What’s hot is trolling for
big Lake Trout on the Bar on Lake Chelan early in the morning. Later in the morning, the trench provides nice
numbers of eating sized lakers. Kokanee
on Lake Chelan are scattered and collecting more at the Narrows. We are really getting jazzed for the Upper
Columbia summer salmon season.
Lake Trout continue
to bite trolled Worden Lures T4 purple glow flatfish on the Bar. This bite is best before 7AM. Fish near the bottom in depths of 120’ to 160’
for best success in getting these big fish to bite. Speeds of 1.2 to 1.5 mph are most
effective. Later in the morning fish
Mack’s Lures Cha Cha Squidders baited with a strip of Northern Pikeminnow in the
trench in depths of 175 to 245 feet deep at 1.1 to 1.4 mph.
This season’s nice
sized Kokanee on Lake Chelan are getting even more difficult to locate. These fish are moving out of the lower Wapato
basin now. Anglers should focus their
efforts between Wapato Point and the Narrows during the first half of July. I expect them to be concentrated in the
Narrows by the 4th of July getting ready to begin their uplake
migration to the Stehekin River and its tributaries in the latter part of July
or first part of August. You can continue
to chunk out fish in the traditional spots, but it’s not easy anymore.
WDFW is predicting
that large numbers of Chinook and Sockeye will be returning to our part of the
world. They aren’t arriving above Wells
Dam in numbers yet, but they are coming.
Keep your fingers crossed that we get a thermal barrier built up at the
mouth of the Okanogan.
Your fishing tip of
the week is to remember not to toss your corn into the lake when you are
finished Kokanee fishing. Even though it
makes a great bait on the hooks, kokanee cannot digest it or pass it. If they load up on loose corn it will kill
them.
The kid’s tip of the
week is to create that game within the fishing activity to make it
interesting. Then stack the deck so they
can’t lose. One dad kept his kid happy
and engaged the whole trip by doing $1 bets on first fish, biggest fish and
smallest fish. Then he let him fight all
the fish! The kid was thrilled at the
prospect of the $3. That’s just an
example. Be creative. Remember it is supposed to be fun.
The safety tip of
the week is also an additional kid’s tip.
Really take your time when fitting small children with life jackets. It will be way easier to keep them in a life
jacket that is their favorite color and doesn’t chafe…
Anton Jones of Darrell
& Dad's Family Guide Service
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Pictured: 06-25-12 - Brothers in Laws Rafael Colon and
Doyle Mears with a pair of monsters. A 19lb 10z and 20lb 3 oz Lakers. They
fished with Rafael's kids, Alex (6) and Nadia (7). They are from
Portland.
Also Pictured: 06-26-12 - Isaac Bestebreur (9) of
Prosser, WA with his 18lb 12oz Laker. He fished with his mom, Alison and his
triplet siblings, Grace and Rebekah
