Lake Wenatchee Sockeye

[huntnphool]

Heading east for the week and planned on hitting the lake for some sockeye one of the days. After reading the regs I am a little puzzled why F&G would require knotless nets on fish you are going to take home, to me this is one of the stupidest rules I have ever seen. Anyone have any insight on this rule?

[Thenewguy]

Haven;t you read anything on the economy?!?!? obviously a "stimulus" package....

[Fishhunt223]

Probably worried about people netting bull trout.

[Big D]

Info from the Regs:
Other information: Single point barbless hooks required. No more than three hooks may be used. No bait or scent may be attached to the hooks. Knotless nets are required. A night closure will be in effect. Legal angling hours are one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.
Bull trout, steelhead, and Chinook salmon must be released unharmed without removing the fish from the water.

Also:
Release sockeye with one or more holes (round, approximately 1/4" in diameter) punched in the tail of the fish (caudal fin). These fish are part of a study and have been anesthetized; the FDA requires a 21 day ban on consumption of these fish.

[MIKEXRAY]

Are they opening sockeye fishing on lake wenatchee ?  Have not found the season opening with the state. I thought the count was to low. Thanks for any info. Mike

[Fish4Fun]

Here you go, the little slime rockets are fair game. They are good eating just not bright and silver like a Lake Washington fish.

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=796

[dbllunger]

Have to ask....why fish Lake Wenatchee when you can fish near Brewster and possibly catch a King?  There are more Sockeye around Brewster, and few actively fish for them.  They are by-catch for most people looking for Kings. 

[JackOfAllTrades]

....why fish Lake Wenatchee when you can fish near Brewster and possibly catch a King?

I'd guess that he's not driving that far.

I'll be back on the east side in the next day or so and plan on a shore shot at some Triploids in Rufus Woods. I'd love an opportunity for Sockey or any other Salmon around Brewster but without a boat I'm SOL.

So is this Knotless net thing required in other places too?

-Steve

[Fishhunt223]

Have to ask....why fish Lake Wenatchee when you can fish near Brewster and possibly catch a King?  There are more Sockeye around Brewster, and few actively fish for them.  They are by-catch for most people looking for Kings. 

They are super easy to catch.  I didnt fish it last year but a couple of years ago, I can remember it taking longer to drop the downriggers and get the rod set up than it did to get a fish on.  Plus, you dont have to buy bait

[dbllunger]

Not automatic for sockeye compared to Wenatchee based on what is being said, but you could catch your limit easily in a normal day.  I have heard of guys fishing for them catching and releasing 20-40 in a 8-9hr day.  Yes Brewster area needs a boat but down stream by wells dam both above and below is a great bank fishery.  Steve if your around Brewster in the evening after the weekend PM me.  I am booked up for the weekend, but have tomorrow night open so far.  The evening bite is starting to get going.  Just starting one rod set up for sockeye only will see how it goes as mainly trying for kings.

[WAcoueshunter]

Anybody been fishing the Lake?  I'll be over that way this weekend and was thinking I might give it a try.  Never fished for reds in Lake Wenatchee, but I assume it's similar to Lake WA?

[WAcoueshunter]

Well, didn't fish the Lake this weekend, but stopped by this morning to see how things were going.  At 10am, the fish checker had counted exactly one fish.  Didn't catch how many boats they'd checked, but I saw at least a handful leaving while I was there.  Talked to a guy who fished it on the opener, and the two guys in his boat limited in an hour.  Today, not a single strike.  The bio at the check station noted that it's been progressively worse each day.  He figured all the pressure turned the fish off.  Curious whether any of you fished over the last few days and found the same thing?

On the way out, I decided to drive a new FS road...found some ripe huckleberries and mtn. blackberries, a nice late morning snack.  Interesting that the hucks are already ripe (about 4,000 feet).  Also found a few bear piles in the huck patch.

[alanger]

the nets hurt the fish so they claim if u are going to release them.

so how did you do phool???

[huntnphool]

so how did you do phool???

 We concentrated on kings at Wells and did pretty well but did manage to get to the Lake Saturday morning. Took the kids and some friends for a couple hours, boated 14 and lost 9. Fish are actually in pretty good shape, not as slimy as I thought they would be, good bright color too.

[Big D]

Lake Wenatchee Sockeye fishery will close Aug. 11, one hour after official sunset. According to state Fish and Wildlife's press release sockeye mortality, both substantial and unexpected, has occurred during migration up the Wenatchee River due to high water temperatures. Consequently, sufficient numbers of sockeye are not available to continue the Lake Wenatchee sport-fishing season.
As of 10 August anglers have caught 2,040 sockeye from Lake Wenatchee.