Smalma

Sorry about that... Grand baby on my knee.....I have fished in the dark before with glow gear and it dint disappoint today. I made up some small stuff as you recommended and wammmmm. I ended up with a limit at 7. All 13.5 to 16.25 and fatties as you said. Have these guys been hiding or have I just been missing them?
Any way thanks much for The info.....it definitely was spot on!
Thanks again and PM me on that beer preference!
Jim

Yes for sure.....as I said in the phantom mail....wheat kind of beer do you like? I owe you a six pack. Possibly my best day ever on the Lake...thank you, thank you, thank you!
All your tips were spot on. I launched early...4AM. Lines in the water at 4:15. Two minutes later I netted a 16.2# incher

Did not get any other messages today

Glad you had a good day - the intel help?

Curt

curt,
not sure that my last message found you. A great day today. Thank you for sure. Please let me know if you received my last message.
Jim

Curt,
Well you did much better than me. I managed about ten strikes hooked eight, lost one at the boat, released five in the 10 inch range. I did keep two, one 15"and one 13". It seems quite different than previous years. I threw everythiNg at them. My chartruse spinner still brought most of the strikes.
I noticed that the surface temps around the lake are quite high...I don't keep a log but as I recall much warmer than normal for this time of year. I suppose it makes sense given the string of warm weather we have had. I would think the lake will turn over soon? Will that have an impact on the fishing? I may hit it again on Friday. Maybe I will see you there.
Take care.
Jim

Jim -
Fished last thurs - 10 fish but nothing too large.

Again this morning - a tough bite but managed to get 10 including one pig (15 1/2) and 5 others between 13.5 and 14.5 - really nice and fat fish. Best bag of the year. Caught fish everywhere from 6 feet to 32 with things changing frequently. Would try something and get a couple fish in 20 minutes or so and then have to do the searching game all over. Most fish on hoochies.

curt

Curt,
I may be out on Tuesday. Have you fished Stevens since last Tuesday?

Thanks much
Jim

Fished on Thursday, WET...... And low surface temps. We managed 19 by 1PM. Surface to 9 ft on the rigger. Floro chartruse se
SMS to still be the ticket when the sky is dark. When the light increases the orange seems to be
Preferred. It should really turn on next week after some wam weather. Hope the long fishing was awesome!

Cheers,
Jim

Good job!

I'm hearing more and more good reports! Got most of my must dos done this weekend so hope to hit the lake tommorrow.

If the wind allows will be chasing lings on Tuesday, Maybe Halibut on thursday or Friday and shrimp on Saturday - got to love May!!

Curt

Curt,
We did do well.....better than most. I had my son in law on board with one surface rod and two on the riggers. Most fish were from the surface to 10ft. Only one at 20' when things slowed down. We had 20 in the box at 10:50. Smallest was 11" and the largest was just shy of 15". Fluorescent chartreuse and gold has been money early in the morning foe me and was pretty much the ticket all of this outing.
I hope toby there again this Tues. and Thurs. and then it is shrimp time. Are you hitting the tasty buggers as well?

About half way across I decided to call it a day and broke my gear from the downriggers and put things away. After putting the first rod away I turned around and the other rod was buried. Got that fish and put it back out and before I had the second rod out of the locker I had another.

I thought maybe there was going to be a surface bite but fished another 1/2 without a bite and called it a day.

A buddy fished this morning and had a bite similr to your early morning flurry and was about to scratch out his other 5 between 9 and 10 - none on the surface, mostly between 5 and 12 feet down. Confirms what I was thinking that things are ready to pop just need the weather gods to cooperate

Of course it helps that I had scoutted out things for him. After the pre -7:00 am bite I have had my most consistent fishing with hoochies.

Should do well tomorrow.
Curt

Curt
I didn't have another bite after we last
Talked on the lake. I did talk to a guy who said there was a bite mid lake in front of Wyatt about 10:00. I saw you fished your way to the other side and wondered if you had any more before calling it. I'm volunteering at the Arboretum plant sale today but plan to hit it on Suday as it may be the best of the next few days weather wise. If I dont see you out there I'll send you a quick report.
Jim

Curt
WYou're quite welcome, glad to hear you nailed some Springers. My fish varied in size from 11 to 14 inches. A couple of them fought extremely well. I did hook into a very large rainbow....one of WDFWs surogates of about 4lbs. Any way a good time on the lake...lots of pressure for this time of year...too much derby hype...I'm thinking.
Tight lines,
Jim

Jim -
Thanks for the report.

Mid-week I hit the Columbia for springers - limits both days. smoked some yesterday and worked a DU table at Cabelas today. Hope to get out to Stevens a couple times this week. Based on the the past should be getting close to the time of more or less automatic limits.

So far the few I have caught have been in that 12-13 inch range.

Maybe I'll see you at the end of the week.

Curt

Curt,
I fished on Sunday. Warm, rain showers and fish on the surFace when the rain wasn't. I hooked 12 and kept 5. Some short strikes and action on chartreuse early. All early strikes on the surface. Later when the sun was higher on the water flousecent orange was the ticket from 10 and later at 20 ft. Only a few catching fish. By 10AM the jet skies and ski boats. We're in the majority and I headed home to put in more veggies.
Good luck if you get out this week. I won't be out until at least Thursday.

Cheers
Jim

Curt
I did notice midges hatching late morning/noon on Friday. Nothing like I'm used to on Samammish in Jan/Feb but more than I have noticed prior. Thursday or Friday next will be my next opportunity. Weather will have a say for sure. Good luck if you get out!
Cheers,
Jim

Jim -
Still fishing for a bite or two a trip. Temperatures are consistently in the low 50s all the way down to 30 feet or so.

I'm coming to believe the decent fishing is produced by having "feed" in the lake. I believe that it will be another week or so before we see more consistent fishing.

The last couple trips there hasn't been any chronomids hatching either. Earlier in the spring a good hatch would trigger a short bite.

Have been watching American. for years I traded notes with an American Lake regular and it typically came on week or two before Stevens.

Curt

Thanks for the reply. I fished again on 4/13. Water temp was 49 at 8am and I saw 52.5 just before noon. A few fish jumping prior to the wind kicking up. On cutt to the boat and nothing after that. Tried the surface all the way to 30 - 40 ft. Nada. The bloom is beginning and I saw a couple of bunches of small shrimp/daphnia at the surface around the boat ramp.....Wyatt. Should be some opportunity later this week hopefully. Maybe I'll see you out there.
Jim

Fished this afternoon -1 fish - only bite.

Surface temp got up to 49 but it was 43 degrees at 10 feet.

Saw the start of an algae bloom so maybe things will kick off in a couple weeks (maybe sooner if there are more sunny days - fat chance).

So far the average fish seems to be a little larger than last year but it wll be May before we know.

Curt

Curt
Well I couldn't resist. Hit Stevens in a buddies boat on Friday. Didn't launch until around 9:30 and trolled until 1:00 or so when his kicker wouldn't idle any longer. We had one fish on for a few seconds and that was that. About 4or5 others trolling with one boat having caught one. Surface temps were 46 to 47. We did see several schools of fish pretty much all over the water column. We attempted jigging after the kicker conked but no takers. Hopefully the next couple of days will get things moving.
Good luck if you get out. Jim