Chelan Fishing Report For 11/23/2105 From Anton Jones Of Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service

LAKE CHELAN AREA FISHING REPORT FOR 11/23/15

    We have made it through our first big cold snap of the winter and now we are getting our first significant snow fall, but our early winter pattern of trolling the Barrens and the Trench for Mackinaw on Lake Chelan continues hot.  Also continuing hot is bank fishing and trolling for planter Rainbow Trout on Roses Lake. 

    We troll for these mostly eating sized Lakers from 220 to 245 feet deep.  Fish within 3 to 5 feet of the bottom and keep your speed around .8 to 1.3 mph.  Glow in the dark Smile Blades from Mack’s Lure continue to be the go to attractor here on Lake Chelan.  Put those in front of a 4 inch needlefish squid rig by Silver Horde, bait them with a piece of Northern Pikeminnow and scent everything with Pautzke’s Krill Juice to keep yourself consistently into the fish.  These fish are completely jammed full of Mysis shrimp.  This in turn makes the meat especially delectable.  While we find those mysids in our Lakers all year, this late fall / early winter time really concentrates that feed in the lower basin to fatten up our fish. 

    Rainbow trout on Roses Lake can be caught by a variety of methods.  Catch them from shoreline locations with Pautzke’s Firebait in American Wildfire using a 30” leader on a slip sinker rig.  You can also catch them trolling using Mack’s Lure Mini Cha Cha Squidders behind a Mack’s Lure 0000 Double D Dodger.  Bait those mini cha cha’s with a piece of worm or a small nugget of Pautzke’s Fire Bait.  WDFW planted approximately 16,000 fish that were 2.4 fish to the pound.  Those are about 9” fish.  So far, Roses hasn’t frozen over and shore anglers are limiting in less than an hour. The recent windstorm will force you to park up on the street until the fallen trees are cleared from the WDFW access drive. 

    BTW, access to Omak Lake is limited to car top boats due to low water making the rough launch unuseable. 

    Your fishing tip of the week is to take a page out of the tournament anglers strategy book and prepare plans A, B, C and maybe even D to make efficient use of your precious “on the water” time.  This could mean rigging trolling gear and lining up lures so that if plan A’s presentation you can work through your progressions without having to search and then tie knots with chilly fingers.  If you are going to switch from still fishing to casting, have those rigs prepared and ready to put into action.  This requires thinking ahead and preparing at home.  Keeping your presentation in a prime location in an attractive way will make you more successful.  It’s only logical. 

    I will dispense with normal format for my first post Veteran’s Day Report to share my thoughts and feelings before moving on in future reports.  I believe the best thing that we can do to honor our war dead is live well and joyously.  However, I think it is occasionally necessary to reflect and appreciate their sacrifices.  My friend, Terry Gilden was killed in the Beirut Embassy bombing of 1983 by Hezbollah militants.  The mission there was to bring the bloody civil war in Lebanon to an end.  In 1993, my friend, Randy Shugart was killed by militants of a Somalian warlord.  The mission there was to clear the way for food supplies to reach hundreds of thousands of starving civilians in rural Somalia.  While critical thinking is necessary and skepticism can be useful, make no mistake.  Flawed as we might be, we are the good guys because men like my friends answered the call and do their best to implement our national will.  George Orwell said it best:  “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”  Just reflect for a moment about the lifestyle we enjoy and give thanks for these men.

Pictured:  11-17-15:  Arlen Thompson of Othello with his morning Macks.

Also Pictured:  11-18-15:  Bart and Ben Harmeling, the father and son duo from Wenatchee with their results from trolling the Barrens of Lake Chelan with Jeff. 

DARRELL & DAD’S FAMILY GUIDE SERVICE

509-687-0709

www.darrellanddads.com

check out our Facebook Page