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Two 5 start trips in a row! Not getting out on the water often but when the opportunity is there it has been epic. This trip was almost a no trip. We went to a concert at the Mount Baker Theater in Bellingham Saturday evening and got home late. Add the fact that I had not slept much this week I figured that Sunday would be a sleep in day. Unfortunately, or maybe that is fortunately my body clock went off about 4:00 and I was up shortly thereafter. I made coffee, puttered around for a while and read some but still not considering going fishing. It was heading towards 6:00 and I was out of “need to dos” so what the heck why not go fishing? I tried to pry the wife out of bed but my attempt didn’t spark the appropriate level of enthusiasm so it looked like it would be a solo trip.

A short while later lunch was made, the boat was hitched up behind the truck and I was ready to roll. Ummm…, to where? I considered Lake Samish, Lake Whatcom or Lake Cavanaugh. For various reasons I settled on Cavanaugh and headed up the hill. The drive was pleasant but uneventful and a short while later I rolled into the little gravel launch area and prepared to launch. There were already three other trailers and a couple cartopper rigs and I was thinking that I managed to miss the early bite. A short while later I was motoring up a dead calm lake while admiring the beautiful morning.

Throttle pulled back, kicker down it was time to fish. There were smallish fish jumping everywhere and numerous fish on the meter, it looked like it was going to be a good morning. I rigged the gear and got one downrigger deployed. I was just setting the clip on the other side when the first rigger pops and I’m fish on. It went that way for about ½ hour, lots of drive-bys but only one fish box. Thinking that something had to change I swapped the gear out and had one rigger at depth when WHAM-O it pops, the rod goes bendo and line is just smoking off the reel. I pick the rod up and whatever was at the other end of the line was solid. The fish never slowed and took the reel down to the knot eventually breaking my 8 # top shot. Don’t know what it was, and we had the same thing happen at Cavanaugh a couple years ago. It certainly got the old ticker going and set a nice stage for the next few hours. I had consistent if not feverish action until I had both my kokanee and trout limits on the boat. I enjoyed numerous doubles to include a combined kokanee and trout double to wrap up the day.

I ran a few different setups but instead of running through all the gear I soaked. The hot rig of the day was one of my green Dick Night spinners (Yes spinner, not spoon, I hack the welded rings off and use them for spinner blades). The spinner was running about 8” behind a green Poulsen Cascade Arrow Flash dodger. My setback from the clip was about 30’ and I tried to maintain .8-1.1 MPH. I caught fish from 23’ to 49’ but the 33’ was the go to depth for the morning. I was using old frozen tuna corn to tip the hooks with. Not much more to say about the gear, once I had it dialed in it was HAMMER TIME!

It was an incredible morning on Lake Cavanaugh. In fact, I hadn’t even had a chance to eat my lunch so after everything was stowed, I ate my lunch while leisurely cruising around the lake. I think that I have said this before, Cavanaugh is a special place. World class fishing in a scenic setting, does it get better than that?

rseas

10/14/2019 7:57:04 PM

Whoops, I need to start proof reading these things...

"Two 5 star trips..."

reynoldsj

10/14/2019 8:12:33 PM

I'm bummed I missed seeing you at my home lake. Great report as always!!

rseas

10/15/2019 9:20:48 AM

Did you fish it Sunday?

hectorm

10/15/2019 10:06:55 AM

Love that lake. I have never had a bad day of fishing at Cavanaugh. Great report!

MotoBoat

10/15/2019 9:47:33 PM

Kokanee look to be of very nice size, bigger fish 16"? A fish spooled you! Can I ask how much line do your reels hold?

rseas

10/16/2019 4:29:05 AM

My reels hold a gazillion yards of 40# braid and about 60' of an 8# topshot. I suspect it was a salmon, big catfish or a toad of a brook trout. Both times this has happened was in October, salmon? Who knows, but I keep thinking i/we should break out the big guns on a trip and see what we can find.

clarkbre

10/15/2019 10:49:14 PM

Great report! I need to make my way north and give Cavanaugh a try.

Ben Eggertsen

10/18/2019 10:46:51 AM

Your report was really fun to read with great information! Lake Cavanaugh is one of the few kokanee lakes I have not fished. I've got to go.

One of my best Lake Stevens lures is a Dick Nite 'spinner.' I could not find the size and color blade for a specific lure I wanted to make so I did the same thing you did. I cut off the rings to a Dick Nite spinner for use as the blade. I added a couple glow beads and a crystal. It works really well.

Was it the #8 line that broke or the knot to braid (?) mainline? I had a fish bite through my #12 fluorocarbon leader at Lake Merwin. Since I have caught 5 lb trout there, I think it may have been a tiger muskie. Do they have those at Cavanaugh?

Again, really fun report. Thank you.

Ben

rseas

10/18/2019 11:39:48 AM

The 8 # broke at my topshot knot. The fight was primarily strong tail pulses not frantic little wiggles. The more I think about it, I think it was a big whisker-fish but who knows.

rseas

10/18/2019 11:39:49 AM

reynoldsj

10/23/2019 9:10:41 PM

Just say you're commit. Nope, but wish I did now. :)

Fish Dawg

10/23/2019 10:09:34 PM

Years ago I was fishing with my buddy who lives near the lake. Was trolling a chrome flatfish near the island and had a very similar experience where something large hit and took a whole lot of line then broke my line and left with my lure.

Ben Eggertsen

10/24/2019 12:30:24 PM

Very interesting! Thanks.

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