Let me start by saying, I have 3 daughters, and the 2 oldest have never really shown any interest in fishing. My youngest has been out twice, both 3+ years ago and has never felt a bite. For some reason she recently expressed an interest and so we set Labor Day as our day to fish. Thrilled she was willing to try it again, I told her she could call all the shots. Now she's 15, so getting up early was not a priority. No problem. I pulled the crab pots at 8 and was home by 9:30. After loading the inflatable in the car, getting worms and a license for her and driving there, plus set-up, we were on the lake around 11:30.

I told her I thought our best shot would be still fishing on the bottom for trout. She wanted to cast, with a small frog. Noting I'd forgotten the anchor, we motored east to the lily pads and of course the wind picked up. Little luck and some frustration. I suggested a #7 rainbow Rapala for casting on the north shore. She clipped it on her line while I drove to a more suitable shoreline and first cast, it flew way into the grass. Odd, and snagged. I positioned the boat as close as possible to shore, but no way would we be able to get out because of the swampiness of the shore. Figuring it was a lost cause, I pulled on the line and somehow the lure broke free. But is wasn't the one I'd selected. She'd not noticed that one and had put on a deep diving shad rap bass. Much heavier, and thus the distance.

She agreed to try my original suggestion and on the way out from shore, let it swim beside the boat. I suggested if she wanted to try that, we could troll for rainbows, but would have better luck with a #5 that only had a trailing single hook. She was game and put on a piece of nightcrawler. We covered much of the north side going west without a bite. I suggested she try a wedding ring which she did, also without a bite.

Though she appeared very patient and seemed to be enjoying herself, I knew I had to get her to feel a bite if I was ever going to get her back out with me. At this point she noticed I'd not had a line in the water yet. True, but my focus had been on her. So I put on a black wooly bugger/bead/smile blade combination that had served me well at all times of the year but summer.

By this time we'd broken through the narrows into the western part of the lake. Then she started getting nibbles. This was exciting and it showed on her face! Not much after, a serious bite and she had it! I don't know who was happier of the two of us! She got it into the boat herself and we have a couple of nice pictures of her 6" perch! She asked if we should keep it, and while I said we could, I suggested it was probably a bit small. Not long after I got some nibbles and then pulled in a fish of my own! Another 6" perch! Well now she too was 'hooked'!

We kept trolling that part of the lake and I noticed that there seemed to be a stronger bite where we'd caught those first two and not much later I'd pulled in a couple more in the 10" range, which we kept. I sensed her need to get another and suggested she swap the wedding ring for another dark wooly bugger set up, which she did. Not long after, she too pulled in a 10" perch!

Well we didn't leave the lake until around 6:30, even delaying a bathroom break because they were still biting! And I think she'd have stayed longer if I hadn't regularly been offering to leave, whenever she wanted! I let her know that this was one of the best fishing trips I'd ever had and told her she was welcome any time. She made it clear that she wanted to get back out there, soon!

What more can you ask for!? A great day!

whorde

9/2/2014 10:28:00 PM

I drive past Leland on the way out to Sequim once in a while. I may have to roll with a pole and nightcrawlers next time. Ten inch perch are gigantic!

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