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The likeable kid used to help me with my yard work when I lived on the shore of Silver Lake in Southwest Washington State.
I enjoyed having him around. He was still in his teens, but he was rapidly developing into as big a fishing nut as I am. Today that young man is 39 years old. He’s still fishing, only now he’s one of the most successful guides on Washington’s beautiful Lake Chelan as well as Rufus Wood Reservoir behind Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River.
he guy I’m talking about is Joe Heinlen. Joe has been guiding on the waters I’ve mentioned now for four years. I’ve seen pictorial proof of the beautiful fish he gets clients hooked into darn near every time out. Joe works for Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service out of the community of Manson.
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This picture provides abundant proof of the kind of success some of guide Joe
Heinlen's clients enjoy on Washington's beautiful Lake Chelan. |
I was especially interested in talking to Joe for a couple of reasons. One was because of our early day relationship. Another was finding out how in heck he was managing to get as many fish as he did for the anglers he was guiding.
As I’ve mentioned, Heinlen guides on both Lake Chelan and Rufus Wood Reservoir. Let’s find out he approaches things on Lake Chelan. But before we do that, let’s also take a look at just what most anglers who visit this beautiful mountain paradise are trying to catch.
“On Lake Chelan,” Joe says, “I guide mainly for lake trout, kokanee and landlocked chinook. I guide year around. Lake Chelan has some really big lake trout.”
Joe ought to know about the Chehlan’s big lakers. The largest he’s put in his own boat weighed 29-pounds, 3 ¼-ounces. He got that beauty in August of 2004. The all time Chelan laker record was set on December 31, 2001. That monster weighed a whopping 35-pounds, 4-ounces. It’s an Evergreen State record as well.
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| Guide Joe Heinlen shows the Mack's Lure Hot Wings spinner he uses ahead of his Flatfish lures while fishing for lake trout on Washington's Lake Chelan. |
So just what procedure does Heinlen use in his search for these sought after lunkers? Products marketed by Mack’s Lure play a major role in Heinlen’s fish-catching efforts. One of them is the company’s easy-turning dual spinner called the Hot Wings. He has nothing but good to say about these fish-attracting flashers.
It’s not the first time I’ve heard much the same thing from guides and pros who use these spinners in their angling endeavors. “I like the Hot Wings mainly for two reasons,” Heinlen says. “I love the slow speed at which it can be trolled and its good visibility and flash even where the water is really deep.”
As I’ve mentioned before in my columns, it’s one thing to know the lure a successful guide is using. It’s something else to have the details on exactly what he does with it. My friend Joe shared his approach with me.
“On Lake Chelan,” he says, “I use 30-pound test Power Pro line. I attach a ball bearing swivel to the end of my line and attach my Hot Wings to the swivel’s snap. I use 3-feet of leader between my Hot Wings and my lures.”
The lake trout lures this popular Lake Chelan guide favors are Worden’s U-20 and T-4 Flatfish. He selects glow in the dark colors because it’s often necessary to troll really deep to catch lake trout. “I fish these lures off a downrigger,” he says. “I run them from 70 to 400-feet down until I find where the fish are feeding. “
As I’ve mentioned, Lake Chelan provides a year around fishery and not just for lakers. The lake’s kokanee are another favorite target of visiting anglers. The best action for lake trout usually comes in the winter months. Some of the best kokanee fishing comes in the summertime.
In my next column I’ll detail how Joe Heinlen goes about catching these taste bud tempting landlocked sockeye. Watch for it beginning Nov. 1.
-To Be Continued-
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