Fished 6 to 8 pm with my 9 and 13 year old daughters. Similar results as last night, but oddly the plentiful little cutthroats were no where to be found tonight. We headed straight towards the waypoint that I marked for last nights "big one that got away", which is most of the way down the lake south from the launch. Along the way both daughters got to land 15 inch triploid rainbow trout. Making our way around the lake again, I caught a 16 inch rainbow, and a little yellow perch. Both kids lost a fish at some point during that lap. Passing through the "big one" way point again, I handed my rod off to my 9 year old with a fish on. Drag peeled just like before, in the same spot almost. She was a little panicked at how hard the thing was pulling, reeling like crazy, but wanted to do it herself. She fought it for a few minutes, and around the third time I told her "tip down!" I was standing on the back of the boat with the net looking for sign of where the fish was, "Watch out" I yelled as the bare dodger flew past our heads! We never really got to see the fish before it broke off, but I'm pretty sure it was another big cutt. Not long after, the kids got cold and wanted to go home, so we motored up the lake, picked up our empty crawfish pots, added fresh bait, threw them in a new spot and went home.

The same spinner hoochie with clear blade (now lost) was hot again, but a bright green wedding ring seemed just as good tonight. -gonna have to cut some more clear smile blades.. All fish were caught on top, but I still tried a variety of depths and gear with one rod on a downrigger. 1-1.5 mph was the speed range that seemed best, the larger dodgers and bright fenders/cowbells seemed to scare the fish off, just like yesterday. The little fst spoons as a dodger worked best, even in a glow white color. We used powerbait maggots and "garlic plus" corn tonight.

No bites on the downrigger at all. There are definitely deeper schooling fish, but they seem to be larger fish, too spread out for Kokanee, and often under schools of bait at 20-30ft deep in 40-50 fow. There is a pretty distinct thermocline forming at 14 feet deep and most of the bait balls seemed to be in that zone. 55 degree surface temp all across the lake.

The last 2 outings fillets are shown in the picture, and were masterfully done by my awesome wife. The fish pictured are from tonight and were 15" 15" and 16" just like last night's.

I've researched a lot about this little lake, and it seems to have had quite a checkered past. It was once the storage yard for logs of a large saw mill operation, some of the sunken logs are still visible from google earth photos. It was also a nasty cesspool for a long time, as most of black diamond's drainage and maybe even coal mine drainage drained into rock creek then into Sawyer. I think the Mckay vein (massive high quality coal vein that made Black Diamond) runs right under the lake too. The lake was rehabbed in phases, and has been good water quality for at least 20 years. I mention this because 3/4 mile south of the lake, and right on the edge of rock creek (rock swamp?) a 6600 home development is now underway. If the average home has 3 occupants, thats 20,000 new residents. I think Black Diamond currently has 4500 residents. Over crowding? Polluted runoff? Maybe.. Better enjoy it while we can.

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