On the lake this coming weekend

[NineFingerFury]

Am I crazy? Probably. Cabin fever is killing me! I've made plans with two other Western Bass Club members to take our small boats out on a local lake this coming weekend. Any cold water, real winter tactics? I have a shaky head and bitsy bug jig rigged up on finesse spinning gear. Trying to figure out what to rig on my baitcasters.

[Amx]

Nope, not crazy. I plan on going myself.

Use dropshot with a 4" worm and a 6" worm on a spinning rod. Also try a tube and crawdad imitation. With a drop from the hook to the weight of 12" to 2feet.

Use a 3/4oz jig on your bait caster. Have a 1/2 oz jig on another bait caster or spinning rod. Put a crayfish imitation on either or both. Use a Sweet Beaver or Hulagrub on the other, or both.

Brown, green, pumpkin for colors.


Be sure to watch the 'Winter Fishing Lake Washington' video in the video section. Same ideas regardless which lake you go to.

Fish from 40 to 60 ft depths.

[Amx]

Oh ya, the jig can be black and blue also.

[NineFingerFury]

Thanks Tom. Any local little lakes worth visiting? We were thinking 12 in Black Diamond just for the hell of it.

[Amx]

12 is pretty shallow as I remember, only fished it once. If there fish the deep spot and the docks, logs and such. The only lakes in this area that I've fished in the winter is Washington, Sammamish, Sawyer, and Meridian sorta once a couple years ago. You might try 12 one day, and Sawyer or Meridian the other day. You can even fish between the Newport boat launch and the bridge on Washington if the wind isn't too bad for the small boats. IF the wind is there at all, haven't heard if it's going to be windy.

There is also Panther Lake, and Spring Lake, east hill Kent. Spring lake use to have a rule of no gas motors, I don't know if that was changed or maybe no motors at all now. Wouldn't know who to call and ask about it either. Don't know about Panther Lake.

[TrackerPro16]

I have hit Washington a number of times fot Cutts this year when it was below 40. Have not been out for a few weeks as I was catching too many Salmonoids with his my 'usual' presentation. Changed it up but got then got sick, did other hobbies, didn't feel like getting cold, boat show, bla, bla, bla. Definitely not going if it is snowing! Did that once this year. No top on my boat! Brrrrrrrrr!

[davidwat1]

Don't be shy about going after largemouth this early in the year, especially if you get 3 or 4 days of consistent (stable) weather leading up to your outing. I've caught them on Sammamish in less than 5 feet of water on a swim jig before valentines day. Not saying you'll load the boat, but there are some big girls that don't seem to stray too far from the shallows regardless of the water temp. Good luck and Tight lines...

[sbasser]

12 is pretty shallow as I remember, only fished it once. If there fish the deep spot and the docks, logs and such. The only lakes in this area that I've fished in the winter is Washington, Sammamish, Sawyer, and Meridian sorta once a couple years ago. You might try 12 one day, and Sawyer or Meridian the other day. You can even fish between the Newport boat launch and the bridge on Washington if the wind isn't too bad for the small boats. IF the wind is there at all, haven't heard if it's going to be windy.

There is also Panther Lake, and Spring Lake, east hill Kent. Spring lake use to have a rule of no gas motors, I don't know if that was changed or maybe no motors at all now. Wouldn't know who to call and ask about it either. Don't know about Panther Lake.

Panther is gated and the "boat launch" is a mud flat...no bueno. Spring Lake is a nice lake, but be aware that the West End is silt about 20' deep, so don't jump out there for a potty break! Lake Desire is a nice lake (and has given up some nice LM for me), but it's gated and I suspect it's closed until sometime in April. Also Lk. Moneysmith, same deal. As for the motor deal, look it up in the DF&W regs book under Westside Lakes. It's always been electric only, tho I haven't fished it since the early '90's. I think it would be closed until April also. Meridian would get my vote, but for sure, look at the regs to be sure if it's open or not. I think it is, but wife says I'm often wrong. What does she know? Everything, apparently.

[Amx]

As I mentioned, I think, Meridian has been a year around lake for MANY years now, I know I mentioned it in some thread recently, but don't look on the King County page about lakes as they also say it a no gas motor lake, but it HAS been a lake that you can use gas motors for centuries, or so. :-) . But back in the '70s it WAS a spring/summer/fall only lake, ya know, April to Oct. I don't remember when it became a year round lake. Back when we fished Spring it was an electric motor only lake, but we could have a gas motor on the boat, just raised up out of the water. Yes things change over the years, and no the WDFW doesn't always say if a lake is 'no gas motors' lake or not. I've been fishing Meridian since '72 and it's always been a gas motors ok lake.

[sbasser]

DF&W officials came to a WBC meeting back in the '90's, and we asked about the "electric only" rules. They said that if DF&W says in their list that the lake is "electric only", then no gas motor may be mounted on the boat. If the County posts the lake as "electric only", then it's ok to have a gas motor on the boat, but not legal to use it. Kinda dopey, but that's government agencies for you.

About Lk. Meridian...I can't remember Meridian ever being "no gas". Lots of skiing and water turds on there. The day I caught the LM in the picture, IIRC, we didn't run the gas motor even to put it back on the trailer, and we made one full lap of the lake. Hadn't been on it for decades.

I must say, that while the launch ramp itself (park, King Co. or Kent?) is fine, it was (like Coulon and many others) obviously designed by somebody who had never launched a boat, backed a trailer, or even parked a truck/trailer combination. Not ideal, leading to problems for folks who can't back a trailer around a corner and into the water. Also, IIRC, not designed for car-toppers and "assemble at the beach" boats, without putting those in the way of trailer boats. Too bad.

[sbasser]

April 3, 2017. First time to fish this year, first and only fish for the trip, a 5 lb. Smallmouth and new PB SM from Lk. Meridian. She had a big belly and full of eggs, waiting for Spring to warm things up some. Water temp was 49-51 F, and as a result, the fish didn't fight much at all. It's been many years since I had a PB from the West side of the mountains. C&R, Steve

[Amx]

Congrats on the great Smallie.

Be sure to post this in the Trophy Bass Gallery Thread.

[TrackerPro16]

Dang! Nice fish! I never caught one that big on Meridian. Congrats!

[sbasser]

FWIW, both fish in both pictures came from Lk. Meridian. The LM was probably October 2015, and the SM was a week ago. Both fish came on 5" GP Zoom lizards, the LM splitshotting but swimming it, the SM shaky head on the bottom. We haven't fished Meridian between those two days, so almost a year and a half. Lots of weeds, boat launch parking lot is stupidly designed, but what can you expect for a $5 launch fee? Steve