the edge of the outside weed beds. I think that the Rainbows think that it I a little fish or bug that is trying to get away from them and then just gives up when it reaches the deeper water. Most of my strikes have been when I stop the bait and let it fall.
From the Pens down to pump 3 has been most productive. The can line is not holding a lot of fish which makes perfect sense because of what they are feeding on right now.
At first light you will see a few surface feeders when launching at the Army Corps Launch. Don’t be afraid to pitch a Roostertail in Black at these surface feeders. They are actively feeding on midges and will hit the Rooster.
I have been asked by lots this year on when is the primetime to tackle Rufus and I have got to say this is a different year than the past 2 years because the water temperature has remained warmer than the past. I do think that it will pick up when the temperature drops into the mid 40’s.
Rufus Woods right now is a true Fishing trip not a Catching trip but what a beautiful place to be with all the Waterfowl and Critters and also there is always that chance of banging that “BIG BOW”.
Tight lines to all and feel free to contact me with any questions that you might have.

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November 15th, 2009

Well I finally got a day out on Chelan after this last week of focusing on Rufus Woods, and what a morning it was..

Started trolling the Ace Hi- Fly Smeared with the Pautzke Kreel Gel, off the bottom at Rocky Point to find some Laketrout then moved to Minneapolis Beach to find a few more..I think we had 7 lakers in 3 hrs so I proceeded to process fish with all the rods in the water and then BAM.. This Beautiful Lake Chelan Chinook hit and flat tore me up ..What a fish..anyway finished with 8 Lakers and a Chinook for a 4 hr. boat.. Feel free to contact me with questions or comments anytime..Tight Lines to all and good luck..

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November 7th, 2009

I have been up fishing at Rufus Woods for the last 3 days and boy have I had a battle with the strong winds and the slow Triploid Rainbow Bite. I have thrown I think everything that I have at these fish. They are chasing the baits but not committing to strike..I have seen some really big trout. Where I am finding a few biters is in the lower basin of the lake.. Yesterday the bite came on spoons and today I got them to go trolling Flies. I think I do know the reason for the Lethargic Bite is do to the recent pressure fronts and also the water temperature is still 58 degrees. Good luck out there and be safe.
 
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October 25th 2009……Rufus Woods has been very good fishing over this last week along with a consistent bite still happening on Lake Chelan for the Laketrout…Try casting Spoons and spinners to the shorelines at Rufus..The Kastmaster in Green has worked well and the ¼ oz Roostertail in Black has caught fish..When the water temperature drops into the 50’s at Rufus Woods, this fishery is going to turn RED HOT..
Troll the ACE Hi-fly by Silverhorde for the Laketrout and the occasional Chinook. trolling speed should be between 1.2 and 1.6..keeping your presentation right next to the bottom..Mack Bar is producing good numbers right now.
Good Luck to all and for questions or comments feel free to call my cell# anytime..Tight Lines

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October 18th , 2009….Lake Chelan remains very Productive for Laketrout in the Lower Basin of Lake Chelan..Mack Bar has produced very good numbers of Lakers in the Mornings and Evenings..Try trolling the Ace Hi-Fly by Silverhorde smeared with Pautzke Kreel Gel to be most Productive on the Bar..As the morning progresses around 9:00 am I have been moving to Rocky Point to keep the fish bite going..Same technique has been working in this Location.
Rufus Woods is starting to pick up..Had to really Work hard to get the fish to bite but when it happens you are very rewarded with a real nice Triploid Rainbow..The Rainbow pictured is right at 8 lbs. Started fishing at the Pens with I think the slowest bite I have seen up there and then moved down between pump # 1 and 4 to find a few willing to Bite..Try trolling Wooley Bugger Flies on the surface real close to the shore and if this don’t work move out from shore and cast Roosters in ¼ oz. size in Black or Brown color seems to work well..Thanks to all that fished with me over this Reporting period..Tight Lines to all and Good Luck out there


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October 13th , 2009…
Another week has past and what an unbelievable week it has been for weather here in North Central Washington....With weather temperatures in the high 70s and low temperatures in the middle teens..I think that we set records on the high end and on the low end in the same week for this month..But the Laketrout fishing has remained productive on Lake Chelan with a real good bite happening early on Mack Bar.
Try trolling the Ace Hi-fly by Silverhorde keeping this bait 1 to 4 ft off the bottom and your trolling speed should be between 1.1 and 1.4 mph to be productive.....Good Luck to all and be safe out there..



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October 4th, 2009
Lake Chelan remains productive for Laketrout and Chinook over this last week even though it is getting a little tougher due to Mother Nature and the Laketrout moving into full spawn mode now..

Still finding good numbers of Laketrout in the lower trench off Pat and Mikes and also Mack Bar is holding some big fish right now..

Try trolling the Ace Hi-fly by Silverhorde smeared with Pautzke Kreel Gel, keeping this bait 1 to 4 ft off the bottom and your trolling speed should be between 1.1 and 1.4 mph to be productive.

A big Thank you to all that fished with me over this last week...

Good Luck to all and be safe out there..

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September 13th, 2009
Fishing here on Lake Chelan remains very good for Laketrout and once in a while you get lucky and get one of our Gems of the Lake Summer Chinook.
I have been Fishing mainly in the Lower Basin of Lake Chelan but my season for Rufus has begun so I will be posting photos from Rufus in the near future..
Try trolling Flies at Rufus Woods on the surface very slow and if this doesn’t seem to work try tossing a 1/8th oz. Black Marabou Jig to the shore and retrieve it with a jigging motion..This is a deadly technique for these triploids..
I want all to know that Darrell and Dads Family Guide service are planning to guide at Rufus Woods this year but for all to remember I was the guide through there service, but now I am on my own with Lake Chelan Adventures and ready to start “Banging the Bows at Rufus Woods” this Fall…Good Luck to all and tight Lines…Feel free to call my Cell# with Questions or comments..




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September 7th, 2009
Fishing remains consistently good on Lake Chelan for Laketrout and the occasional Chinook. Try presenting your bait shallow at first light and what I mean by shallow is 70 to 100 ft off Rocky Point and as the day progresses you have to drop into the trench to find the biters. I have been trolling a few herring and also the Ace-Hi fly by Silverhorde to produce both Laketrout and Chinook over this last week.
The Laketrout are starting to stage for the up-coming spawn just down lake of the State Park now. I do expect these fish will be in full blown spawn mode by the end of the month which can make it real tough to get them to hit because they are not wanting to Feed while spawning. Good Luck to all and thanks to all that fished with me over this reporting period. Also a Huge Thanks to the Kelly’s Ace Hardware Staff for supporting Lake Chelan Adventures..The crew here has made my transition away from Darrell and Dads family Guide Service very easy..Thanks So Much!!!!



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August 25th, 2009

Lake Chelan remains very Productive for Laketrout in the Lower Basin of Lake Chelan..What I am finding now is that Minneapolis Beach is holding good numbers at first light and then I am having to follow these fish as the morning progresses into deeper water.Bait of Choice still has been the Northern pikeminnow rigged on a mooching rig which resembles a bait fish...I am still finding lots of shrimp and occasional Stickleback in there stomachs..try varying your speed when you have fish on your sonars.. this has been real productive for me over this last week. Sometimes your Presentation is just not enough to get these fish to go so by varying your speed it will give it a injured look which will make these fish a little more willing to check it out..Good Luck to all and tight lines..




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August 18th 2009

Fishing remains very good in the Lower lake..Mack bar has Produced some nice fish in the evenings and off Rocky point has been very Productive in the mornings for me over this reporting period..

Top bait of Choice By far is the pike minnow Filllet on a Double Mooching rig trolled just off the bottom..I have caught fish .5 mph to 2.5mph using this technique..doesn't seem to really matter the speed that your trolling..The key here is to have your bait next to the bottom at all times. Within 2 ft is the key..

I am still above my average from years past on numbers of fish coming to my boat..It has been an outstanding summer here on Lake Chelan..Tight Lines to all and Good Luck and remember when you have a fish on and it jumps right at the boat "DO NOT THROW THE POLE IN"!!!!..This happened just a couple days ago. I have got to say a farewell to the 9ft. Gloomis and a LC 500 Shimano Tekota..You have been real good to me and I am going to miss you!!! Oh ya the fish that jumped was a 12 to 14 lb. Lake Chelan Chinook that swam staight down with Rod and Reel...Thanks to all that fished with me this last week..


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August 8th, 2009

August 8th, 2009…The fishing in Lake Chelan remains very Productive for Laketrout in the Lower Basin of the Lake ..The Chinook are still still hitting but this last week I only boated 3 kings and lost 3....The early morning bite has been outstanding along with the evening bite coming on strong now that we are heading into the second half of August..
The Ace Hi-fly with herring or Pike minnow strips by far has out-produced the Flatfish over this last week..I have been averaging over 10 fish in a 4hr. boat..It has been the best July and August that I have seen in Years for good numbers of Laketrout and Chinook..
As the summer continues I do expect the Laker Bite to slow as these fish start staging for the fall spawn..This is the time to hammer away at just Below the State park in those hard to fish benches where these Laketrout spawn..The Laketrout is a Broadcast Spawner which means that they do not make a nest, they use a Rocky structures to hide there eggs and this is why just above the Monument is a great location to find these mature fish in the fall..these fish can be down right tough to get to bite because they are not focused on feeding they are focused on spawning so you have got to be patient and keep your presentations in the fish..You have to make them angry which in turn they will hit out of aggression. Persistence is the Key..Tight Lines to all and good Luck out on the water…Be Safe…




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August 1st, 2009




If you have a chance you should head to Lake Chelan and try for these Laketrout..The smoke from our recent fire didn't seem to affect the Laketrout Bite at all..
The fishing here has been the best I have seen in a long time with my boat averaging 12 or more in a 4 hr boat..Bait of choice has been whole herring trolled deep on the bottom and also a strip of Pikeminnow has been very productive..
Troll for these fish off Mack Bar and Minneapolis Beach in the mornings and then drop into the deep spots off Rocky Point as it starts to get hot ...trolling speeds between 1.2 and 1.5 have been the best for Chinook and the Lakers..

My tip here is that if something is not working By god we have got to fix it right now..I know that there is Guides and fishers out there that get stuck in a routine and don't want to change either with what there fishing with or location..My Father taught me along time ago that "IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED YOU KEEP ON SUCKIN UNTIL YOU DO SUCCEED":)..I guess what I am getting at is do not be afraid of Change..It will make you more successful while fishing our Gem, Lake Chelan..Tight Lines to all and good luck. Pictured is Lynn Allen (Grandpa) and son Brent with Aiden with a nice haul of Laketrout..Aiden caught 9lb. 12 oz. Laketrout all on his own..Thanks to Lynn Allen and Family..

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Week ending July 24th 2009..July has been the best month that I have had in Years here on Lake Chelan for numbers of Laketrout and Chinook..Mornings have been the best bite but evenings have been productive also.
Lower Basin of Lake Chelan has been the key for me trolling in depths of 160ft to 240 ft. Keep your Bait or lure next to the bottom at all times to be most productive..I have caught most fish on Strip baits and herring over this month but I have been picking up fish on a new spoon By SilverHorde . The 4 Kingfisher Lite has been very productive over this reporting period.
I have had numerous calls this week on where I am targeting these Laketrout and Chinook…I have caught fish at every location I can think of this last week..The Mack Bar is loaded with fish as well as the Trench off Rocky Point..Minneapolis Beach has been a great go to spot after the bite slows on the Bar..
Just a reminder to all to be safe at all times when operating Personal Watercraft and to give plenty of room to all..Also I would like to add that when operating these watercrafts and you see a fishing boat on Chelan to steer clear. I believe the rule is 100ft..
Tight Lines to all and good Luck on the water…..

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Week ending 7/12/09…

Well all I can say is that the Laketrout Fishing is on fire here on Lake Chelan..I have been averaging in the morning trips way above my normal average and also I am still mixing in a Chinook here and there..
I have been targeting these fish off Pat and Mikes at first light and gradually dropping into the trench off Rocky Point as the day progresses..I am finding these fish are biting bait better than the normal Flatfish and spoons..Also I have been hitting Mack Bar hard for those stubborn double digit size Lakers..A Trick here that I have found a lot more productive was to Speed up when I saw fish in the strike zone instead of slowing my speed..Made the bait or lure look like it is trying to get away which triggered the instinct of the Laketrout to strike.
Tip of the week that I found very productive was to continually adjust my speed to produce doubles and triple hook ups..
Boy all I got to say is that I am blessed to be a guide here in our Valley..These mornings have been outstanding not only fishing but the beautiful views and Mother Nature has been very kind to me..Tight lines to all and Good luck..
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Need more info?

Have a question about fishing on Lake Chelan or Rufus Woods? Email me or call me and I'll be glad to answer your questions.