Opener? We figured that it would be a good day to fish Lake Stevens and pulled into the launch area about 6:15 this morning. When we arrived there were only 3 other trailers in the parking lot and nobody at the ramp. Although I enjoy the opening day hocus-pocus I’m thinking this is good… So boat launched we settle in on the eastern half of the lake and over the side goes a stick bait (rapala type lure) on the downrigger running at 36’ where I was metering some sizable fish (my plan being to catch one of those huge trout). Then, as I was getting the other two rods in the water the downrigger rod pops the clip and it is fish on! After an extended fight it turns out to be a sizable kokanee. Over the next 4 hours that is the way it went. Rod down and fish on! Aside from the stick bait, we were running home tied wedding band spinners tipped with corn, maggots or worms. Through out the morning I varied the depth frequently but a majority of the fish were caught at 12’ – 14’ deep. Water temp 50.2 degrees to 50.6 degrees and we were trolling at 1.3 mph – 2.0 mph. Final count, limits of kokanee or 20 fish with about that many more coming up short of the net. The morning was windy and cold but hey, that’s opening day!

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