Author Topic: Baker Lake (Read 18724 times)

jeepasaurusrex · « **on:** July 15, 2012, 12:09:08 AM »

My in-laws are coming out from Utah next week and they want to go fishing. Since Baker is full of Sockeye right now, I figured that would be the best bet to catch something. We have a boat.

My questions are:

Where to launch (Thinking panorama or swift creek)?

Where to fish?

What gear to use?

Thanks, your help is appreciated!

206 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2012, 08:08:40 AM »

The wife and I fished two mornings last year and came home with 11 fish.

Size 0 chrome dodger. Walmart only had the dodgers with the shiny silver tape in the center and they worked fine.

14" leader of 30 pound test tied to 2 1/0 red gammies with a pink mini squid. Most guys use 3/0 hooks but I tested the 1/0's because they are sharper and we outfished darn near everyone. Leaders must be short so the dodger gives your hooks some action. Bait hooks with about a thumb nails size piece of store bought shrimp. I microwave them less than a minute so they are half cooked. I think this makes them smell stronger and toughen them up so they hang on the hooks better.

Trolled a wind sock to go very slow. Dodgers need to swing not rotate. Wifes rod with 3 oz weight a couple feet above dodger outfished my downrigger rod early in the morning by far. I think there's better action without a rigger. Later in the morning the rigger worked better.

Most guys use the swift launch. I camped a shannon and put in there which is just a dirt/gravel launch.

Be on the water ready to fish at first light.

You may be a little early fishin it as there just starting to load up the lake.

jeepasaurusrex · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2012, 10:24:24 AM »

Thanks for the info. We would fish later but they are only going to be out here that weekend.

So, when your setting up your rig, it goes: Reel--line--sinker---flasher---leader---mini squid?

206 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2012, 11:36:14 AM »

That's it.

Just read some reports of fish being caught now, so you should be good.

Start with 20 pulls.

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2012, 11:44:44 AM »

We fished it the last 3 days pretty slow. Only saw a few fish caught each day. Should be hot at months end.

JohnVH · « **Reply #5 on:** July 16, 2012, 09:45:48 AM »

My brother just got back from there yesterday, they said it was ok, they caught 3 sockeye in two days, and some kokanee.

Where is the quietest campground on the lake that you can take a travel trailer to? Ive never been there but would like to go this year.

Kola16 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 16, 2012, 11:06:19 PM »

Ok, I have never caught a sockeye, but you guys made me really interested. I don't have a downrigger, or a working fish finder, sooooooooo how far from the shore should I be

About how deep do they hang out?

jeepasaurusrex · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2012, 05:02:07 AM »

We're going up with the philosophy "Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day". I figure by the end of the day we will have it figured out.

BOWHUNTER45 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2012, 06:59:09 AM »

and do not just pull up to the launch and exspect to launch as soon as you get there.... it may be hours

jeepasaurusrex · « **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2012, 08:14:42 AM »

I plan on being there around 5-6am

WSU · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2012, 03:45:11 PM »

Quote from: jeepasaurusrex on July 17, 2012, 08:14:42 AM

I plan on being there around 5-6am

You may want to be there earlier (maybe a lot) if you plan to be fishing a first light (not sunrise, but first light). I've also heard that parking can get almost impossible if you aren't launched prior to 6 or so.

johnnyaustin44 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2012, 04:08:05 PM »

Quote from: WSU on July 17, 2012, 03:45:11 PM

Quote from: jeepasaurusrex on July 17, 2012, 08:14:42 AM
I plan on being there around 5-6am

You may want to be there earlier (maybe a lot) if you plan to be fishing a first light (not sunrise, but first light). I've also heard that parking can get almost impossible if you aren't launched prior to 6 or so.

true. I launched at four at the dam second boat at the parking lot and there was about 40 boats fishing when we got to the spot. I've heard the other launches are a zoo.

Ripper · « **Reply #12 on:** July 18, 2012, 10:00:55 PM »

Quote

Ok, I have never caught a sockeye, but you guys made me really interested. I don't have a downrigger, or a working fish finder, sooooooooo how far from the shore should I be About how deep do they hang out?

Just go where everyone else is and start asking how deep they're fishing. Most people will tell you that. Try to troll in same direction as everyone else also. You don't want to be the one idiot trolling opposite of the rest of the Armada pissing everyone off. Good luck

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2012, 10:09:29 PM »

Caught 3 this morning. Watch out, the crowd is starting to gather at Holiday Market buying stuff. Expect this weekend, Friday-Sunday to be a zoo. Last season there were times when it took you 45 min. to get your boat in the water due to the line.

If you don't have a down rigger or a depth finder do a poor man's down rigger set up. Get a heavy weight, down rigger ball, fill a can with lead, etc. Mark your rope at 5' or 10' intervals. Tie it to the side of the boat, but make sure you at least purchase a Scott down rigger release as they are cheap and go that route. Ask around and see what depth the other guys are catching them on. Probably 17'-25' range right now.

Best of luck.

Kola16 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2012, 10:21:30 PM »

Quote from: h2ofowlr on July 18, 2012, 10:09:29 PM

If you don't have a down rigger or a depth finder do a poor man's down rigger set up. Get a heavy weight, down rigger ball, fill a can with lead, etc. Mark your rope at 5' or 10' intervals. Tie it to the side of the boat, but make sure you at least purchase a Scott down rigger release as they are cheap and go that route. Ask around and see what depth the other guys are catching them on. Probably 17'-25' range right now.

Best of luck.

I am totally going to try that. It sounds awesome, and funny

Hopefully, people will be willing to give up the depth because my fish finder is broken

jeepasaurusrex · « **Reply #15 on:** July 18, 2012, 11:14:36 PM »

Checked out the boat were using tonight. It's equipped with downriggers, hummingbird side scan depth finder, etc.

pips4bucks · « **Reply #16 on:** July 18, 2012, 11:30:49 PM »

Here's the standard rig most people will be using...

I don't think there's any one thing that is the "go to" rig. It changes from day to day, but this is the basic set up. Change it up by adding mini hoochies, shrimp tails, crystal flash, extra beads, different colors, leader length, etc. Above all.... GO SLOW! .5-1.0 MPH.

We're headed up this Friday to give it a go. Hopefully we can get 'em dialed in soon.

Kola16 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 19, 2012, 02:29:24 PM »

We are headed up Friday as well

So I spent the day looking around in my Grandpa's old tacklebox, and I struck redneck gold

.....

They are marked every five feet all the way down to 60 feet

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #18 on:** July 19, 2012, 03:46:55 PM »

Went out this morning again and had 5 fish in the boat by 7:00.

JohnVH · « **Reply #19 on:** July 19, 2012, 04:00:42 PM »

I heard they dumped another large number of fish in there.

Where is the best place to camp with a travel trailer? (least busy)

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #20 on:** July 19, 2012, 04:24:49 PM »

Quote from: JohnVH on July 19, 2012, 04:00:42 PM

I heard they dumped another large number of fish in there.

Where is the best place to camp with a travel trailer? (least busy)

They were dumping a truck when I left this morning at 8:00. They had 281 fish in it. Pretty interesting shuttle service they have. They back the back tires of the truck into the water, empty it half way and flip a hydraulic shoot down and the fish start coming up. Or at least the ones that don't try to swim back into the truck.

206 · « **Reply #21 on:** July 19, 2012, 04:51:36 PM »

I wish I could live on that lake right now. Fresh blue berry pancakes and fried fish every morning.

Kola16 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 19, 2012, 11:18:51 PM »

Quote from: 206 on July 19, 2012, 04:51:36 PM

I wish I could live on that lake right now. Fresh blue berry pancakes and fried fish every morning.

Kola16 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 21, 2012, 09:33:29 PM »

Well.....that was rough. So we head up to camp on Friday night to camp, and we had to go to the south end of the lake (we needed to be at the north end because I only have a trolling motor. We got camp set up and headed out to go trout fishing. I grabbed the trout rods, but my dad's rod broke from getting smashed by the battery

I still caught two monster 9 inchers in 15 minutes

The next morning, I sleep through my alarm clock and didn't wake up till 4:45

We finally got on the lake, and got to our fishing spot (a mile with a trolling motor). I set up one downrigger, and as I was setting up the other one.......fish on......10 seconds later....more head banging. Another twenty minutes fish on.....5 seconds later

you know. Another twenty minutes......fish on......2 minutes later

Finally the fog had lifted, a fish in the boat. Another 30 minutes and another fish

Then............My dog had to go.......so we headed to the east shore. About 50 yards offshore my homemade downriggers got caught at twenty feet (how deep I was fishing). They never came back up

So my adventure stopped there. Atleast I got 2 tasty sockeye

Finally thank you all for helping me out. I really appreciated all of it.

BOWHUNTER45 · « **Reply #24 on:** July 21, 2012, 09:41:22 PM »

Quote from: pips4bucks on July 18, 2012, 11:30:49 PM

Here's the standard rig most people will be using...

I don't think there's any one thing that is the "go to" rig. It changes from day to day, but this is the basic set up. Change it up by adding mini hoochies, shrimp tails, crystal flash, extra beads, different colors, leader length, etc. Above all.... GO SLOW! .5-1.0 MPH.

We're headed up this Friday to give it a go. Hopefully we can get 'em dialed in soon.

I like it ...maybe add a hoochi skirt with some shrimp oil .... My son is up there with his friends and I think they got 7 so far ....the kid has caught enough already in the skagit ... put he is addicted

jeepasaurusrex · « **Reply #25 on:** July 21, 2012, 10:07:11 PM »

We left here at 3:30 this morning and pulled into the Swift Creek launch at 5am. There were only 4 boats ahead of us to launch. We were on the water in 20min. We motored across to the other side and took our place in the flotilla. We had several strikes and a couple of missed hook sets, but it was promising. We fished all day and I caught a nice lil Dolly around noon. Took a couple of pics and let her go. Had a few more strikes around 2pm but no Sockeye. We finally called it quits at 3pm when the battery for the trolling motor died after 8+hours of use. Damn good battery.

Kola16 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 21, 2012, 10:20:21 PM »

Quote from: jeepasaurusrex on July 21, 2012, 10:07:11 PM

when the battery for the trolling motor died after 8+hours of use. Damn good battery.

I would say...what kind of battery

jeepasaurusrex · « **Reply #27 on:** July 22, 2012, 09:54:20 AM »

Interstate Marine.

HUNTINCOUPLE · « **Reply #28 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:41:19 PM »

Load up the boats with the youngsters!! Everybody fishes untill boat limits!!! Ye Haa!! WDFW made announcement via the intronet!!!

doyourtime89 · « **Reply #29 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:48:11 PM »

Is the norm up there now limits for most boats???

HUNTINCOUPLE · « **Reply #30 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:50:25 PM »

Not sure? Check the truck dump numbers and catch reports. Should be gettin good quick i would think?

doyourtime89 · « **Reply #31 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:51:36 PM »

Quote from: HUNTINCOUPLE on July 24, 2012, 04:50:25 PM

Not sure? Check the truck dump numbers and catch reports. Should be gettin good quick i would think?

where can I check that truck dump numbers and catch reports.

HUNTINCOUPLE · « **Reply #32 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:58:53 PM »

I like the WDFW site. It tells you how many fish have been trucked up! As for catch reports keep an eye here or look at a fishin board that you trust? Lots of true fisherman out there on the intronet!

HUNTINCOUPLE · « **Reply #33 on:** July 24, 2012, 05:46:01 PM »

Just checked the site 10,227 sokeye trucked up!

206 · « **Reply #34 on:** July 24, 2012, 06:12:23 PM »

Quote from: Kola16 on July 19, 2012, 11:18:51 PM

Quote from: 206 on July 19, 2012, 04:51:36 PM
I wish I could live on that lake right now. Fresh blue berry pancakes and fried fish every morning.

Dreaming again while still unemployed. Wife sells car now so nobody to fish with.

The lake was fairly warm last year. Made for a nice midday d(r)unk to cool off. Hanging inch worms from the trees in those parts are really wierd. They have a web hangin from the trees at about face level. If not careful you can snort em up while pig laughing.