Author: Tyler Brinks for Fix.com

Posted: 12/29/2016

No lure is more versatile for bass fishing than the skirted jig. The jig-head with a rubber skirt combination has been around for years, and it continues to catch bass across all seasons and anywhere bass swim. Over the years, jigs have evolved and become more specialized, which has only added to their effectiveness. In this article, we will cover the major categories of jigs, the gear needed, how...

Author: Craig Dowdy

Posted: 12/29/2016

When the weather gets cold, and I mean cold, and the launch is iced over, and the eyelets on your pole are frozen, it’s prime time for fishing burbot. Burbot are a type of fresh water ling cod that have a catfish type head and serpent like body. Burbot have a single barb under the chin similar to a catfish. We have caught burbot from as early as mid-November through late February, depending o...

Author: Mike Carey

Posted: 12/29/2016

Lake Sammamish in Washington’s King County is an often over-looked urban fishery. The lake is better known for its outstanding smallmouth bass fishing. However, come winter those in the know will brave winter conditions to target the lake’s unique cutthroat trout fishery. Action can be off the charts if you are fortunate enough to find the fish. While the cutthroat are not as big in neighboring La...

Author: Sean Obrien and Debbie Kay for Anglers Club

Posted: 12/29/2016

Ice fishing is an unbelievably fun time out on the (frozen) water, and you can wind up with some serious fish as well. We will take a look at some of the gear, techniques and safety concerns of standing on ice and then fishing through a hole you have cut in it. Then Debbie Kay will explore using GPS and bathymetric maps to improve your success. The equipment required is multi – tiered, as you ...

Author: Nathan Nesbit of GoneFishingNW.com

Posted: 12/29/2016

This is the second, and final, part on how to fish plugs for steelhead. Both parts in the primer are condensed versions of the full length articles available at GoneFishingNW.com. Read The Water A good place to start is typical steelhead water – that is water that is moving at a walking pace and is 4 to 8 feet deep. People are a little vague about what a walking pace is, but 2.5 MPH shou...

Author: Mike Carey

Posted: 12/6/2016

If you want to be a Fish Biologist you need to add one part scientist and one part detective. Our case in point is this year’s Palmer Lake kokanee crash. If you haven’t heard yet about the kokanee situation in Palmer Lake in Washington’s Okanogan County you will. So join me as we take a closer look at the crash of one of Washington’s prime kokanee waters. Before we begin our investigation, let’s l...

Author: Jason Brooks

Posted: 12/6/2016

December is full of time to reflect back on this past year, enjoy family and friends, and trout fishing. Yes, trout fishing! Thanks to WDFW late fall planting of thousands of trout the fishing is really good throughout the winter. Most of the lakes that received the late plants also received fish this past spring which have grown all summer and provide an opportunity at some nice sized rainbows. T...

Author: Nathan Nesbit of GoneFishingNW.com

Posted: 12/5/2016

We all like catching fish, but no fish has captured the Northwest’s fascination like the steelhead has. There is something special about catching a steelhead that is hard to define. Like most species of fish there are multiple ways to fish for them. This guide covers how to catch steelhead using plugs. A plug is a hard bodied fishing lure which wiggles and dives. Mainly this technique is us...

Author: Terry Otto for Anglers Club

Posted: 12/5/2016

COLD WEATHER FISHING IS GOOD FISHING “I’ll be really glad when I’ve had enough of this!” - Fred J Taylor, on Cold Weather Fishing It was an offer I couldn’t refuse: A chance to spend the day steelheading with one of the best-known outdoorsmen in the Northwest? It meant a day on world-class waters with a world-class host. Great! So, why the anxiety? Let’s look at that invite phone call...

Author: David Lampe for The Mack Attack

Posted: 12/1/2016

You take a farm-grown Iowa boy, teach him how to fish, and you have the makings of a fishing machine. I recently was on a business trip to Richmond, British Columbia to do some warranty work on an RV. Of course I was excited to go here for a couple of reasons. The scenery is second to none, and the opportunity at a chance to fish these great waters is excellent. When I arrived in Richmond, I wa...

Author: Jacob Munden

Posted: 12/1/2016

What is Bobber Dogging? Over the last few years, we have seen the technique of bobber dogging grow in popularity across the Pacific Northwest for salmon and steelhead. However, anglers on the East side of the Cascades are just now starting to give this system a try. Dry siders can greatly benefit from adding this technique to their arsenals! The first question a lot of anglers typically ...

Author: Ryan Hung, Reel Priorities

Posted: 11/6/2016

We arrive to the river bank with one conspicuous thought in mind: to catch fish. Adding to the ambiguity of float fishing for winter steelhead. are the many offerings that an angler may choose to suspend beneath the surface. Akin to a hot knife to room-temperature butter, we’ll be exposing the core and nuances of angling’s most natural style of presentation, while exploring the art of how to catch...