We got a good amount of rain in Leavenworth over the weekend. I am sure this is a good thing for the fires that are still burning in the region and hope it doesn’t result in flooding in certain areas. I was on the road a few days last week, and I am planning some day trips to check on a couple of fishing opportunities that come along in the fall.
I traveled to Hayden, Idaho last week to attend a special event on behalf of Mark’s Marine with the Thunder Jet, and to explore a couple of the lakes in the area. Although the fishing for big kokanee on Lake Coeur d’Alene is still going great guns, I wanted to fish Hayden Lake for the first time. My fishing buddy, Tony Johnson, told me about the terrific fishing for kokanee on Coeur d’Alene, but agreed to take me to Hayden in his Thunder Jet Luxor. He said that the size of the kokanee on the lake were almost as big as the ones on Coeur d’Alene, but the good fishing for them may be over. He was sure right. It was not only over, the kokanee seemed to have all but disappeared. We saw a couple of good marks when we left the Honeysuckle Park launch, and then they became scarce. Not only that, but the wind also came up. We battled the wind and searched a couple of different areas of the lake and simply couldn’t find any fish. Even when the wind settled down the screen remained blank. Kokanee aren’t the only species found in Hayden, there is a long list of other fish attractive to anglers, but we only had our kokanee gear along. Well, lesson learned—hit Hayden in the spring and early summer for kokanee.
My new fishing buddy, Tony Johnson, wants to troll for the big rainbow on Lake Pend Oreille, on his Thunder Jet. Pend Oreille is kind of intimidating. It’s 43 miles long and over 1,000 feet deep. I see people using everything from kokanee gear to big plugs or flies. Right now, the big rainbow, and I mean fish over 20 pounds, are down deep. As the water cools they move up in the water column and in the early winter people flat line their lures. I took my box of lures that I use for the big cutthroat on Omak Lake.
We launched Tony Johnson’s Thunder Jet Luxor near the bottom end of Lake Pend Oreille in Farragut Boat Launch last Friday and was pleased to see Joe Cimino had joined us for the day. We headed across the lake, above the slides where mountain goats are often seen, to the Concrete Plant. There is no limit on the number of rods you can have out on Pend Oreille and we had them stacked on the riggers and run out the back on cannon ball weights. We had a variety of plugs on our lines and changed them often. We were watching the Lowrance and seeing lots of marks that were schools of kokanee up high and much larger marks down to 80 feet. Our hopes were to hook one of the monster rainbow that inhabit Pend Oreille. Fishing for these trophies is best in October and November, but it never hurts to learn your way around this huge patch of water. They pointed out different landmarks and trolled up to Whiskey Rock to within sight of Maiden Rock before turning back to the launch. It was a beautiful day to be on the water, and we vowed to come back when the big rainbow are biting. This week’s photo is of Tony’s Thunder Jet at the Farragut boat launch.
Thousands of people have memories of attending the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival over the many years it was presented at the National Fish Hatchery in Leavenworth. Thanks to the Chelan County PUD it continues to provide an excellent day of entertainment and education. This year it will be held on September 19th at Rocky Reach Park and Discovery Center, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be lots of hands on activities for the kids and educational displays and exhibits that the whole family will enjoy. This year’s theme is “We Are River People”, and the event celebrates the many ways the Columbia River connects people, wildlife and communities. The kids will be able to take home a fish print, which they paint on site using a Japanese technique call gyotaku. The portable aquarium will also return this year, where visitors can spot and name local fish. Families can also visit a Native American village and learn about the traditions, stories and cultures of indigenous people from across the region. The experience will feature 45 Native American educators and exhibitors representing 11 tribes and bands.
I want to thank all of you that have subscribed to the FishingMagician.com Facebook page. It may not seem like much, but it really helps keep me on the road and afloat to do the reports that I do. You will soon be seeing information about fishing opportunities in north Idaho, in addition to the areas that I have been covering for years. All of this costs. The time and travel, fuel and licenses, etc. I also wanted to let you know that I have recently produced a series of videos that include reviews of some of my favorite products. These will be available to subscribers to the FishingMagician.com Facebook page. Things that I personally use when I am fishing for the different species available to us in this region. There are some tips and tricks that I share with subscribers as well. If you like what I do and want to learn more about what I use to catch fish and the products that I personally prefer, just click on the Subscriber button on my page. Thanks in advance!
