Bonaparte Lake: Top Water Bass!
We jumped at the chance to fly fish the state’s most diverse lake for Father’s Day this year. Who knows: Troll a bugger and you could get an 18 lb. Tiger Trout that was in fact the record breaking fish pulled from this 151 acre lake this spring! When we pulled up to the Bonaparte Lake Resort and Restaurant, we were surprised at the beauty of the area. Our camping spots were lakeside and launching in and out of crystal clear waters was a cinch. For Father’s Day, and being at over 3,500 feet, the water was bathtub warm and great for kayaking, canoeing and swimming all of which the kids did! But the question was: was it too warm to fish?
The answer turned out to be Yes and No-.
The multi-species lake did not exactly disappoint-..from the dock itself the kids caught Tiger Trout, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee and Smallmouth Bass. The trout were good sized with the tiger pushing 20". The Kokanee was also good sized and we pan-fried a tasty fish dinner that evening! But the catching was slow (according to the locals). We had a hard time getting trout on a consistent basis to chase trolled streamers or nymphs. And when we anchored up, fishing under an indicator wasn’t much better. However, when we started to pick up Smallmouth Bass on scuds and water boatman, we got an idea. Luckily, Jack at the Omak Flyshop had urged us to come prepared to change tactics (thanks Jack!)
TOP-WATER BASS!
Turns out Bonaparte Lake does have quite a population of Smallmouth Bass: those good old 'Bronze Backs’ saved the fly fisherman’s day. And boy did they get hungry at dusk! What a hoot it was to wind up that casting arm and fling a big ol’ popper or frog pattern next to a lily pad. At that magic hour of dusk, it wasn’t long until a scrappy fish grabbed that varmint and made a beeline for the bottom. Casting and letting the fly sit or immediately popping it along the surface, we couldn’t get enough of the top water bass action! We vowed to come back and get to know these fish better.
If you’re headed out for a top-water bass rodeo in North Central Washington, consider Bonaparte Lake, 20 miles east of Tonasket. And consider stopping in to North 40 Flyshop for the following gear to keep you bassin’ all night long!
Flies:
- Swift’s Goggle Eye Gurgler #2
- B. Murphy’s Booby Frog
- Sexi: Popper Yellow, Medium
- J’s Cinnamon Hopper Popper #6
- Froggy Popper #4
Line:
Leader:
- Climax Power Taper, Scientific Anglers Bass OR Equivalent
Rod:
Reel:
To all the Dad’s out there: hope you had a great day!
