fishing lake chelan

[deerhunter_98520]

So I'm going to chelan the first week of April and was kicking around the idea of renting a boat for a day and try fishing and a co worker just told me I should get a guide for a half day trip for probably about the same price or close to it.....any of you reccomend a good guide for a half day trip? I never have fished for lake trout and it looks like it would be fun

[lokidog]

Went with Darrell and Dads a few years back (more than a few I guess) and had a great time, even caught a bunch of fish.

http://www.darrellanddads.com/

[Romulus1297]

Lake Chelan Adventures

[deerhunter_98520]

Thanks guys I'll check them out

[mburrows]

Darrell and Dad's would be recommendation.  My family and I have gone out a couple times with them for both Kokanee and Mac's.  We've gone home 100% satisfied with the trip each time.

[Skillet]

Either.  I've been out with Joe at Lake Chelan Adventures, had a great time and learned a lot.  Also talked with Anton from Darrel and Dad's at the dock one day when we were cleaning fish.  Really, really nice dude.  Gave me some tips to be more efficient, and actually gave me a brand-new flatfish in the box to use. 

[deerhunter_98520]

Darrell and dads is out of my price range...it would only be me and my son....and the lake chelan adventures is a 2 adult minimum so that's out of the question for this trip.....seems to be a 2 adult minimum on all of them

[Skillet]

I guess you could rent a boat and fish them with jigs, but it isn't even remotely as productive as downrigger fishing them.  And if the sonar isn't dialed in to the point you can see the fish on the bottom in 160ft + of water, I think it would be a waste of time.  You might find them up on the very top of Mack Bar in 110ft, but if not - you gotta go deeper. 
It is a relatively easy fishery, but takes some special equipment you never typically find on a rental boat.

On a positive note - when I first started fishing these guys, I had a hand-held GPS and an Eagle fishfinder in my tiller fishing boat.  I would run around until I found a pile of the fish on the bottom - then stop and send the jig down.  Caught a few doing that, but probably 1/4 of the troller's production. 

The other way to do it is run a deep long line.  Get a downrigger rod with a line counter reel on it.  And a lot of line (braid is a must for this).  Set up an Ace Hi Fly or or similar glow bait on a salmon mooching leader and bait it with pikeminnow strip.


Let out at least 50 feet of line, then attach a sliding sinker  that you can clamp to the line and is easy to release.  I use a a four ounce cannonball hooked to a version of these snaps.  These are Offshore brand and have one very important feature over downrigger releases - they have a pin molded into the jaw that will not allow the line to slip out.  If you try to use downrigger releases you will lose them...



Get to your trolling speed, from .75 to 1.5mph, let out about 50 feet of line, attach your snap weight and then let the rest out until you get to bottom and stay there.  With 40# power pro main line a 4 oz cannonball, moving at 1.2 mph and fishing in 180 feet of water, I have to let out right at of 500 feet of line after I snap on the weight.  If you up your cannonball size, it will shorten the amount of line you need to get to bottom.  If you fish slower, it will shorten the amount also.   

We call this the "workout rod", since it is actual work to haul in a fish on this vs a downrigger rod.  We run it between our downrigger setups and usually catches at twice the rate the downriggers do (I typically run flatfish on the downriggers).  It will  bounce along the bottom, and you'll get to know the rhythmic way it moves.  It will be obvious when a fish takes it - and that's when the work begins.  You'll need to reel up to where the snap weight is attached and your partner will have to smoothly unsnap it without causing the line to go slack.  When the weight is in you'll have the last 50 feet or so to reel in and net your fish.  It is work, but it works well.

Good luck, let us know how you do.

[deerhunter_98520]

Sounds like unless I find a guide that I'll take me and my boy out I'm out of luck....I don't have a downrigger or any of that stuff and don't want to buy it all for one day trip...ally equipment is for salmon fishing and small lake trout fishing around here on the coast ....thanks for all that info though...maybe one of these days I'll get another boat and get it setup 

[deerhunter_98520]

Whats your setup for bank fishing? I could do that and both kids could fish

[deerhunter_98520]

Same way I fish here 

[lokidog]

Just find a good place and cast out from shore! Chelan is stocked with thousands of trout each year.We fished it last year and limited out on nice fat rainbows each day. We even saw a couple jump that would of gone 5-6 lbs. Lakers and kokes are nice but when they start costing you 50 bucks a pound forget it.

I thought the state quit stocking rainbows since they were not native to the lake or something?  If there are still large amounts of rainbows you could hike down to Grade Creek on the east side, we used to do really well there floating nightcrawlers.  That was during the summer though.

There are Burbot in there as well.

[Romulus1297]

Don't forget Roses Lake and fish from the dock and don't forget your discover pass.