calm before the storm.

All ya’all know I really like Eloika Lake which is one of the many small lakes through which the Little Spokane River flows as it wends its weary way to The Spokane River. Recently, I listed 20 acres on the southwestern shore and desperately needed to get some good photos of the shoreline from the lake’s point of view.  With that in mind, I called up Jerry and Lori at Jerry’s landing on the other side of the lake and asked if they had any canoes for that Saturday afternoon.  I was in luck! Or, was I?

At 6 pm, I started paddling towards my objective.  But of course, IF you are going out on the lake, and IF you happen to sell Emmrod®  fishing poles, why wouldn’t you take advantage of this opportunity to do a bit of fishing while you were at it?  Having been armed with some nice plastic worms which anglers have used all summer to bring in up to six pound bass and some nice little yellow jigs to try for those crappie which make this lake famous, I had to stop along the way every 100 paddle strokes or so and do a little fishin’.  Not much happening that night.  I watched a few little crappie chase the jig which you suspend about 18 inches below a bobber, throw out and reel slowly in.  I think they were too small to even get their mouths around the tiny hook.   

I gradually worked my way across and followed the weed beds along the west shore line down to my photographic target.  I enjoyed looking at the nice big houses and fancy white docks jutting out into the lake.  Finally, I reached my friend’s land and took several photos.  This time, I headed straight out across the lake and planned to go north along the east side of the lake, fishing as I went.  The lake was like glass.  Looked like a big parking lot where you could get out and walk home.  The sunlight  filtering through the trees along the west side of the lake as dusk arrived dappled the water creating all sorts of interesting shadows.  The natural drift of the current and very slight wind pushed my canoe gently out to the middle of the lake and slightly northward so I was able to crappie fish without much paddling.  I removed my sinker so just had the bobber weight but was still able to throw it out about 30 feet on each cast.

Finally!  I entered an area where I had hits on virtually every cast!  OOH BOY!  Was this fun!  I hooked a big one, but it got off after about a minute of play.  Several hits later and I had another on the line, As it got closer to the boat I thought it must be about two feet long!  This one was not gonna get away.  I reeled him in towards the boat, my Packer ® with a topwater rod bouncing nicely up and down with the strain.  Finally, he was just feet away.  I jerked him quickly out of the water.  I did not realize you do this gently.  No hard yanks.  No big excitement.  So, out of the water he flew, across the canoe and out the other side.  I did not know Crappie were flying fish!  I also did not know the release of tension on the left side of the boat coupled with the addition of a shooting fish ten feet beyond the right side of the boat, added to 240 pounds of weight high on a seat in a canoe equals a fine swim in the middle of Eloika Lake about 15 minutes before dark on a hot August night.

Well, the cool water got my head thinking.  First, put my pole in the still upright canoe.  Second, YES! the dang crappie is still on the line and he IS going to pay for dumping me in the water so get him into the boat.  Next, where are my flip flops?  They cost 20 bucks!  Well, I found one so the one legged guy gleaning stuff along the shore is going to be either happy or sad depending on which leg is missing. 

Being in the water was not a part of the plans for the evening so I set about getting back into the canoe while swimming in 30 feet of water.  After several minutes of trying it from the side, I came to realization that was just not going to happen.  I asked myself, how do I find enough weight to counterbalance me as I get in?  Climb in on the end so the whole canoe works against your weight I thought.  Like a lot of theory, the practice just is not there.  NOOOO! Maybe when I was a hot young 150 pound stud full of whim, whigor and wytality.  But now at 240 lbs, tired and old, I just could not get myself in any position to be able to climb the 2 foot moutain of the end of the boat.  

Now, what were my options? The closest shore was about a half mile away.  There was also a pretty good weed and mud bank around most of the lake so actually getting to a place where you could walk out of the lake was a real problem.  I had to find a dock which might also mean a clearer, less weed filled path to travel.  So, back toward my friends corner of the lake I went.  In the gathering gloom, the white beacon of the trex decking  covered boat launcher shone like the sun.  Grabbing the boat by the middle, lying on my back and floating with the help of my life preserver and the canoe, I began kicking and gradually we moved towards the dock.  About 30 minutes later, we hit the weeds.  We hit the mud.  As of yet, I had never experienced any fear or significant worry.  Just another exercise.  Just another problem to solve.  Just more grist for the story mill.  

After about five minutes of fighting the weeds and the ever thicker, higher mud level I realized I had a big problem.  You literally could not move through this goo.  If you got vertical, you had no bottom to stand on, there was just a light 20 weight viscosity to what you were swimming in,  but you could not move through it.  Now, I had moved beyond just another fun problem to getting a bit scared.  As in all these types of situations, panic is not the answer.  So I began screaming hysterically for help…not.  Even if I had wanted to, there was no one around to hear.  So, I had a little conversation with My Creator and asked for help and calmness.  It came to me, if you can not walk or swim through it, maybe you can slide over it.  So that is what the canoe and I did.  Staying as horizontal as possible, I grabbed and pulled on the weeds in conjunction with me kicking (swimming.)  Gradually, it took another 30 minutes, I finally got to the edge of the dock.  Again, no ladders and that 18 to 20 inches defied any ability to pull myself up.  So, I went around the side and found the mooring line.  I was able to use that to climb onto the dock. 

Safety at last!  I laid there like a great grey beached whale for a few minutes gathering what was left of my energy and dignity and then got up.  I looked in the boat to see if my camera and phone were still there and if the ziplock bag had done its job of protecting them.  Yes and yes!  I called Jerry’s Landing and Lori answered.  “I have good news, bad news and good news, Lori.  I landed a huge crappie!  The crappie landed me!  But I made it to a dock here on the SW corner of the lake. ”  I went on to ask her recommendations as I was too exhausted to take another shot at the lake, especially after dark, to paddle the 25 minutes back to the resort.  She told me to stand fast and they would mount a rescue.

Twenty minutes later, my knights in a shining bass boat arrived.  Soon, we were back “home.”  I do not think I have been as filthy as I was since I was a kid swimming in the water buffalo walloes back in Mindanao, Philippines (http://www.mycompactfishing.com/blog/swimming-water-buffalo-wallow-or-clean-crystal-clear-spring/).  Later, I just threw away my undershirt and pants and wallet because they were not salvageable.   Jerry pointed out the canoe had a great livewell as the bottom six inches were filled with water and that miserable crappie was still alive!  While I had intended to eat it to get even with it, in the end, I felt it had taught me a great many lessons and it deserved another day or two in the water, so I cut the hook which it had swallowed and released it. (You can check out the crappie blog (www.crappielife.com//narrowescapesatEloikaLake//) for his version of the night’s events.)   

Safe and sound, a lot more adventure than I had planned for but happy and content and grateful to God for the peace we can have in tough times to help us get through our ordeals. 

ADDENDUM:  Lessons learned:  Fat, old boys should probably think twice about fishing from platforms as unstable as a canoe.   Always wear your life jacket!  You go from fine to the thick of it in less than a second.  Don’t panic!  Stabilize the situation, calm down and think through it to figure out a course of action.  You will have to repeat this more than once in many circumstances.  I had three of these times in this spot:  When I fell into the lake, when I hit the weeds and mud, and finally trying to figure out how to get onto the dock.  Make sure someone knows where you are and when you should be back.  Keep your electronics in a waterproof container which floats.   Finally and perhaps most important, seek God’s help and comfort.

Jerry’s Landing has one more month before they close for the winter.  Check them out!  They are great and will tell you what to use for bait and where to fish.  To visit Jerry’s Landing Resort, North on Hwy 2 (Newport Highway) past Riverside High School and Miller’s One Stop to Oregon Road. West (left from Spokane) to Regal Road. Left to Jerry’s Landing.

Their phone number is 509 292 2337, their email is jerryslanding@earthlink.net and their address is N 41114 Lake Shore Rd, El WA 99009.

This blog is sponsored by www.MyCompactFishing.com .   This is the home of The Emmrod Packer®, The Emmrod Mountaineer®, The Emmrod Kayak King® and much more.  There are great videos and photos of fish liberated from the freezing waters with this fine compact, survivalist, durable fishing system.

Nice wake and sunset as we head to silvers territory

Anticipation builds. Fishing should be great!

Loon Lake is always beautiful this time of night.  The terrain silhouettes like an old shadow box picture but is somehow alive.  Our target for the evening is Silvers for Jim and his son Andrew.  For me and Andrew’s young friend, it is probably anything that bites.   That probably means bluegills and sunfish for us.

Jim decided to fish the southeast side of the lake.  Not all the way to the end of the lake but in such a place as the garish, but somehow beautiful electronic palm tree seemed like you could actually climb it and perhaps find a coconut or something to eat with the fish you were going to catch.

We arrived at our desired location about 8:20 or so and Jim set about doing the hundred little things that make the fishing possible or better–at least in his and a lot of fishermen minds.  He has been working on a set of lights which make it possible to see what you are doing and another set of lights that float around on the water.  All this is designed to bring fish close to the boat.  In about ten minutes we were all there with lines in the water.  I opted for a regular small hook with a leader and a tad of marshmallow run up the leader to act as a float to lift the hook up off the bottom.  I topped the hook off with a good old fashioned night crawler.  Old habits die hard.   Being an impatient soul, I could not just through the line in, let it sink to the bottom, reel it up three turns of the handle and wait for a fish to bite.  This is the way to catch Silvers, I am told.  NOOOOO!  I have to throw it in, let it go to the bottom and gradually reel it in.  By my second cast, I had a nice, fat little blue gill flopping on the floor!

First blood of the evening!

What a nice little pan fish to get the day started!  I was using my Emmrod Packrod®, Spinning version.  Notice the eye bolt in the butt end.  This would have let me hook a lanyard should that have been desired.  Folks in float tubes, kayaks and canoes have found that to be particularly useful.  I would suggest it is also not a bad idea when you take your kids and grand kids fishing.  You hate to loose a fish just ’cause the kid can’t hold on to the pole!  I was using the seven coil spinning/universal rod here.  It is amazing how much play you get when you have even such a small fish.  Too much fun!

Jim being a purist, wanted those silvers.  He was finally rewarded with the first about 40 minutes into it.  Silvers are a landlocked salmon which live about three years.  Normally they are not that big in Loon Lake, but this year, they have caught a lot of them in the 12-14 inch range and that is a nice fish!  I thought Jim caught 5 over the evening but only got four pictures which I will post below.  It was really fun to watch Jim trying to hook these sneaky little bait thieves.  The really do not hit the bait.  They come up to it and gum it.  Probably lick it.  Suck on it softly and you can barely feel them but your hook is empty when you reel it in.  I probably had three silver hits–based on the near the bottom nibble zone vice ten feet from the top blue gill zone–and was not able to hook any.  Once they bit on his bait, Jim would jerk his pole with all his might then let out a massive groan when they did not get hooked.  Sigh!  I think we counted about seven sets of fish dentures on the boat floor by the time we were done.  You just can not jerk the pole that hard! When he did hook them, he had to reel like crazy because the Silvers tend to try to outrace the reeling process to get slack line to spit out the hook.  Do they actually calculate that?  Sure beats me.  But, they do come flying towards the top of the water and Jim managed to stay ahead of what he hooked on the bottom and get them in the boat.

Speaking of bait, Jim was using a tiny glow hook which he would light up by flashing a camera flash attachment like tool at the hook which was cupped in his hand.  He used a green color which worked better than the red color I tried later.  Below the head of the hook, he would impale two maggots so they extended crosswise from the hook vice running them on the hook like you do with a worm.  Finally he topped that off with a kernel off white canned corn.    Later, he bagged the corn as it did not seem to make that much difference and caught at least two of the Silvers without corn on the hook.

About 10:15, the wind really picked up.  The fish quit biting and about 10:30 we called it a night and headed back in.  All in all, a great night fishing and an awful lot of fun!

This Blog is supported by Atherton Enterprises, Inc.  An authorized Emmrod® Fishing pole distributor.  Anywhere you need a small fishing rod, is a place where you need Emmrod®.  Travel poles, backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, or just under the seat of your pickup.  With several models to choose from, you just can not go wrong!  The original dock shooter (Packer®), Kayak King® spinning rod and its  fancier sidekick The Rugged Flex® Spinning rod, or casting rod–which ever cranks your reel.  Do not forget the Packrod® such as I used or the Combat Rod® which is the shortest option of all. Finally, the top water rod option can be used on any of the Emmrod® fishing p0les and gives you great feel and fun.

Please check out the web site, watch the videos and help support me with your Emmrod ® purchases!

Thanks for stopping by. Dave Atherton 509 216 8589, compactfishing@Gmail.com  http://www.mycompactfishing.com/

Here are photos of two of the fish we caught.

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Enjoy the Emmrod Kayak King Fishing Pole for all your Eloika Lake Fishing

Packrod Spin, Fresh Water

My 10th, 11th and 12th years took place between Nasuli, Malaybaly, Bukidnon Philippines and Kibalabag, Malaybaly, Bukidnon Philippines.  In my mind, these towns were a thousand miles apart.  Nasuli meant living in a dorm or with another family.  Kibalabag meant living with my Parents.  Malaybalay was the fulcrum on which the sides of the teeter totter balanced.   Look  for several more “Kibalabag” stories.  Some will be just a paragraph long and others will seem to drag on interminably.

My parents were translators with Wycliffe Bible Translators and arrived in the Philippines in April 1953.  In fact, I had my second birthday on a freighter in Manila Harbor. At the time of this story, we were in our second five year term. I lived at Nasuli in the boarding house with the octegenarians Oscar and Sadie Seeker as dorm parents while my parents, sister and brother lived at Kibalabag.  I remember being interrogated as to my capability to lead the way to my parents house in the jungle.   This was not a simple question.  Kibalabag was about 9 miles into the mountains and jungles from the end of the road just outside of Malaybalay.   The residents of this village had been vicious raiders who terrorized the towns around Malaybaly just 20 years previous. They had become Christians and their illegal activities stopped. Now, their primary cash crop was abaka, a banana tree look alike  which provided the fibers used to make “Manila Hemp,” a very strong rope used throughout the world. 

My parents main job was to learn “pure” Binokid for the purpose of translating the Bible into Binokid.  This was important because the language changed from mountain range to mountain range.  Within 30 miles as the Monkey Eating Eagle flies, were other, still wild raiding branches of this tribal group whose language while still Binokid, was significantly different. In the low lands, the pure dialects picked up words from Spanish, English and Visayan, the local trade language.

So, Uncle John Lawless, one of the radio operators at the headquarters at Nasuli came to me and said we had to get a new two way radio up to my folks.  These radios were the tenuous lifeline to “civilization.”  There was a morning and evening schedule we all adhered two.  We would fire up a generator, do our commo check and shut down the generator as the fuel had to be transported on a porter’s back in 5 gallon tins from the lowlands. This radio became a very critical lifeline several months later.  He did not know how to get there and asked if I did.  I allowed as I could find it ok.  I am not sure how I knew at that age 10-12 or so, that I could do it, but I do not recall hesitating.  As a matter of fact, I can still see much of the route in my mind’s eye today.  

Stream Master Fly Rod shown w/ handle

So, we started off on the journey.  18 kilomters by jeep to the outskirts of Malaybalay where we left the vehicle and began to walk. It was about a three hour trek, but not a walk in the park.  I was carrying nothing but a small pack of clothes, Uncle John was carrying a two way radio which must have weighed about 25 or 30 pounds.  About 15 minutes into the walk, we crossed our first river which flowed languidly through the relatively flat land at this location.  It was about 40 feet across and nearly waist deep.  We were still in a fairly populated area but quickly left that and headed up into the mountains on a narrow trail.  As we  walked, the way became more and more constricted as the hills or mountains became steeper.  Ultimately, the trail began following the crease between the mountains.  Which ever side was the most passable was where the trail led.  Over the next two hours, we crossed the river flowing betwween the mountains 11 times.  It was not a raging torrent, but it was very swift and at points up to waste deep.  Until the last crossing, the river was the result of the combined flow of two good sized streams.  These two streams joined each other about two and a half hours into the journey and their junction was our last river crossing. For three to four months of the year, you were locked in or locked out by the raging chest or higher torrents of rainy season water struggling to the sea.  Just a narrow path wound between the foothills and larger mountains behind them to a steep sided, rain forest covered valley which hosted the village of Kibalabag.

We left the relatively level valley floor and began a steep ascent up the side of the last mountain.  About 30 minutes later, we arrived at a fairly heavy jungle area which was very swampy.  Uncle John was just about done in with carrying the heavy radio.  I left him there and ran the last 15 to 20 minutes on the mushy trail through the swamp to Kibalabag.  To my parents great surprise, I ran up the stairs into our house. 

They quickly sent someone to help Uncle John and he arrived about half an hour later.  It was so good to be “home” that my parents agreed to let me stay with them for the time being.  A day or two later after teaching my folks how to run the radio, John went back with some local guides. I stayed and had a great time through the coming summer holiday and remember it fondly with a smile as I sit here writing this.

 This post is sponsored by The Emmrod Compact Fishing Rod system.  Emmrod compact fishing poles are the premier compact fishing systems designed for the Kayak, Canoe, small river or brook and stream fishermen.  Of course, it works in most circumstances and is designed for maximum flexibility.  So, if you are fishing for bluegills, sunfish, carp, bass, walleye, trout or bonito, there is an Emmrod configuration that will work great for you!  Visit me at www.MyCompactFishing.com

Bottom line, it continues to be a strange year.  The good news is the bass are still biting and have moved in closer to the shore. There were a couple four pound bass photos on the wall when I went in just before going to the Colfax (Palouse Empire) Fair last week.  Those were recent catches.  Black was the lure color they were hitting on.

The crappie were a bit slow but still a few nice ones coming out.  The Perch were pretty good and some had been caught off of their docks there. 

Jerry’s landing is going into its last couple weeks of the season so hurry on up and take advantage of their great service and especially of their knowledge of the lake.  Free at the public dock w/ no info or $3. to launch from Jerry’s Landing with an instant fishing report.  You tell me which is the better deal!

Also, September 19th, the local Kayak Club will be having their annual whing ding deploying from Jerry’s Landing.

I need to encourage them to each get a Kayak King Emmrod Compact Fishing Pole  http://www.mycompactfishing.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=KAYA to enhance their Kayaking and Kayak Fishing experience.  Actually, I think the Emmrod Packrod http://www.mycompactfishing.com/packrod-compact-fishing-poles is probably even more convenient.  In either case, the 7 coil rod  is probably the best bet as it is gentle enough to give you a lot of fun on the small fish but tough enought to handle the bigger bass and perch you might run into.  Also, keep in mind, those big Crappie are really scrappy and a tougher tip (7 vice is probably still a good idea.  A second Rod that is great is the Top Water Rod which is great for the top water lures and give you more action. http://www.mycompactfishing.com/product/top-water-special-rod/1-1128.php

Enjoy the weekend and look for a new report next week.  Thanks! Dave Atherton

Jerry's Landing Eloika Lake entrace

Hello everyone.

I made a quick visit to Jerry’s Landing at Eloika Lake, Spokane County, Washington today. I wanted to take a couple photos of what was working. My photo for the crappie, sunfish and perch bait came out so fuzzy as to be worthless. I will try to replicate it later.   To the left is a photo of the sign at the entrance to Jerry’s Landing. Check them out. 

Here is the store to buy bait and candy and soda and supplies at Jerry's Landing, Eloika Lake, Spokane County, WAJerry's Landing, Eloika Lake, One of the two docks

I asked Lauri what was biting and here is her report.  The crappie and perch are a bit slow.  The bass are biting pretty well. Seems like the middle of the lake was one of the better spots for them.  Stop by and pick up supplies and get your boat in the water.  $3.00 is pretty cheap when you factor the fishing tips you’ll get into the mixture.  Why waste time when you can go directly to where the fish are biting? 

Fuzzy foto of the crappie, perch, sunfish and bluegill lure.

Sorry for the poor quality of this photo.   This has a very light weight of about 1/80th of an ounce on it and can be used to jig, reel in slowly, on a bobber or with a worm attached as well.  For the crappie, play it about two feet down.  For the perch, try about 4 to 6 feet down. This next photo is a great lure for the bass.    

First photo of this bass lure for Eloika Lake

  You can throw it out and drag it back slowly.  You do not want it too deep in the water.  A couple of inches should be adequate.Second photo of this bass lure for Eloika Lake…………………Here  is another photo of this bass lure for Eloika Lake which gives another angle.Great Bass Lure for Eloika Lake……………..Here is yet another option for Bass.  This plastic worm seems to work well both in the water and then on top of the lily pads.  In the later option, you cast the lure onto the lily pad and jiggle it.  The Bass will come up out of the water to get the worm.  I guess they might see some of the shape of the lure from under the water and combined w/ movement, it becomes irresitable. 

Great Bass Lure for Eloika Lake

There you have it.  Another day fishing Eloika lake, Spokane County, Washington state.  I leave you with a couple more photos:Eloika Lake, Spokane County, Washington, looking south from Jerry’s Landing

Great plastic worm for bass fishing

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Emmrod Compact Fishing Pole, Mountaineer

Emmrod Compact Fishing Rods, Kayak King

Here is a page from the Department of Ecology.  I will be contacting the Jump Of Joe Lake Resort for a fishing report.  I like this little lake and found it a great place for kids to catch a lot of blue gill and sunfish. 

Enjoy the information.  Dave

JUMPOFF JOE LAKE — STEVENS COUNTY: 1996

Jump Off Joe Lake is located 10 miles from Chewelah and six miles northeast from Springdale. It is fed by an unnamed inlet, and drains via Jump Off Creek to the Colville River.

Size (acres)                         110
Maximum Depth (feet)                  25
Mean Depth (feet)                     13
Lake Volume (acre-feet)             1430
Drainage Area (square miles)       15.30
Altitude (feet)                     2031
Shoreline Length (miles)             2.0

Source of morphometric data: Water Supply Bulletins 42, 43, and 57.

VOLUNTEER-COLLECTED SECCHI DATA
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Date      Temperature      Water      %Cloud Recent        Secchi Lake
(Y/M/D)    (C)   (F)  pH   Color      Cover  Rain   Wind   (ft)   Ht(in) Abbrev. Comments
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
        STATION 1
96/05/18  16.7  62.1       Lt Brown      0                 20.0     0.0
96/05/30                                 0                 16.2     0.0  FIELD VISIT--NO VOLUNTEER
96/08/29                                 0                 18.5     0.0  FIELD VISIT
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LABORATORY RESULTS
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                    Total       Total                   Fecal Col. Bacteria  Turb-    Suspended Solids
                    Phosphorus  Nitrogen   Chlorophyll  (colonies/100 mL)    idity    Total   Non-Volatile   Color
Date         Strata (ug/L)      (mg/L)     (ug/L)       Site 1    Site 2     (NTU)    (mg/L)  (mg/L)         (Pt-Co)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
        STATION 1
96/05/30       E      12        0.21        4.6
96/08/29       E       8        0.22        1.5
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
E=epilimnion composite, H=hypolimnion composite.  Remarks codes: U = Below detection limits; J = Estimate.


SUMMARY OF VOLUNTEER SURVEY

There was no survey response for 1996.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS OF ECOLOGY STAFF
Lots of surface scum observed during the summer field visit.

TROPHIC STATUS
Estimated Trophic State:                                 Oligo-mesotrophic
Mean Trophic State Index (Secchi):                       36N* (Oligotrophic)
Mean Trophic State Index (Total Phosphorus):             35 (Oligotrophic)
Mean Trophic State Index (Chlorophyll a):                42 (Mesotrophic)

*The calculated TSI is an estimate.  The Secchi disk hit bottom (B), entered the weeds
(W), or there were too few valid readings (N), or the calculation was based on
qualified data (J), or TSIP was based on spring data (S).

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION OF TROPHIC STATE ASSESSMENT
Jumoff Joe Lake is classified as oligo-mesotrophic.  TSI and profile data support this
classification.  There were high concentrations of oxygen throughout the water column.

COMMENTS FROM 97/07/29 AQUATIC PLANT SURVEY
Partly cloudy, calm, plants growing at 5 meters.  Great plant habitat, diverse
community - Chara meadows throughout much of littoral.  Many huge goldfish, many
turtles, ducks.  Maximum depth of plant growth:  5.0M. 

AQUATIC PLANT LIST  (This list may be from multiple years and sources.)
Ceratophyllum demersum (Coontail; hornwort)  Chara sp. (muskwort)
Elodea canadensis (common elodea)  Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag)
Myriophyllum sibiricum (northern watermilfoil)  Myriophyllum sp.
(water-milfoil)  Najas flexilis (common naiad)  Potamogeton foliosus
(leafy pondweed)  Potamogeton friesii (flat-stalked pondweed)  Potamogeton
pectinatus (sago pondweed)  Potamogeton sp. (pondweed)  Potamogeton
zosteriformis (eel-grass pondweed)  Ranunculus aquatilis (water-buttercup)
Scirpus sp. (bulrush)  Solanum sp. (nightshade)  Typha latifolia
(common cat-tail)

There is a great resort at Jump Off Joe Lake: 3290 East Jump Off Joe Road    Valley, WA 99181   (509) 937-2133  I had a great time fishing there a few years ago with my son.  We caught little sunfish and crappie and blue gills as fast as we could throw a line out.  It was more fun than a barrel full of monkeys.  Give them a call. Tell them Dave Atherton and Emmrod said to call.

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Loon Lake, Just before Dusk

My Good friend Jim M and I have been threatening to go fishing for quite a while.  We had three problems.  We both thought we were too busy.  That should never be an excuse to keep you from fishing!   I did not have a boat.  Finally, his boat was not working.  As neither of us can walk on water and there is not that much open shoreline at Loon Lake, we were dead in the water.

Emmrod Compact Fishing Pole, Mountaineer

Finally, Jim got his boat licensed, the motor running, the life preservers in place and everything except the running lights squared away.  So, we made our date with destiny and headed off to fish.  I provided the night crawlers, the canned corn and we stopped at the Loon Lake Grocery and I picked up marshmallows and maggots.

The public launch is around the back side of the lake at the NW corner of the Lake.  It is very up-to-date and convenient.  Plenty of parking, a nice ramp and a great dock donated by Knight’s Ez Dock in Deer Park Washington.      (Touch bases w/ them if you need to install a dock: Daved@knightconst.com Knight Ez Dock, 28308 N Cedar Road, Deer Park, WA 99006   (800) 654-8168.)

So, off we went to catch a few whales.  Theory vs. Practice!

Heading out for the Big Ones

 

Well, the motor was working OK but not great.  In fact, it moved us along at about 25 percent efficiency.  It was late, we did not have lights, so, we decided to limit our distance.  While Andrew was excited about the chance of rowing back, the idea failed to excite either Jim or myself.  We went around the first corner of the lake and threw in our anchor.  We got our gear ready, baited and threw the lines in.  We were using about two feet leaders on a swivel with an egg type weight just above the swivel.  We were in about 30 feet of water and fishing just above the bottom.  Jim drew first blood with a small bass.  Unfortunately it swallowed the hook so we had to keep it.  I caught the next fish which came easily off the hook and we released it.  Pretty quickly, the wind picked up so we retreated around the corner of lake back towards the dock.  Our fishing there was fruitless.  After about 20 minutes, we returned to where we had been previously and just dealt with the wind.  The fish were biting as fast as we could throw in the bait.  All were small blue gill and sunfish, but a great deal of fun.

 

Our First Catch, a little bass.

This was a fine day for me as I had a chance to do some boat fishing with my Emmrod Packer.  I was using the seven coil rod tip.  Frankly, I should have used the 8 coil or the top water rod for the additional sensitivity I would have had with those rods.  Never-the-less, the 7 coil was gentle enough to provide a lot of fun.  It clearly transmitted the bites and nibbles of these little fish.

A little blue gill like many we caught this evening

The four fish we ended up keeping.

I would have liked to release all these fish, but, sometimes, you just can not help but injure them too much to release them.  Andrew had a good time cleaning them up for later consumption when we got back to shore.

Check out the Emmrod compact fishing system at my web site. You will find a wide range of Emmrod Fishing products.  Also, there are videos to watch showing the Emmrod Compact Fishing system in use pulling in nice big fish.

<a href=”http://www.mycompactfishing.com/“>The Emmrod Compact Fishing Pole System</a>

While you are thinking about fishing at Loon Lake, Stevens County, WA, why not think about buying a home up there so you can do it more conveniently?  I have two listings, one single family home at 40490 Gwenelen Road,in Morgan Acres.  This home comes with access to a beautiful beach park. It is now reduced to only $114,900!

http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=586565&home=www.mycountryhomes.com&slink=-1&sReferer=http://mycountryhomes.com/&idx=&r=http%3A%2F%2Fmycountryhomes.com%2F

The other home is a great place to live, a business opportunity and a Man Cave all wrapped up in one property.  The zoning is commercial and the building would lend itself to many uses. This turn of the century home has so much character and has beautiful stained glass accents throughout.  Best of all, it is only about 6 minutes from the Loon Lake Public Launch. Perhaps you could open a great fishing tackle or fly tying school here?  Check out the tour!  

http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=596611&home=www.mycountryhomes.com&slink=-1&sReferer=http://mycountryhomes.com/&idx=&r=http%3A%2F%2Fmycountryhomes.com%2F

Keep Loon Lake in your mind for both fishing and living. It is only about 30 minutes north of Spokane about 15 minutes north of Deer Park.  There are many other lakes in close proximity.  Eloika Lake, Deer Lake, Jump off Joe Lake, Diamond Lake, Sasheen Lake are all within about 30 minutes of Loon Lake.  Come visit!

 Sponsored by Atherton Enterprises and Emmrod Mountaineer Combo.  Like the Kayak King, the Mountaineer is great for all those tight space fishing requirements.  It has an added perk in its adjustable handle.  This really helps those with arthritis and carpel tunnel syndrome. http://www.mycompactfishing.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=MOUN 

 

Observe the powerful teeth that can create instant gromets!

I am always looking for places, people, products for www.MyCompactFishing.com that are related to, accent or compliment The Emmrod Compact Fishing system and my web site.  I have two new entries, one a destination and the other the Rhino Grip Instant Tarp Eye which is the subject of this blog.  Hang on and see what you can do with this great item!

Why is this the best “instant grommet” on the market?  Because it is so versatile.  The bolt can be removed and reinstalled through the grommet then tightened down so the clamp holds the tarp.  This doubling of the grip on the tarp protects the life of the tarp and helps keep it in place in weather.

Reinstall the bolt through the eye and tighten down doubling strength

If there is a missing grommet or the distance between grommets is too far for your application, you can install a clip at whatever interval gets the job done for you.

Once installed, you have two options for connection to the bungee cords or line holding the tarp in place.  You can do a quick catch with the hook or if you want more permanency, run the line through the eye.

Now, besides the obvious tarp application, how can you USE the Rhino Clip?  Kind of like the lover of yore–How do I love Thee?  Let me count the wheys. (Maybe that was the cheese maker?)

–Have a bunch of wet gear or shoes?  clip and hang up to dry.

When you need a MAN'S clip...

–Clip chip bags closed

–Need to hang a mirror? Lamp? Goodie Bag while out in the woods?

Sturdy, reliable instant hook

–Cover your boats or tie down your sails.

– No More lost gloves!

–And finally for today, Fish or Golf towls.  Clean your hands or poles or clubs or gulf balls as you need to!

Any time you need a towel handy, Rhino Clip is there for you!

How many ways could you use the Rhino Clip?  Check them out at http://www.mycompactfishing.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=2-0001

You can buy how ever many you need.  Price breaks are at 10 and 25.  Check them out!

This Blog is underwritten by Emmrod Fishing System.  Check them out from The Packer, to the Mountaineer, to the packrod for saltwater and the packrod for freshwater and so much more.  http://www.mycompactfishing.com/compact-fishing-products.html  www.EmmrodFun.com, www.MyCompactFishing.com.  Thanks for visiting

My Taskmaster at the Exchange, Helen, badgers me every week to get my ads in on time.  She hounds me with every new “opportunity” for great advertising.  Of course, when she took over my account, her predecessor informed her, “Remember, just treat him like you are running a day care center.”  Everyone needs a Helen keeping them on schedule.  Thanks Helen for taking such good care of me!  If you need help with your ads, call Helen at the Exchange.  (509) 922-3456.

Recently, she called me and suggested a great chance to advertise my Emmrod Compact Fishing system.  It was through a special issue celebrating summertime fishing.  I thought it was such a great map that I both bought an ad–see it in the top left margin of the map–and wanted to make it available to my reading public.  If this does not work on your system, here is the link to visit:  http://issuu.com/the_exchange/docs/061810_exchange/20?viewMode=magazine&mode=embed

Your Quick reference Lake Fishing Guide

Check out my Emmrod Compact Fishing model, Kayak King, at http://www.mycompactfishing.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=KAYA.   I will be selling across the street from Zips at the Chataqua Art & Craft Festival  Friday – Sun Jul 9-11, 2010.

Waterfront lots come in two varieties.  Primary and Secondary.  Primary waterfront means you walk out of your house or RV and go straight to the beach.  Secondary waterfront means you are in the development and theoretically have access to the water through a community or shared waterfront access.  The waters get a bit murkier when we have land near the lake and there is a convenient public access.  Personally, I would not consider that as a Secondary waterfront lot.  But, practically, it works the same way except there is a much larger population base using the ramp, the dock or whatever facilities are there. 

Take my two listings in Loon Lake.  One is in Morgan Acres and has access to a lovely park, ramp and dock.  That is quintessential secondary waterfront.  My other listing there is in the middle of town, about 7 minutes from the public access and while it has a home, a store front and a shop on a second electrical meter–all with commercial zoning, it is not a “waterfront” lot.

Getting to Eloika Lake, there are currently ten lake properties for sale.  The prices run from 80,ooo to 1,150,000 dollars.  Four are vacant lots.  One is a Mobile Home.  The balance are stick built homes.  Eight are primary lots and 2 are secondary lots.  Two are less than an acre and the balance are between 1 and 10 acres EXCEPT a 60 acre estate with frontage and located close to the public access point.  Not unexpectedly, this is the one which is priced at 1,150,000.

A couple of the homes priced in the 750,000 price range are beautiful newer homes.  Other lots are running in the 2-300k price range. 

So, if you love bass, crappie, trout and bullhead  fishing, this may be the place for you.  If you would like to keep track of what is going on at any lake in the pacific northwest area covered by the Spokane Association of Realtors, shoot me an email and I will set you up in a free program which delivers you immediate information as a property becomes available or changes prices.  Track one property, one lake or the whole area.  My real estate email is DavidWAtherton@gmail.com

This blog is sponsored by Emmrod Compact, Survival Fishing System.  This versitile fishing system is designed to provide fun from ultralight fishing to landing sharks off piers in Florida (see the blog on MEL).  Check it out at www.WhyBuyEmmrod.com or www.MyCompactFishing.com