Previous Next

This report is over-due. I just got very busy lately!

I went fishing with Craig Dowdy of YJ Guide Service, his friend Steve, and Aaron and Andrew. We were after catfish and I was pretty excited as I had seen pictures Craig had posted up showing both good numbers AND large fish. I wanted in on some of that action!

We launched at crack o dawn and fished in the Palouse River, where it flows into the Snake, at Lyon’s Ferry. This area is quite shallow and Steve’s jet boat was an absolute necessity. If you think you can do this fishery with a prop boat, please reconsider. It’s 1-2 feet deep in the mouth and you’re likely to get stuck in the mud.

We fished first at the mouth, with four rods, and using various “secret baits” on the hooks. We tried the mouth for about an hour with no luck, so we moved farther upriver. This was the ticket as we started getting some nice cats ranging 4-8 pounds. No big monsters (they grow up to 30 pounds Craig tells me). Also no great numbers for us this day. We ended up with five nice fish that will fry up quite nicely, thank you.

I’m working on the video now and hope to have it done soon. If you want to get in on the action give Craig a call, he definitely knows this fishery.

Amazing scenery BTW!

Gringo Pescador

5/13/2013 9:59:00 AM

That is perfect size for eating! MMMmm tasty!!!

MotoBoat

5/13/2013 10:50:00 AM

Try any "noodling" for them? My first experience with eating catfish. Was, when I was a wee lad of many, visiting relatives in Montanee. All were in bed sleeping. When at 5:30am. Were awoke to a elderly gentlemen yelling " FIRST AND LAST CALL FOR BREAKFAST". I sat down at the table, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Attempted to decipher what the piled high on a plate, breaded deep fried fish and side of Hush puppies were? I politely ate what was put on my plate. But would rather catch them than eat them. I tried catfish once more. At the Cajun cookery that took up residence in the Wendy's building after it closed. Located next to Sherry's on 160th and Aurora, in Shoreline. Again, the fish was breaded and deep fried, a artery blocker. Flavor and texture unchanged. But the gator and frog leggs, were unexpectedly good. That Cajun cookery is now a burger joint.

Mike Carey

5/13/2013 10:54:00 AM

no noodling, that just is crazy. We got back from a trip to New Orleans recently, man the thin sliced deep fried catfish was GOOD! But I did note a lot of over-weight people walking around. No surprise there.

tluedeke

5/13/2013 10:08:00 PM

Hey, I've never been up there, but am keen to try for channel cats I have a 14' tri-hull that runs relatively shallow. In that whole pseudo-lake thing at the mouth of the Palouse, what are the water depths? You mention 1-2', but is that just at the mouth-mouth, or is that whole lakey thing that shallow? I can't find a bathymetric map, and the google maps don't really give me a good idea of the depths in that wide area.

zen leecher

5/15/2013 6:18:00 AM

The whole "bay" is shallow with a narrow river channel in it. Channel isn't deep either at about 3-4 feet once you're back a ways. We're headed there in June for the third year.

Mike Carey

5/15/2013 6:52:00 AM

Just finished the video, it's on our YouTube page. I'll get it posted here soon. Water depth when we were there was 1.5 ft in the bay. I would not go with a prop unless you're ok with hopping out and pulling it off a mud bar.

Leave a Comment:

Login

Flag

×

Why is this comment inappropriate?

Close Submit

Delete this comment? Provide reason.

No Yes

Edit

×

Cancel Save