I have been taking advantage of the great fall weather we’ve experienced here in Central Washington. Although the “fishing” has been much better than the “catching” and being out on the water on these crisp and clear late fall days is wonderful. There are a lot of great options available to anglers right now throughout the region. We’re actually getting into the best fishing of the year for certain fisheries.

When I am out and about people ask me if I am doing tours. Tours? I figured out what they mean, and that is guided trips. I explain to them that I am not a guide. Oh, then you must fish tournaments. No, I tell them; what I do is provide reports on the fishing in Eastern Washington on radio, newspaper, my web site and Facebook Page. They look at me, still with a questioning look and say, Oh, I see. They really don’t, though.

However, my recent visit to Lake Chelan could have been described as being more like a tour than a fishing trip. I wanted to see if I could I find a Chinook salmon or some kokanee. I talked James Lebow into going along and he brought his friend Ryan Harris. We launched at the State Park and put out two rods with plug cut herring behind dodgers. I also ran two rods with Kokabow blades and hoochie spinners, baited with stained or scented white shoe peg corn on lead balls. I spent about an hour trolling in the area above the State Park. One of the Kokabow rigs actually got hit but didn’t hook up.

There wasn’t any wind to speak of, so it was a good day to run around. I pointed the Kingfisher up lake and ran up to Twenty Five Mile Creek. I trolled around up here just below what some anglers call the Spanish Castle, and then started to work our way back down lake. We finally marked a nice school below Mitchell Creek, and although we tried this area for a while we got no bites. I dropped down to the Yacht Club and put the gear back out. The fish finder wasn’t showing us anything to get excited about, but we got one 8-inch kokanee—yea! Continuing down the lake looking for fish we ended up clear down below Rocky Point, and still didn’t mark any schools. Like I said, it was more like a tour.

Bob Feil Boats and Motors is offering another free seminar, and you won’t want to miss this one. It will be on winter fishing at Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods Reservoir. Many feel that the best fishing of the season is in the winter, and you will learn everything you need to know about how to fish them on Wednesday, December 4th.

Austin Moser, of Austin’s Northwest Adventures Guide Service, will be talking about how he catches both rainbow trout and big kokanee on Lake Roosevelt. He will provide very detailed descriptions of the tackle and techniques he uses when fishing with downriggers, side planers or flat lining plugs and other gear in the winter. Also appearing at the seminar will be me, Dave Graybill, and I will describe fishing on Rufus Woods from “Top to Bottom.” I will talk about the ways I have caught big triploids on Rufus Woods, both from a boat and from the shore. My presentation will show the most productive fishing spots from Chief Joseph Dam to the upper net pens, including photos of the best shore fishing spots. The seminar starts at 6 p.m. at the Bob Feil Boats and Motors dealership, located at 2131 Sunset Highway North in East Wenatchee. There will be light refreshments and door prizes, and plenty of parking.

This seminar will be timely. I got a call earlier this week from a friend that said that she and her husband had a very busy summer and wanted to learn to fish Lake Roosevelt. They were asking me for tips to get started. Of course, I told them about the seminar that is coming up, and they put that on their calendar. To get them started, though, I suggested that they launch at Spring Canyon. This is a great launch and is open throughout the winter. Once you have navigated through the entrance to the launch area, you can go left, or down towards the dam, or right and troll the shoreline up to Plum Point.

I have had good luck, fishing with Austin Moser, trolling down toward the dam. There is a bay on the left as you approach the barrier above the dam, and we have usually found trout or kokanee in here. Trolling the barrier can also be productive. When fishing Lake Roosevelt, I always have my Kokabow blades and spinners or hoochies out. I will fish these off downriggers on side planers, and I bait the lures with plain white or stained white shoe peg corn and add scent, usually Graybill’s Guide Formula Kokanee flavor.

You can also experiment with a variety of Rapalas or Flicker Shads, mostly on the side planers. I will always run out about a hundred feet of line, whether the rod is going to be fished on the downrigger or on a side planer. If it’s going to go on the side planer, I attach a planer and then run my line out 30 to 50 feet to get my gear away from the boat.

I know, I know, I could provide a lot more detail about fishing Lake Roosevelt and will share my experiences as my trips to the lake occur this winter. The best way to learn about fishing here is to get to the free seminar at Bob Feil Boats on December 4th, and then get out on the water and put what you’ve learned to use. I will also be providing detailed information on fishing Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods in the winter in my E-Letter on Winter Fishing. It will be out in a month or so.

There are some great places to stay in Coulee Dam, that even have outdoor outlets so you can charge your electric motor overnight. There are grocery stores on both sides of the river, and restaurants, too. I have had a lot of fun fishing on Lake Roosevelt the past four winters, and I am looking forward to another great season this year!