Fishin' Magician - Dave Graybill

I wanted to remind everyone about the special regulations on the sockeye fishery that opens tomorrow on Lake Wenatchee. This is a selective fishery, meaning that no bait is allowed and knotless nets will be required. I mentioned in my report on Wednesday that anglers on the Columbia are using shrimp, but I want to be sure anglers are aware that bait is not allowed on Lake Wenatchee. It is also important to note that all bull trout that are caught must be immediately released and not removed from the water. Bull trout are present in large numbers in Lake Wenatchee and are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In past years a favored method of catching sockeye on Lake Wenatchee has been fishing at the top 1/3 of the lake. The fish are near the surface early in the day and then do deeper. You can start close to the boat on your downriggers early and then stretch them back further later. Many people fish with a leader that is much too long. A leader length of 12 to 15 inches is good, and sometimes even shorter will work. You will also want to troll slow for sockeye, 1 mph is about right.