With the month of October coming to a close, so are the fishing seasons on some of the lakes in the region. That doesn’t mean the end of fishing. Not by a long shot. There is still great trout fishing on a bunch of year-round lakes, and other terrific opportunities for anglers.
I took a drive to Billy Clapp Lake to look at the water level. This is a great bet for trout fishing in the fall, and I wanted to see if I could still launch the Bob Feil Boats and Motors Smoker Craft Phantom. There was a vehicle and trailer in the parking area when I arrived, but it was obvious that the boat that was launched was a small one. The last section of the dock is still floating and there is still some concrete above the sandy bottom. The fall trout bite can be good at times on Billy Clapp, and soon there will be anglers lining the shore near the boat ramp soaking Power Bait. This activity attracts a good crowd right up to when it freezes over. There are some big trout landed here. Billy Clapp is 13 miles from Soap Lake on Highway 28. I noticed that the Stratford Road Bridge is closed right now, so the short cut from Moses Lake isn’t an option.
Blue Lake is one of the lakes that closes on October 31st, but after I checked on the water level at Billy Clapp Lake I went back to Soap Lake and traveled up to Blue Lake. When I arrived at the launch, there was a couple just coming off the water to load their boat. The woman holding the boat was excited. She said they had a great morning and had probably released 30 rainbow. They were trolling and I could see they were using in-line sinkers, and they said that they had great success with a Wicked Lure spinner and a Wedding Ring spinner. The water was like a mirror, and it was a perfect fall day to be on the water at Blue Lake. With the good fishing in late October, I expect the trout fishing to be really great when it opens next spring!
While the fishing for big crappie, bluegill and even bass continues to be very good on Potholes Reservoir, the fall walleye bite hasn’t begun. Looking back at some of my photos from October and even November show me with some very impressive walleye caught on Potholes. I talked to a friend who is a guide on Potholes and other walleye lakes in the region, and he has buttoned up his boat for the season. His last several trips on Portholes produced a mix of crappie, perch, bluegill and catfish, but very few walleye. The good news is that the water level on Potholes has come up and appears to be nearly full. The last time I launched from the State Park I tilted my Mercury 250 motor up, seeing on the Garmin that I was in very shallow water. When I deployed my Minn Kota, it bottomed out. I had to trim it up to get off the muddy flat to get to deeper water. That shouldn’t be an issue now. Boaters should be able to launch from the State Park, Blythe and Sampson Pit. This is at the east end of O’Sullivan Dam. This week’s photo was taken on Potholes in late October couple of years ago.
Speaking of walleye fishing, I got a note from the Spokane Walleye Club, reminding folks that their meetings are always on the last Wednesday of the month. They are held at the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council office, at 6116 N Market Street in Spokane. They have guest speakers every month.
I just finished the monthly update for subscribers that receive 12 monthly updates and also four quarterly E-Letters. They get more detailed information like my most recent fishing experiences. In this issue to talk about my recent fishing experiences that I recommend to readers, and some current information about the potential steelhead season in our area. I talk about the fishing for triploid rainbow trout on Rufus Woods Reservoir and where I fish for them and how I catch them. I included maps of the area I fish and where, and even a map and description of Seatons Grove. I explain the fees required to fish at the middle net pens and launch site and advice on how to launch at Seatons Grove, where no fees are required. The crappie fishing on Potholes Reservoir and Moses Lake is the best I have ever seen, and I explain how I have been catching crappie that are often a foot long. If you would like to sign up to receive the monthly updates and the free quarterly E-Letters, just go to my website at www.FishingMagician.com and click on the E-Letter button. Fill out the form and payment information and I will add you to the list.
The weather has turned cold and rainy here in Leavenworth, so I am making adjustments to the Bob Feil Boats and Motors Smoker Craft. I put away the side and back curtains this summer and even removed the canvas top during the very windy sockeye season on Lake Wenatchee. Now I have put the top back on and the side curtains. I had Jeff Jones at Jeff’s Upholstery in Wenatchee do some minor repairs to the back curtain before I put it back on the boat. Jeff has done amazing work for me over the past nearly 20 years. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. I keep my boat at home as long as I can, trying to get as many trips in as possible before the snow makes it too difficult. When I have the side curtains and the back curtain zipped, I have a fumeless heater, a Mr. Heater portable Buddy, that makes the interior toasty. There are some other things that need attention. I make sure my batteries are on a charger. The cold weather drains them. I also make sure I have run my wash down hose dry. It can freeze and rupture. I always drain my outboard motors at the launch, too.
Don’t miss any of my updates on fishing in our region. Be sure to Follow me on the www.FishingMagician.com Facebook page!
