I've been whipping Lake Wa and Union crappie into submission these past few years so this year I'm going to check out a few new lakes and a few I have not fished in years.
Shadow Lake: I spent many a season fishing for bass and crappie in this little lake but have not fished it hard in a few years. We only made on trip there last year but caught over 30 largemouths from 1-2lbs. Nothing big but a lot of fun. It fishes like a farm pond most days so plastics and cranks work great. It's also a great place to learn how to fish topwaters for beginners. The bass start to move up into the canal as early as late March.
Lake Meridian: My favorite bass lake and for good reason. Not only does she hold plenty of trophy large and smallmouth......not many people fish it lol. Can't really ask for much more than that. I used to fish this lake 6 days a week when I lived two blocks from it for a couple years. All of the bass guys would head to Sawyer and drive right past a lake that's 3 times better lol.
Lake Ohop and Tanwax: Both of these lakes are where I learned how to catch crappie. If you have ever fished these two lakes you know it takes time, luck and skill to pull more than 20 keeper size crappie a day from either of them. If you can catch a stringer of nice fish here...you can catch a nice stringer anywhere. I loved fishing Ohop during the spawn and Fall when they school outside of the creek. I'll be fishing it plenty this year.
Coal Creek Slough/Columbia River: Two words: Monster Crappie. I have not fished the lower Big C sloughs in a long time but I will never forget the size and numbers of slab crappie down there. It was also fun to figure out what tide was best to catch them at. It can be a real challenge to catch these fish but that's what makes it worth the effort.
Cedar River: Smallmouth, smallmouth, smallmouth. The big boys will slide into the lower Cedar during the summer and a few are resident fish. Only opens for a few months so you better try to nail these brusiers whenever you can get down there. Plastics fished at the top of the holes is the key. Whenever I don't feel like dragging the boat out I'll be walking the banks of the Cedar this summer. Can't use bait like back in the day so forget about the perch and crappie in the lower river for now.
Sammamish Slough: Nice catfish, crappie, and Largemouth. I think I've already said too much:D.
What "new" places are you guys planning to fish this year?