I had the pleasure of fishing with some great people at the mouth of the Deschutes on the Columbia River this week. We were targeting the Chinook, and the fishing was on fire!

Bruce Warren of Fishing For Fun Guide Service was our guide for the day and boy did he know exactly how to get the fish into the boat. Bruce is a very knowledgeable guide and catered to our every need while out on the water. Our own Mike Carey was there too, along with Travis Gergely of Sure-Life, and Lance Merz of Mack's Lure.

We were on the water and looking for our first hook-ups by 6:45. Apparently nobody informed the fish because they took their own sweet time to get interested in our presentation. The bait/lure combo of choice this day was cured salmon roe on a size 1/0 hook with egg loops, and at times with a Mack's Lure Smile Blade on top. Apparently this was what the Chinook were looking for because when the bite started, it started with a bang. Travis put the first two in the boat, both over 15#, which I followed up with a 20# hen! Over the next 3 or 4 hours Mike, Lance, Travis and I were able to catch our limits of Chinook, all in the 8#-15# range.

As for how we did it, we used a technique called Hover Fishing. Placing our bait on a 24-30" leader, with a 2 ounce lead weight above that on a sliding weight clasp, we dropped to the bottom and gave 2 cranks on the reel, placing our bait about 2 feet above the bottom. Depths ranged from 14-30 feet. Once the bait is set, you control the boat so that your line stays perfectly vertical the entire time you drift across the mouth of the Deschutes. When you get to the end, reel up, jet back to the start, and do it again. This allows the bait to stay 2-3 feet off the bottom during the entire drift, which is right where the Chinook are hanging out. Remember to drop to the bottom and give it 2 more cranks every minute or so or your bait will not be in the correct position.

If you're able to get down there before the season closes, give it a try and let us know how you did!

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