American Lake,Tacoma, hot,hot

CP Inlet Isle · 06-05-2001, 08:24 AM

I know that the bulk of you guys are Ore. salmon fisherman, but if you get a chance to get up here to American Lake in Tacoma you'll get a limit of kokanee.The fish this year are not huge but a consistent 9-11", with an occasional 12-14"er.The lake is also pretty healthy with large rainbows and has some nice perch.Here's the ticket, tie up a small spinner rig, small willow leaf, small beads and a size 8 hook.They sell some killer hooks at Bills boathouse on the lake.An eagle claw wrapped with flo. thread in red seems to work best.Tip it with maggots and trail it behind a sling blade dodger in anything nickel.Put it out about ten pulls on your downrigger clip and drop it down 35'.Troll slow, around 1mph and that's all there is to it.Wedding rings work too, but Iv'e found that downsizing them increases hook up about five to one.Chumming is also legal in this lake and at times very productive.Just check with Hawaiian Bob at the boat house for info on that, he is the expert.Good luck... [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

FISHRUS · 06-05-2001, 09:42 AM

I love American Lake, used to fish it when I lived at Ft Lewis. Got my real first big rainbow trout out of there. It was 3 1/2 lbs,
then the next day I went and caught a 3 pounder and a four pounder. That four pounder , I got stuffed and hanging on a wall..lol
Now the biggest I have is 12Lbs and I got that here in Oregon. But I love fishing American Lake, its a good lake. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Tanner · 06-05-2001, 12:04 PM

Maggots????? YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FISHRUS · 06-05-2001, 12:07 PM

yup...maggots work really good there. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

CP Inlet Isle · 06-05-2001, 12:54 PM

Hey Tanner, a secret trick if it's cold in the morning is to put a few maggots between your lip and lower gum.This keeps them lively, they can get lethargic if they're too cold. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Navigator · 06-06-2001, 10:38 PM

I use to live within walking distance of the lake (in the rent district) in Lake City (Pierce County). I caught my best Kokanee (14") and yellow perch (11-12") out of that Lake. Thanks for the post.

Tanner · 06-07-2001, 07:30 AM

OK. Now I'm going to hurl.

THE REEL HEY_YALL · 06-07-2001, 07:38 AM

Hey Tanner, I converted one of my cooler's into a maggot farm. It's very easy to do, all you need to do is forget about that spam sandwich you left in it for a few weeks, and VOILA!

Spam sandwich? Now I think I'm gonna hurl. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] If I'm baiting with maggots, I shouldn't be fishing for that species. I have this hatred for nasty insects, but dung beetles are kewl in my book. [img]images/icons/blush.gif[/img]

Dot, 12 pounder!!!! [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]