Northwest Fishing Reports

Got off the phone with a friend,whos coming up to visit from LA. This guy loves fishing for Lake Trout. He says he hasn't even picked up a rod in 3 years. I'm trying to find a lake a little closer to home than Chelan. With gas prices today,I think we are all in this boat. I'm in Puyallup (near Tacoma) for anyone that doesn't know where Puyallup is. Is there any spots down south by Riffe? If worst comes to worse,I'll head to Chelan(it would be a nice trip anyway,just hurts the wallet)
Thanks

Your best bet might just be Chelan. It's got a good concentration of fish and and guides also book trips for this lake.

What are macks?

kevinb wrote:Got off the phone with a friend,whos coming up to visit from LA. This guy loves fishing for Lake Trout. He says he hasn't even picked up a rod in 3 years. I'm trying to find a lake a little closer to home than Chelan. With gas prices today,I think we are all in this boat. I'm in Puyallup (near Tacoma) for anyone that doesn't know where Puyallup is. Is there any spots down south by Riffe? If worst comes to worse,I'll head to Chelan(it would be a nice trip anyway,just hurts the wallet)
Thanks

Go with Darrell and Dad's Guide Service. You'll catch your macks and more.

http://www.darrellanddads.com/

Contact us today to book your fishing adventure at either:
231 Division, Manson, WA 98831
Phone (509) 687-0709 or toll-free 866-360-1523
or email: antonj@aol.com

From what it sounds like Chelan is a no brainer when it comes to catching macks. Check out darrellanddads.com They are a guide service out of that area but on there web site they have a bunch of pictures and even a fishing report for lake chelan.

You have a couple lakes before chelan up around snoqualmie and lake Cle elum, but it dosnt sound like those lakes are a for sure thing.

Yeah,I guess Chelan will have to do. I'm just affraid of the fuel spending but I'm sure it will be well worth it. I had thought about going to Lake Kachess,I take the family there every summer but have only caught 1 laker out of there and it just barely pushed 15inches. But he did give me a nice fight. In the reports under Lake Cle Elum,sean has a nice pic. of his mack,wouldn't mind something like that. But sounds like both Kachess and Cle Elum are tough. Hey thanks for the link,I saw the pics. man,that looks real nice. I think I'll have to contact those guys,it should improve our chances. If I get a pig like that,I'm going to start a "Bragging Board"

The best thing about guides is you follow and watch closely to what they do. The kind lure, depth, pattern, location etc... Then you go out there and do exact samething the next time you fishing at the lake/river by yourself. I've done it countless times. It's well worth the money to find out their secret and use it has your own.

Maybe after my trip I'll have to start my own guide service. Thanks for the help everbody...looks like I'll be going to Chelan. Then I'll post a pic of my big 'ole laker with my goofy look'n face in it.

kevinb wrote:Maybe after my trip I'll have to start my own guide service. Thanks for the help everbody...looks like I'll be going to Chelan. Then I'll post a pic of my big 'ole laker with my goofy look'n face in it.

Sweet! Chelan is awesome. You'll have to post a report about how you did fishing for them macks! Good luck!

kevinb wrote:Yeah,I guess Chelan will have to do. I'm just affraid of the fuel spending but I'm sure it will be well worth it. I had thought about going to Lake Kachess,I take the family there every summer but have only caught 1 laker out of there and it just barely pushed 15inches. But he did give me a nice fight. In the reports under Lake Cle Elum,sean has a nice pic. of his mack,wouldn't mind something like that. But sounds like both Kachess and Cle Elum are tough. Hey thanks for the link,I saw the pics. man,that looks real nice. I think I'll have to contact those guys,it should improve our chances. If I get a pig like that,I'm going to start a "Bragging Board"

I recommended Chelan and a guide instead of the lakes on top the pass. I figured paying for a trip and catching fish was better than dragging some lures around and not catching anything.

If you're not aware, check out the video section. We have a video from last year fishing with Anton of Darrell and Dad's Family Guide service. His link is on the lake Chelan report page. I promise you'll have a great day with Anton and he will work his tail off getting you into the fish. Then, take the skills you learn to those other lakes. :thumright

Its official now, Chelan. I gave my buddy the web address. He's freak'n out.(excited) I'm ready to go. Thanks for the help.

kevinb wrote:Its official now, Chelan. I gave my buddy the web address. He's freak'n out.(excited) I'm ready to go. Thanks for the help.

Dude, you bet! Darrell and Dad's is one of the most well respected and well revered guides on Lk. Chelan, if not the best. He's my idol when it comes to guiding. I want to get my 6-pack license and guide out of Lake Washington after I finish my college degrees; it's always been a long-term goal of mine. I want to own a nice boat and be able to take people out and have them enjoy themselves in a first-rate, top-notch fishery. Darrell and Dad's is the best of the best when it comes to Lake Chelan macks and mackinaw fishing in general. They know about Flathead Lake in Montana, and many others. I would suggest paying the fee (well worth it) and pick his brain a bit to learn what you can. If you own your own boat, then get out there next year or this year if time allows and try it for yourself. You will have the time of your life. He sometimes fishes for kokes after you limit on macks if it's good that day. Make sure you have at least 500' of cable on your downriggys though, cause you'll need it sometimes.

**note** - I have no affliation with this guide service, I just speak very highly of them when it comes to putting you (their customers) on the fish.

Mike Carey wrote:We have a video from last year fishing with Anton of Darrell and Dad's Family Guide service.

Speaking of videos, we need to get some video shot Mike :bounce: I'm itching to get a fishing and post some quality video on the best fishing site the PNW has to offer. :compress:

Paid Anton for fishing the mackinaws last year in Chelan. We caught plenty of fish, but they did not fight much. And he set the hook every time and handed it to us to crank the reel. A lot of reeling in 200' of line with a pretty dead weight on it. The fish were great smoked, but I like fishing where the fish work harder to get away.

bassmasterderek wrote:What are macks?

Macinaw or Lake Trout here is the wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_trout




They are on my list to catch, but it will be a difficult one for me as to how deep they run and I am not an experieced angler. I would not go with a guide service because I do not want someone else to catch the fish. I want to catch it myself. I do not intend to offend anyone I just feel that way.

Thanks for the link iskiles, I've never fished a lake that had them. Sounds like they get pretty big how is the fight and are they as good on the plate as regular trout?

Hey Derek,

I have never fish for mackinaw or eaten them, so I can not answer your questions about that, but from what urbanangler said in his post above they do not fight like most trout do. Still have to catch one someday if I am going to catch all the species in Washington!

I think it all depends on where there at. I have fished lake trout in several locations in Canada. Alberta lake trout are decent fighters, and typically their heavy weight is the natural part of the fight. Lakers are down deep,they won't put on the air show like other fish,even pumping them to the surface in my experience its rare. Some may dispute me and thats fine. This is just my personal experience with lakers.I think it just depends are where your at.