On Thursday Rollie Schmitten and I left Leavenworth on a mission. We were going to check out Omak Lake and see what condition the launches were in. We were concerned that the Smoker Craft Phantom I am driving for Bob Feil Boats and Motors would be too large for the launches here. We went to the one on Mission Beach first and found the water very high and thought that I could probably get the boat in the water here but getting it out may be difficult due to the soft, sandy bottom. At Nicholson Beach, there was a different sort of problem. There is a fractured slab of concrete on one side of the launch area and a deep rut on the other. I have launched large boats with difficulty here, but the Phantom with the offshore bracket would not be feasible. Fortunately, Rollie has a 14-foot boat that we have used for steelhead fishing on the Columbia River that would be just fine for either launch. The next step is to get our Colville Tribal fishing licenses, Reservation Use Permits and Boat Launch Permits. Then we will be all set to get after the big Lahontan cutthroat in Omak Lake.