Fishing Articles
Columbia River Closes to Spring Chinook
Portland, Ore. (AP) – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in cooperation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have reached a joint decision to close the Columbia River to fishing for spring Chinook salmon.
Jim Unsworth, director of WDFW, stated in an email to the AP this morning that these actions were necessary to ensure that the quota allotted to the pin...
Columbia Basin Lakes
With daylight lingering a few hours past dinnertime and sunshine warming our afternoons March can be a very frustrating month. For those of us that would rather be outdoors casting a line or toting a gun instead of munching down nachos watching college basketball March can be downright depressing unless you like to go trout fishing. Yes, trout fishing and though the general statewide opener is sev...
Wenatchee Steelhead and Burke Lakes
The good news for steelhead anglers is that the Wenatchee River has been open for steelhead fishing has been expanded. The new area of the Wenatchee now open to steelhead fishing is from the Icicle River Road Bridge to 400 feet below Tumwater Dam. It has been a few years since anglers have been able to fish this section and boy are people excited. This stretch in the scenic Tumwater Canyon is a...
Big Horn Outdoors Show 2015
A long time favorite Spokane tradition is just weeks away. The 55th annual "Big Horn Show" will be held at the Spokane Fairgrounds March 19-22 this year. One of the best values for family fun around, admission to the show is good for all four days of the event, with adults just $10.
Established in 1960, the Big Horn Show is one of the oldest and longest continually operated sports and recreatio...
Quincy Lake at a Glance
It's Spring and the early season low land lake opener is almost here. Quincy lake in the Quincy W.R.A. is a popular destination for anglers, and has delivered good rainbow trout fishing consistently over the years. As you can see from our historical data reports graph (based on fishing reports from anglers of this site)early spring is peak time to fish Quincy.
At 20 feet maximum depth, Quincy i...
Planer Board Fishing
Planer boards have been most commonly associated with fishing big water for salmon and lake trout with outrigger masts and releases clipped on the planer board line. Now with growing popularity of inline planer boards it very easy to spread your lines away from the boat when fishing for other species. I use them a lot when trolling Mack’s Lure crawler harnesses.
They attach to your line by a si...
Ice Fishing Update Fish Lake
I had a gap in the sport shows that I was attending and managed to get out fishing for an afternoon at Rocky Ford Creek, near Ephrata. Boy was I glad to be outdoors again. I also ran up to Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, to check on the ice conditions and angler success or lack of. I can report good news on both.
I wasn’t in a hurry to get to Rocky Ford. My plan was to fish into the late ...
Winter Trout and... Kokanee?
As hunting seasons come to a close, most sportsman and women throughout the Northwest just hang up their gear and hunker down by the fire waiting for spring to arrive. Why not go fishing? Trout and yes, even Kokanee, can be readily caught this time of year and you’re likely to have the best fishing spots all to yourself! So as you store your waterfowl gun, pull out that fishing rod and organize yo...
Winter Burbot Fishing
February is prime month to catch some of the best eating freshwater fish in Washington, the Burbot. If you are asking yourself, “What the heck is a Burbot?” you might know it as one of its nicknames such as freshwater lingcod, eelpout or coney-fish. Genetically speaking it is a “Lota lota” and part of the cod family. In fact it is the only freshwater fish that is in the cod family. Mostly found in...
Ice Fishing in Washington State
Whether you're an old hand at ice fishing or just interested in trying the sport, ice fishing in Washington can be a great way to get out and enjoy the fresh air, and bringing home some tasty fish is always a bonus. The ice fishing season usually starts in mid-December and lasts until early March. The best ice fishing lakes are east of the Cascade Mountains, or what is called "The Basin," or the C...
Winter Shows to Check Out
I didn’t get any fishing in but I sure had a busy week. My travels took me from the Colville Tribal Salmon Hatchery in Bridgeport to the TRAC in Pasco. It was one of those weeks where I was out gathering information or sharing it.
On Tuesday of this week I traveled to Bridgeport and met with Pat Phillips, hatchery manager at the Colville Tribal Salmon Hatchery, and Casey Baldwin, Senior R...
Basic Plug Fishing for Steelhead
Sitting comfortably in the front seat and drinking a cup of coffee while watching the scenery go by I hear the oars slapping the water every so often as Ted Schuman slows the drift boat down. “This is the way to fish” I tell myself as the propane heater at my feet warms my legs and body. My fingers aren’t frozen as the hot coffee keep s them thawed. It’s hard to keep focusing on the rod tips but l...
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