What continues hot is trolling for Mackinaw during the “bankers bite” on Lake Chelan. The early morning bite for Lakers on Chelan has also been consistently producing some nice fish. We are really getting wound up about Steelhead season. It’s just a month to the opener. Our guys are already curing eggs and shrimp with Pautzke’s Fire Cure to prepare for another banner run of Steelies in the Upper Columbia.
Although it was tough during the reporting period, fish for those Chinook with Plug Cut Super Baits in Hot Tamale behind a big Hot Spot Flasher.
Continue to fish for Lake Trout on Chelan with Kingfisher Lite Spoons by Silver Horde off the downriggers and little F7 flatfish off the outriggers. You can fish plain Super Baits to catch Lakers, too. No need for a big flasher for our Macks. We are still fishing the Bar, first thing in the morning. Once that sun is a fist above the horizon move over to Sunnybank or Minneapolis. By 8:30 you should be pounding those fish in the trench. That lower section of the trench, where the depth is 227 to 233 feet deep is the heart of it. If you have kids and need to “scratch” for numbers of small fish, try the face of Manson Bay.
Your fishing tip of the week is to shrink your presentation, use subtle attractors and slow down when the bite gets tough. During the reporting period we had a couple of tougher days after the big weather change. I shrunk my stuff down to little F7 flatfish, slowed down to 1.1 or 1.2 mph and sometimes added a smile blade by Mack’s Lures or an action disk by Wiggle Fin to entice those tight-mouthed fish. And, we still got our fish.
The kid’s tip of the week is to watch those groups of kids for signs of fatigue and stay ahead of the discipline curve. When you have a group of kids out, pay attention when it feels you have become a referee. When they are picking at each other it is a dead giveaway that you need to switch gears. They are bored. A location change, an activity change, or interject a snack or resort to rapid-fire distractions are all preferable to becoming the heavy-handed disciplinarian and changing the tone of a fun outing.
The safety tip of the week is to keep at least a hundred foot buffer between you and any other boat when you are up and running. More distance is better. It not only gives you more reaction time in the event of something unexpected, it lessens the side wake to the other boat. Summer’s almost over…
Pictured: 8/23/10 Conner Fochesato (11) of Arlington, WA with a 12 pound early morning Laker. He was fishing with his Dad, Peter. Conner reported that it was the best fishing day he ever had! Way to go Andy! 8/26/10 Evie and Ed Martin of Grants Pass, OR with their morning’s catch of Lake Chelan Mackinaw. Another beautiful day in paradise.
