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Sunday and a few hours to kill so we hitched up the tub and headed for Lake Stevens. There was another rowing regatta so we had to drive around the lake and part with another 7 bucks to launch on the other side again. As before there was no solid indication that the kokanee were organized enough to go on the bite and the water temperature had dropped to 48.3 degrees so we headed for the flats to fish for trout before trying our luck with the kokanee. We started in 10’ of water and trolled a gold Rapala type stick bait on one side of the boat and a blue/orange Rapala on the other. Both were run at 25 pulls and consistent with other trips we I was trolling a gentle “S” pattern covering water various depths to about 12’. We were seeing very few marks on the side imaging set at 90’ range but we did see 1 suspended fish so I made a sharp course adjustment and just when I figured the fish was not interested one of the rods doubles over and there was some serious line peeling off the reel. 10 minutes and multiple jumps later I slide the net under a sleek trout Lake Stevens trout. Shortly thereafter we head for deeper water in search of the elusive kokanee.

We should have stuck with the trout fishing. Fishing 4 rods and running a variety of swing blades and dodgers followed by an assortment of kokanee flies, spinners, hoochies, spin-n-glows and everything else in the boat we came up empty. While fishing for the kokanee all lures were tipped with scented corn or Gulp Maggots. We were running one lead line rig at 1 color, one flat line rig at about 20 pulls and two off the riggers running at various depths. I chased meter marks with the riggers and was running them at 6’ to about 38’. We had one hit on the lead line rig towing a 50/50 dodger/custom tied red spinner but it broke us off before we had a chance to see it. Although there was no magic trolling speed today, like always when trolling for Lake Stevens kokanee I stuck with 1.4 mph. We only fished kokanee for an hour or so and then watched the regatta for a bit before heading for the ramp. Although it started out breezy and chilly the sun finally made an appearance and it was a great morning on the lake.

Question; when they are hosting the regatta why don’t they make the Wyatt ramp free to rigs with the WDFW parking pass? I wonder if the regatta organizers have a stack of the passes or otherwise have to pay for the use of the ramp and facilities. I know I am whining but I got a 44 dollar parking ticket in Seattle last night, I had miss read the parking meter and thought that I paid for three hours of parking but in reality I only paid through 3:00. Then this morning I had to pay 7 bucks to use the launch even though I have a perfectly good WDFW parking pass.

Idstud

4/15/2012 6:49:00 PM

I would have to agree I think the town of Lake Stevens should but up a sign and allow us sportsman a break at the other launch when the other is being monopolized by other events.

The Quadfather

4/15/2012 6:49:00 PM

Ouch! That parking stuff is a pisser, especially when it sounds like in your heart you didn't really do the wrong thing, you honestly misread the meter.

rseas

4/15/2012 7:36:00 PM

Whoops, the picture of the trout is missing. I'll drop Mike a note.

rseas

4/15/2012 7:43:00 PM

Whoops, wrong picture. It is a Lake Stevens fish, a striped kokanee but not the one that I planned on posting. I'll send Mike an e-mail.

rseas

4/15/2012 8:00:00 PM

That's weird, it posted both the draft comment and my edited version.

trout-killa

4/15/2012 8:22:00 PM

Striped Kokanee? looks like a perch to me.

Kokanee Cuffs

4/15/2012 10:58:00 PM

Hey rseas My neighbor and I met you last thursday after we pulled out the boat at lake Stevens. Just want you to know how much I appreciate your posts. Im waiting for you to post some positive kokanee results so I can get my old neighbor back out on the lake. I also notice you have the fishfinder I have still new in its box. Im a little intimidated with it and was wondering if you have any pointers or know of a site that explains how to use it. I sold my nice boat and didnt feel my 12ft aluminum was worth of mounting that unit but I guess I better get to it after reading about your skills with it. Thanks for taking the time to do the reports, I look forward to reading them.
Lance
Kokanee Cuffs

rcthepirate

4/16/2012 12:50:00 AM

Couple of questions: What was the surface temp? Were there any kokes jumping?
I was out there on friday and it was about 51 degrees and there were TONS of kokanee jumping. We only managed to grab one though, flat lining a rainbow dick nite dodger with a pink hoochie tipped with corn.

Smalma

4/16/2012 6:36:00 AM

One would think that the "rowing" folks out of courtesy to the other folks that use that access would provide some signs for the week or so before their events announcing that the boat launch will closed and what dates and times.

That would be nice so one could plan their trips ahead of time and not have to make last minute adjustments. I think I'll poke around today and see if I can find an email address for the City and send an email.

Curt

Hilljack

4/16/2012 11:50:00 AM

Nice post. The regatta is getting a little old. You can go on the web site for days and times but that is not accurate. Saturday it was listed as being over at 3pm and went down there at 4:30 and it was still going on. I don't see why they can't move the event to the park and not have to consume the whole boat launch.

Does anyone know if the city owns the launch or the state? If it is the state, then us boat\trailier, fishing license buyers should voice a concern. Even if it is the city, I bet they get money from the state for the use.

FYI - the west side pay launch I believe is county owned.

Jungle Jim

4/16/2012 3:05:00 PM

I was there on Saturday. Only had 2 rods out, but same results. Fished from sun-up to about 11 am without even a bite. We got there early enough to get one of the 4 parking spots at the free launch that the regatta people so graciously left open. I did hear that they are done with the regatta-fest for this year, so we should not have any more surprises. The highlite of the day was seeing about a 6 lb. rainbow come flying 4 feet out of the water.

rseas

4/17/2012 9:42:00 AM

rcthepirate- The water temperature had dropped from approximately 51 degrees a few days prior to 48-49 degrees on Sunday. Later in the morning we say quite a few fish jumping within the regatta buoy line but overall we saw very few fish jumping. Once the weather and water temperature stabilizes the fishing will improve. the lake got 150,000 kokanee smolts in 2010 for this years fishery, more than the 2009 plant for the 2011 fishery. Once the bite is on the fishing should be similar to last year. The fish I caught a several weeks back were all cookie cutter fish and consistent with early season fish last year.

Artic Fox

4/18/2012 10:58:00 PM

It is interesting that you have come to the same conclusion as I did about the regatta. I was there on the Saturday of the first one. Thinking that something wasn't right, I contacted the WDFW and expressed my concern of the ramp being taken over by this group. Yes, the ramp is owner by the WDFW and I was told that sportfisfermen are supposed to have access to the ramp when the fishing season is open on the lake except during the Aqua Fest in July. You can email your concerns to Iris Kye at WDFW. Her email address is: Kye.Iris@dfw.wa.gov . She asked me how many parking places I thought sportfisherman needed, and I told her on a regular basis at least a dozen and when the Kokanee were bitting a couple dozen. She said she was going to talk with the city and if they couldn't keep the allocated spots open for fisherman, they couldn't use the facility. I saw her talking to a couple poeple about the next Regatta on Monday, April 9. So you should let her know what you have experienced this past weekend. If there were only four parking places for fishermen, that isn't what I was expecting to have reserved for fishermen.
The rest of you guys need to let her know what is going on at that ramp. She was unaware of any other activity besides the Auqa Fest.
Let her know that you appreciate that she is working on this problem, and then let her know what you are experiencing there during this recent Regatta. Keep her informed about what is happening there.

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