Time for some serious Spring fishing... shake off the Winter cob-webs! Met friend Pete at Green Lake at 6:30 AM... fishermen already filling up piers at southeast corner, so we headed for the southwest shoreline. Air temp was a cool 44 degrees, and heavy fog hovered over the lake. Water temp at the shoreline was 55 degrees, about optimum for trout. Fog burnt off by 8:00, giving way to a bright, sunny, glorious Spring day. Conventional wisdom says newly planted fish stay near the surface for a few weeks, so I started with Power Eggs (chartreuse) on a 5' leader on one rig, spin casting small spoon on the other. Fished hard for several hours, even tried a float... nada! As Pete says, "not even a nibble". Saw a few fish caught, sporadically through the morning, many, many fishermen out! Finally, about 11:30 Pete had a hit and reeled in a 10" Rainbow on red Power Eggs. Feeling it was lightly hooked, he released it, only to see it struggle on the surface... a couple of minutes later, a large Gull took it for lunch. Pete left the lake about 12:15, I hadn't had a hit, but was determined to figure things out. Thinking that perhaps the bright sunshine had sent the fish deep, I trimmed my leader to 1 1/2'... Bingo! At 12:30 I reeled in a 12" Rainbow and in the next hour caught six more, two only lip hooked so C&R them. Left the lake at 1:30 with five trout from 12 1/2" to 9 1/2".
Am a bit surprised at some of the smaller planted fish. Had read an article by the WDFW last year stating that beginning in 2013 they would be planting only larger fish. Remember being pleasantly surprised that last year's plants were 11" to 12", so expected at least the same. Saw quite a few fish in the 8" to 10" range today... at least it keeps the Cormorants and Mergansers well fed, as the smaller fish are much easier for them to handle!!
Have a Blessed Easter! PTL!
Last pic shows the unmistakable marks of a Eagle's talons across the back of one of the trout.

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