Trolled for steelhead for 3 hours. The first hour was spent using the trolling motor for a controlled drift upstream using a bobber/jig/shrimp combination & the last 2 hours were spent dragging flatfish back and forth near the hatchery… No bites. The dams were not allowing any water through, and this fishery is ridiculously tough when there is no water flow. Of course, I've never caught a steelhead anyway, so maybe I just smell bad!

That being said, we threw on a dark color Rattle Trap and it got demolished by a 14 inch smallmouth that came about a foot out of the water while the line was being let out. I've heard these are good lures for that stretch of the Snake for steelhead, so the barbs were pinched and the fish got off. It was incredible watching about 20 different bass up to about 18 inches chasing in on the retrieve. It got hit at least five times in the 40 feet bringing it back to the boat. Had I had my bass gear on board we would have stayed and played for a while.

Saw 3 mule deer forge the river and got a suntan on October 27. The only two fish we got to the boat were a couple of catfish… Gotta love fishing with hot dogs to salvage a day.