Lake Chelan Report For 1/20/15 From Anton Jones Of Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service

LAKE CHELAN AREA FISHING REPORT FOR 1/20/15

 Lake Chelan is hot, trolling for Mackinaw in the Barrens, Kokanee on Colyar Ledge and Rainbow in Mill Bay.  Trolling for suspended Kokanee is terrific.  Pull Mack’s Lure’s Mini Cha Cha Squidders in Orange on a short leader behind their Double D Dodgers in 00 to 0000 sizes.  Bait the Mini Cha Cha’s with Pautzke’s Fire Corn in natural or yellow.  We have caught these incredibly delicious fish anywhere from 45 to 200 feet deep. 

Laker fishing has been terrific in the Barrens and the Trench.  Fish within 3 to 5 feet of the bottom and keep your speed around .8 to 1.3 mph.  Silver Horde 3.5” Needlefish Squid rigs in glow colors fronted with a Mack’s Smile Blade and baited with a piece of Northern Pikeminnow has been our best pattern. 

Rainbow trout are still being caught on Lake Chelan from the shore and trolling.  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. 

Remember that unclipped Cutthroat Trout must be immediately released, unharmed. 

Pautzke’s Fire Bait will also work well from the shore on Roses Lake for planter sized Rainbow Trout until the freeze up is complete. 

Your fishing tip of the week is to be very active when trolling for Lakers and Kokanee on Chelan.  With the Lakers you must be constantly working to keep your gear tight to the bottom.  If you drag you will either snag or foul your terminal gear up with bottom debris.  For every 10 feet you are off the bottom you cut your bite rate in half.  You have to keep moving your gear for Kokanee right above their heads.  They are anywhere from 45 feet to over 200.  Keep your head in the game! 

The kid’s tip of the week is to teach negotiation as a strategy to avoid worse behaviors.  A lot of the time you can avoid pouting, tantrums and “shutting down” by using your adult brain and negotiating a solution.  It not only avoids the whole disciplinary cycle, but also models an alternative strategy.  To excess, it can “create a monster”, but all in all, modeling negotiations to get what you want gives kids another more acceptable tool in their people skills tool box. 

The safety tip of the week is to watch the dock on Chelan before the sun hits them.  Falling down is only funny on TV.