Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Okanogan Valley GS
Launched about 0530 this morning into whitecaps! This was actually a good thing as the wind blowing in on the launch meant the entire area I wanted to fish would be protected and calmer water. After launching and getting a couple things set up I motored straight across to the north side of the lake. I was surprised to be the only boat out? I eased in to the little cove I wanted to start in and threw a buzzbait and frog just to warm up the shoulders and arms. I quickly switched to my flipping rod as I neared the outside edge of the first reed clump. I pitched around for a little bit before deciding to switch to a swim jig. Three casts into that and a 1.5 was in the boat! Two casts later and a 3 was in the boat. Then I missed one and then the bite died. I went in super shallow and flipped the leading edge of the land/mat and worked back out from there, about 100 yards of zig zagging and I headed down to the outlet and started flipping wood cover. Caught a 3.5 here with a split and healed lower jaw, made it difficult to handle at first. I fished this entire area switching between flipping and casting reaction baits without another taker so I pulled up stakes and headed with the wind to go fish the reed islands on the big point just NNW of the public dock. I didn't touch anything here but the wind made it tricky to fish effectively. Decided to let the wind push me towards the one island/beaver hut right there and fish behind it in the wind break. Missed a big girl at the boat and she destroyed my swim jig trailer so I dropped the Power Pole to re-rig.
Once reset I again cast into the calm side of the island and wham, 4lber on the line! Got that one in and eased out to where the wind was pushing between the island and the land and got another 3.5 here. I tried moving all the way back to where the rest of the islands were but the wind was too much of a pain so I pulled up and motored back over to where I started the day.
Once there I decided to stick with the swim jig as all but one of the fish had come on it. Cadence was KEY! I would catch one and get jacked up and reel to fast for a while, you really had to crawl the thing across and through the reeds and grass to get them to grab it but when they did there was no doubt! I pulled another 1.5 out of this cove before deciding to head back for the outlet as there were two other boats bass fishing east of this area now.
Once at the outlet I flipped the wood cover again and blanked. I fished the channel all the way out and then turned around and let the wind push me over to the NW corner. Alternated between a chatterbait and swim jig until reaching the corner. Missed a fish and then immediately snagged on the next cast. Once I freed the snag I snagged again, once I freed that one I put the pole down to hold me and tied up a 4 inch swimbait so I could be totally weedless. First cast fish! Add 4 more within about 15-20 minutes all without moving the boat an inch. All about 1.5-3lbs. I just walked around the boat and fan cast the area, slowly rolling the bait and they would hammer it.
I left here and started up the west shoreline when the squall of squalls kicked up and it was get motoring time! Got out of the shallows and was heading for the launch but something called me back to that island. A quick stop and another 3.5 added to the day. Missed one on the back side and caught my 13th and last fish about 30 minutes later on the swim bait. No giants but finally a productive day!!!
Water temps were 55-57* and man was it nice to fish without wool gloves on :) I was off the water at 3pm and finished the day with 13 caught, 4 missed and 2 lost.