We took the boat with us this year on our pilgrimage to the sun at Lake Chelan. This allowed me to slip out in the mornings before wife and kids got up and get in some fishing time before we spent the afternoons tubing and skiing! The weather was absolutely fabulous - sunny and hot.

On the first morning, I went out to catch kokanee. I used the same techniques that I have used at Lake Stevens. Ultralight trout poles with 4/0 dodgers and wedding ring spinners tipped with corn. Fished them at 15 to 25 feet on the downriggers. When fishing shallow, I have run the gear up the cable, instead of right off the ball. This seems to keep the fish from being spooked by the ball. I did try it both ways, and caught more by letting out 20 feet of cable, then putting on my string of pop gear, then 5 more feet up, the release, line and lure.

I started at about 5:45, had a limit of kokanee in the 10 to 11 inch range by 7:30, and threw back a couple of smaller ones. Nothing huge, but about the size I was led to expect from the lake. They tasted great on the barbecue, and the flesh was much more red than the ones I have gotten from Lake Stevens. It must be from the shrimp in the lake.... I also got a limit on the final morning, when I focused again on kokanee. Both times I was fishing out in the middle, from Wapato Point (where we stayed) down lake a mile or so. I didn't mark as many fish as I usually do at Lake Stevens, but did pretty well for not knowing the lake...

Salmon and Lake trout, on the other hand, I haven't a clue about. I spent some time each morning going after these fish, with no results to show for it. I bought Rick Graybill's book, which gave me some info. After reading it, I found that I was more or less unprepared, gear wise, to tackle this. I fished mostly around the Monument, and there were other boats in the area. I tried a Silver Horde plug, and a Hot Spot flasher with Coyote spoon, but in the traditional salt water colors (green splatterback), not the colors Rick recommends. I also didn't have the proper gear to fish deep in the middle of the day. Oh well, there's always next year!

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