Dave Graybill - the Fishin' Magician
Dave Graybill
I celebrated New Year's Day by going steelhead fishing with Shane Magnuson and three of his friends at Wells Dam. Was it cold? You bet.
Monday, January 5
I celebrated New Year's Day by going steelhead fishing with Shane Magnuson and three of his friends at Wells Dam. Was it cold? You bet. It was 16 degrees with a slight breeze when we put the boat in at the ramp below the dam. On our first drift a steelhead grabbed one of the baits we were back trolling, but it threw the hook right next to the boat. On the next pass Kyle Kelly grabbed a bouncing rod and landed a 5-pound hatchery fish. We continued on down and round the corner, and had a couple of other hits but no hook ups. Magnuson decided to pull the boat and run down to Chelan Falls. There is a good spot for trolling and bobber and jig fishing off the hatchery outflow on the Columbia. While the baits were working I jumped up on the bow and threw a bobber and jig. On the first pass my bobber went under and a fish jumped twice before we could get it to the net. It turned out to be a large rainbow. We didn't get any other bites here, and headed home to watch football. It was a great way to start the New Year!
Wednesday, January 7
We got cold enough temperatures for a while over here to put a cap of ice on many of our area lakes. Anglers were out in force on lakes like Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, and Moses Lake. Yellow perch were the primary target and good catches were made. However, the weather has warmed and I wouldn't advise venturing out on the ice until we get another good shot of very cold weather. When I checked on the ice at Fish Lake I found anglers standing on just three inches of ice. That's just not enough for me to feel safe. In fact, when I got back Scott West of the Cove Resort was in the parking area warming people that two anglers had broken through! I got word that the ice on Moses Lake was about the same. The good news is that Patterson Lake, near Winthrop, does have solid lid. The ice was eight inches thick as of early this week, and that's plenty. Patterson is one of my favorites. Yellow perch of 10 inches are common here and I have caught rainbow to 16 inches through the ice on Patterson.
Friday, January 9
It's that time of year. It's Sports Show Season! These shows that appeal to those who like to spend time in the outdoors are great fun. There are exhibitors that fill the large halls with everything from the latest fishing gadget to trips to faraway places. There are all kinds of seminars and demonstrations and they offer a great way to spend a day with your family and friends. The first of many is coming up on January 16th, at the TRAC in Pasco. This is the annual show done by the Shuyler family, who has been doing some of these for over 25 years. I have attended this one for many years and will be going this time with the folks from Bob Feil Boats and Motors. They will have some of their boats on display, and usually bring along a list of their used boats, too. If you get down there stop by and say hi. You can find a link to this show with all the details by logging onto my web site at FishingMagician.com and clicking on the Anglers Calendar. You will find several other sports shows and events listed here.
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