Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service
As has become my custom since my dad passed back in 2013, I fished again on Father's Day. Dad took me fishing when I was very young, and it's a joy that we shared together ever since. Didn't matter if we were chasing king's on the Skagit, salmon in the sound, taking our annual trip up to BC to explore the fantastic trout lakes, or running over to a local lake to throw a worm out under a bobber, I enjoyed every moment and learned something each time.
I launched about 5am, meeting a new kayak angler who basically wanted to follow me around and learn a few things. He unfortunately is very new to fishing, didn't have the right gear, and kokanee fishing can be very unforgiving to those just starting. Hopefully I was able to teach him a few things, and gave him a few of what every kokanee fisherman should have, Elgin Fishing God's Tooth Spoons! The day started about as good as I had hoped for an early June morning. Fishing was consistent, the fish were fat and chunky compared to my last trip to Steven's a month earlier for the derby. It was however just a bit breezier than I prefer being in a kayak, but nothing that would chase me off the water.
Fishing were significantly deeper than they were the previous weekend on a different lake. Then I was finding my fish only 15 feet down in about 35 feet of water, this day, they were closer to 50 feet down, in 80-120 feet of water. Different lake, different acting fish! By 8:30 I had 9 in the box, and had a few that had got off somewhere before the net along with a few drive-by's. I had no idea at that time that would be that! Steven's does have a typical 9am or so shut-off or slow-down, but typically fish will still come, you just have to work a bit more for them. Not the case this day. By 9am, with the sun out and the wind had calmed, the pleasure craft fleet came out in force. Wake boats, ski bots, and jet ski's alike. The lake got turned into a washing machine. A few times I felt like I was riding out 8 foot rollers in my kayak, not fun :) Over the next couple of hours I did have a few opportunities to land that last fish, but it just wasn't meant to be. I finally decided that the water hooligans could have the lake for themselves. I'd had a great morning of fishing, and accomplished what I had set out to do, which was enjoy a morning on the water and reflect on my dad.
Once again, Elgin Fishing God's Tooth Spoons kokanee rigged were hot, 50/50 and 50/50 blue, 12 inches of leader following Dick Nite clown pattern dodgers. I tried a few other colors when it slowed down trying to entice that last fish, but those 2 colors were what I landed all of the fish on. Speed seemed to be between 1.0 - 1.2mph to get the fish. I tried faster and slower, but that seemed to be what they wanted, from me at least.
Video shows the action for the day.
Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service