Rattlesnake Lake, March 1st 2015
8:30AM-1:30PM
Water temp: 46 Degrees
Weather: Mostly sunny, turning overcast as the day progressed with winds at 0-8 mph


Seeking the refuge of more productive waters, I pinched my barbs and loaded up for a trip to Rattlesnake Lake. I was welcomed by a glass-calm lake and brisk sunny skies. The constant sputtering of trout about the surface heightened my hopes for success as I unloaded my 9ft pontoon and eased into the water.

The surface bite was off the hook from the get go. My fly casting was quite rusty and my gear was not quite set up for success, so I switched to my 7' ultralight setup and began pitching a "miracle lure" at the wily jumping fish. Every cast resulted in a hit or two, and most in hookups for quite awhile until the sun became a little higher and the small waves carried across the water.

Selective gear was a big emphasis for today, and also proved to be quite a laughing ordeal at times. the barbless hooks paired with the ridiculously acrobatic planted steelies lead to so many spit hooks I couldn't keep track. When you hook and lose three separate fish on one cast, it either becomes a laughing coincidence or user error. I wacky cast and line snap resulted in the switching to a spoon, which also produced good numbers of fish.

In the end, I boated and released 11 fish (9 steelies and 2 'bows), with the biggest being around 15 inches and the smallest around 10. I probably lost over two to three dozen fish, which I tip my hat to for putting up such spectacular fights.

Happy fishing and tight lines!

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