Getting to Fishtrap Lake before sunup has become a pleasant prelude to an enjoyable fishing experience--- and this day was no exception. WE WERE THE FIRST AT THE PUBLIC LAUNCH.

The pre-dawn sun was working its color magic on the few clouds in the sky as we slipped the boat into the calm waters of Fishtrap Lake. The lake was the color of weak tea as we set off towards the eastern side of the lake. The lake temperature was a surprise: 68 degrees was quite a change from the 70 + degree water temperature just a few days ago... A few birds gliding through the still dawn air--- except for an osprey that splashed-down close to our boat. Distant freight trains were wailing away their metallic tunes, but they seemed to blend-in with the otherwise quietness of this morning. Having the electric trolling motor has definitely made fishing more pleasurable!

We began to get tickles on our lures within 100 yards of the boat launch; to our dismay the interested parties were BLUEGILL. A few catfish seemed to be addled by the recent hot-spell in the weather, and so they fell for our lures, too.

We continued our southward journey and, after navigating through the shallow part of the lake (you who fish this lake KNOW where this is!) we added some additional weight to our lures and fished close to the bottom of the lake, near the basalt cliffs on the south part of the lake. We finally enticed a few trout to take our offerings--- and we continued to pass the same places again and again--- I think we angered some of those fish and THAT is why they struck. As we continued to promenade back and forth, a couple of deer came down to the water's edge to marvel at two skilled, grizzled veterans of the fishing wars who were busy relaxing... I think that, by their silence, the deer are highly critical beings who tolerate us fishermen on Fishtrap because we don't browse their food sources (at least no one I know, anyway!)

As usual, those yodelling coyotes had to contribute THEIR opinions on our fishing... we learned to ignore their insults and fish furiously, but taking our time to do so... The BBs of BL have come to bask in the quietness of dawn fishing on Fishtrap Lake, and this morning fit right in with what we have come to expect.

There ARE fish in the lake; you just have to get past the BLUEGILL and be persistent!

BAITS THAT WORKED: Maggot-inis
TYPE(S) OF FISH CAUGHT: TROUT (4) BLUEGILL (5) CATFISH (1) between the two of us....
LENGTH OF FISH: Trout were 11-12"; we did not have a microscope with us to determine the length of the bluegill...
WEIGHT: Nearly the WHOLE FISHING SEASON has passed and we STILL don't have a scale!
TIME OF DAY: Morning!!
LOCATIONS ON THE LAKE: Southern part of the lake
CONDITIONS OF THE WATER: Water temperature was 68-69 degrees; the water was a brownish as if the algae-green of weeks-past had died. The water was not clear...
LURES: Wedding rings of various colors (the fun is in finding out WHICH...)
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Cool; calm with gusts of wind from the SW down on the S. end of the lake
DEPTH: Fishtrap is not a deep lake--- we went 20 feet down, which is pretty close to the bottom...
BOAT SPEED: The bluegill LOVED the lower speeds (.5 mph); we went 1-1.2 mph and got trout interested in the lures
NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE LAKE: We saw four boats and one person on the dock near the boat launch...

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