Pass Lake Tips

[floattubr]

Going to hit Pass Lake at Dec Pass Park on Sat or Sun in a toon. I love WB's,Hare's ear etc and my sink line. I fish only barbless and live the "Lure 'em and Leave 'em".
I've read a lot of posts and I think I'm ready. Any advice you'd be willing to share?? Thanks

[Ford_Fenders]

Game now is getting around all the planters and finding what I call the "main generation" of rainbows. Pass has a nice healthy numerous generation of 17-18" fish that are chunky with lots of fight in them...this Fall is gonna be a blast. Some of the better browns showing now too with the big part of the feed happening near dusk. You're just right on gear...flies are good as any and you'll want that sinker. Mostly it'll be a matter of locating fish and execution, so here's a little help with each: Days have been slow despite having enough food around...not many damsels now but you'll see lots of minnows in the shade and cover. Midges too but the swallows have been more interested in them lately (fish were feeding on those more a month ago). Now it's an eve game with best minnow activity in tight where the veggies are...look near the tops of the shoals. What will happen is those larger fish will hang along the outer edges of the shoals and can be taken a few feet down earlier on in the eve. Then when the lights start going down they'll come in shallow and get aggressive. Now, about the execution part, keep your ass at a distance and cast in. I see guys all the time getting too close to visible fish and even casting over the top of them. And in some cases literally running physically over them...you can't row or kick over the top of them when the bottom or cover is only a couple of feet down. All sounds no duh but you'd be surprised. Anyhow, you don't need to cast over the top of the vegetation necessarily...you want it in their field of vision, not upside their heads. I find it's best to cast short of it, lay it down soft, very short pause and rip it back like you're scared. Really that's it. So if you're not seeing much by day, or only the planters, don't give up. Those nicer ones have to feed some time and lately it's been evening...best combination of low risk/high return for them. Have fun out there...report back!

[Joe Smolt]

I wouldn't go to Pass Lake without having olive buggers, white minnow pattern, olive willey, and carey special. I've seen a lot of folks do very well with cronies, but I don't have the patience. I love chucking streamers to the bank and fishing actively. The tugs the drug

Joe

[Dan Soltau]

do you want to catch the browns? they are a tough catch, but they can provide a shark attack that is for sure. The rainbows fight hard and are relatively plentiful and I never bother with them. The key with the browns, or any browns, is to cover water. Any structure, 1 cast move on. Aggressive strips with as much action as possible. Pick the crappiest day available, and dont give up. There are some absolute giants in there, I never did well until I started fishing 6+ inch baitfish patterns, and it is an absolute blast when all the chironomid geeks with their bobbers watch you stroke trophies with some massive white baitfish pattern. Good times, that is about all I had for fishing for years when i lived in western washington. A lone brown trout outpost. PS, cranberry lake might have a few too.