When you least expect it, it happens from time to time and today was one of those days.

With all the lakes frozen over that I know of locally (smaller than Wa. and Sammy) I was dying to throw a line in somewhere and I had an appointment in Seattle and swung by Green Lake but it was frozen too! So my last resort was where other than good ole Lake Wa. which I grew up fishing on (near Stan Sayers Pits) in my younger years.

Since I live very close to the Lake in Lower Kennydale and see boats fishing Coleman Pt. and the south End of MI, I started fishing again in November. The plan was to fish Lake Wa most of the time since it was so convient and then start exploring as I went along if needed. I tried my local dock at a small swim park at in front of Coleman Pt. which I would see people there fishing in the summer as I drove by to get a coffee before headed to the course. Nothing but weeds there so on to try Newcastle Park. Even worse I felt weed wise. On to a park in Beaux Arts next to a friends house. Nothing, Nothing, Nothing but less weeds. Next was Luther Burbank and again nothing as it did not even seem fishy to me. About 12-15 hours with not a strike over a few weeks.

I had to look elsewhere and did. Found some other local lakes and caught fish....Rattlesnake, Tanwax, Offut and Boren but because of the ice, I needed to get my fix somewhere!

Went down to Coulon Park on the 12th in the afternoon on a day off to see if this moon stuff makes any sense. Fished about 4 hours as the sunset and the moon rose. A few nibbles when it got dark but the Lake Wa. skunk was still on. Funny thing though, this guy comes down to the park at dark to start fishing as I about to leave. Caught me really off guard. He had two poles (one limit) with a huge weight and a set of three hooks on those wire T swivels. Seem to not speak English but I figured that this was not his first trip down there and this had to one of his favorite fishing times so that meant that he catches something. I think I had his favorite corner as he mumbled when he came near me. He even cast over towards me. I think he might have been more shocked to see me than I was him to tell you the truth. I wandered on over to offer up some cocktail shrimp that I dyed green to him and what do you know, he was putting shrimp on his multi hook set ups! I asked him what he was fishing for and he pointed at the sign there that showed a Rainbow Trout.

So no fish on Thursday, but I was caught off guard twice by this guy showing up (it was 24 degrees when I git home at 6 pm and he was only into his first hour) and that he was using shrimp as it was the first time that I ever tried it and figured nothing would ever bite it unless it was a stocked smaller lake.

Back to today. Started at the Park at Bueax Arts...nothing....tried a Gold Kastmaster and worm/marshmallow. Got in the car and went to Coulom Park. Put a green marshmallow on with a worm and about 40 minutes in a get a real bite! Holy Moly, there are fish in this lake that bite! Well I hooked into the fish and figured it was a trout but the fight was small. Up she came and what do you know....a trout! Since it swallowed the hook I brought it in and bang, a 10.5" Rainbow, not a Cutt as I thought it would be. My first Trout from Lake Wa. since I was a teen! 25 minutes later, another bite and bang, another trout but this time bigger! 12" and much fatter and again a Bow with some lice on it. Two fish in 1/2 hour after countless hours of nothing!

I was super shocked to actually catch a Trout today and of course, doubly shocked after the second! I was really there just to try out some 2lbs test line and fill my need to fish. I expected nothing what so ever but was somewhat encouraged by seeing that guy on Thursday night and the few nibbles that I had, but still how much encargement could I really take from those two things?

One more hit about an hour later and nothing as I stuck around hoping to see the old guy to surprise him even more, but I never saw him.

I looked up the Reports from Lake Wa. and I was even more surprised that it took 12 pages of reports before I even found someone targeting Trout trolling or from the shore and it took me to 2012 before I found someone that actual caught a Rainbow from the shore that was targeting them. Know one seems to target Rainbows from the shore and I caught two today in a 1/2 hour! I really do not know what to think....flabbergasted I guess.

3/8 oz weight, 32" 6lbs Floro Leader to a size 8 worm hook baited with a worm and a Mike's Flo Green Garlic Marshmallow.
2lbs Stren Crappie Hi Viz Yellow on a Pflueger Pres Limited Ed 25 on a St. Croix Premier 7' ML

Changing to a Pres XT 20, same line on a St Croix III Blank Jawbreaker 6'2" UL for the first time out with it. Should bring some fight into the game with this set up.

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