I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and traveled safely.  I knew I would have a short window of time to get outdoors. I am always looking for things that would be of interest to my readers.

Last week, I decided to do some exploring.  There are some places that I had fished years ago, but haven’t recently, and they may be spots I want to try this winter.  The first stop on my trip was Moses Lake.  I had fished from the shore at the ORV Park at the very bottom of the lake in the past and wanted to check it out.  If you don’t know, this place is very popular with folks that have four wheelers and dune buggy style vehicles.  

There is also a very nice sandy shore line here. I put the truck in four wheel drive to be sure I wouldn’t get stuck in the soft sand.   I found a path that led me to an overlook.  When I stepped out I startled a bald eagle that was in a tree near me.  This was a very cool spot to visit.  I didn’t take the time to fish, but I did take photos of the north and south outlets, where Moses Lake empties to fill Potholes Reservoir.  These are very attractive to anglers, and they fish them year round.

On my trip to the Moses Lake area, I had another spot where I wanted to spend some time fishing from the shore, and that was Medicare Beach on Potholes Reservoir.  This is a place where anglers have fished on Potholes in the winter for decades.  The rainbow that inhabit Potholes cruise within casting distance of the shore and you can usually find people here in the winter, unless the water freezes.  

The most popular technique isn’t complicated.  A slip sinker rig with a leader to a hook baited with Power Bait is what you will see most people using.  I also use my marshmallow and shrimp bait here.  It was sunny when I arrived, with the occasional cloud bank drifting over the sun.  I could hear shotguns blasting away in the blinds across the reservoir.  In spite of the bluebird weather, it sounded like they were getting some birds.  When I looked toward Moses Lake I saw an amazing sight.  The flock of snow geese was so large that I thought I was looking at a snow lined island. They were making quite a racket, too. 

Although I didn’t get a bite, I really enjoyed the time I spent at Medicare Beach.  If you haven’t been to Medicare Beach, it can be hard to find.  The way I get there is down Highway 17 from Moses Lake to Road M.  Turn right and stay on this road to Road 6 SE and take a right here.  Look for J Street and turn left.  This will take you down a hill to Medicare Beach.  There are a couple of pit toilets here and I want to mention that a Discover Pass is required to park in this area. 

Since I was going to be in Moses Lake, I threw my fly rod and fishing bag in the truck.  The last time I was at Rocky Ford there was a lot of thick mats of weeds lining the shore. These mats covered so much of the water I didn’t even fish.  I figured that with the cooler weather they would have cleared out.  I like to fish here this time of year.  When the outside water temperatures are 35 degrees or warmer, ice doesn’t freeze in my rod guides, and I am able to cast.    If you don’t know, Rocky Ford Creek is fed by a spring at the Trout Lodge hatchery at the upper end.  The water temperature stays constant because of this, and it doesn’t freeze in the winter.  Fly fishers travel from all over the state and beyond to cast to the big rainbow in this creek.  Trout Lodge has an agreement with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to keep a good population of trout in the creek. So, although fly fishing can be tough, there are always plenty of trout available, since it’s catch and release. 

On my way home from Moses Lake I took Highway 17 toward Ephrata and took a right at junction to Soap Lake.  When I turned off on the road to Rocky Ford Creek I was pleased to see that the gravel road was in great shape. I swung into Rocky Ford and walked down to the creek from the middle parking lot.  There were a number of anglers fishing in the creek, but I still went to one of my favorite rocks that is a great casting platform.  

I had to place my casts between a few small floating mats of weeds, but there was plenty of open water here now.  On my fifth cast I felt a familiar tug, set the hook, and got a nice fish.  After releasing the fish, I started casting again, and Wham, I got another even bigger fish on.  

I brought the second fish to the rock I was casting from to release it and as I was kneeling on this rock, worn smooth by the thousand anglers that have cast from it over the years, my boot slipped, and I went head first into the creek!  Although I was soaked from head to toe I was tempted to keep fishing, but logic prevailed, and I walked back to my truck and headed home.  This week’s photo was taken at Rocky Ford on a winter evening a few years ago.  

I was relieved to see that I had remembered to close off the charging port on the Otter Box on my I phone, so the phone wasn’t damaged.  Also, it was warm enough that I didn’t use my heated jacket.  This dunking would probably soaked the battery pack, and it would be toast.  When I fish Rocky Ford I put on calf high Muck boots and then pull on a pair of rain pants.  There are muskrat holes all along the trails, and I have stepped into them a few times.  Although I have gone up to my thigh in these holes, the rain pants prevents water from getting in my boot.

I will continue to be out there checking on the fishing in many areas this winter.  I hope to bump into you out there!