Frozen FISH STICKS
TROLLING FOR CUTTTHROAT KEEPS WASHINGTON
STATE ANGLERS WARM THROUGH WINTER. PHOTOS: BRAD HOLE
Coastal Cutthroat Trout
Coastal cutthroat trout are movers and shakers. The fish will visit streams, lakes, bays and the ocean during their search for food. The best time to track down these hard-fighting fish is during the winter spawn. Hobie Fishing pro Brad Hole (
www.kayakfishingwashington.com) catches up with coastal cutthroat for smoking winter action.
WHERE Brad Hole finds coastal cutthroat on drops and points in Seattle's Lake Washington. “The lake is 21,000 acres so there is a lot of structure to hold these fish,” he explains. He says that cutthroat often attack from below and usually stay close to shore. He looks for fish in river mouths and tributaries where they go to spawn. First, Hole looks for bait marks on his fishfinder. Then he searches the surface for signs of working fish.
HOW Always on the move, coastal cutthroat are often spread out in the huge lake. The best tactic is to slow troll with lead-core line. In winter, the fish slow down so Hole trolls at less than 1.5 miles per hour. “Add some S-turns and pauses into the trolling pattern,” he suggests, “cutthroat love to attack when the bait stops moving.”
TACKLE BOX Cutthroat fishing requires specialized
tackle.
Hole starts with a Lamiglas Kokanee Killer rod and Abu Garcia 6501C3 reel spooled with five colors of 18-pound lead-core line. To fool sharp-
sighted salmon, he adds 50 feet of 10-pound test monofilament to the lead-core line. His favorite lures are needlefish spoons in rainbow trout and Silver Bikini colors, Brad's Super Baits Mini Cut Plug herring, Wiggle Hoochies, Flatfish and even Rapalas. “Coastal cutthroat are fish eaters,” Hole says.“ If you catch one, do a quick dissection to see what the fish is eating then choose a lure that matches.” Hole will even add liquid scent, tip spoons with a piece of worm or pull a cut herring plug.
BOAT For open water trolling, Hole prefers a pedal boat to keep his hands free so he can grab the rod at the slightest indication of a bite.
ESSENTIAL GEAR Hole mounts a RAM rod tube to the bow of his kayak so he can keep an eye on the rod tip while he’s trolling. He also uses a fishfinder to find the structure that holds fish and bait. Since trolling with lead-core line can put the bait up to 200 feet behind the boat, Hole is always on the lookout for deadfalls and other snags.
WINTER WEAR Winter water temperatures on Lake Washington hover in the 40s and the air temperature isn’t much warmer. Hole wears a Simms ExStream hat that has fold-down ear flaps. “The hat is Gore-Tex on the outside to keep out the rain and insulated on the inside to keep heat in,” he explains.
www.kayakanglermag.com…47
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