Things have been going pretty good on Kootenay Lake lately. If we could only get the spring weather to kick in, we should be getting into some consistent fishing.
March saw some good days and some slower days. On the good days we managed six to 12 fish ranging from five to 20 lbs.
My latest trip was one to remember. Last weekend I took a group of guys out on the big boat for a few days. I was going to fish the north end of the lake for a change. We started on Friday afternoon about 1 p.m. In the first hour, we had a double header on. Good start. Managed to land both of them. One was a 12 lb rainbow and the other was 11.5 lbs. Both fish were released and we continued fishing. Another half hour goes by and the planer board line releases. Another fish on. This time it was a 5 lb bull trout. Next the downrigger starts bouncing and anther fish on. After a good battle we landed this 8.5 lb bull. Good action for our first afternoon. We managed one more bull trout before heading in at 6 p.m.
The next morning we got an early start. On the water at 6:30 a.m. with all the lines out by 7. Well it only took an hour before we heard “fish on.” After a nice fight we managed to land a colorful 12 lb rainbow. Back in the lake it goes, hopefully to see it spawning in the river next month. Only a minute goes by and another fish on. This fish was almost exactly the same size as the first one, only this fish was bright chrome. Another great start to the day. We landed five more fish in the next hour and the boys were in awe of our fantastic fishery. Seven fish landed before 10 a.m. Then, as the lake usually does, the fish turned off.
We trolled for four hours without a bite, but I reassured the boys that this wasn’t the end. Sure enough at 2 p.m. the line starts screaming off — “fish on.” Another good fight and yet another 12 pounder. We seem to be stuck in the 12 lb range. Definitely not a bad thing though. Ten minutes go by and the downrigger starts bouncing. Another nice bull trout. While we were netting this fish, another line starts screaming off. Double header. We managed to get this one in also. A healthy 11 lb bull trout. We landed seven fish again in this two hour period in the afternoon for a total of 14 fish so far.
We trolled for another two hours and were starting to fish back to the dock. Then... you guessed it, “fish on.” The downrigger clip released and a great battle ensued. Nabil fought this fish for a while. It wasn’t coming in easy. After a few minutes of fighting this fish, another line starts screaming off. Another double header. Nabil managed to finally land his beauty. It was a 14 lb bull trout. Very fat and very healthy. Brent is working on bringing in the other fish. After a good fight, we manage to get his fish in the net. A beautiful 12 lb rainbow again.
While we were taking photos of this beauty before releasing it, yet another line takes off screaming. Could it get any better? This was the longest battle of the day. Gabe was at the reel. He would get the fish within 100 ft of the boat and out it would go again. After what seemed like forever, Gabe managed to land his trophy. The biggest one of the day. A bright chrome 16 lb rainbow.
I figured that was a good note to end the day on. Since we already had most of the lines in, we brought the rest in and headed for the beach.
Back out the next morning at 6:30. It’s going to be hard to compete with the day we had yesterday. But, at 8 a.m. the downrigger started bouncing. A healthy 12 lb bull trout to start the day. We managed only about three more fish before we decided at noon to call it a weekend.
I think we have some new Kootenay Lake fans. The boys will definitely be back.
I was out two days after that trip and only managed a couple fish. Welcome to Kootenay Lake. Just when you think you have it figured out, the fish have a mind of their own.
Things should begin to get really good as the weather warms up. Looking forward to my favorite couple months of spring fishing. April, May, and June are some of the most productive months on the lake. So, let’s get out there!
What are they biting?
Well, the water is still as cold as it’s been all winter. So, we are still using the Bill Norman crankbaits as well as the usual Lyman plugs. Speed is a bit of a factor still. We are trolling between 2.0 and 2.5 mph. That should change as things warm up. Remember when things warm up, it’s time to speed up. That’s when the Lymans and bucktail flies should work best.
My favourite colors of crankbaits have been: purple/silver, blue/silver, black/silver.
Our favorite Lymans have been: #160, #55, #53.
Kootenay Lake Projects
BC Hydro and the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program has started the Kootenay Lake Creel Census. You may have noticed on certain days there are people waiting at the dock or boat launch when you get in. Also if you notice a low flying airplane, don’t be alarmed. They are just counting boats. They are collecting information on size of fish being caught, catch rates, and the amount of time anglers are spending on Kootenay Lake. This information will help with management of our resources. So if you see them on the dock, feel free to share some information. Samples of your catch are also appreciated (scale samples, size and weight of fish).
Also, still going on is our tagging program. Keep your eyes open for any tagged fish. Some of these fish have a reward tag attached to the dorsal. If you catch a tagged fish you can cut the tag off to claim your reward. You may then release the fish or choose to keep it. But, either way if you can get length and weight of the fish, that will help us determine how well the fish are growing and how healthy our population is.
Tight lines...
Kerry Reed owns Nelson’s Reel Adventures Charters. He can be reached at 250-505-4963