I thought this was Lakes.com, I know it is slow for lake fishing but we can discuss fly patterns
etc. What our favorite lakes are etc. How we fish the lakes,sink line,sink tip.??????? Just a thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nobody to talk too. What is your favorite pattern. What is your favorite lake. I have all the tools for lake fishing but I just don't seem able to go. It seems that my desire to go fishing has left me. Of course this weather has nothing to do with it. I've tried this ooooooooooooo mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,OOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Nothing seems to work.

Jim, my favorite lake is Nunally, I like to fish it when I can. I'm not working so funds are limited to go any where. I like to fish the shallow shelves of the lake . With Buggers and damels. I have only used chrono's once and that was with Micro Brew when he taught me how to fish them. One other lake is Johnny Johnson lake north east of Tonasket. It is on a private ranch and located on top of a mountain. The fish in it are huge. I caught a whopper 28" rainbow there. I'd like to go back some day. You have to know the owner of the ranch to get permission to fish it.

Jim you have to bow to the east and say "Oh great one the mightyest of Zen bless my fishing ability
Ohmmmmmmmmmmmm!OhMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm. It really works.

I guess that you just have to win the lottery or something. That way you don't have to work any more. Just fish. I think that I need a swift kick in the you know where in order to get back in the mood to fish. I think that all my get up and go got up and left. Jim S.

Don't know about you guys but I'm loading shotgun shells and shooting clay targets.

Fishing season's over until at the earliest mid-February.

Now there's always whitefish in the local rivers. Just get a container of worms and sit on the bank. Usually a limit of whitefish in about an hour. Catch and release doesn't apply unless they're dinks.

Why don't ya'll start fishin steelies?
Tyler

As The Zen Master said, it's over untill mid-feb.
Then I'll be at the secret lake and doing some chrono and Zonker fishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the traditional slow time of the year for lake reports and lake talk. It'll pick up in a couple months for sure. Meanwhile it's nice to have some off topics to talk about!

so whats going on with the whitefish? ive never fished for them, are they worth fishing for?

Good question KSR! I would be interested in some info on whitefish also.
I have never fished for them.
Ah yes another oppurtunity!

Going after whitefish is like being a kid again.

I used to fish them at the Lewis street boat ramp in Monroe. Just sit there on the rocks in front of the car and throw a worm out.

I'd catch a limit in about an hour. They are real good smoked.

Channel changed a little at Monroe so the hole's a little further out now.

Worms worked best for me. Use a slip sinker also to help detect bites.

Sssssllllllooooooowwwwwww is right. Damned cold too for lake fishing especially from a floating ice tray (float tube). I would be willing to brave some whitefishing if anyone else is interested. For now though I am enjoying some river fishing attempting to entice steelies and salmon to take the bait/lure etc.

Carl - will the chums still be hitting up at Flaming Geyser?

TJ, the Chums were still thick last weekend when I was up at FG. There even seem to be a bunch of fresh fish too.
I can remember fishing for steelies last year on December 31st and being amazed at all the Chums that were still in the river that late in the year, even at Tonasket-Palmer.
You gotta see it to believe it!

Soos creek bridge is also a good area for whitefish. You can stand on the bridge and see the whitefish all over the river bottom.

I think the bridge is over the Green. Not sure as I was only down there once.

Bill W, There are three bridges that cross over the Green in the area of Soos Creek. They are: Hwy 18, Auburn-Black Diamond Road, and a train tressel (is that how you spell that?) That area is very popular for salmon and steelheading. There is even a boat launch too.

How BIG do whitefish get any way? Are they worth the effort? I know the White River gets whitefish also.

pick one of the bridges you can walk on and see the river bottom. The river there wasn't more than 4 feet deep.

Whitefish don't get all that big. What you'll keep will be between 9-13 inches with most in the 10 inch range.

Are they worth the effort??? Don't know, but I gave up steelheading to switch to whitefish in the 80's. I'd catch a limit of whitefish every time out and later smoke them. Limit's 15. And it only took about an hour to get that limit. That also counted missed bites as I would only hook about 1 out every 4 bites. Sorta very active action.

If you read the regs.,the Tye river is open for the taking of White Fish only. The Tye is the upper end of the Skykomish river above the town of Skykomish. Probly too much snow up there to fish it. Also you can catch those fish in the Snoqualmie where the Raging river dumps in. Jim S.

The steelies are running, the trout in the bigger lakes are now shallow, and the smaller lakes are still fishing well, and Zen quits.

Good grief. He must be close to retirement. Either that, or not committed to fishing any more....

Ok...so I might be a quitter.

Rob, bet you weren't out fishing over the weekend in the rivers..

Meanwhile, as I go back to loading shotgun shells...mutter..mutter..mutter.

Zen is not a quiter, He has started teaching me how to tye fly's again. He is a good teacher.I have never seen so much fly fishing stuff in my life. I'm looking forward to my next lesson.
Learn the teachings of Zen and your life will change. Ohmmmmmmmmmmm.Ohmmmmmmmmm. Ohmmmmmmmmmm.

Anybody know any good places for whitefish around Battle Ground. I've never fished em and want to give it a try. I don't go for salmon or steelhead being as I can't. Believe me, I wish I could, I can't get anywhere though because I can't drive so am dependent on my parents. Do you fish whitefish with a trout type settup, or are they smaller?
Thanks

Fishboy,

Find running water with a rocky bottom. Small rocks work best for whitefish as they feed on nymphs on the bottom.

Use the standard trout rig with a slip sinker. I had my best luck with worms, but think eggs would work as well.

Throw it out on a seam in the water. I've found the fish seem to hold below it. If you don't get a bite in a couple of minutes, move as they aren't there.

Whitefish hold in riffles in the summer, but school up in the pools during the winter.

Now you know as much as I do.

This summer when I had nothing but time on my hands. I went for a drive just for a look see. I stopped at the bridge that crosses the Middle fork of the Snoqualmie. And in the pool that is under that old bridge were schools of White fish and they were not little. I thought that they were trout but when one rolled on it's side to snuff something off the bottom I saw it's silver side. I guess if one likes to eat fish,heres your chance. Jim S.

Jim,

Sent you email on whitefish.

Sorry guys. But I don't even fish for them fish. I just seem to know where they all hang out at. I guess that I just read too much. Besides the way it is raining out,even those rivers will be out of shape. All you have to do is look at the falls to see how much water is going over them. Jim s.

I've caught some 2-3lb whitefish on the middle fork snoqualmie while trout fishing (sorry - but no bait up there).

On the lower river (where the raging come in), I stopped and watched an old timer catching them left and right. He had a long noodle rod (at least 10 ft) and an ultra light reel with 4lb line. He was using a dropper weight with 2 short leaders (about 12 inches or less) staggered up the line at 90 degree angles. His bait was some kind of small whitefish nymph flies tipped with white grubs/maggots. He just flipped it a little ways into the current and let it drift about 10 to 20 feet - keeping constant pressure on the line to feel subtle takes. He said he often hooks up with steelhead doing this as well...

Also, the yakima kicks out some good sized whitefish.

Just remember that, while they can be fished for just like trout, they have smaller mouths than trout. They will hit flys in the surface too. But that small mouth can equal frustration if they can't get the hook in their mouth...

Well, that's about all I know about them too... I must admit though, when I'm out steelheading in the winter, and don't see a fish for hours - i sometimes stick on some smaller lure/bait and try to hook a few of these guys just to remind me what a fish feels like (although they don't fight as well as a trout, they can still be fun).

-Chad

Zen,Zen,Zen, shame on you for promoting fishing for whitefish with Arghhhhhhh,WORMS. Don't you know that they are a great fish to flyfish for.
Any smallish nymph pattern bounced along the bottom or fished deep under an indicator in the deepest pools will catch whitefish on most rivers all winter.
In E.Wash they often seem to prefer wet flies with a white wing. The impatient put a few maggots or a mealworm on the fly if the bites aren't coming fast enough. Keep your maggots under your lip like a chaw of tobacco or they will freeze on ya. Don't worry,they don't eat much.

I'm Hungry now :p