Perhaps the first thing that crosses your mind when you think of Washington State is an apple orchard.

Those trees in the beautiful country around Wenatchee are there all right, but that’s not what turns me on. What does is the excellent chance one has of catching a whopping big lake trout in that part of the country.  The monster trout will come from the productive waters of Lake Chelan.

I can point you to the guide who might very well make your dreams come true where trophy-sized Chelan lakers are concerned.  I’ve talked about him in some of my past columns.

The man I have in mind is my friend Joe Heinlen.  Joe is now in his fifth year of guiding for Lake Chelan lake trout.  Take a look at the photos that are included with this column.  They offer pictorial proof of the kind of success he’s been having.  All three of the whoppers pictured here were caught this past March.

Tom Augustine, of Hermiston, Oregon brought this beauty to Guide Joe Heinlen's boat.  It weighed 30-pounds, 15-ounces.  It's the largest laker one of Heinlen's clients has caught in the five years he has been guiding on Lake Chelan.

Lore Brackensick, of Richaland, Washington, nailed these two fine lakers while fishing with Joe Heinlen in March.  The one she holds in her right hand weighed 25-pounds, 5-ounces.  Her other laker weighed 20-pounds, 1-ounce.

Ken Shields, of Moses Lake, Washington, knows Lake Chelan hold some dandy lake trout.  The one he displays here weighed 21-pounds.  It also was caught in March.

I had a pretty good idea of how Joe went about putting his clients on these beautiful fish because he had detailed his approach for me before.  For starters, Joe pins down an area of the lake where the big lakers are holding.

“All three of the fish you see in these photos,” Joe says, “were caught in water between 250 and 300-feet deep.  They came from an area of the lake where the lakers seem to stack up and wait for the kokanee migration to start.”

Lake Chelan’s sizeable kokanee population is a primary food source for the lakers.  “I believe the lakers move up in the water column at night,” Heinlen says.  “They feed on 10 and 12-inch kokanee and then move back down to rest as daylight approaches.”

And that’s where this likeable Washington State fishing expert goes to work on them.  “The lakers may be in a resting mode,” Joe says,
“but they just can’t pass up my spinner and lure combination.

Just what is this spinner and lure set up that nails so many trophy sized lakers?  The spinner is a Mack’s Hot Wings and the lure is a luminous Flatfish.

It's a Mack's Lure Hot Wings used ahead of his lures that guide Joe Heinlen uses in his search for Lake Chelan's big lake trout.  The photos you see here provide ample proof of the kind of results he's had with this approach.

I made it a point to find out exactly how Joe uses this set up.  He fills his reels with 30-pound Power Pro line.  He then attaches a ball bearing swivel to the end of his line and hangs his Hot Wings from the swivel’s snap.  He uses 3-feet of leader between his Hot Wings and his T-4 Flatfish.  Heinlen gets his rigging down to the desired depth with a downrigger.

What Joe had to say about his Hot Wings spinner didn’t come as a surprise.  I’ve heard the same thing from expert anglers all around the country.  “I favor the Hot Wings for two primary reasons,” he says.  “I love the slow speed at which it can be trolled and the good visibility it gives off even when the water is really deep.”

So there you have if.  Don’t just cast a wishful eye at the pictures you see here.  Do something about it.  As far as I’m concerned the best way to get the “doing” part done is to give my friend Joe a call.  His number is 1 (509) 393-9665.

And before you get around to booking the trip, better lay in your own supply of those fish-catching Mack’s Lure Hot Wings. They’re a cinch to help you put more fish in the boat somewhere along the line.

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