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We were going to hit the salt for the last day of Chinook retention, but figured the salt is a little hit or miss, dad hates taking his boat in the salt (because of the negative effects of the salt on is boat) and we'd heard they were still catching up at Lake Wenatchee. After being a mile away from there the weekend before, at Fish Lake, and forgetting there were Sockeye in Wenatchee, we decided to go back last weekend and try it.

We left the house at 3AM, on the lake at first light, and followed the crowd to the west end of the lake. There weren't actually as many boats as I thought there would be. We started trolling along the south west bank. Dad put on chrome O dodger with bare red hook and got a hit almost immediately but lost it at the boat. We trolled for awhile longer before getting another hit. We were all using chrome dodgers of different sizes and dragging different things behind them. I made a chartreuse and pink wedding ring with a chrome smile blade and got a hit, but lost that fish also. After trolling for awhile longer with nothing and watching everyone around us catching fish, we kept switching it up. Different depths different rigs. FINALLY! After putting on a pink mini hootchie with a chrome smile blade, it was FISH ON! Nice little sockeye in the cooler. Dropped everything back down on the downrigger, and it was fish on again! Almost immediately. #2 in the boat. Both came at 50ft near the point. Back on the troll and nothing for awhile again. Then another hit on Cody's rod this time. Funny part was I was trying to turn on the TR-1 after most the other boats left and I had been bumping the rail, making his rod bounce. When he went to set the hook, I said it was just me, until line started peeling off the reel. #3 in the boat. This time on a pink hoochie with a colorado blade, at 35ft.

The wind picked up later in the day and it got very hard to control the boat. We trolled for a long time with nothing else, when Cody's rod went off again, popped off the clip and started peeling line. After a good battle he got it to the boat and it was a big Bull Trout! Gorgeous fish. We got the hooks out and snapped a quick pic (without removing the fish from the water of course) And let him swim back to the depths unharmed.

This wasn't our first meeting with a bull trout. Early in the day I saw some splashing on the surface that was different than the sockeye jumping, and eventually saw the belly of a fish floating up. We headed over to investigate and found a Bull Trout, floating upside down but still alive. I grabbed the fish, and it appeared like his belly was full of air. We got the air out and after reviving him for a very long time, he finally seemed ready. Let go of him and he swam off strong into the deep.

All in all it was a great day. Took us awhile to figure out the fishery that was new to us, but we overcame and brought some fish home. They were dark so I didn't take pics, but the meat was still good and all three were hens so I get to replenish my egg supply a bit. The wind really picked up by 4pm and it was a rough ride home. Glad we were in Dad's boat with a windshield! Lovely lake though, we will probably be back!

Toni

8/21/2012 3:01:00 PM

Great report! Thank you.

blurock

8/21/2012 3:41:00 PM

Thanks Toni! We will probably go back before the season is over :)

Mcfisherson13

8/22/2012 8:54:00 AM

What was your leader leangth and pound test? I have found the shorter the better! Rule of thumb, keep it at the same leangth as the dodger your using. If you have an 8" dodger, than use an 8"-10" leader, also I have found that even though these fish are only 4-5 pounds use a heavy pound test. It is stiffer and creates better action, and really whips your hoochie around, and when you get the fish in the boat, and they do their death roll, it doesn't chew up your leader as bad and you can still get multiple fish on one set up with out worring about breaking off your fish! Good luck!

blurock

8/22/2012 9:13:00 AM

Thanks for the tip Mcfish! We were using 30lb Floro leaders. Started with them at 10" but the ones we were getting hit on were 16"-18"s I'll try shorting them even more next time we are up there. I also noticed most people were using larger dodgers than us. I took my Kokanee gear up (other than having heftier leaders) and only had one 0 dodger. I was using a 000 dodger on the rod most the fish hit. Got another on a big 8" Sling Blade and the bull trout came on a mini agitator or some kind of inline flasher. It was Cody's and I can't remember which brand it was.

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