Joe Is there much fight with these LAKE Trout? How about eating quality?

I get this question alot...Let me start with what the fish are feeding on here in our lake makes a big difference on the way they taste..If the Lakers are feeding on Misces Shrimp I cannot tell the difference between salmon and Laketrout...The 3 to 9lbers are better eating than a larger fish...The larger fish develop alot of body fat the older they get...I recommend the larger fish to be brined and smoked..They are great this way...

Now on how they battle..The guys on the boat really were surprized on how they battle..You got to realize a 3lb. laker is not going to fight like a 10lber..and we are fishing depths really unheard of.in most lakes in the world .So when you drag a 3lb. fish up from 340 ft. deep his air blatter expands and presses tight on his organs which in turn takes all the battle out of him that he normally would have if he did not have to go through the fast pressure changes when fighting..Now the bigger Lakers come up alot slower which then the air blatter doesn't expand so quick so he will battle more sometimes a long freightline run with head shakes..These are alot of fun and challenging..Hope I answered your questions and thanks for the comment...

I havn't fished Chelan in many,many years..after this report it looks like I need to hook up on some of those lakers.
Great report too,you'll be hearing from me soon regarding a trip.

From my understanding, only a couple guys as of now are able to legally guide trips on Rufus Woods because of the special guide license. You must be one of those guys, eh?

Yes I am licensed through the Army Corp. of Engineers to guide on the reservoir...

I am one of the Guys that went out with Joe on Saturday. I have to start out by saying that Joe worked his tail off and he is by far the best guide I have ever had the pleasure of spending a day fishing with. As far as the fight well lets just say, they are not shallow water smallies tailwalking accross the surface. They pull hard and shake their heads and you can tell you have something on that doesn';t want to come to the top. I enjoyed the battle more then the fish did. The day started out about 19°F and I never had the time to get cold. it is a fishing experience that I will never forget and I hope I get the chance to go out with Joe again some day.

Guys, I have to agree with the comments made by Fishin4Ever. I fished with Joe on Friday and we caught 16 fish within 6 hours. We caught 2 Lakers at 14lbs 12oz and 14lbs.2oz. pictured above. We caught another 4 fish over 10lbs and the rest were between 4 and 7 lbs. These fish don't fight like a big Rainbow.. but the fight is steady and the big fish fight from bottom to top so it isn't like flounder fishing either. As for table fare, these fish are more juicy than a King Salmon, but taste nearly the same. I like to bake my fish with heavy lemons, butter and onions with varied spices.... but I hear they are great on the grill. The larger fish are recomended to smoke because the meat is a little less tender and slightly more oily. The smaller fish are really good to cut in small chunks and put in a beeer batter and deep fried. Very good tasting! As for the Guide.......Joe is a true professional who has a lot of energy and love for the fishing! Joe has a very comfortable boat for these cold days and he even tells some funny jokes! If there are fish to catch... Joe will be the best candidate to put you on them. He is very knowledgeable, yet not pushy! He's a guide I would highly recommend and do. I've been out with Joe several times and he is a straight shooter. I will be back out for these incredible fish from the depths!