Anglers are enjoying beautiful fall weather throughout the region. I had a great day on Potholes Reservoir this week, and I am looking forward to getting out on some other terrific fishing areas in the coming week.

I love this time of year. It’s still warm in the daytime and the water is usually flat calm. One of my favorite places to fish in the fall is Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee. When the fall foliage turns to bright yellows and orange the scenery is spectacular. The trout bite is usually very good, and I want to see how big the kokanee are this fall up there.

I also like to fish for largemouth bass at Fish Lake. There is a very good population of largemouth in Fish Lake and this time of year they put on the feed bag in anticipation of winter. My brother-in-law Tom Verschueren and I have had some great days on Fish Lake in October. We just tie on a Senko on a wide gap hook and cast to the docks on the east side of the lake or to the shore and docks on the west side, near the old resort over there. Fish Lake isn’t the only lake that heats up for bass, both largemouth and smallmouth in the fall. Banks Lake, Potholes Reservoir and Moses Lake can all produce good catches of bass in the fall. Check out my FishingMagician.com Facebook page for a look at the fall foliage from a couple of seasons ago, and a nice largemouth taken in October up there.

I had a great morning on Potholes Reservoir last Thursday. I jumped on Brian Nielson’s boat with James Lebow, and once again the three of us really enjoyed fishing together. Brian, of BJs Guide Service, has been taking clients out on Potholes and having good success and I was pleased that he found time to get the three of us out together.

We trolled bottom bouncers in the rolling dunes below the mouth of Crab Creek on the Frenchman Wasteway side of Potholes. The depths here range from 12 feet to 35 feet as you pass through these dunes. We would mark walleye on the slopes and between walleye, bluegill, perch, and the occasional catfish we were busy all morning. Brian said he loaded his bait box with 50 nightcrawlers and by noon we were resorting to artificial worms. We did manage to land 11 walleye, losing two right at the boat, and reeling in lots of crawlers that had been bitten and torn almost off the hook.

The walleye were not big. They probably averaged 14 to 15 inches and we had one that was about 18 inches. It looks like the fall fishing for walleye could be pretty good. I want to get back down there soon. I have fished through the winter on Potholes, when it didn’t freeze, and caught some of the biggest fish of the year. We agreed that these fish represent a good crop for the next season on Potholes Reservoir. This week’s photo is of me and Brian on Potholes.

I am doing a project for the City of Moses Lake for their Tour Moses Lake website. I noticed that it could use more fishing information and they agreed. As part of what I am doing I did a video tour of the boating accesses to the lake. The video show six different launches from the top to the bottom end of Moses Lake. I think this will be very useful for those who are not familiar with the big lake. You can find it on the Dave Graybill channel on YouTube. Along with the boat launch video I did a couple of very short “tutorials”. One is on the Basics of Walleye Fishing and the other is on the Basics of Bass Fishing.  These are intended to give beginning anglers at least a place to start if they want to try fishing for these two species. These are found on the same Dave Graybill channel.

I have mentioned before that Mercury Marine has a Blog that you can find through their website. It is called “The Dockline” and there are many helpful articles supported by videos on this site. The most recent issue is a real winner. I think that anglers can learn something from every article in this one. Article titles include: “Why you should use an Outboard Support Bracket”, “How to Tie the Eugene Slip Knot”, “The Basics of Using Line Counter Reels”, “Understanding Basic Sonar Settings”, “Tips for Marina Etiquette”, and “Yellow Perch Tacos with Taylor Wright”. It would a good idea to bookmark the address for this Blog and check it regularly for helpful information. You will find it at www.mercurymarine@mercurymarine.com.

Here is an article I came across that would be of interest to walleye anglers: “A recent study at Ohio State University explored precisely what walleye can see in various water conditions. Some of the research confirmed details that anglers have long suspected. In clear water, the study found, walleye will strike white lures or almost any color. When water is clouded by sediment, they are more likely to go for yellow or gold, and green algae-laden waters, walleye eyes are best at seeing black”.

I talked to a couple of anglers who are watching for the return of coho to the Icicle River. They are anxious for their arrival, as last season there was an excellent fishery for coho. However, they are moving up the Columbia much later than last year and they are few and far between right now. The water level in the Icicle is extremely low, and if we get some rain it would help move these fish into the system. It’s wait and see for now.

I will remind anglers once again that many of the most popular trout lakes in the region are closing at the end of the month. Be sure to check the Washington Sportfishing pamphlet to make sure the lake you plan to fish is still open. There are many year-round lakes in the state. More than enough to keep anglers busy through the fall and winter.

I am hoping to get out to sample a couple of fall fisheries in the coming weeks. If the weather holds it will be a great time to get out on the water!