My Twenty Cents Worth (2-cents per tip) or 10 Kokanee Tips I mulled this over for some time and thought that I would share some of my kokanee knowledge. First kokanee eat plankton. Their gills are specifically designed to filter plankton out of the water. Of all the kokanee that I have caught in my, I won’t say how many years of fishing for them. I have never found anything more than green goo ...

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One of my favorite times of the year is late summer to early fall fishing for Smallmouth on the Pend Oreille River here in North Idaho. Over the past 10 years I have acquired a few new techniques that have greatly improved my catch rates. One of those new methods got me a 94 fish day on the river a few days ago, so I thought I would share some of my somewhat secret techniques I have learned over t...

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Thanks to the covid pandemic people are recreating outdoors like never before and one of the most popular activities for outdoors enthusiasts whether they be novices or veterans is hiking! While some don’t mind crowded trails many of us hike into the wilderness to enjoy the solitude the experience can give us. With that in mind, here’s some ideas for hikes this summer that will get you away from...

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OUTDOORS ROUNDUP A unique fishing derby, wildlife area activity restrictions and prospects for bear hunting make up our outdoors roundup of news this week: BEAR HUNTING The fall black bear hunting season opened statewide on August 1st and runs until November 15th. Between Department of Natural Resource land closures and overnight camping restrictions on WDFW lands east of the Cascade ...

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Columbia River salmon derbies, the potential for a sockeye salmon fishery at Lake Wenatchee and the closure of public lands due to wildfire danger are covered in our outdoors roundup this week. PUBLIC LAND CLOSURES Drought, heat and wildfires have resulted in closures of huge swaths of land outdoors enthusiasts recreate in east of the Cascades this summer. The Umatilla National Forest and t...

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“Fish Fish Fish”! The port downrigger rod plunged down as the line released from the clip. Almost immediately the rod violently pulsated over and the line clicker on the reel screamed, announcing another solid coho on the other end of the line. My friend Robbie made a mad dash for the rod, slipping as he grabbed it. “Careful Robbie, don’t fall out of the boat!” Robbie is a true angler – any fish i...

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As fishermen, we are blessed with opportunities to chase fish around the world. These places are all unique, with different and exotic species, tactics and styles that are the most effective to hook the target species. Working in the sports industry takes me far away from home for months out of the year. As much as I love exploring new fisheries, sometimes a fix of fishing water that reminds me o...

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Salmon burgers Summer is grilling season. Most will flip a few burgers, hot dogs, or pork ribs on the barbecue. A few years ago I found that a thin salmon filet fit onto a burger bun and made for one heck of a great summer sandwich. The best cut to use is the fillet near the tail as there are no pin or rib bones. The thin fillet can be marinated easily and cooks quickly. While the standard b...

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Hot Fishing Reports from NWFR Members I always enjoy going back and finding the reports from our NWFR members that really stand out. So much amazing information freely shared – it’s what NWFR is all about! I hope these reports will inspire you to join NWFR and share your fishing adventures. It’s all about giving back to the community of anglers in the Pacific Northwest. Joining is easy, just cl...

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Dodger’s and Flashers (Using the right attractor, the right way, for the right fishery) By Jason Brooks Standing in the flasher and dodger isle at your local sporting goods store can cause some confusion if you don’t know which ones to use and how to use them. Flashers, in-line and standard, sizes, colors, lighted and UV finishes make it hard to know which ones to buy. Then there are dodgers a...

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The Washington Outdoors Report heads north to Alaska this week to report on the great adventure my daughter Faith and I enjoyed at Sportsman’s Cove Lodge on Prince of Wales Island. The journey started at SeaTac airport where a quick two-hour flight brought us to Ketchikan. After lunch in town, we boarded a de Havilland Otter floatplane and enjoyed a 20-minute flight over the Inside Passage to th...

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A TIGER TROUT FOR THE RECORD BOOKS Records aren’t always broken in front of a roaring crowd in a stadium. Sometimes, they are broken casting the simplest of offerings off a dock on a summer morning. That’s exactly what happened on June 26th at Loon Lake in Stevens County, Washington. Loon Lake is a large body of water, covering some 1086 acres. Located 26 miles north of Spokane, it’s kn...

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