Lake Stevens Kokanee

[Whitenuckles]

The boat is ready to go. I'll be on the water at sun up on May 5th!!!!!

[Stein]

I just pulled both motors apart for maintenance and realized I don't have the right stuff to put them back together and had to order it in.  My guess is that fishing will now open early.

[h20hunter]

I got room for yah. 

[7mmfan]

I just pulled both motors apart for maintenance and realized I don't have the right stuff to put them back together and had to order it in.  My guess is that fishing will now open early.

God that's like the time I changed the oil in the truck, only to realize I'd bought the wrong oil filter. Couldn't even drive to the store to get the right one. Had to wait for my wife to get home. Never heard the end of that one.

[Stein]

I also changed the oil in the mower and pressure washer - let's just say I should be doing that more often or it's a testament to Honda small engines depending on how you look at it.

I pulled all the zincs and brushed them up, cleaned the bolts and mating surfaces.

[7mmfan]

The Honda's are resilient. I inherited my Honda mower. Changed the oil in it before I did anything. Or should I say changed the teaspon of black molasses that was left in it. Thing still ran like a champ. Runs better now.

[h20hunter]

I wish we had a local hunt wa bass aficionado to give a little insight.....

@bassquatch

Today I enjoyed a quick 30 min 1500 meters between the noth swim beach and the point by the no wake bouys. Bass are on beds in songkes and pairs and are very aggressive.  They will come right off of the bottom in id say 15 feet deep or so and charge me. A few feet away they turn, repeat. Pretty cool. Not sure when they really spawn vs pre spawn but in that on stretch i saw about 4 pairs on beds.  Weed growth coming along and smaller lil fish just starting to appear in the weef growth a little deeper.

[bassquatch]

I wish we had a local hunt wa bass aficionado to give a little insight.....

@bassquatch

Today I enjoyed a quick 30 min 1500 meters between the noth swim beach and the point by the no wake bouys. Bass are on beds in songkes and pairs and are very aggressive.  They will come right off of the bottom in id say 15 feet deep or so and charge me. A few feet away they turn, repeat. Pretty cool. Not sure when they really spawn vs pre spawn but in that on stretch i saw about 4 pairs on beds.  Weed growth coming along and smaller lil fish just starting to appear in the weef growth a little deeper.

I'm just a bass dabbler...

If it's pairs around beds, then they are most likely in the act of spawning and you are being charged by males fighting over females. Once eggs are down, the females tend to move away from the beds, leaving the males solo to guard the nest. Smallmouth defend beds much more aggressively than largemouth and will dart off beds to attack threats. Largemouth may swim off a little ways and then return but typically take a much more reactive approach to protecting a bed. Smallies, during and through the spawn, will still hit moving baits within a few feet of the nest but largemouth are the ones guys need to pound on to get them upset enough to initiate bait contact.

Smallies, I personally feel, tend to want to destroy and consume a bed threat, while largies will swim off a bed with your lure and spit it out if you don't set the hook. I quit bed fishing years ago as it's just too easy, like hunting at the zoo. I prefer to work nearby cover for the larger postspawn females than bounce a lure of a small male largemouth's nose until it clamps down on the nuisance. 

[h20hunter]

Right on. Yup, clearly smallies and the females are clearly pot bellied and wgged up still.  Pretty cool seeing them from that vantage point .

[bassquatch]

I bet! Very cool to actually watch them spawn too 

[Stein]

I'll be out Tuesday, probably most days after that for the rest of the week.  Work wants us to take vacation, so I will likely take them up on that.

[Stein]

What leader lengths do you guys run for spinners or God's Tooth?  I've seen everything from 6" to 20" so maybe it's not a huge factor?

[CP]

What leader lengths do you guys run for spinners or God's Tooth?  I've seen everything from 6" to 20" so maybe it's not a huge factor?

I’m starting with 2 times the length of the dodger.  But I’m not qualified to answer as I’ve never actually caught anything in Stevens.

[funkster]

What leader lengths do you guys run for spinners or God's Tooth?  I've seen everything from 6" to 20" so maybe it's not a huge factor?

I’ve only used the gods tooth once (no success but the water was cold) before we got locked down, but I’ve read they work very well with shorter leaders, 8”-12” and troll slow.

I’m pumped to get back out but I think I’m going to stay away from small lakes for awhile, I think I’ll probably head to the sound for lings or hopefully the Columbia for chinook if they open it 🤞🏼.

[Stein]

I'll probably take a drive over there this afternoon to check the launches to see what is open unless someone here knows?