Wanted to fish potholes today. Unfortunately there was a stiff, but not strong, southerly flow. I wanted to launch from the lake's north shore. My boat is only 7.5' long so "stiff" was all it took to cause me to abandon that notion. I regrouped at Burke lake. Wind still stiff but water much more protected from a southerly flow.

Spent most of my time trolling a shallow rapala looking for one of those big bad bows that survives a few seasons and then learns how to feast on the little planters that get dumped in this kind of lake every spring. I've only been lucky using this tactic a few times over the years but when I get lucky doing this it's usually a 5 to 8 pound reward. Always fun to contemplate.

Stopped at the east end of the lake and cast a black woolly bugger tipped with a little hunk of cocktail shrimp for a half an hour or so. Picked up a 3/4 pound rainbow and one that would push the scales at about 2.5 pounds. Nice thick fish.

That seemed like enough for dinner for two so I went back to trolling for mr. big.

Very pleasant afternoon on Burke Lake. Lots of other sporties out. Fishing from shore and other boats. Was surprised to see half a dozen or so fly fishermen and they were the only others that I witnesses landing fish. I'm kind of curious as to whether they were using black woolly buggers also.

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