This time of the year in Central Oregon can often produce rain,snow, sun and wind all in the same day. With these weather changes comes the icing out of many of our lower for most of the winter from any opportunities to fish for these big browns, the true die-hard brown trout junkies are licking their chops and doing whatever it takes to get after their favorite query. This spring is no exception. I have already verified a 16.5 LB. brown and saw a photo of another one that was probably pushing 11 LB.
My first opportunity to get out on one of my favorite lakes happened this past Thurs. when Eric Cole ( son of the Legendary Alan Cole) and I hit Crescent Lake. With water temps barely over 35, we didn't worry too much about getting after them real early. In fact, I don't think we got on the water until around 9:00. It was glassy flat with no clouds and that usually makes for tough sledding on the shallow water rip bite. Even so we hung in there and working our way about half way around the lake before I decided to move out and work a little deeper after no bites at all. We set up on an area that has produced for me before and I dropped a kokanee pattern plug down with a long set back. I bet we didn't go 100 yards before the rod was bouncing and we were tight into a nice 4.5 LB. hen. After a couple of quick photos, I got right back into the drill and within 2 minutes, we are hooked up again....this beautiful 2.5 LB. hen came right in and I thought we had a pattern.
I worked the area over and then continued heading east for the next hour.....and guess what? Not another bite......"been there, done that." Another saying comes to mind that we have all heard a thousand times," it is still just fishing sometimes." The weather was so gorgeous, that we didn't really mind too much that the browns weren't cooperating much with the exception of the two downrigger fish we caught earlier. Finally the wind came up some and the prospects to get into a shallow bite became much more realistic.
Back through the same waters we plied but with different results on this pass. I got two more browns around 2.5-3 LB. and then Eric finally broke the ice with a beautiful golden spotted hen around 3 LB. The fish that made our day though, came as we had just started another run downwind. I was putting a custom painted Excalibur Minnow back with the rod in the holder and the reel in free spool. Suddenly I saw the rod load out of the corner of my eye and then bounce back and then take off again as the brown screamed off with the lure. How cool was that, the brown had taken my plug off the top around 200 feet back while I was letting it out. Actually that has happened to me a couple of time before but it always catches you off guard when it does.
When I got tight and set the hook, Eric looked at my rod as it loaded nicely and with the line cutting across the water as she headed out, said "I think we have the best fish of the day on, so far." I was quick to agree. After a nice tussle, I had her directly under the boat and we momentarily enjoyed the glimpse of her olive over chrome body as it shimmered in the diminishing sunlight. She seemed to almost be resting before I worked her to the top. In the net she weighed 11.5 LB. which is 7.5 LB. after subtracting my 4 LB. net weight.
Eric got one more smaller brown and then they just turned off......not another bite for the hour we fished before going in. We totaled 7 browns from 2.5-7.5 LB. and both had a couple of missed strikes....all in all, a pretty good day on one of the most beautiful lakes in all of Central Oregon.
Screamin' Drags,
Rick
