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Happy Fathers day all you fathers and grand dads! So I was supposed to go out yesterday with some guys from our church but that 4 letter word got in the way again- but can't complain as I still have a job enjoying getting busier again. So made a plan to get out early today and treat myself to a fathers day solo trip on Lake WA!

Up at 5 am but had to take care of a few more work issues for customers getting deliveries tomorrow then it was off to the lake at 6:30 am! Was greeted with a pretty stiff SSE wind at about 7 mph so headed over to start my troll off the west side of Mercer Island hoping that would block some of the wind. Decided to go with my first up BMCP watermelon color with a Hawaiin sling blade by Mack's lures as that combo always has produced. On the business end was one of a couple wide gap finesse hooks with some sparkle pink added. Tipped it with some corn and back she goes!

Was marking fish between 35 and 50 feet so put it down at 45 and put the speed at 1.5-1.7 mph and started my zig zag troll along the houses in 75 fow going out to 115 and then back to 80 fow. Before I go any further want to give a shout out to uplandsandpiper for his great reports and tutorals as well. Sometimes we just need to get reminded of the basics of fishing as I know a lot of what he said but sometimes did not practice it- so kept in mind his words of wisdom and just as I was making a turn- BAM! Rod starts dancing and it's fish on!

Turned out to be a dandy kokanee so soon was gliding it into the net and first blood of the day on deck! Now the wind was pushing me north at a pretty good clip so could not get turmed back to go over that area- so motored back down to the big white house and did another troll through but the wind was getting worse so decided to keep going around the point and see if the little bay by Paul Allen's place was more protected. Turns out it wasn't as bad and as soon as passed that buoy at the point had another dancing rod and this one popped the clip from the rigger! This one pulled some line and did a couple jumps behind the boat but soon had my second kokanee in the net.

Was still marking fish so kept going north and saw a couple nice marks at 45 feet so set the counter at 40 and just as I was going through them the rod buries and it's another fish on! This one is crazy screaming line and leaping out of the water over 100 feet behind the boat and hope it's not a sockeye! As it gets closer does some more acrobats and I'm getting concerned I'm going to lose this one but once again glide it into the net and thankful for those wide gap finess hooks I had on there! This one turns out to be about a 19" cutthroat which I found out later was stuffed with fish carcasses in it's stomach!

Well the fight had taken me pretty far north and since I just picked up 2 fish in that area, picked up gear and motored all the way back to the point to do that troll again- no sense fighting the wind! Pretty soon I got another one dancing on the rod but this one comes upbuttoned before I could get it too close so alas there goes my perfect game today haha! Put some fresh corn on not too long later WHAM! Rod goes down and it's another fish on the end of my line! Get this one in and it's my 3rd kokanee on ice! By this time the wind was getting harder and my wife was getting hungry for a late lunch so decided to call it a day!

Fun first day back to the Big Lake in a while and looking forward to my next adventure out there as sometimes that is exactly what it is! You never know what to expect on this big body of water but feel blessed it is so close to my house I can call it my home lake! Take care all and see you on the water!

The Quadfather

6/21/2020 7:39:31 PM

Very nice Kokes, and report. Nice to see somebody still post up reports here. Great pics as well.
Thanks for sharing, Barry.

rmrauscher

6/22/2020 12:57:08 PM

Nice day on the big lake!!! We have been out rackin an stackin the Coho!! Had a knock it out of the park week. Maybe time to go fish the big lake and get my head handed to me. Lk Wash has a way of bringing you back to earth.

salmonbarry

6/22/2020 6:46:52 PM

Well that's just silly Randy! Haha! Why leave fish to find fish right? Glad you are tearing up out there on the salt! Yeah it was one of those rare days where seems like I found where they were and what they wanted! But who knows next time right?

salmonbarry

6/22/2020 6:48:24 PM

Thanks Quadfather! Seems Iike I have been getting more kokes then cutts lately out there but I am okay with that!

herefishy

6/22/2020 2:16:16 PM

Nice kokanee and that cutthroat looks like it has been eating really well.

salmonbarry

6/22/2020 6:47:32 PM

Thanks Janet! Yes that piggy's stomach was stuffed with fish carcasses!

rseas

6/24/2020 9:00:09 AM

Congratulations Barry, you sure have the big Lake dialed in. Wish that it wasn't so far away.

salmonbarry

6/24/2020 8:30:14 PM

Thanks Randy! I can have my days out there but sometimes I get served humble pie too! It's nice when it all comes together! Hope to you see and Karen again some day soon on the water!

Ben Eggertsen

6/27/2020 1:54:48 PM

Great information and a fun read! Thanks.

RobinR40_98

6/28/2020 4:43:10 PM

I read your post last week and said to myself, you know I have fished Lake Washington for a long time. I rinse at Coulon on my Home from salt but never fish it. I also thought my boat could use a good dose of fresh water. I followed your lead and fished West of Mercer. I stayed a bit shallower hugging the no wake buoys. Usually about 80 fow. Showed the net to the firs fish and farm, lost him. Round two was much better. 21 inch cutthroat netted. Back down and 14 inch Kokanee. My largest trout before today was 18 inch. It will be hard to beat 21. Sorry no pics. Thanks for sharing!!!

salmonbarry

6/28/2020 6:35:56 PM

NIce! Was that you I talked to at the boat launch today?

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