Many people envy my being able to work as a fishing guide. Being on the water, catching all those fish. But it’s not all fun. Sometimes it’s work.

Sometimes running around on the boat, attending to customers, untangling lines and trying to keep the boat in a somewhat straight line and off the rocks has it’s own stress. But I always try to keep things light and cheery. It helps having wonderful clients who are having fun and catching lots of fish.

But other times trout are finicky eaters. The fish finder is beeping and marking large schools of fish, but they simply won’t bite. It’s like they are laughing at me. That’s when I want to toss a quarter stick of dynamite into the water, tell my passengers to hold on, and wait for the boom! They wouldn’t be laughing then! No they would be floating to the surface where I could scoop them up in the net. I could then stand on the bough of the boat and proclaim, “I am the king of the world.” But that could be a little scary for my clients.

I know, when the fish start to resist the exotic presentations of a night crawler tipped spinner, trolled after flashers at the perfect speed; I could rip off my clothes, dive into the water and grab those tasty trout with my bare hands. But I am concerned about the reaction of my passengers seeing a 300 pound man surfacing and displaying the catch in a Speedo. It simply could be too much for some of them. I am also concerned about Captain Ahab thrusting a harpoon into my back, claiming he finally got the great white whale.

No, I will simply do my best to trick the fish into attacking my client’s lines. Tell a few jokes, enjoy the beautiful scenery and watch the Osprey dive into the water to pluck out it’s dinner. But that dynamite thing sounds like fun!

See You at the dock.

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

With the nice weather we have been having, you may be thinking about going trout fishing. Yes it’s time to get the rods out of the basement and make sure they are in good working order. It’s wise to replace the line at the beginning of the season. You don’t want the line to break when you hook the big one.

Also check out your tackle box. Those nice fresh salmon eggs you purchased two years ago may have turned into little red rocks. Hopefully you did not leave the left over night crawlers in the box. You will know the moment you open the lid. If you have the urge to burn your tackle box, they are there, or at least the aroma of death they left behind.

You may have some work ahead of you if you own your own boat. Ah yes, that is a flat tire on your trailer. Make sure the registration is current of you may have trouble when visited by the State Police on the water. Charge the battery. Replace the old fuel or the motor may not start. Where are those life jackets?

If the boat has been covered and stored outside, you may discover that mold has taken up residence in your boat. Beware of your new friends the spiders. They grew quite well under the tarp. Some may be the size of a Silver Dollar! Since they run fast, they are good for raising your heart rate (Oh My God!). Yah that’s the one!

So you have checked out the motor and it runs ok in the driveway. They always run ok in the driveway, but will it run WELL at the lake?

Hook up the lights to make sure the neighborhood cats have not eaten the wiring. If they have, you won’t be going out this weekend. No, you will be re-wiring the trailer!

Remember you are doing all of this to relax. Work has been very stressful with the cutbacks and all. You still have your job, but you need to also do the work of the other two people they laid off in your department.

With all of that accomplished, you head out to the lake to join the other ten thousand who also thought it would be nice to go fishing. If you are fishing from shore, you may need to bring your own rock to stand on, because it is combat fishing. It’s so much fun rubbing shoulders with your neighbor and untangling all those lines.

If you brought your boat, you may encounter a psychopath who thinks everyone should let him launch his boat first. And then there is always the new boater who skipped the “backing the trailer” class. It seems he can’t move the boat more then 10′ without making five corrections. Hopefully he will be finished before the sun goes down.

You can go through all of this OR you can meet me at the dock. I will have the boat launched, all necessary safety equipment, bait, fishing gear and a warm smile. I know the lake, since I have been fishing there 2-4 times each week, for two months.

Call me, if you truly want to relax.

See you at the dock!

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

The water temperature at Hagg Lake is in the mid 50′s, just perfect for Trout fishing. I was fishing yesterday, Sunday 4/19, and it was great to see the warmer water. I found fish everywhere from the surface to 60′ deep.

If you are trolling, run slow. It is a good idea to test the action of your lure, by dropping it a few feet under the surface and then vary the speed. This way you can determine the best speed for that lure.

Make sure the lure is running straight. most lures have a metal loop to attach your line. If the lure is running to one side of another, just bend that loop until it runs true.

Most of the time, it is a good practice to tie your line directly to the lure rather then using a snap swivel. If you are using a spinner, tie at least 2′ of leader directly to the spinner, and then tie a barrel swivel between your main line and the leader. This will prevent you line from becoming twisted.

See you at the dock!

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC