The front pushing all that wind blew us off Colyar ledge so we had to play whack a pile for a while. Then things settled down to a steady downpour. Fellow Vet, Ken Bowen and buddy Bill McMichael came out with me. We had a great time pulling Mack's Cha Cha Squidders and Silver Horde's Kingfisher Lite spoons. Not a Chamber of Commerce day, but great fishing none the less.

Anton Jones - Darrell and Dad's Family Guide Service
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Jeff & I pounded away at Colyar ledge for nice piles of Lakers. Mack's Lures Cha Cha Squidders, Worden Lures T4 Flatfish and Silver Hordes Kingfisher Lite spoons all scored well. Depths from the 220's all the way out to 335 produced fish. Trolling at about 1.5 mph within 5 feet of the bottom once again was the ticket to getting fish to bite. Keeping steady pressure on the fish without pumping or jerking is the best way to convert bites into fish in the box. I got take long time customers Dave and Barb Mitchell out while Jeff hosted the host, Mike Carey and his CFO Joanne. It was a lovely morning once the early breeze laid down.

Anton Jones - Darrell and Dad's Family Guide Service
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Laketrout fishing has picked up over this week. Today we boated 14 laketrout and 1 Kokanee. The Abyss above the Yacht Club produced well for us. The Ace Hi-Fly for the laketrout and the Mini Ace Hi-fly for the Koks has been the best producers for me. We kept our baits next to the bottom at all times for the Laketrout. Thanks to all that fished with me over this reporting period. Tight lines to all and be safe!

Joe Heinlen - Lake Chelan Adventures & Rufus Woods Fishing Guide
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This report is for JoAnn and my last trip to Lake Chelan this year for kokanee. It’s been a unexpected and fun spring, and we have enjoyed the lake’s beauty and great kokanee fishing.

We arrived Saturday afternoon and had lines down around 3:30pm for the evening bite. Running the standard gear, 4 rods, stacked 20 feet apart on each downrigger. Trolling speeds in the 1.0-1.4 mph range. Shrimp on the gear, and we used a variety of sling blades or small dodgers, and my wedding rings or hoochie rigs.

At 4:05pm fish #1 came to the net, a nice 17” kok at 90 feet. We got two more fish over the next two hours and called it an evening at 6pm. Would have stayed out later but had evening activities planned, plus, the wind went from dead calm to breezy/white caps so it was an easy decision to call it good.

The next day we had planned on making it a full day, and we sure did! Started at 5:30am, rods running, and fished 4:40pm. We started at Monument, and got one/lost one. As the morning breeze calmed down JoAnn and I decided to run uplake to explore some areas we had not fished, namely up to the Yacht Club. Once up there got a tip from Anton Jones to work the north shore of this area (Stink Creek) and got three, and lost one – on a double, our first since coming early April. Things slowed down and we decided to again go exploring. We worked our way down lake, trolling along, just hoping for random fish. Just north of the State Park we got a couple rainbow trout, at 40 and 60 feet, which surprised me.

After fishing this location we took a break to help a stranded boat with two guys fishing, towing them to the State Park launch. We then fired up the big motor and ran all the way down to Rocky Point. We fished this area, over to the Blue Roofed Condos, and headed back to Wapato Point. By this time the afternoon bite started kicking into gear and saved our day, adding a few more to the cooler. We called it a day at 4:40pm, but again, I would say with the bite starting up we could have caught more. In any case, ended the day with seven kokanee and two rainbow. It was off to visit with Anton Jones and his wife, have dinner, and enjoy their company at the Fisherman’s Hideaway.

And so, our Lake Chelan kokanee adventures have come to an end. We enjoyed some of the best kokanee fishing we’ve ever experienced, and caught the biggest kokanee of our lives. But it’s time to explore new lakes and new adventures. Our two day break down:

(all gear was tipped with shrimp and corn)

Saturday:
4:05pm – 90 ft, orange hoochie, 17”
4:30 =- 90 ft, ornage hoochie, 13 1/3”
5:55 – 60 ft, purple wedding ring, 14 ½”

Sunday:

Monument Area

5:45am – 55 ft, orange hoochie, 16 ½”
6:30 – 40 ft, red/pink hoochie, lost
8:45 – 45 ft, red/pink hoochie, 18”

Stink Creek Area

8:45 – 45 ft, red/pink hoochie, 18”
9:05 – DOUBLE – 90 ft, orange hoochie, lost, 65 ft, orange hoochie, 16”
9:28 – 70 ft, purple wedding ring, 70 ft, 14”

State Park Area

12:10 – 49 ft, red/pink hoochie, rainbow, 13”
12:25 – 60 ft, bubble gum hoochie, rainbow, 13 ½”

Rocky Point Area

2:45 – 70 ft, amber wedding ring, lost
3:20 – 70 ft, amber wedding ring, 15”
4:35 – 90 ft, orange hoochie, 15 ½”
4:40 – 75 ft, orange hoochie, 17”

Well thanks to the Lundgren's for coming out with me. The early morning bite was particularly hot, then a lull, then we finished getting 2 out of a quad hook up. Pounding Colyar ledge from 230 to 320 feet deep at 1.5 mph once again triggered the biters. Mack's Lures Cha Cha Squidders and Silver Horde's Kingfisher lite spoons worked for us today. As always fish close to the bottom but don't drag...

Anton Jones - Darrell and Dad's Family Guide Service
WL.com Official Sponsor, (509) 687-0709 or toll-free (866) 360-1523