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KING FISHERY! How To Fish Astoria

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Siletz Steelhead NF Clearwater Cutts, Rainbows Top Oregon Trout Streams ALSO INSIDE

COASTAL Crab, Surfperch SOUTH SOUND Seafood Medley

OH, CANADA! Navigating The Ins & Outs Of Fishing BC

HUNTING SEASON PREP Getting The Backcountry Attitude Workman On ‘Group Therapy’

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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 10 • ISSUE 9 PUBLISHER James R. Baker

Your Complete Hunting, Boating, Fishing and Repair Destination Since 1948.

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EDITOR Andy Walgamott LEAD WRITER Andy Schneider THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Randall Bonner, Jason Brooks, Dennis Dauble, Roger Davis, Nicole Hobson, Doug Huddle, M.D. Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Troy Rodakowski, Don Talbot, Randy Wells, Terry Wiest, Dave Workman, Mike Wright EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks, Jeff Holmes GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins

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ON THE COVER Brian Walters holds a Columbia summer Chinook he caught last season above the Astoria-Megler Bridge and before the Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the big river opened in August. (BUZZ RAMSEY) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and get daily updates at nwsportsmanmag.com.

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Northwest Sportsman 9

CONTENTS

67

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 9

JUNE HUMS FOR OREGON TROUT BUMS

From the Klamath Basin to the base of the Eagle Caps to the Donner und Blitzen, trout fishing ops sparkle this month!

FEATURES 40

SILETZ SHINES IN SUMMER Steelhead smolt releases into the Siletz River for return this summer were reduced, but don’t expect this quality boat-and-bank fishery on Oregon’s Central Coast to decline.

57

KELLY’S BIG BRO AIN’T SO BAD Idaho’s North Fork of the Clearwater is as fishy as its famed little sis, but is often overlooked by trout anglers.

77

PLAN AN ESTUARY ESCAPE Sturgeon pressure’s dropped way off, but they’re still available for C&R at the Columbia mouth, where a brand-new summer Chinook fishery has also been discovered!

119 CATCH JUNE’S TOUGH BASS Largemouth bedded early this spring. That means you’ll be angling for postspawn fish this month – top North Sound basser Roger Davis delivers the keys for sticking big ’uns.

135 PERCH, PLASTIC AND THE LBP The sprawling sands of the Long Beach Peninsula offer good redtail surfperch fishing for those packing more than just the same ol’ baits.

(TROY RODAKOWSKI)

163 BRAINS OVER BACKCOUNTRY High hunts and late summer bow seasons are months away, but right now’s the time to steel your mind for the challenges of backcountry bulls and bucks, writes veteran wilderness hunter Nicole Hobson.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Go to nwsportsmanmag.com for details.

NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Periodical Postage Paid at Seattle, WA and at additional mail offices. (USPS 025-251) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2015 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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Northwest Sportsman 11

CONTENTS

143

91

BUZZ RAMSEY With over 93,000 Columbia summer kings due back, Buzz has proven tactics for bonking June hogs below Bonneville and downstream.

97

CHEF IN THE WILD Hey, kid, want some candy – fish candy, that is? Randy reaches back in the memory vaults – and to a gash on the back of his young head – for inspiration this issue!

111 NORTH SOUND Doug crosses into Canada for a tutorial that borderhopping anglers will want to study before making trips to and from The Great Fishy North.

(RANDY WELLS)

SOUTH COAST

Our resident crab cracker Randy has tips for scoring limits of great-tasting Dungeness, whether you toss pots from the pier or tend them in the bay or ocean.

COLUMNS 51

WESTSIDER June marks the kickoff of summer steelheading around Western Washington, and even if one old fave is on hold to start the season, there are plenty more opportunities to work your spoons and spinners, Terry says.

125 BASIN BEACON With the 25th Annual East Wenatchee Rotary Pikeminnow Derby on tap this Father’s Day Weekend, Don details how to catch the smolt-eating sons-of-guns and maybe win a brand-new boat!

147 SOUTH SOUND The waters of the constantly churning Tacoma Narrows and South Sound provide good fishing and shellfishing for a medley of seafood, Jason reports.

155 ON TARGET No, Dave hasn’t gone all touchy-feely, but his column this issue is about “group therapy” – as in three-shot clusters.

We Have What You Need For Your Next Hunting, Fishing Or Camping Adventure!

ARCHERY: Mathews, Bowtech, Hoyt Bows GUNS: Sig, Kimber, Ruger, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Weatherby, Glock, Fierce Firearms FISHING: Lamiglas, Daiwa, Okuma, Shimano, Berkley, Yakima Bait GEAR: Vortex Optics, Swarovski Optics, Stika clothing

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22 THE BIG PIC(S): SMOLTS, BOLDT & THE COUNTERREVOLT Pictures from a momentous spring for Puget Sound anglers.

(ANDY WALGAMOTT)

DEPARTMENTS 19

THE EDITOR’S NOTE

21

CORRESPONDENCE Reader reactions to recent news

27

READER PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Pics of your spring kings, turkeys and bass, winter steelies and more!

33

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Daiwa, Browning monthly prizes

35

THE DISHONOR ROLL I-84 bighorn sheep poaching; Kudos; Jackass of the Month

37

DERBY WATCH Recent results and upcoming events

39

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

39

BIG FISH Record Northwest game fish caught this month

78

RIG OF THE MONTH Estuary Sturg ’N ’Nook Quick-change Set-up

131 BONUS RIG OF THE MONTH! How To Make Pikeminnow Bait Out Of Henny Penny 174 BACK PAGE Trail Of Evidence 14 Northwest Sportsman

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NWSportsmanMag.com

Join us for an hour of fishing, hunting, outdoor recreation, conservation and destination ideas covering not only our great nation but also the entire continent! If you love the outdoors, you’ll love this show!

STATIONS IN , D N A L T R O P , E L T T SEA UT O H G U O R H T D N A SPOKANE T S E W H T R O N E H T

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Northwest Sportsman 17

THEEDITOR’SNOTE

(ANDY WALGAMOTT)

S

ometimes you gotta just let go. Or, in my family’s case, let fish go.

For the second May in a row, my two young sons and I participated in the release of coho fry into a tiny, tree-shaded and cottonwood-cotton-dotted pond where the fish will grow until those survivors of kingfisher and heron raids decide to brave McAleer Creek, Lake Washington and then the North Pacific.

River’s and Kiran’s silvers – Bob Sr., Bob Sr. Sr., Bob Sr. Jr. and Boaty McBoatface, among others – came from the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery via the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s School Cooperative Program (formerly Salmon in the Schools). As River and fellow students at Ridgecrest Elementary reared the fish over the winter, kids elsewhere in the state were also raising Chinook, chum, rainbow trout and kokanee.

That fine spring morning last month, about 30 of us, ranging from toddlers to early teens and a gaggle of parents, plus several volunteers, gathered at Grace Cole Park. With Haida symbols for salmon and beaver as a backdrop, we recited an invocation and then began to take small green cups holding coho scooped from a cooler over to the creek for their introduction to the wild. It was great to see that so many kids and families cared enough to come down, and the opportunity clearly touched one mother who thanked a volunteer in broken English for the chance to participate.

Even if there were a couple spills and desperate searches for small fish in the grass, most of the young salmon made it to the pond. I’ll admit that a part of me relished the chance to add a little extra salt to the fresh wounds of the Wild Fish Conservancy and their failure to kill Puget Sound steelheading by releasing the hatchery fish by hand. But mostly, with coho returns last year so poor and my family’s rain garden project designed to clean runoff for any salmon that make it back to the next watershed over (Big Pic, Northwest Sportsman, April 2015), it was really all about a chance to help a struggling stock.

As we drove off afterwards, I reflected back to the boys’ and my fishing trip on Seattle’s Green Lake the weekend before. River had caught a dandy steelhead smolt, and just as I was about to bonk it, he wanted to let it go. There was a lot of meat on it and it was put there for us to catch, I said, but he insisted, so we let it go. In a world where you sometimes wonder how the fish will ever keep returning, that’s what you do – keep letting them go. –Andy Walgamott

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CORRESPONDENCE PUGET SOUND SALMON IMPASSE The breakdown at North of Falcon, the on-again, off-again talks between the state and tribes, the dramatic and preemptive fishery closures, the tribal Chinook fisheries and Bureau of Indian Affairs determination, the rallies, etc., were all hot topics as we put this issue together. Word that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was shutting down Lakes Washington and Sammamish effective May 1 at the height of the bass spawn drew initial puzzlement from Brad Dailey. “How many perch and bass fishermen catch salmon??? Seems a bit extreme to close Lake Washington down,” he posted. Kevin Spiva couldn’t “believe summer steelhead was closed too.” Those were done because of the possibility that anglers would “encounter” Endangered Species Act-listed Chinook and steelhead, which WDFW didn’t have a federal permit to allow. As bad as it all looked, as we went to press last month, there was some reason for optimism, though fishermen were wary. “Please don’t cave, WDFW!” pleaded Rory O’Connor.

BACK TO THE BIOP DRAWING BOARD A U.S. District Court judge’s remand of federal salmon and steelhead recovery plans for the Columbia Basin hydropower system not only drew applause from the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, which was “thrilled” by the ruling, but from Regular Joe Anglers as well. Stephen Marosi pointed to the Big Guy Above for answering prayers and thanked “Judge Micheal Simon’s wisdom in seeing and ruling on more for recovery of our precious resource of salmon and steelhead.” Added Ritchie Norman, “We should remove all the dams in the Snake River first and put back the shorelines, all trees, all animals and old logjams.” Not everybody was ready to rip out the dams, though. Jacob Hayes pointed to problems with sea lions and gillnetting, while Rob Mallery warned, “Be careful what you celebrate; usually ends up being cuts for sportsmen.”

MOST LIKED READER PIC WE HUNG UP ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE DURING THIS ISSUE’S PRODUCTION CYCLE Roger Davis, his ginormous 8½-inch rainbow troutpattern glidebait and monstrous 10-3 North Sound largemouth were, er, a huge hit in late April on social media. Davis followed up that day with several more stellar bass, plus this issue’s article on fishing the postspawn.

See page 119 for more!

(DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

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W

hat a wild ride this spring’s been for Northwest sportsmen. As we reported last issue, it’s been the worst of times, the OKest of times and the best of times. Here is a selection of images from the front lines in the battle to have and hold fisheries. –Andy Walgamott

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MIXED BAG

PICTURES

FREE AT LAST!

After two springs without winter steelhead smolt releases into the Nooksack, Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie and Dungeness, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was able to open the gates at rearing ponds on those rivers and on the Skykomish and Wallace after receiving the go-ahead from the National Marine Fisheries Service. That came in the form of April 15’s approved hatchery genetic management plans that provided continuity of releases on the Sky and Wallace and jumpstarted those on the other four. All totaled, 531,000 smolts were allowed to be let go this spring: 150,000 from Kendall Creek into the North Fork Nooksack; 140,000 from Reiter Ponds into the Skykomish; 130,000 from Whitehorse into the North Fork Stillaguamish; 74,000 from Tokul Creek into the Snoqualmie; 27,600 from Wallace into the Wallace; and 10,000 into the Dungeness in mid-May. In an ironic twist to the Wild Fish Conservancy’s low-hanging-fruit lawsuit that caused the two-year hiatus, smolt releases into the Nooksack and Stilly actually have the potential to be higher than they were beforehand.

They’re about where they were on the Skykomish and Wallace, but have been halved on the Snoqualmie. Tokul on the Snoqualmie was where these young steelhead were photographed April 23 as they left their home waters, were recorded by a counter and headed downstream for the sea, to return for the winter fishery in 2017-18. “After two years of wasteful dumping of the steelhead into regional and inland lakes, club members will finally have the opportunity to fish,” said Al Senyohl, president of the Steelhead Trout Club of Washington. “NOAA-Fisheries’ decision shows the science is clear that well-run hatchery programs do not impact wild fish in any meaningful way.” Other groups involved in getting the job done included WDFW and the Lummi Nation, Nooksack Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe and Tulalip Tribes, who jointly applied for the HGMPs, STC, Puget Sound Anglers and Coastal Conservation Association, among others who drew attention to the cause, individuals such as Frank Urabeck who helped quarterback things, and hatchery staffers who went to great lengths to ensure there were fish to release when this day arrived. Kudos, all!

(DEBI SANCHEZ, BOTH)

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MIXED BAG

(ANDY WALGAMOTT, ALL)

FAIRNESS IN FISHERIES RALLY With Puget Sound summer salmon seasons under a dark cloud, one of the biggest Northwest sportfishing rallies in years was held early last month. Around 100 anglers, many bearing signs, gathered at the Washington offices of federal fisheries overseers in Lacey to draw attention to issues of equality, conservation and the economic importance of recreational seasons.

“It’s the fairness issue and it all rests on the National Marine Fisheries Service,” Nello Picinich, executive director of Coastal Conservation Association Washington, told the midday Thursday crowd, most of whom wore red CCA hats, while others sported Kitsap Poggie Club and Puget Sound Anglers apparel.

Sport fishermen found themselves standing literally and figuratively on the banks as some tribal fisheries went forward last month. Without an agreement with the tribes out of the North of Falcon salmon-season-setting process, nor a NMFS permit to hold seasons over Endangered Species Act-listed Chinook and steelhead, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife had to 24 Northwest Sportsman

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preemptively close a host of Puget Sound rivers and marine areas, as well as the Lake Washington-Sammamish system during prime time for big spawning bass.

“Having Puget Sound shut down right now is an economic disaster,” said Liz Hamilton of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association. She estimated half a million fishing trips could be lost.

In the background of the rally was the unexpected opening of tribal spring salmon fishing on the Skagit, among other waters. While it would be easy to rage at the tribes, it’s the process that’s unfair.

Because of the tribes’ nexus with federal funding, their fisheries were initially signed off by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, not NMFS, though NMFS quickly issued a biological opinion covering them.

Sport anglers are calling for an overhaul of North of Falcon.

The crux of this year’s impasse centered around harvest levels of Puyallup River-bound Chinook. Even if the state and most of the other tribes agree about the year’s fisheries and conservation goals to reduce pressure on low forecasted returns of some stocks, a disagreement with one or two tribes can effectively lead the state to have to accept a bad deal, like 2015, or put sportfisheries in serious question, like 2016. That’s just not a fair way to do things.

Even so, sport and tribal anglers are essentially on the same page on a wide set of issues. Ron Garner of Puget Sound Anglers talked about the value of standing together and how that has worked in the past with not only NMFS but commercial fishermen and North Sound tribes, citing the recent approval of releases of early winter steelhead smolts into the rivers.

“A lot of tribes aren’t against us,” Garner said. “We need more help and fish than ever.”

Garner said that not buying a fishing license in protest of WDFW was the exact wrong thing to do, that doing so would scuttle hatchery production – hugely important for sport, commercial and tribal fisheries to occur in Puget Sound’s massively altered environment – which is also threatened by frivolous lawsuits.

“Our kids and our grandkids need to have better opportunities.”

While the event in Lacey was altogether positive, Puget Sound anglers were still looking at a grim situation this summer if a statetribe agreement wasn’t reached – talks were ongoing at press time – or WDFW had to continue pursuing a NMFS permit on its own.

“Without a fishing season, it’s going to be hard,” one fisherman told me near the end of the rally. “It’s a lifestyle.”

Indeed, we all are people of the fish. NS

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^

READER PHOTOS

Right on, Riley Rautenkranz! The Yakima 9-year-old caught this rainbow at a Kids Fishing event on Sarg Hubbard Pond during Washington’s trout opener. His parents say Riley “loves to fish and is a great little outdoorsman for his age.” (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) Just a tad too long for keeping, but just right for snapping ^ a pic! Chad Smith reports hooking this 40-inch lingcod out of Anacortes three times before it finally stuck. He was fishing live bait behind a banana weight on the opening morning of ling season. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

anglers ^Some get fish

tattoos; this steelhead got an angler tat ... or at least that’s the reflection of February issue coverboy Darrel Smith between the dorsal and pelvic fins of this chrome Forks native. (DAIWA

^

PHOTO CONTEST)

Don’t stop ... side-driftin’, hold on to that wi-i-i-inter run ... Not sure what air-guitar anthem that KJ Ruffo was playing to with his Clackamas steelie, but he was clearly pretty stoked! (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Browning and Daiwa, send your full-resolution, original images with all the pertinent details – who’s in the pic and their hometown; when and where they were; what they caught their fish on/weapon they used to bag the game; and any other details you’d like to reveal (the more, the merrier!) – to awalgamott@media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA, 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for use in our print and Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

Northwest Sportsman 27

READER PHOTOS

^

First shot, first kill for Kelton Fenrich. “Best smile ever for me,” says his proud father, Rusty. They were hunting near Lake Roosevelt on Washington’s youth turkey weekend.

^

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

With his dad on the call and grandpa Randy (above) nearby, fresh hunter-ed graduate Tanner Riley bagged his first game, this Okanogan County turkey that the 9-year-old shot on public land. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

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Northwest Sportsman 29

READER PHOTOS

^

Matt Little and friend Nic Callero take a break while packing out Little’s first elk, a Wallowa County bull he killed several miles from camp. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST) Smith, 14, and Conner Tomlinson, 13, harvested their ^Coltyn spring gobblers during Idaho’s youth hunt. Assisted by their

fathers, Kit Smith and Scott Tomlinson, the boys hunted in the Idaho City area, northeast of Boise. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

For more great reader photos from the field see page 105...

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PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS!

Rusty Fenrich’s great shot of son Kelton and his first gobbler is our monthly Browning hunting photo contest winner. It scores the Lake Roosevelt hunter a Browning hat!

David Embertson is this issue’s monthly Daiwa Photo Contest winner, thanks to the photo he sent of Danielle Helliar and her very nice Elk River Chinook, caught last fall on eggs under a bobber. It wins him a Daiwa hat, T-shirt and scissors for cutting braided line, and puts him in the running for the grand prize of a Daiwa rod-and-reel combo!

Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

For your shot at winning Daiwa and Browning products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to awalgamott@ media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

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MIXED BAG

Man Sentenced For Shooting Toward Fellow Hunters

By Andy Walgamott

I

n April, a Northwest Montana man entered an Alford plea after being accused of firing towards a pair of duck hunters who he had warned not to go through his spread last October on the Flathead River just north of Flathead Lake.

According to the Daily Inter Lake of Kalispell, court documents state the two were hit by pellets fired from the shotgun of Brad Lee Bell, 44, but Bell’s attorney argued the duo were too far off to be hurt.

After a plea deal that reduced charges from felony criminal endangerment to misdemeanor criminal mischief, Bell was sentenced to a oneyear deferred prison sentence and to pay nearly $1,900 for damages caused to a cell phone and the hunters’ boat, according to the paper.

Alford pleas allow defendants to maintain their evidence while acknowledging it’s likely that a jury would find them guilty.

(OSP)

Reward For Info On Third Poached I-84 Ram

A

reward of $2,000 is being offered for information on a third bighorn ram that was poached along I-84 in April.

A week after two were killed east of Rufus near milepost 119, the third was discovered near milepost 118 on the evening of Sunday, April 10.

Oregon State Police troopers found its carcass in a rockslide near the interstate and determined it had been shot and wasted. An initial reward offer of $500 from the Oregon Hunters Association was upped to $2,000, thanks to donations from OHA’s Clatsop County Chapter and the Oregon Foundation for North American Wild Sheep.

Anyone with info can call senior trooper Mark Jubitz at (541) 705-5330.

KUDOS I

n April, recently retired Idaho conservation officer Blake Phillips was named the recipient of the 2016 Guy Bradley Award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for an outstanding career spent enforcing wildlife laws.

“Blake is the most honorable and duty-oriented person I know,” his former supervisor Chief Greg Wooten said. “I have benefited greatly from his experience. He maintained a high level of productivity throughout his career, and he set an example we should all emulate.”

Phillips began his career as a conservation officer in 1983 and primarily worked Southeast Idaho, where he came to learn “most every cranny in the region” before moving to Boise in 2014 as the Idaho Department Fish and Game’s assistant enforcement chief.

The Guy Bradley Award is named for a Florida warden who in 1905 became the country’s first to lose their life on duty, and has been given out annually since 1988. In his work, Phillips came to know the widows of Bill Pogue and Conley Elms, two Idaho conservation officers killed in 1981 by an infamous poacher.

Humbled by the award, Phillips pointed towards fellow employees at IDFG and other agencies as inspiration. “If I have done a few things right over my career, it is more because of what I learned from them than You may be unhappy that someone is hunting near you. You anything I have done. It has been an honor may be angry that fishermen are crowding the hole. You may and a privilege to serve the people of the be pissed that the calm of your happy place in the outdoors state of Idaho as a protector of the beauty, has been broken. You, however, don’t get to fire toward fellow resources and wildlife of the great state of sportsmen. Ever.

Idaho,” he said in a written statement.

JACKASS OF THE MONTH

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By Andy Walgamott

18.64-lbr Wins Pend Oreille Derby I

f we hope you got one single thing out of our article in the May issue on Lake Pend Oreille, it was that the North Idaho sea’s rainbows are big.

Results from the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club’s annual Spring K&K Derby support that point. The top five rainbows were all over 17 pounds, with the largest being winner Calvin Nolan’s 18.64-pounder. He caught it halfway through the April 23-May 1 event, and held on to claim the $2,500 top prize.

Other top finishers included Cory LaRue, second, 17.88 pounds, $1,500; Roy Stokes, third, 17.22 pounds, $1,000; Jan Deife, fourth, 17.10 pounds, $750; and Randy VanderKolk, fifth, 17.02 pounds, $500.

Top placers in other divisions included: John Jay, adult Mackinaw, 18.98 pounds, $1,200; Ryan Johnson, Junior (ages 1417), 13.66 pounds; Patrick Elmore, Youth (ages 9-13), 12.9 pounds; and Clair Belgarde, Youth (ages 0-8), 10.68. Gale Belgarde Sr. and Jr. claimed Mackinaw of the Day on four of the nine days, while Trevor Walkington caught the largest German brown, a 4.48-pounder.

Tea’s Time

Calvin Nolan of Bayview hoists his 2016 Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club Spring K&K Derby-winning rainbow trout, an 18.64-pounder. (ROY STOKES) LPOIC holds several derbies throughout the year. For more, see their website, lpoic.org, or go to facebook.com/lpoic.

MORE RECENT RESULTS

T

alk about being a weekend warrior!

Siv Tea of Tacoma cleaned up at Westport on Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1.

He not only caught a 37.25-pound ling one day and a 43.95-pound halibut the next, but won weekly and daily prizes, respectively, for each in the Westport Charterboat Association’s derbies, a $950 haul! He was fishing on the Blue Eyes and Stardust.

“I’ve been doing the weighmaster gig for about five years now and that’s the first time that has happened!” said Bob Codiga on his Facebook page.

(WESTPORT WEIGHMASTER, BOTH)

Chris Richards won the annual Boggan’s Oasis Spring Fishing Derby held on the upper end of Washington’s Grande Ronde. His 8.6-pounder was the largest of the 95 fish weighed in by 62 entrants, according to organizers at the famed restaurant and lodging (boggans.com) along the banks of the river at Highway 129. They reported a “very busy” season, with many steelhead running around 7 and 8 pounds. The derby runs for six weeks in February and March. (BOGGAN’S OASIS) Westport Charterboat Association bottomfishing derby winners (charterwestport.com) May 3: Jay Wiggins, 47.45-pound halibut, Angler, daily winner prize of $500 May 6: Don Englund, 25.55-pound lingcod, Rampage, weekly winner prize of $500 May 7: Joyce Walker, 28.30-pound lingcod, Tequila Too, weekly winner prize of $360 May 10: Marcellus White, 51.55-pound halibut, Advantage, daily winner prize of $500 nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

Northwest Sportsman 37

OUTDOOR

CALENDAR

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ONGOING 4/26-6/30 Family Fishing Event at Millicoma Interpretive Center (free, Mon.-Fri.) – info: odfwcalendar.com JUNE 1 Opening day of fishing on several quality Washington lakes 2-4 Scheduled Central Oregon Coast all-depth halibut opener 4 Free ODFW Family Fishing Events at numerous lakes, ponds, hatcheries and other waters across Oregon – info: odfwcalendar.com; OHA Youth and Family Outdoor Day (preregistration, $) at Cyrus Ranch (Sisters) – info: odfwcalendar.com; Opening day of fishing on many Washington streams and beaver ponds unaffected by Puget Sound salmon impasse; Numerous WDFW family and youth fishing events – info: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/kids/events.html 4-5 Free Fishing Weekend in Oregon – info: dfw.state.or.us; Moses Lake Walleye Classic – info: Ron Sawyer, Paul Lamb (509-765-6718) 11 WDFW family and youth fishing events at Blackmans Lake, Fishtrap Creek, Easton Ponds, Merwin Park, Seacrest Park (Seattle) and Spearfish Lake – info: wdfw.wa.gov/ fishing/kids/events.html; Free Fishing Day in Idaho – info: fishandgame.idaho.gov 11-12 Free Fishing Weekend in Washington – info: wdfw.wa.gov 12 Free How to Hunt, Finding and Evaluating Place to Hunt workshop at Tualatin Cabela’s – info: odfwcalendar.com; Free How to Hunt, Big Game workshop at Albany Rifle and Pistol Club ($) – info: odfwcalendar.com 15 Final day for spring bear permit season in numerous Washington units 16 Columbia salmon and steelhead opener from Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Oregon-Washington border; Free How to Hunt, Finding and Evaluating Place to Hunt workshop at Albany Sportsman’s Warehouse – info: odfwcalendar.com 16-18 Central Oregon Coast all-depth halibut back-up dates (if quota available) 18 WDFW family and youth fishing events or derbies at Goose and Island Lakes, Poulsbo Marina – info: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/kids/events.html; Bonneville Pool sturgeon retention day (July 1 also) 19 Father’s Day kids fishing event, Olympic Corrections Center – info: wdfw.wa.gov/ fishing/kids/events.html; Clam and Crab Seminar, Charleston Marina RV, Charleston – info: odfwcalendar.com 20 Date Oregon controlled hunt application results available no later than 25 Clam and Crab Seminar, Port Orford library – info: odfwcalendar.com 25-26 Washington Governor’s Cup Walleye Championship, Lake Roosevelt – info: lakerooseveltwalleyeclub.com 30-7/2 Central Oregon Coast all-depth halibut back-up date (if quota available)

1.

The ONE place not to be is in the path of whales. Don’t position your vessel in the path of oncoming whales within 400 yards of a whale.

2.

Stay at least TWO hundred yards away from any killer whale (200 yards = the distance of two football fields or about 200 meters).

3.

Remember these THREE ways to Be Whale Wise: follow the guidelines for viewing all wildlife, check for local protected areas and restrictions, and always be safe.

(IDFG)

(RON CAMPBELL)

RECORD NW GAME FISH CAUGHT THIS MONTH Date

Species

Pds. (-Oz.) Water

Angler

6-2-80 6-5-71 6-9-75 6-14-10 6-17-06 6-19-15 6-21-92 6-22-03 6-27-94 6-28-81 6-29-98 * Pictured

Striped surfperch Yellow perch Kokanee Kokanee* Common carp Tiger trout Grayling Pacific sanddab Flathead catfish Flathead catfish Black bullhead

2.07 2-2 6-9.5 9.67 49.5 1.26 2-7 .81 42-0 22.8 1.75

Chris Urban Ernie Affolter III Jerry Verge Ron Campbell Duane Fisher Douglas West Velma Mahaffey Richard Bethke Joshua Kralicek C.L. McCary John Moore

Quartermaster Hbr. (WA) Columbia R. (OR) Priest L. (ID) Wallowa L. (OR) Moses L. (WA) Wallace L. (ID) Nez Perce L. (ID) Lawson Rf. (WA) Snake R. (OR) Snake R. (WA) Mud L. (WA)

Visit www.bewhalewise.org to learn more, download the laws, regulations, and guidelines, and to report violations.

Report Violations: Enforcement 1-800-853-1964 or online at www.bewhalewise.org

nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

Northwest Sportsman 39

The Siletz River flows nearly 70 miles between its origins in Oregon’s Coast Range and the Pacific just south of Lincoln City. Along its path it forges through a beautiful gorge that draws summer steelhead and fishermen alike.

(LEFT, TOP MIDDLE, RIGHT: ANDY WALGAMOTT; LOWER MIDDLE: ERIC MARTIN)

Down, But So

By Randall Bonner

T

his season, there will be slightly fewer steelhead returning to the popular weekend fishery of the Siletz Gorge, presenting new challenges to anglers who regularly target these fish, and newcomers who want in on one of the Northwest’s most beautiful and productive summer fisheries.

In 2014, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Coastal Multispecies Management Plan mandated reducing the number of hatchery smolts let loose in the Lincoln County stream by 30,000, from 80,000 to 50,000. While ODFW believes the fishery won’t decline much if at all, as water levels drop and clarity improves, its steelhead offer a challenge to anglers that greatly differs from the presentations that are most effective during the high, murky conditions of winter fisheries. When it matters most, being able to adapt to and mimic your environment will greatly improve your success rates on the Siletz.

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FISHING

Not Out AFTER THE RIVER’S spring Chinook reach their spawning grounds, they begin to dig redds and lay eggs. Representing fresh and nutritious snacks for steelhead, the salmon eggs tend to be larger, bright red berries. If you’re fishing a bead, the freshest eggs are nearly transparent, as should be your presentation.

On low, clear, sunny days, being a shade off or matching the hatch, per se, can make all the difference. Early in the morning and late in the evening before the fog clears, ultraviolet colors that mimic a dead egg pattern tend to be

ODFW reduced summer steelhead smolt numbers, but the Siletz River should still be productive this season.

more effective than during the middle of the day. If you’re fishing bait, cured prawn meat or eggs will have the same effect. A transparent bead with a “wet” sheen to it that reflects white light can make the difference when the sun is hitting the water. Uncured prawn meat gives off a subtle appearance in daylight; however, it also has its own bioluminescent properties and reflects subtle UV light.

In low light or low-visibility conditions, creating a presentation that reacts to UV is crucial to offering a target that the fish can find. Decoding what colors work for the nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

Northwest Sportsman 41

FISHING

Though 30,000 fewer summer-run smolts were scatter-released below Siletz Falls for return this year, the river remains your only chance to catch a hatchery steelhead in a 100-mile stretch of Oregon’s Coast Range. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

water you’re fishing is as simple as tying a different bead on and dropping it in front of you, acknowledging your own visibility of what you’re offering the fish.

Sam Wurdinger of Dinger Jigs (dingerjigs.com) designs his presentations for summer steelhead based upon removing the UV properties that are often “too loud,” specifically pointing to the success of nightmare patterns.

But more importantly, the red collar, black feathers and white jighead create contrast in common conditions on rivers this time of year. None of those three colors in the pattern react to ultraviolet light.

Stem floats will track well with jigs in low water without the addition of extra weight or gear. Strung directly onto a mono bumper with a flourocarbon leader to the jig, a stem float will communicate whether or not the jig is making contact with the bottom, and is easily adjustable to vary your presentation’s depth. Hawken’s Aero-Float AF-1 model is great for this technique. A small piece of 42 Northwest Sportsman

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pencil lead threaded directly onto the stem can also make up the difference between the rating on the float and the weight of the jig.

WHEN THE RIVER is running low, adapting your equipment is equally as valuable as adapting the presentation. Clear, thin-diameter monofilament in the 6- to 10-pound range reduces line visibility. Advances in flourocarbon technology have become deadly for line-shy fish, as well.

Finding a good combination of low-visibility mono with some good stretch to accompany flourocarbon leader will add an element of stealth to your stalking. Clear floats also offer less contrast to distract fish at the surface.

Having a lighter, fast-action rod with some good bend will also help relieve the stress on the line from a hot fish.

Longer rods are typically better suited for high sticking and steering fish through obstacles such as the rocks in the gorge, as well. A rod in the 10- to 11-foot range will be

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FISHING the difference between ruining and making your day once you’ve dialed in the presentation the fish want.

Scents have their place in low water, as well. It’s a common misconception that the purpose of using scent is to attract fish. While there may be some validity to this theory, it’s shortsighted and misses the big picture. In some situations, particularly in water with low visibility, scent may help the fish locate your presentation. Steelhead are more sight-oriented, so in most instances of low, clear water, your presentation doesn’t need scent in order for

fish keeps the bait in its mouth tasting that gel scent will help the hooks find something to grab onto.

Jigs, on the other hand, are a little trickier. Gels and oil-based scents detract from the natural presentation of the marabou or rabbit hair. If the feathers or hair stick together, you’ll lose the natural, eye-catching pulsating action. Pro-Cure’s water-soluble scents, unlike gel scents, don’t inhibit the movement of the jig’s materials. You will have to add scent more frequently, as it tends to milk out and leave a scent trail in the water column. If

ODFW believes the smolt reduction “will lead to only a slight reduction in fishery opportunity” and also help limit interactions with wild fish. But if anglers like author Randall Bonner see a dip in harvest, the agency will look at returning to 80,000 smolt let go annually or improving the broodstock. (RANDALL BONNER)

the fish to find it.

However, scent serves one particular purpose in all conditions – keeping the bait in the mouth of the fish long enough for the signal of the bite to reach your hand or give a visual confirmation as the synapses in your brain start telling you to set the hook. When you’re hopping from one hole to another, pounding every piece of water that’s deep enough you can’t see the bottom, it’s difficult at times to know what’s going on down there. At times, scent can be the difference between getting a bite and landing a fish.

Gel scents are best suited for hard baits like plugs, spinners and beads. Smelly Jelly’s Pro Guide Formula and Pro-Cure’s line of Super Gels are ideal for their staying power. When a fish hits a presentation and realizes that it isn’t squishy like a shrimp, baitfish or egg, they’ll immediately spit it out. The extra second or three that the 44 Northwest Sportsman

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you don’t remove these scents when your jigs aren’t in use, the water-soluble scents may ruin the marabou. You can preserve your jigs by dropping them in a small jar of Lemon Joy you carry along and shaking it up, like a miniature jig-washing machine.

TARGETING SILETZ SUMMERS from a boat, the Moonshine Park-to-Twin Bridges Park float has the best water, but it is also difficult and even dangerous to navigate in low water less than 4 feet deep by the U.S. Geological Survey gauge.

Twin Bridges to Hee Hee Illahee Park in Siletz is a close second, and can easily be extended to the other side of town, as the river makes a 5-mile horseshoe bend around it to Old Mill Park and its ramp. While you can easily make the three-quarter-mile walk across town from one ramp to the other, Siletz River Shuttles (541-444-1111) makes runs to all the ramps.

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FISHING

The trade-off for heavy logging above the river is access well up the gorge, either on foot or bicycle on weekdays, or motor vehicle on weekends. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

Moonshine Park has some very accommodating primitive and RV camping facilities, as well as a scenic waterfall and some great water for fishing. However, the frequent traffic from campers also puts a lot of fishing pressure on the stretch.

Above the park, the gorge offers excellent bank fishing and beautiful scenery, as well. Vehicle access into Plum Creek Timber (541-336-6229) lands is restricted due to safety concerns with log trucks barreling down the gorge Monday through Friday. However, you can still hike or bike in and fish. Not everyone follows these rules, and there are harsh fines for the ones who get caught – the danger of playing chicken with a fully loaded log truck is not worth the risk. Weekends are typically open to vehicular travel.

Some of the best water is in plain view for the first mile or two. Three miles into the gorge, there is a boulder field of rapids that is a popular destination for kayakers. The water is very swift through this section, so be cautious if you choose to fish here.

About 5 miles up, there’s a right turn that goes to a bridge over the river. If you stop on the bridge and look left at any point during the summer, you’ll likely see the spawning grounds of the spring Chinook. There are almost always a few summers downstream feeding on stray eggs.

There’s lots of river to walk all the way up to Buck Creek through this section. The ironic challenge of the water upstream of this section is that it’s all great and the fish could be anywhere.

About 11 miles upstream there is another bridge that crosses a small creek that dumps into the river right at the 46 Northwest Sportsman

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Four launches between Moonshine Park and the town of Siletz provide good access for drift boaters. (ERIC MARTIN)

road. This is another spawning ground for springers, and again, summer-runs tend to stick around and feed before heading up to Siletz Falls. Wild steelhead are trapped and passed above it, while hatchery fish aren’t.

This is also a great pit-stop to just sit and enjoy the sounds of the water, taking in all the scenery.

WHILE A COMBINATION of wild and hatchery summer-runs are present in the Siletz throughout fall and even into winter, getting there early during the summer and picking off the more determined of fish fresh from the saltwater is as challenging as it is rewarding. The earlier hatchery fish are some of the best steelhead table-fare around, and commonly run larger. Even if you put forth the effort and fail to bring home the bacon, this is one fishery where every day is a beautiful day on the water. NS

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COLUMN

Sky May Have Fallen, But Other Steel Ops On Tap S WIESTSIDER

By Terry Wiest

ummer’s in sight and it’s time to hit those great Western Washington steelhead streams! Let’s see what’s available this month, shall we?

The Skykomish? Ummm, actually that’s looking like it’s going to be the No-go-mish this season.

North Fork Stilly? Ixnay on the ishingfay.

Green? Errrrt, red light!

Wait, say what?

HERE’S THE DEAL, guys: Basically, don’t even think about fishing any stream north of Lewis County and east of I-5 until it’s determined if we even get to this summer.

As I write this in early May, there is no current season; all fishing on those and many more Pugetropolis rivers and creeks below impassable dams or falls are closed until fishery managers say differently.

I won’t get into the complexities of permitting fisheries around Endangered Species Act-listed stocks or the mess that is North of Falcon, but something has to change with the process of setting salmon seasons in Washington. At press time, the lack of an agreement on Chinook, coho, chums and sockeye between the state and tribes had steelheading on pause.

That said, there still are a few options for summer-runs in Southwest Washington and on the west and south sides of the Olympic Mountains. Those that are promising this year include the Cowlitz, Wynoochee, Hump, Elochoman, South Fork Toutle, Kalama, North Fork Lewis, Washougal and that little crick they call the Columbia. All those had smolts released for return this year, with the most (618,681)

going into the Cowlitz, followed by the NFL and Kalama. And those and many other rivers also see runs of large, aggressive wild steelhead. If things remain closed in

Puget Sound, expect all those streams to be super crowded, though. There are just not enough choices with all the sports fishermen looking for a place to wet a line.

“You know they can’t resist” spinners, says angler Keith Johnson, who caught this massive wild summer steelhead deep in a Western Washington watershed last summer. While he used a metallic Blue Fox, spoons also draw strikes from the aggressive fish. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

Northwest Sportsman 51

Most of the state’s stocked summer-run streams are boat-accessible, including the river on which author Terry Wiest caught this chromer. (MIKEZSGUIDESERVICE.COM)

SUMMER STEELHEADING BRINGS some exciting techniques to the forefront, with spinners and spoons being among the best producers on the smaller streams, but can be effective on the Cowlitz too.

Summer-runs are very aggressive and tend to like the flash and action these lures produce.

While spinner fishing, it’s imperative to have a very sensitive rod so you’re able to feel every turn of the blade. I love the new G.Loomis E6X 1143 9-foot-6 rod with fast action, the perfect summer steelhead rod. That sensitivity not only comes into play with the take, but blade speed is also an extremely important factor. You need to feel the blade to determine how fast it’s rotating. You’ll want it to rotate as slowly as possible while making sure it is in fact rotating. It’s also crucial that you’re in the strike zone. This can be verified by ticking the bottom every so often with the spinner.

When casting a spinner, you need to make sure you don’t spook the fish. If sight fishing, it’s easy – make sure you cast far enough away from the fish not to scare it but close enough that as the spinner progresses downstream it will intersect with the steelhead. If blind casting, a great tactic is to hit the far end of a hole, or the bank, so you can cover lots of holding water. No matter how or where you cast, 52 Northwest Sportsman

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it’s important to let the spinner sink to the bottom before engaging the blades. Once it’s at or near the bottom, a quick twitch will set the blade in motion. You’ll either need to keep tension on the line using the current to keep the blade moving, or you’ll want to retrieve line as slowly as possible while still maintaining blade rotation. If the blade is not rotating, it’s not fishing.

The less line angle, the lower in the water column the spinner will remain, thus keeping them down in the zone.

Spinners are as much about personal preference, as there are some good ones out there. I’m pretty partial to Blue Fox Vibrax in size 4 for summer-runs. Color can be an important factor. For me, blue metal has been awesome. Black, copper or 50/50 black/copper blade is also good.

If you can’t find the 50/50, use a black or blue Sharpie pen.

WHERE THE WATER’S a bit faster I like to try spoons rather than spinners. Although some anglers use a leader, I don’t. I’ll tie my braided mainline to a Sampo ballbearing barrel swivel and attach my spoon to it via the split ring. The flash, wobble and movement of the spoon as it occasionally ticks the bottom will attract many a steelhead.

Cast out like you would a spinner, aiming upstream from the holding water

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or fish if sight fishing. Let the spoon sink so it’s near bottom before engaging the reel or putting pressure on the reel with your thumb. Once engaged or the line tightens due to pressure, the spoon will begin to flow with the current through the hole. The speed at which the spoon sinks depends on the width and thickness of the metal itself. Thinner blades sink faster and are more appropriate for deeper, faster water. The wider blades will fish slower, shallower water better as more water across the body of the spoon will help keep the lure suspended instead of hitting bottom more rapidly.

To properly fish the spoon, it must wobble without turning over. If the spoon spins or turns over, then the retrieve is too fast or the amount of water running across the spoon is too great. This can also happen when holding back the spoon when your line tightens and the spoon begins to swing in. The natural temptation is to reel during the swing but you actually want to give it some line so it maintains its position just above the bottom while still wobbling and covering water. There should be a slight bow in your line if presented correctly.

ONE OF THE most important factors when fishing either spinners or spoons is the type of hook you use. Most come with factory trebles or poor quality siwash hooks. Strip those off, as a high-quality hook is a must. The use of a siwash enables a much easier release and hooks fish well. However, in my opinion, a sickle hook works even better. The extra bend seems to keep the fish hooked for me, even when barbless.

This summer, try your luck with metal in Western Washington’s open streams.

There’s actually quite a few rivers still available and spoons and spinners are great tactics on them. NS Editor’s note: Terry J. Wiest is the author of Steelhead University: Your Guide to Salmon & Steelhead Success and Float-Fishing for Salmon & Steelhead, and is the owner of Steelhead University, SteelheadU.com.

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FISHING

Kelly’s Big Bro The North Fork of the Clearwater is as fishy as its famous little sis, but is often overlooked by trout anglers.

From its headwaters in the Bitterroots down into the Black Canyon, past the confluence with Kelly Creek, through Dworshak Reservoir and to its mouth at Orofino,Idaho’s North Fork Clearwater system offers nice cutthroat, rainbow, bull trout, smallmouth, kokanee, steelhead and Chinook for anglers of all stripes. (MIKE WRIGHT)

By Mike Wright

F

or a number of years Units 10 and 10A were considered some of the finest elk hunting area in North Idaho.

For most hunters, fishing was certainly not high on their list of priorities. However, flowing through these pristine, scenic units are two of the finest fly-fishing streams in the state, Kelly Creek and the North Fork of the Clearwater River. I discovered these gems on a latesummer elk scouting trip. Luckily for us, we had listened to some expert advice and threw a couple fly rods and gear in along with the rest of our camping equipment.

After half a day of working our way up and down the mountains in search of elk sign, fishing sounded like a much more productive endeavor. Although the vast majority of our time was spent on Kelly, we were able to take a few casts into a long, deep pool on the Black Canyon section of the North Fork. We had several short hits, but did manage to land one very plump, healthy 13inch westslope cutthroat. By that time, though, we were

on our way out of the mountains and didn’t have enough time to truly gauge the fishing opportunities available on this blue-ribbon stream.

When we returned home and talked to the individual who had suggested taking the fly rods along on the trip, he stated that, as far as he was concerned, the river was actually better than the creek. On subsequent fishing trips to the area I could see where he might have a point, although both streams are very good.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, many people bypass the North Fork en route to the far more popular Kelly, or on the way to hunting camp. The Clearwater’s northern prong offers the same high-quality fishing experience as Kelly (see Northwest Sportsman, July 2014), but with considerably less fishing pressure. Thanks to that, the fish are far less wary than their counterparts in its famous tributary. The average size also compares favorably too, generally running 12 to 14 inches, with larger specimens certainly available. Some rainbows and cutthroat will reach over 20 inches, with nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

Northwest Sportsman 57

FISHING the added possibility of some very large bull trout. The North Fork is one of the better spots in all of Idaho to catch bulls, which need to be released immediately.

THE SOURCE OF the North Fork is at the 6,000-foot level in the Bitterroot Mountains near the Montana border. From here, the river snakes its way through heavily timbered steep canyons with massive boulders often present in the streambed. Behind these boulders deep, crystal-clear pools form, providing excellent hiding spots for the cutts and ’bows. This is also the preferred habitat for the bulls.

There’s also an abundance of fast-flowing, shallow

tributaries, are best known for the caddisfly hatch.

Although there is a significant stonefly hatch early in the season, it is difficult to take advantage of. In most years the passes are snowed in, or if you can get in, spring runoff makes productive fishing difficult, if not impossible. This is rather unfortunate since many of the fish from Kelly and other tribs winter in the North Fork and don’t move back until they spawn or the water downstream warms up.

By July, the caddisflies begin to appear, along with smaller hatches of mayflies. For these times an Elk Hair Caddis in tan, olive or dark brown in sizes 14 to 18 is the best choice, with a Goddard Caddis also being effective.

To best imitate mayflies, use an Adams or a Parachute

Roiling with spring runoff, the depths of the North Fork stay cool deep into summer, providing thermal relief for trout and good fishing for flyrodders who can tempt them out of the holes. (MIKE WRIGHT)

riffles, punctuated by smaller boulders forming pocket water behind the rocks. Floating a dry fly or small nymph through this slower moving water will often result in a quick, savage take. These fish are not dainty diners, and although they are generally smaller than those in the deeper pools, the moving water makes for a spirited fight.

However, for the bigger fish, especially the westslopes and bull trout, the deeper pools and log jams are the places to concentrate your efforts.

The North Fork, as well as Kelly Creek and the other 58 Northwest Sportsman

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Adams in roughly the sizes. When things are somewhat slow, a small stimulator, Griffith’s Gnat, Royal Wolf or Humpy in sizes 10 to 16 can produce fish. Although Kelly Creek and the North Fork are best known for dries, when the fish are not all that active, small nymphs such gold-ribbed Hare’s Ears, Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, a caddis nymph pattern or a small Woolly Bugger in brown or black are good choices. As summer wanes, terrestrials – grasshoppers, beetles and ants – start to appear on the North Fork. The ’hoppers are especially prolific during this

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FISHING

A pretty westslope cutthroat comes to hand on the North Fork. Cutts and ’bows average just over a footlong, with some to 20 inches, while bull trout, which must be immediately released, can go much larger. (MIKE WRIGHT)

time and the fish will attack a Joe’s or a foam hopper with reckless abandon.

In fall, the October caddis is the main attraction. These large orange insects provide the substantial meals the fish need to survive the long, cold winter. The trout seem to sense this urgency and ravenously devour these insects, or a good imitation presented properly.

During the hottest months of summer, the trout will seek thermal refuges and cooler water. Because of this, the Black Canyon section of the river, which is upstream from the mouth of Kelly Creek, gains a high concentration of fish. The high canyon walls, thick timber, log jams and long, deep pools combine to provide the cooler water needed by the trout. Downstream from Kelly’s mouth, the river broadens, the gradient becomes more gradual and there is a great deal more direct sunlight on the water, accounting for a rise in temperature. For the experienced Clearwater angler, the Black Canyon section becomes the premier destination. However, even during this period, the river is not crowded. Perhaps because of its remoteness or its close proximity to Kelly, the upper reaches of the North Fork have flown under the proverbial radar of most anglers.

WHILE FLY FISHERMEN haunt the upper end of the 135-mile long river, the middle section is dominated

by Dworshak Reservoir and is home to a whole different species.

Although there are resident trout in the impoundment behind 1975’s 717-foot-high Dworshak Dam, they are not the main targeted fish.

“Dworshak Reservoir is becoming known nationwide as a trophy smallmouth bass fishery,” says Idaho Department of Fish and Game fisheries biologist Matt Corsi. “The state-record smallie (9.72 pounds) was taken just a couple years ago and the state record before that also came out 60 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING of Dworshak. In addition, on April 9th of this year a 9.5-pounder was caught and recorded.”

Probably the single biggest reason bass have done so well is the proliferation of kokanee in the reservoir. First introduced in 1972, the landlocked salmon provide a major food source for the highly predatory smallmouth.

In addition to providing a tasty meal for the bass and other fish in the reservoir, the kokanee are also a predominant species of interest to anglers. A liberal daily limit of 25 and a reputation for relatively good size provides a major attraction (Northwest Sportsman, May 2014).

Dworshak also contains the same species as upstream in the North Fork, plus crappie and some largemouth bass.

Its deep waters offer excellent winter habitat for the highly migratory trout that make their warmer weather home in the upper river. Because of this fact, and depending upon weather conditions, Dworshak can provide an excellent destination for winter fishing.

Due to the steep, rocky terrain surrounding the reservoir, fishing from shore is extremely difficult. Most anglers work from a boat or float tube. Five of the reservoir’s six ramps are downstream of Dent Bridge, mostly within a few miles of the dam, with the sixth by Grandad Bridge on the lake’s upper end. The most effective strategy is to troll or cast toward the shoreline and use a slow, erratic

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retrieve. Wedding Rings coupled with bait is probably the best bet for kokanee, while various spinnerbaits are best for bass and crappie. Zonkers, Buggers and leeches in black or brown are the most commonly used patterns by flyrodders.

THE THIRD SECTION and fishery on the North Fork runs from Dworshak Dam to its confluence with the mainstem of the Clearwater River just west of Orofino. This is a very short stretch, but it receives more fishing pressure than all the other miles of the river combined. The magnet that draws avid anglers to this area are the major spawning runs of B-run steelhead and spring Chinook. During these runs, hundreds of fish crowd into this relatively small and restricted area. There are some opportunities for fly fishermen, but most prefer to visit the more intimate and fly-friendly waters of the South Fork of the Clearwater (see the March 2016 issue).

The vast majority of fishing in this section is done with bait, jigs and lures. Shrimp and salmon eggs seem to be the preferred bait, while orange jigs and lures seem to be the most widely used hardware. Since the steelhead and salmon can run 20 pounds or more, it is easily understandable why this stretch of the river is so popular.

TO GET TO the upper portion of the North Fork, head in

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A flyrodder hitting the Black Canyon or other stretches of the North Fork above Dworshak Reservoir would be wise to get their fuel and groceries before heading over the passes, as well as pack an assortment of nymphs, dries, terrestrials, streamers and stimulators. The author’s box includes Parachute, Elk Hair, Goddard and October caddis patterns; Prince, Pheasant Tail and Hare’s Ear nymphs in gold rib and soft hackle; Caddis Nymphs; Parachute and standard Adams; bullet head and foam hoppers, beetles and Black Ants; Renegade stimulators; soft hackle Mini and Mohair Leeches, and black and brown Woolly Bugger; and Griffith’s Gnats. (MIKE WRIGHT)

via Hoodoo Pass, south of Superior, Mont. Or go through Greer, east of Orofino to Pierce, then over Forest Road 250 to the North Fork Bridge and follow the road along the river.

Finding a place to camp will not be a problem; there are four major campgrounds on the North Fork, but if you prefer, you can pull over and pitch a tent nearly anywhere your heart desires. Just make sure you have plenty of gas and supplies, since it could be up to 60 miles to the nearest town. Even without the excellent fishing, this is a very scenic and peaceful area to visit. To reach the other two sections of the river go to Orofino and follow the signs to Dworshak Dam, which will also lead you to the reservoir, or check a map for other spots on the reservoir. Depending upon what you are targeting, the North Fork will provide great fishing year-round. NS 64 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING

June Hums For Trout Bums

Fishing shines across Oregon this month.

From the Klamath Basin to the base of the Eagle Caps to the Donner und Blitzen, trout fishing opportunities sparkle this month. Author Troy Rodakowski shows off a colorful lower McKenzie rainbow he caught in June on a fly. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

By Troy Rodakowski

J

une’s waters are just right for trout fishing on Oregon streams.

Color, depth and temperature combine to create an environment primed for insect and aquatic life to flourish. Most importantly, the fish are very hungry.

Here are a few of my top choices for fishing this month across the Beaver State:

SOUTHEAST Our long drive across the Oregon Outback, the southeastern corner of the state, brought us to a couple of really beautiful places. We found ourselves on Highway 205 southeast of Burns, looking for a place to camp when we decided to stop near the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and spend the night. We were excited to observe several insect hatches at dusk near the small creek that we were camping along.

We would be fishing the Donner und Blitzen River, just a couple miles to the south. Fly fishing here is some of the best in Oregon, and good-sized trout are not uncommon.

Various dry fly patterns with nymph droppers will produce the best results on these waters, with stoneflies, caddis, hoppers, pale morning duns and sedges being some of the best choices through July.

The river has many spring-fed tributaries, including the South Fork Blitzen and Little Blitzen Rivers, and Big Indian, Little Indian, Fish, Mud and Ankle Creeks. Average size of fish here is 10 to 12 inches, but most anglers are able to find a few that nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

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FISHING grow larger.

(For the record, the Donner und Blitzen wasn’t named for reindeer, rather thunder and lightning, by an Army colonel who’d studied German.)

Other waters to try in this corner of Oregon include the Crooked and Owyhee Rivers, and Mann Lake.

Make sure to pack plenty of insect repellant, since the mosquitoes and biting flies are on the hunt throughout June and July.

As for lodging, there are several campgrounds near Malheur NWR, cabins near the Steens Mountain Wilderness Resort and a couple campgrounds near Burns Junction.

With a great view of Mt. Bailey in the background, trout anglers work the shores of Diamond Lake, one of Oregon’s premier trout fisheries and getaways. (TROY RODAKOWSKI) 68 Northwest Sportsman

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NORTHEAST Wallowa Lake is renowned for its large kokanee, Mackinaw and big rainbows. Every year anglers travel here to pursue their dream of potentially catching a record-book fish. Trolling orange flashers, Mack’s Wedding Rings with corn or using jigs has worked well for the most part,

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FISHING with success on bigger fish coming from the use of downriggers to get the gear deep. In 2010, La Grande’s Ron Campbell scored big with a 9-pound 10-ounce chrome kokanee, setting the world record. Most of the fish caught here are pansized and good for eating and smoking, but anglers always hope to land something bigger when making the journey to the base of the beautiful Eagle Caps.

Most fish, including trout, are caught between 60 feet and the surface early in the season. However, going deep will give you the best success at big kokes and trout. Parts of Wallowa are around 300 feet deep.

I recommend staying at Wallowa Lake State Park or in the nearby towns of Joseph or Enterprise, where there are several hotels, guesthouses and campgrounds.

For river lovers, I recommend the Grande Ronde near the town of La Grande, where there are nice

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trout to be had. Most success above town is found with artificial lures and flies. Downstream, there are roadless sections between the tiny towns of Minam and Troy that are seldom frequented by anglers. Goodsized trout up to 20-plus inches can be found here. Some of the best fly patterns are Elk Hair Caddis, size 12 rubber-legged Pheasant Tails, black stonesflies and size 12 or 14 mayflies.

Camping is one’s best bet here, or holding up in a hotel in La Grande or Minam.

I remember fishing Prairie Creek with my dad and uncle when I was about 15 years old. Located just 1.2 miles from Enterprise, it holds a variety of fish, including brook trout and rainbows. Whether you’re fly fishing, spinning or baitcasting, your chances of getting a bite here are good, as I remember catching a nice number of fish that day. Give it a try, I guarantee you won’t be

disappointed, as it was one of the best trout adventures I ever had as a young man.

Also in this neck of the woods, Kinney Lake east of Joseph has been opened to nonmotorized boating.

Previously it was shorefishing only, but now you can haul in your tube, canoe or pontoon. Rotenoned last fall, it was restocked in May with rainbows. Please pick up trash, as the lake is on a private ranch.

WESTERN OREGON, CASCADES There are so many places I could write about throughout the Willamette Valley, and Umpqua and Klamath Basins. However, a select few that have provided me with some of my best experiences over the years.

Growing up near the Willamette River and its confluence with the McKenzie, I was immersed in some of the region’s best trout fishing.

On these rivers I learned how to fly fish, plunk bait, pull plugs and retrieve spinners.

Good numbers of native redside and cutthroat trout can be found in both systems, with planted rainbows from the Leaburg Hatchery found in the McKenzie from near Springfield all the way upriver above the dam.

These fish can be caught with flies and bait (check the regulations for the section you plan to fish). Caddis imitations, stoneflies, Parachute Adams, PMDs and Prince Nymphs all work great on these rivers in smaller sizes. Try eggs, nightcrawlers and Power Bait on the planted fish in sections that allows bait.

In the Umpqua Divide off Highway 138 east of Roseburg, Diamond Lake is probably one of the most famous trout fisheries in the West. Nestled between snowcapped Mt. Thielsen and Mt. Bailey, this cold, high Cascade lake produces some of the nicest rainbows around. Even during cold weather fish can be found here.

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fishing from the shore. There are also several campgrounds around the lake that allow RV and tent camping.

Moorage fees can be paid at the lodge when using their docks.

Most use Power Bait, cheese, eggs and ’crawlers. But trolling flashers and using fast retrieves on lures like a Mack’s Smile Blade or Rapalas also work well.

“I had some great luck in the cool water with a surprisingly fast retrieve,” notes Mack’s pro staffer John Kruse, host of Northwestern Outdoors Radio and American Outdoor Radio, the latter of which is sponsored by Northwest Sportsman.

The best bets for fly fishers are near the shoreline in the evenings or in a float tube using floating line.

Woolly Buggers, leeches, mayflies in sizes 14 or 16, chironomids and Brassies with a small hackle and body is a sure bet when hatches are coming off. Fishing really picks up in June once the water warms and the colder weather has retreated.

One final note on Diamond: Last year a single tui chub was discovered here, so to prevent the recovered trout fishery from falling to the unwelcome invader, ODFW began releasing sterile tiger trout to control any other chubs in the lake.

Finally, the upper Klamath River’s wild and scenic section, with its breathtaking views and wild whitewater snaking through rocky canyons, is a must-fish. Few anglers walk or hike into the remote banks of this river. Trout here are famous for their size, thanks to nutrient-rich waters that teem with a plethora of aquatic morsels. The fish run 15 to 24 inches, and adventurous anglers should look for a good guide or research walk-in locations. Some of the best choices for flies are golden stone nymphs and Spitfires in 14 or 16, Sculpzillas, Hare’s Ears, Rock Worms, damsel imitations and Zonkers.

Whether you’re fishing out of Eugene, Joseph or Riley, Oregon trout bums will find trout across the state this month. NS

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FISHING

Battle Royales In The Estuary

The tug’s the drug! Brenda Skinner tries to put the brakes on a sturgeon she hooked off Tongue Point, in the Columbia River estuary. While earlier this year Washington overseers wanted to shut down all sturgeon fishing on the lower river to limit handling of the stock that’s struggled in recent years, Oregon managers demurred, saying the population wasn’t in danger, and so the catch-and-release opportunity remains open. (ANDY SCHNEIDER)

Sturgeon pressure’s dropped way off, but they’re still available for C&R at the Columbia mouth, where a new summer Chinook fishery has also been discovered.

By Andy Schneider

I

t’s not every day, or even every decade, we see a new salmon fishery emerge in the Northwest, especially one as productive as the one that showed itself last year and which promises to potentially be just as good in 2016. We are forecasted

to get 93,300 summer Chinook returning to the mouth of the Columbia, and with the ocean closure north of Cape Falcon this month, we should see an excellent season in the estuary for these aggressive salmon.

“This fishery took a lot of folks by surprise, me included,” recalls Bob Rees, a guide and executive director

of the Association of Northwest Steelheaders (nwsteelheaders.org).

“What piqued my interest was hearing the stories of ‘Buoy 10-like’ fishing happening in July, but then I saw a creel check report of 8.5 Chinook per boat! That creel report got me motivated to get down there, and sure enough, it was going full-tilt boogie!”

So, what changed? How did we miss this fishery for so long?

“For years Tongue Point was the deadline for summer Chinook fishing, but once they moved it to the Astoria-Megler Bridge, this nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

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fishery was probably created,” speculates Rees.

There are tricks to it, of course, and it would be wise to come prepared for a combo day.

“Yes, this fishery was amazingly productive, but success is very focused around the last part of the incoming tide and high tide,” he says. “So, to make a full day of fishing, it’s a great idea to combine your trip with another amazing fishery that has started to slip off anglers’ radar – estuary sturgeon.”

We no longer have a catch-and78 Northwest Sportsman

Four-bead chain swivel

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through the incoming before pulling anchor and making a run to the Washington side above the bridge to fish salmon for the last half of the incoming through high tide. – Andy Schneider

keep season, but it’s still an incredible experience to battle these prehistoric critters, even if we have to release them. That opportunity was saved earlier this year when Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission declined to follow along with Washington’s fish management oversight panel, which had wanted to ban all fishing for sturgeon in the Lower Columbia.

“I don’t think we need to do that,” Oregon sturgeon biologist Tucker Jones told his commission. “While the sturgeon population is not

where we’d like to see it, this is not a population that is in danger. We’ve already taken pretty serious actions in response to some of the things that have been happening with sturgeon.

We’re already erring on the side of protecting these fish.”

With Oregon declining to kibosh the opportunity, which has seen a marked decline in pressure with the end of retention, the fishery was left open for catch-and-release.

But if you’re out for meat, if you saw the Angler West TV show

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FISHING with Rees in the estuary last year, it looked like there was no shortage of action, and plenty of bent rods and beautiful fish.

“That show was filmed towards the end of the season, when we were given a nonselective harvest of Chinook,” says Rees. “When we filmed that show, season was in full swing, but there had been consistent action building for a long time.”

So will 2016 follow on 2015?

“I think there will be success down there again this year,” says Rees. “But the question we have to ask, even though we don’t want to, is: If the spring Chinook run is going to come in short, how will that affect the summer Chinook numbers? But I’m betting on a good season, since we will be able to fish right to the bridge again. While I may not be guiding this fishery this year, I’m sure as heck going to get down there for some fun fishing.”

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Chinook anglers like Randy Woolsey (holding fish) and Hugh Peters (fighting another) were surprised by what amounted to a brand-new fishery last summer when they began to find biting kings just above the Astoria-Megler Bridge. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

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FISHING STURGEON TACTICS “If a catch-and-keep fishery is your priority, make sure to leave the sturgeon grounds a couple hours before high tide to find the best salmon action,” Rees recommends.

“The ideal day would start just after a low tide first thing in the morning.

That way you could start your day sturgeon fishing the entire first part of the incoming tide, which is the most productive for sturgeon. Locate sturgeon in the deep water first and move with them and the tide onto the shallow flats as they move there to feed on anchovies, clams and shrimp.”

Some of the best weekends for tides that would fall under Rees’s recommendation include: June 18: low tide at 7:23 a.m. at Tongue Point, high tide at 1:30 p.m. at the bridge; July 2: low tide at 6:45 a.m. at Tongue Point, high tide at 12:52 p.m.

at the bridge; July 16: low tide at 6:11 a.m. at Tongue Point, high tide at 12:17 p.m. at the bridge July 30: low tide at 5:36 a.m. at Tongue Point, high tide at 11:44 a.m. at the bridge.

“Just remember that the high tide on the Washington side is usually an hour earlier than on the Oregon side, due to Columbia currents and the way the jetties are set up, sweeping the current in on the Washington side first,” Rees tips.

Starting in May, sturgeon begin migrating from the Pacific into the Columbia estuary. They’re following the plentiful baitfish, usually huge schools of anchovies. Fishing can be challenging some years, due to bait populations and Columbia flows and temperatures, but it’s also become a lot easier since the catch-and-keep fishery closed, mostly because of the lack of competition. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

statistics show that participation plummeted 90 percent afterwards.

Three of the best locations to start your day for a sturgeonsalmon combo are at the John Day boat ramp, which is just above Tongue Point; the East Mooring Basin in Astoria; and Warrenton, just downstream.

Some days, sturgeon are so aggressive the rods will just fold over in the holders, line peeling out at a blistering pace. And other days, the bites are barely detectable. Either way, when the hook is set, the fish will launch itself out of the water.

“Anchovies are the ideal bait. Not only will they work for sturgeon and salmon, but you’re ‘matching the hatch,’ since the estuary is usually lousy with them this time of year,” says Rees.

He recommends buying half a pound of fresh anchovies per angler.

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FISHING baitfish campaign,” Rees notes. “We have always known the importance of having a variety of different baitfish in our Pacific Northwest waters. But we have just recently seen a very distinct correlation between the lack of forage fish and the health of the fish in our rivers and estuaries.

No smelt means the sturgeon will struggle to find a forage base. When we have a poor smelt return, we see that sturgeon will only grow up to 1 inch per year compared to 3 inches on a normal year. Right now, Pacific saury, market squid and sandlance are unmanaged. Before commercial fisheries start targeting them, we are trying to get some regulations in place so that these forage fish don’t end up cheap livestock feed. Having a healthy population of forage fish ensures that fish from salmon to albacore have a future.”

To learn more, go to nwsteelheaders .org/conservation/protect-the-bait.

You may not recall this, sonny, but back in the old days of the 2000s, anglers flocked to the estuary in June for sturgeon. Of course it was open for keepers then, but if you like lots of tussles with strong fish, the mouth of the Columbia’s still the place to be. Jenna Blanc and Justin Russell hooked a number of sturgeon on a June 2010 trip, including this 49.5-incher. Fishing pressure’s dropped off sharply since the end of retention, but the big ocean-going fish are still available for catch-and-release angling. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

SALMON TACTICS Rees says that after the first three hours of the flood tide, sturgeon action begins to slow as the fish spread across the estuary’s flats,

and that typically signals it’s time to head above the bridge, if you’re not already there, and switch species.

“Since this fishery is so new, there are no time-tested ways of fishing it,”

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FISHING says Rees of estuary summer kings.

He ended up adapting some of his Buoy 10 fall Chinook tactics for the summer king fishery.

“Trolling with the tide was working, but holding against the incoming tide seemed to be the most effective. There seems to be a lot of randomness amongst anglers down there, but it seemed that everyone was still catching fish,” he reports.

“Holding against large incoming tides at the bridge and trolling with the tide on softer tides is probably the most effective way to catch fish,” Rees adds. “Anglers were really spread out for this fishery, but most everyone was still concentrated on the Washington side of the river, from the bridge up through the Blind Slough.”

While Rees was using anchovies exclusively, he did see some fish caught on different baits.

“Spinners and herring did work

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well last year and should work this year too, but bait did outperform in this fishery overall,” he says.

While Buoy 10 anglers use a mix of divers and cannonballs, Rees has switched to all lead for any Chinook in the estuary.

“I haven’t used divers in forever.

It’s just been cannonballs and flashers for me for years,” he says.

Rees says there are a couple of reasons for that.

“With cannonballs, it’s easy to find bottom. When your lead cannonball is thumping bottom, you are still fishing, compared to a diver where your bait will be dredging sand.

Divers require a lot of drag to fish, compared to a lead ball. And my final reason for not using divers is that when a diver trips, it pulls the bait away from the fish – and may pull it right away from a fish that missed the bait the first time.”

He believes that you don’t have to have your gear tight to the bottom to

catch fish in this summer fishery.

“On the flood tide, these fish are really stratified and can be targeted throughout the water column. On the outgoing tide, it seems that the fish are holding closer to the bottom,” he says.

This year’s salmon seasons are more restricted than 2015’s, but what happened last year just might have shown us a brand-new fishery.

“Since we won’t have the June Long Beach fishery this year, this fishery gives us a nice opportunity for good-to-amazing salmon fishing, without having to cross the Columbia River Bar,” says Rees. “It would be nice to grow this fishery. With the loss of catch-and-keep sturgeon, a lot of small businesses have been struggling. What an incredible opportunity we have to access highquality fish right here in the relative safety of the river without having to expend a bunch of fuel. I truly hope this is just the beginning.” NS

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This property is a hunter’s paradise where you might see wild turkey and white-tailed deer. It’s the perfect place to get your fishing pole out and catch brown trout or steelhead. There are also five campsites, all complete with RV hookups for your family and friends.

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COLUMN

For summer Chinook, the Columbia below Bonneville Dam, where the run is momentarily slowed down and where Bob Hoose and Jason Bick got this one during the 2012 season, has long been prime water ‌ (BUZZ RAMSEY)

Big Run Of Columbia Summer Kings Coming

T

he nearly 100,000 summer Chinook expected back to the Columbia River is a growth fishery that can provide hot fishing for arm-wrenching fighters that can weigh as much as 30, 40 or (occasionally) 50 pounds. These salmon come in all size, from jacks to BUZZ RAMSEY adults, with the average 5-year-old returnee hitting the scale at 20 to 30 pounds. If you love salmon and are looking for an alternative because your favorite waters are restricted or closed due to the cyclical nature of fish and unusual temperature regimes going on in the north Pacific Ocean, or regulatory actions affecting Puget Sound, this is an opportunity

not to be overlooked.

West of Bonneville, the season for these chrome fish is scheduled to open June 16. By then much of the run will have already crossed the Columbia River Bar, and the dam count normally peaks June 28th. These fish move upriver quickly as they return during a time when spring runoff is, in most years, diminishing and metabolically, they can swim the fastest. As such, it’s mostly an anchor fishery, where boaters fishing the lower river time their trips to coincide with the outgoing tide.

Some of the popular areas on the Lower Columbia include Cathlamet, Longview (west of Longview and near the Cowlitz mouth), Kalama and Chinook Landing (near where the Sandy and Washougal Rivers enter the Columbia).

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COLUMN WHAT MOST ANGLERS rely on for success are a combination of salmon-sized plugs and spinners.

But what to use where depends on water speed, as spinners normally produce best in fast current, plugs when or where the current is slower moving. Summer kings like smaller spinners than their fall cousins, so a size 5½ Mulkey Guide Flash, similar size Toman or, if you spin your own, a Hildebrandt size 4 or 4.5 Colorado or 4.5 Indiana blade in copper or genuine gold finish, sometimes with paint added, are what’s popular.

When it comes to plugs, the M-2, Mag Lip 4.5, T-50 and K-15 are what most anglers use. Try rigging a 60-inch leader behind a weight-dropper line of 24 inches. Keep in mind that a 24-inch weight-dropper line might be right for a T-50 FlatFish while a dropper of 30 to 36 inches might produce best when fishing a deep-diving Mag Lip, especially in faster currents.

Some of the better-producing plug colors include fluorescent red, fire starter, feeder, keeper and the old standby, silver/ chartreuse “head.”

While still-fishing is the most popular method, some anglers are finding success trolling when flooding ocean tides slow or stop the river current.

The key here is to realize that these salmon may not

... But in 2015, due to conditions not well understood, the salmon were also found kegged up in the estuary above the Astoria-Megler Bridge, in waters more associated with Buoy 10 fall Chinook fishing. Whether things line up again like last year isn’t known at press time, but keep an ear out for reports from there – and if they’re good, don’t forget your squid spinners. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

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always be found holding near bottom when the current stalls; they may travel in middle depths when slow flows make upstream travel easier. According to guide Jack Glass (503-260-2315), the fish can often be found running 20 feet from the surface over deep water during this time period. He’s caught them trolling a deep-diving 4.5 Mag Lip on a flat line. A 4.5 will dive roughly 20 feet with a 100foot let-out.

Of course, you will find steady current if you fish near Bonneville, where the run normally stalls while trying to determine an upstream path. Given that the water temperatures are warmer during June than earlier in the year – normally the mid-60s during this time period versus the mid- to upper 40s of springer season – you will likely find these fish running deep in the water column. We’ve had the best success anchoring from Beacon Rock to the fishing deadline near the dam in depths ranging from 14 to 25 feet. Keep in mind that while you may find fish traveling in 14 feet of water during early morning when light’s low, they’ll most likely move to deeper water

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RV SPOTLIGHT COLUMBIA SUMMER REGS Summer season on the Columbia from the Astoria-Megler Bridge to the OregonWashington border east of McNary Dam is open June 16-July 31 for Chinook, sockeye and steelhead. Daily limit is two adult salmonids (all Chinook and steelhead must be adipose fin-clipped; sockeye are considered adults) and five jacks. Watch for potential steelhead limit tweaks. –BR

as the sun intensifies. This means you may want to reposition your boat if the bite stops where it was good just an hour before.

Bank anglers plunk a size 4 and larger number 2 Spin-N-Glo when targeting these salmon, often tipping the trailing hook with a prawn. Some of the more popular colors include stop-n-go (red and chartreuse), fluorescent red, clown and lime green.

PERHAPS IT WAS there all along, but last season a fair number of anglers, including me, also found summer Chinook success trolling well downstream of Bonneville – just upstream from the Astoria-Megler Bridge. It was basically Buoy 10-type fall Chinook trolling, but since the river is only open east of the bridge during the summer management period, that’s where we and other boats found success. Everyone blamed the buildup of summer kings at the Columbia mouth on the unusually hot water temperatures produced by low river conditions, combined with the record heat wave that choked the region and resulted in hundreds of thousands of sockeye dying en route to their Canadian spawning areas. However, the only killing going on near Astoria was by anglers catching summer kings while trolling their spinning flashers in combination with squid spinners or herring. It will be interesting to see if this area produces hot summer king action like it did in 2015. NS Editor’s note: The author is a brand manager and part of the management team at Yakima Bait. Like Buzz on Facebook.

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COLUMN

Want Some Candy?

I

One mentioned how he smoked the postspawn fish with his dad. n the summers of my youth, my aunt He noted that while they were not the best meat when fresh, they and father would conduct a child swap certainly tasted great as “salmon candy.” I hatched a plan. for one month each year. I would be left First, we would need a salmon. It was blatantly illegal for us in Riggins with my aunt and a fishing pole. nontribal fishermen to acquire one from the river, but that was My cousin would be left in Nampa with a CHEF irrelevant to the cause at hand. We all knew, from other trout Nintendo controller and skateboard.

By Randy King fishing trips, that the salmon held in specific pools and that when In Riggins, which sits along the banks you came up from behind them, they would not spook. So we of Idaho’s Salmon River, I could step out the back door, catch a jar decided, as a group of juvenile delinquents, to stun a salmon by full of grasshoppers and go fishing. I’d bring home my catch each tossing rocks on it. Then one of us would hop in the water, grab day for a fish fry. It was idyllic. I remember watching as a Nez Perce the fish and toss it to shore. Then we would put the fish in another fisherman located a salmon holding in a section of the nearby friend’s backpack so no one noticed. And finally we would take it Rapid River – the same water I had stared at for five minutes. He to another boy’s dad to be smoked. Foolproof. slowly dipped a gaff pole into the river, and then with one quick motion pulled it towards the shore. On the Chef Randy’s sweet and spicy balsamic fish candy. (RANDY KING) end was a 30-inch Chinook, flailing.

A quick whack with a stout stick and the fish stopped moving. Next, the gills were quickly removed and the fish was set in a shallow pool near the fisherman.

Blood emanated from the fish for about a minute. Then the gill plate stopped moving. While he worked, another tribal member slid effortlessly into his place, this one with a net. I was in awe.

The gaffer washed his hands, looked to me and offered me a slab of sticky, sweet smoked fish. I immediately fell in love; I needed more of this fish in my life.

The man called it “fish candy” and noted that his family had been making it for thousands of years. I bent my will towards figuring out how to get more.

UNABLE TO DRIVE and living several miles from legal salmon fishing grounds I took to more nefarious concepts. I caught sight of several Chinook that had been left behind after the tribe departed. These fish had spawned in the shallow gravel bars and were not as desirable as the others.

Dark and covered in sores from bumping into rocks and the decay of their bodies, they waited to die.

It seemed like such a waste to let salmon rot in a river when they could be made into good food. I lamented my concern to the group of boys in the subdivision and whom I hung out with during the summer.

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COLUMN When done curing in the refrigerator, wash the spices off the meat. Tamp with a paper towel and let the slices dry for up to 24 hours to create the pellicle. Then place the strips on racks in the smoker, “painting” them every hour with the balsamic and honey glaze. (RANDY KING)

SWEET ‘N SPICY BALSAMIC SALMON CANDY Salmon candy is a classic Native American meat preservation method. They would smoke the meat for days, dehydrating it and intensifying the flavor. So my recipe is nothing more than an homage to the great ways of the past. I am OK with that; I figure it is better that I acknowledge and respect the culture that came before me. They have many lessons to teach, foremost among them, don’t try and take salmon illegally. ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup salt, kosher ¼ cup Cajun seasoning (I use McCormick) 1 pound salmon, sliced into “finger” sized strips, skin removed ¼ cup aged balsamic ¼ cup high-quality honey Combine the brown sugar, kosher salt and Cajun seasoning in a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle a layer of the spice mix on the bottom of a cake pan, but not too thick. Add the salmon fingers to the bowl and gently toss, coating the fish. Next place the fish in a single layer in the cake pan. Spread the remaining seasoning in the bowl on top of the fish. Place cake pan and fish in the fridge for one to three hours, depending on how salty you want the candy – my last batch was perfect at two hours.

While the fish is curing, combine the balsamic and the honey in a small bowl. Reserve.

When the fish is done curing, remove it from the spice mix and 98 Northwest Sportsman

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rinse it off with cold water. Dry slightly with a paper towel and then place the fish on a drying rack. If I have time, I will put the drying rack in the fridge for 24 hours. If I don’t, I will leave it on the counter – out of reach of my thief of a Labrador – with a fan blowing on it for three hours. The goal is to create pellicle, a sticky layer on the outside of the meat that lets the smoke adhere better.

Don’t skip this step; it helps flavor development and keeps the sweetness from the glaze too.

The next step is to smoke the fish for several hours – a minimum of three – at a relatively low temperature. My smoker, a Weston Outdoor Propane model, gets hot quick. So I use the water bowl provided with it and fill it with ice. The ice cools the whole cabinet down, letting me smoke at temperatures hovering around 200 degrees. I use apple wood, but honestly any wood smoke would be pretty good; Hank Shaw is a fan of alder.

About every hour, open the cabinet and “paint” the balsamic and honey glaze on the fish. This is what provides the extra sweetness to the salmon candy. Think of it like multiple layers of flavor; the more you paint, the better it tastes.

After at least three hours remove the fish to a cooling rack and let come to room temperature. Take a bite and enjoy your work!

The fish holds for a week or two in the fridge, and freezes very well.

For more recipes, please see chefinthewild.com. * Note: Due to seasonal availability in Southwest Idaho, trout was used for this recipe.

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COLUMN As we approached the holding pool we caught sight of a big fish, its dorsal fin sticking out of the water. We tossed all the rocks we carried at it, each of us missing the lunker. I bent over to grab another rock and as I stood, my vision blurred and stars appeared in my eyes. I fell, uncontrolled, to my knees. I caught myself with one arm and reached with the other for the back of my head. My hand came back red. I turned to look at the boys behind me. They all looked like someone had just died.

I looked down at my white Aerosmith Get a Grip album T-shirt and could see it turning red on my chest. Things then went black.

I woke up being helped to my feet and felt surprisingly pain free.

“Dude, you have a gash 6 inches long on the back of your head!

You need a doctor, man!” exclaimed he who shall not be named.

The blood was now freely dripping from my shirt onto the ground; I looked like an extra in a horror movie. We walked back to the house of my aunt, who was not home. We grabbed the phone and started calling neighbors who could drive. This was back when it was OK to call your neighbors. Eventually I got stitched up.

We never did get that salmon. Felony avoided.

THE IDEA OF fish candy must have been knocked out of my skull by that poorly thrown rock. I didn’t even consider the concept until years later, when I read about it in the works of Hank Shaw, on his über-popular website, honest-food.net. The process was

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Randy’s salmon candy recipe (next page) begins with fish cut into fingersized strips, then placed in spices on a cake pan or other large, flat pan and tossed to coat the meat evenly. Afterwards, it goes in the fridge. (RANDY KING) surprisingly simple, something that just about anyone with a Little Chief Smoker can handle.

Like most cured meats, it starts with a combination of salt, sugar and spice. But instead of a wet cure, as with the brine for classic smoked fish, this is a dry cure. The fish is buried in the dry spices for a few hours, then rinsed, smoked and “painted” with some type of sweet glaze, such as maple syrup or honey. NS

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READER PHOTOS

Southern Oregon steelies are strong! Before this 39½-incher came to hand, it bent Matt and Carson Breese’s hook. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

^Anthony Clements shows

^

^

Continued from page 30...

Blake Ellison is all smiles with this April tiger musky he caught on Lake Tapps. The 16-year-old was using a jointed jerkbait. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

off a pretty Oregon steelie he caught on a plug this past January. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

Among the first in the Northwest to find big bass were biting early in 2016 was Izzy Harding, 8, here with the 5-pound pig she caught in the Willamette Valley not long after spring’s official arrival. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

The mouth of the John Day River yielded this nice smallie for Hunter Shull. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

^

(DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

^

^

No lie – the fish’ll always bite for Jerry Han. The Tri-Citiesbased fish slayer is also a dentist, and so when he recently realized he needed a new crown, his digestive juices joined forces with his creative juices.

“That was handcarved by master lab technician Mike Bucher,” says Han. “The blue fish is also hand-painted and is the logo on the side of my boat.

We have a lot of patients who have Harley Davidson, Seahawks, spouse’s initials, etc., tattooed on their crowns.” Han added a little extra to his: “I even had a fish carved into the chewing surface, so that when I bite into something it will leave an imprint of a fish.”

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Northwest Sportsman 105

Kayla and Joselyn Brown show off a stout stringer of Rowland Lake rainbows, led by a very nice broodstocker. They were fishing on the Evergreen State’s opener. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

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^

JJ McVicker’s bass’s weight matched his age – the 7-year-old caught this 7-plus-pounder out of the Columbia in mid-April. He was using a chartreuse 4-inch Kalin’s grub. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

^

^

READER PHOTOS

The Brocks rocked! Kennedy, Janae, Jeremy and Dallas put three Columbia springers in the boat in March running lime-chartreuse-brined cutplugs behind pink and green flashers. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

nwsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2016

Northwest Sportsman 107

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Going To Canada

If this year’s Puget Sound’s salmon fishery negotiations has you looking for summer options, much of lower southwestern Canada and Vancouver Island is reachable from Washington in a day’s travel. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

W

ith Puget Sound and its river summer salmon fisheries still undetermined as of press deadline May 10, if Washington’s ocean

By Doug Huddle waters, the Columbia or the rivers on the northwestern side of the Olympic Peninsula don’t quite entice you their way, well, there’s always Canada.

For many anglers in Whatcom County, it’s just fishing with a different color of license, but for the inexperienced it can appear much more daunting to fish the country to our north’s ocean waters, inside straits and rivers.

There are six direct, legal ways, either aboard or with a pleasure boat in tow, to quickly get into the land of hockey.

Once there, the options for salmon and other finny quarry are rich, varied and readily at hand, and the hardest thing to do is select from the seemingly endless list of options, then devise and organize a travel plan.

NORTH SOUND

ROUTES NORTH There are four overland ports of entry – Blaine Peace Arch, Blaine commercial or truck, Lynden (Guide Meridian, i.e. State Route 539) and Sumas, all along the British Columbia/ Whatcom County border. Times of peak congestion vary.

Boaters electing to sail or motor across the international line must immediately head for a landing port, such as Victoria, White Rock, Sydney, Vancouver or Bedwell Harbour, where there is an open Canada Border Services Agency port office. It is illegal to make port in any other location and fail to check in first.

You can also get your watercraft into BC on the private Black Ball Lines Ferry, the MV Coho, which sails from Port Angeles to Victoria ($63 per vehicle and $5.25 a foot for trailers), or via the Washington State Ferry’s international run from Anacortes to Sydney ($175 for vehicle combinations under 50 feet long).

Reservations are needed/recommended for both. Black Ball has four sailings daily; the state ferry makes two daily sailings in the summer.

Additionally, you can further facilitate your passage by water on two BC Ferries routes: Tsawwassen (near Point Roberts) to Swartz Bay, or Horseshoe Bay to alternative locales of Departure Bay (Nanaimo) or the Sunshine Coast.

GETTING IN Regardless of transport mode and route, you must present proof of origin for you and your boat, declare your intentions and assure Canadian authorities that you will behave in a law-abiding manner. Here are the basics: You and your party members: * Must have and present either a valid US passport, passport card, Washington state enhanced driver’s license or NEXUS (trusted traveler) card. Active military identification with travel orders, tribal affiliation cards and permanent US resident (green) cards also may be accepted. For regular citizens heading north for short visits, no other hodgepodge of identifying documents will work. * Dependent children age 16 and under must have an original or photocopy of their birth certificate or a citizenship card.

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COLUMN Spokane’s Don McGinnis is an old pro at the crossing routine, having fished Port Hardy ten times over the years for salmon, halibut, rockfish and lingcod – this is one of a pair of 30-pounders from last year’s trip. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

Remember, you must present these“nationality” documents going into Canada (Canada Border Services Agency) and returning to the United States (Customs and Border Protection).

Your boat: * Pack in your important-papers wallet or have on board your craft’s Washington or other state’s boat registration. Make sure stickers are properly affixed. * It won’t hurt to have documentation that your boat has been inspected bilge-to-mast quite recently for exotic deleterious animal and plant hangers-on.

What should be left at home: * Yourself or anyone else who has been convicted of a felony and even some misdemeanors in the US. Also persons with even one conviction for driving while intoxicated will be refused entry into Canada. For such sullied American citizens, a special rehabilitation approval that can take months to get is needed to be allowed in. * Leave all firearms at home. They and other self-defense weapons such as mace and pepper spray may not be brought into Canada unless written preauthorization is obtained, according to the US State Department website on Canada laws. If by chance you remember a mile from the border crossing that you still have a noncompliant weapon in your possession, you may stop at Dave’s Sporting Goods in Lynden or Ace Hardware in Blaine and mail it back home to yourself; otherwise, trip’s off. * Fruits, mainly citrus and apples, and some vegetables, including tomatoes, may not cross with you. Meat products are OK now through Washington/Canada ports of entry. Generally, a small amount of foodstuffs (picnic items, snacks and a full meal or two) are acceptable. * Leave all nonprescribed mood-altering substances (except alcohol) behind. Do not try to take your legal marijuana from Washington into British Columbia. If you have controlled medications, have a doctor’s prescription copy with you. Note that there are also limits to how much booze you can bring across the line (24 bottles or cans of beer, for example).

Other considerations: * Frequent travelers between the US and Canada who apply and qualify under provisions of the US/Canada Trusted Traveler Program may receive a NEXUS card that expedites crossing clearances both ways. It can also enable boaters to reenter the US without having to report in person to US authorities. You’ll need written confirmation of such clearances. * Canada Border Services Agency folks generally are not concerned about stays in their country of a week or less. But if you want to stay longer, you must fill out a form specifying where you are going and what you are doing. * Unless you have trusted traveler status, expect random, seemingly capricious entry processing by both Canadian and US border authorities. If you’re a multiple-trip taker, on one you may 112 Northwest Sportsman

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be passed through with a minimal interview, while on the next you may be pulled out of line for more extensive scrutiny. Whether you are selected by archetypal profile, interview responses or just a random number generator, examinations and searches may occur seemingly without justification. When trying to enter either country, your electronic devices are subject to search.

NAVIGATING LICENSING Two agencies – one provincial and one federal – have authority to manage BC’s recreational fishing in two main but separate venues.

Tidal waters are any marine or saltwaters inside the sovereign 200-mile limit of Canada. All sport fisheries in such waters are licensed and regulated by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. These waters are divided into scores of management zones and subareas, each with its own season(s) and special regs.

BC freshwaters are all nonmarine interior rivers, lakes and ponds. The provincial Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations licenses and regulates fishing in this jurisdiction.

The metes and bounds of the federal jurisdiction also includes the lowest reaches of many BC rivers, so before selecting one license over another, make sure you get the right license for the waters. For instance, in the Fraser River, the dividing line is the Mission Bridge, a considerable distance upstream from the saltchuck.

As for licensing, British Columbia has almost the same array of salt- and freshwater, nonresident, short-term and annual permits as Washington does.

You may purchase a federal tidal waters license or a provincial BC freshwaters license online, though at separate websites.

Tidal waters chits also can be bought through what are called Independent Access Providers.

The fee for a basic yearlong saltwater license for us Washingtonians is currently $106.05 Canadian dollars. Annual

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COLUMN licenses are valid for 12 months from March 1.

One-, three- and five-day tidal waters nonresident licenses run from $7.35, $19.95 and $35.55, respectively.

A salmon conservation stamp ($6 Canadian) must be bought and affixed to your license to retain saltwater-caught salmon. The provincial authority also issues a conservation stamp to enable retention of a salmon in freshwater.

Currently, to fish salmon for personal use in BC as a visitor, you do not need to retain the services of a resident guide.

WATERS TO FISH Four main BC saltwater fisheries are within range of trailered and so-called motor or sailing vessels out of Northwest Washington, including: * Ocean waters off the fish-rich west side of Vancouver Island, including the north side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Key salmon focal points, from south to north, are Sooke, Port Renfrew, Swiftsure, Bamfield, Ucluelet, Port Alberni, Tofino, Nootka Sound and northernmost Port Alice. * Midcoast mainland channels and fjords just north of Vancouver Island, the most famous of which are Rivers Inlet and Bella Coola. The most daunting aspect of these locales for self-directed boater/fishers in search of tyees is the open-ocean voyage north from Vancouver Island with the remote, desolate mainland and its rugged Coast Range Mountains as your refuge/ salvation from storms. Only experienced, well-equipped voyagers

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should risk this trip. * Northernmost of the so-called “inside” waters from Ports Hardy and McNeill south through the narrow, Sylla and Charybdifilled Johnstone Strait and to the salmon-rich mixed stock “Spanish Main” waters around Quadra and Cortes Islands in the northern Gulf Islands. * And the so-called metropolitan southern “inside” mixedstock salmon lairs from Victoria north, including Haro Strait, the Strait of Georgia and channels throughout the Gulf Islands with Duncan, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Courtenay and Chinook-renowned Campbell River up one side and Lund, Powell River, Saltery Bay, Earls Cove, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay and Gibsons Landing down the other. Hiding in plain sight in this expanse of salmon haunts are two famed destinations well known to Bellingham and Blaine fishers – Porlier and Active Passes in the eastern Gulf Islands.

Boat launches abound in these locales, but be prepared to pay a fee, just like down here.

BRINGING FISH HOME Returning to the US is somewhat more complicated than getting into Canada in that if you are good and lucky as an angler, you’ll have to see to getting your salmon back in legally as well.

Though Washington state has principal jurisdiction over recreational fishing and the bringing of personal-use fish caught outside its boundaries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries division also enforces elements of

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COLUMN

The Ankenmans – Paul, Gabrielle, Steve and Luke – had a swell time fishing out of Vancouver Island’s Port Renfrew, landing a mess of salmon and halibut, but don’t let not knowing reentry procedures from Canada swamp your return stateside with coolers full of fish. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) several federal acts concerning protected fish species, as well as importation of fish taken in the waters of foreign countries.

First, US Customs and Border Protection authorities will want to know when, where and how you returned stateside. If you come across overland at a border crossing, that will be done in

person. If you come back via water, you still must clear CBP in person at a prescribed entry port; some port of entry marinas have video phone conference stations over which that can be done. If you have a NEXUS card or I-68 form, reentry clearance can be done with a regular phone call.

Next, for state fish and wildlife enforcement police, if you possess fresh salmon caught in Canada, upon re-entering Washington you must have both your Canadian sportfishing license for the trip, as well as further proof in the form of a Canadian clearance report that indicates you were actually in Canada. Unless you have those documents, you may not bring your salmon in by water to Washington ports that are closed to the taking of salmon.

(That falls under Washington Administrative Code 220.56.156, possession and delivery of Canadianorigin food fish and shellfish.)

NEXT ISSUE Heading to the heights – high lakes fishing update, new national park management. NS

Editor’s note: Doug Huddle lives in Bellingham, is retired from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and has written about hunting and fishing in the Northwest – with a dash here and there of Greek mythology mixed in – for more than 33 years.

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FISHING

It’s a tougher bite than during the spawn, but June can still produce nice bass, says author Roger Davis, here with a nice one from one of his North Sound haunts. (ROGER DAVIS)

CATCH TOUGH JUNE BASS Here are three ways to hook postspawn Westside largemouth.

By Roger Davis

I

f June is when you start fishing for bass in Western Washington, bad news: The spawn is done – long done with this year’s warm-bordering-on-hot weather – and that means prime conditions for catching a very large largemouth are past. By now, bass are going to be mostly found in postspawn pattern.

They’re difficult to catch, especially the North Sound trophies I like to hunt. But the following is a guide to help you be a more successful angler and land more and bigger fish on a regular basis this time of year.

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FISHING WHERE TO FISH The most important aspect in finding big bass this month is knowing where they are. Any fish you’ve seen in the spawn or prespawn are going to be exactly in the same places, only near deeper water on the best cover. If you’ve spotted giant fish in one place, it’s likely they are going to be there in the postspawn. The only difference for the bass is their appetite and mood. While fattening up for the spawn they are gluttonous and will slam giant baits – I was catching some on 8.5- and 10.5-inch glidebaits – but the postspawn is entirely different. The big females are recovering and feeding is the last thing on their mind.

Almost.

THE APPROACH Approaching these giant spawned-out bass is no easy task. Tact and planning are key if you want to trick, let alone land one. Usually postspawn fish prefer a finesse approach. They are wary, tired and apprehensive to touch your lure, or any natural food, for that matter. A slow, precise presentation is key if you plan on fooling one.

Understanding this will help you realize the following tactics and how to approach them.

I am going to give you three different tactics that are absolutely deadly on giant bass during the postspawn.

Taking into account what I’ve already laid out, here are a few things you can do right now to increase your chances of catching bass over 5 pounds in June.

1) Topwater: One of the best techniques for catching a giant postspawn bass is on top. I’ve said it in past articles, and I’ll say it again: My favorite baits are a big 5-plusinch stickbait, a 4-plus-inch propbait and a weedless frog.

Throwing these baits around key cover where you’ve seen giant females spawn is a guaranteed way to get yourself a fish of a lifetime. A Lucky Craft Sammy, Heddon Zara Spook, Black Dog Lunker Punker, Deps Buzzjet and SPRO Bronzeye Frog are my favorites. Use darker colors on overcast days or in stained water, and natural colors during sunny days or in clear water. I throw these baits on a medium-heavy action, 7- to 7-foot-6 rod with 65-pound braid. Braid floats, which helps you get proper action from your bait. Fish usually don’t pay attention to the line when you’re fishing on top; just set the drag accordingly so as to not bend lighter wire trebles when you are using anything besides a frog.

2) The Senko: As much as I prefer using other baits, the Senko is probably the number one big bass catcher this time of year for many reasons. Whether thrown on a Texas rig or wacky rig, it will catch you some huge fish. Pitching 120 Northwest Sportsman

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this bait on key structure such as docks, pads, laydowns and in the areas you’ve seen bass spawn will guarantee you bites. I like to use bigger than average baits for a bigger than average bite; 6- to 7-inch Senkos work great for getting those 5-plus-pound fish we’re all looking for.

Ditch those 4- and 5-inch baits and go big.

3) Swimbaits: Although the prime time for catching giants on a swimbait has passed, throwing the right one on the right spot can be the best decision you will make in regards to catching trophy bass now. Bass, especially postspawn females, are still hateful of their warmwater cousins, the bluegill. I prefer to throw hard and soft baits mimicking bluegills. Hiroshima Customs makes a killer glide bait called the Gillrilla that is just 4 inches, but is completely capable of coaxing the big girls. It has a wide side-to-side action, can be fished really slow and is great for targeting docks or flats near where postspawn bass are hanging out and guarding fry. Another great bait is the Huddleston Weedless Huddgill. It’s also a 4-incher, but can be fished slowly through the weeds and pads with ease.

It can get to places the lethargic spawned-out females are hiding. These baits can be fished with the aforementioned rod, but strung with 15- to 20-pound flourocarbon.

GET BACK OUT THERE! Taking these few tips into account and applying them to your time on the water and experience will yield more big postspawn fish than you ever thought possible. While this can be a tough month to catch big bass, it’s definitely doable.

One last tip I have is to log your time on the water. If you don’t have an old-fashioned fishing diary, there are apps nowadays that allow you to record catches, conditions, water temps, lures used, etc. Even when you don’t catch fish, note the conditions, what you fished with and where you fished so that in the future you know what not to do.

Always try to learn something when you’re on the water, even when you’re unsuccessful. I wish you tight lines and many big bass this June! NS

An array of postspawn bass baits for Western Washington would include (clockwise from top right) Black Dog Lunker Punker, 7-inch Senko, 6-inch Senko, Huddleston Weedless Huddgill, SPRO Bronzeye Frog, Deps Buzzjet, Heddon Super Spook Jr. and Lucky Craft Sammy. (ROGER DAVIS)

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COLUMN Avery Baird is all smiles after winning $120 at 2015’s annual East Wenatchee Rotary Pikeminnow Derby. This year’s features over $10,000 in cash and prizes, including a boat worth $7,500. (CORY BAIRD)

Pikeminnow Secrets M BASIN BEACON

By Don Talbot

ay through September’s sport reward fishery on the Lower and Middle Columbia and Snake Rivers isn’t the only pikeminnow “tournament” in town.

This month also sees the 25th Annual East Wenatchee Rotary Pikeminnow Derby. Set for June 17-19, Father’s Day Weekend, it will take place between Rock Island and Wells Dams

and features a top prize of a boat valued at $7,500!

BUT FIRST, THE event’s back story. The East Wenatchee Rotary took it over 22 years ago from Dave Eichler, chairman of the Boating Club of Wenatchee, and turned the pikeminnow removal derby into a huge fundraiser to benefit local student scholarships and worthy community projects.

The Rotary teamed up with the Chelan County Public Utility

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COLUMN Why? Well, I just happened to win the Smokercraft last year.

District and asked the PUD to award club funds on a per-fish basis.

Derbygoers have been responsible for the removal of over 80,000 pikeminnow over the last two and a half decades. The results of that can be calculated and they are an extremely cost-effective, win-win-win relationship between the organizers and those who want to help protect our ESA-listed salmon and steelhead smolts from being eaten by the piscivorous native species.

Proceeds go back into supporting Rotary Club projects and

I’VE BEEN ATTENDING this event for 23 of the past 24 years (the one

I missed was due to a family obligation) and the way I like to fish it is overnight from a boat with my kids, who are 33 and 29. I have a 20-foot Duckworth that comfortably sleeps three and we have done it this way for several years. I will take off my downriggers and put on my top to protect from the sun during the day. I put out three different rod holders and sit over deeper drop-offs of up to 30 feet and wait for the big one to hit.

I will move into shallow water at night and fish on the gravel bottoms where the big pikeminnow come in to feed and spawn.

This is generally after 8 p.m. A huge bite happens between 8 and 11 p.m. and you had better be ready for 2- to 3-pound fish.

I use a 4-foot leader connected to 20-pound-test mainline, and sinkers ranging from 1 to 5 ounces, depending on the current and water depth. For bait, I use chicken liver balls (see Rig of the Month, p.

131). Pikeminnow are very smart and will not hit your bait very well if you fish it right next to or below the boat. You need to cast it out a minimum of 40 yards to keep the fish from spooking. For the derby, I will tie up 400 baits; about six to eight tubs of chicken livers will do the trick.

If you see my yellow Duckworth, feel free to anchor right next to us, but please don’t anchor right behind us. Give every boater a minimum of 60 yards below and above. I personally like fishing in hoglines, as long as you give everyone 10 feet on either side of your boat. The fish tend to smell all that bait and come in better when more fishermen are fishing side by side. It also lets you know if your scent is working. I like to dunk my liver balls into Garlic Super Dipping Sauce. I will even pour a bunch of it all over the liver balls and let them soak in East Wenatchee Rotary Pikeminnow Derby contestants bring in their haul for measuring in 2015. After the it for days. Believe me, it helps catch more results are tallied, top anglers get to collect their prizes and cross their fingers to win the boat, which our Don Talbot scored last year. (EAST WENATCHEE ROTARY) pikeminnow.

But you don’t even need a boat to catch them. While one does help in positioning your bait at drop-offs student scholarships. For more, see ewrotary.org/service-project/ and on current seams with an anchor, I have seen many anglers do pikeminnow-derby. well from the bank at the mouth of the Chelan River at dusk when With over $10,000 in cash and prizes awarded every year at pikeminnow come in for their nighttime meal. Chelan Falls City this Father’s Day weekend event, the only trick to winning is Park has very nice picnic tables right where the tributary meets entering. Tickets are only $20 (youths can fish for free with an the Columbia. It’s a great place to set up if you are shore fishing adult) and can be purchased at Hooked On Toys (hookedontoys during the event. .com), Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bi-Mart, all in Wenatchee. It only takes one pikeminnow to win a prize valued at over $500, but the more fish you catch, the bigger the prizes become in IT’S TIME TO roust up some hardcore anglers to make the Rotary’s the category you qualify in. And if you want to win the boat, pikeminnow derby a big challenge. It runs for 24 hours over two you had better take my advice on rigging, baiting and strategy. nights and will stretch most serious fishermen to their limits. If you 126 Northwest Sportsman

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COLUMN

Western Washington has its “ironman” derbies in the form of blackmouth contests on the windy, wintry Strait of Juan de Fuca, but the pikeminnow derby on the Upper Columbia is no slouch. Spread across two nights, anglers battle to stay awake and catch as many of the smolt-eating piscovores as they can. Between naps, Avery Baird managed to catch 25 at last year’s event. (CORY BAIRD)

want a top prize, then you need to put your time in catching big bubbas. The largest pikeminnow is generally around 3.5 pounds and it scores the lucky angler a nice cash prize over $200. The boat is won if you catch over 10 pounds of fish and get lucky enough to draw a random number between 10 and 150 without going over. I just happened to win the boat due to the fact that I beat the thirdplace weight by a half a pound and had 15 numbers to draw from

in my division. The third-place angler was my stepson, who I have not beaten in years and who vows revenge this month.

Let’s get serious and join the fun removing pikeminnow at the 25th Annual Pikeminnow Derby. Anyone can win a really nice prize, but to score one of the top six weights is going to take an expert who can fish long hours on fish that are biting. I will see you on the water and challenge you to score big numbers. I know that I am ready for the challenge, and am up for helping anyone interested in catching more of the predator fish that feeds on the salmon family. Come and join the fun Father’s Day Weekend, and thanks for helping in the effort during this extremely fun event!

If you have any more questions about pikeminnow fishing or the derby, contact me at Don Talbot’s Fishing (509-679 8641; donsfishingguideservice.com). NS

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SPONSORED BY:

RIG MONTH OF THE

Henny Penny’s Pikeminnow Bait Story and photographs by Don Talbot

C

hicken liver balls are a great bait to use for pikeminnow when you’re sitting on anchor in a hole and looking to draw in hungry fish.

Step 2: Cut the Spawn Net up into squares. Each pack makes 50 to 60 squares.

Step 1: Gather the following supplies to make 250-plus chicken liver balls:

Step 3: Wet the table so that the netting doesn’t blow away, and then place the squares in rows up and down the table.

• 6-foot-long work table • Bowl of water and sponge to • wet the table • Scissors • Five containers of chicken livers • Five packs of Spawn Net • Two packs of Miracle Thread • Attractant

1

4

Step 4: Cut the chicken livers into thumbnail-sized chunks and place each in the middle of a square.

Step 5: Grab and twist the four corners of the netting together around the liver.

5

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Northwest Sportsman 131

RIG MONTH

SPONSORED BY:

OF THE

6

7

8

Step 6: Wrap the Miracle Thread around the twisted liver ball end 10 times and pull to break.

Step 7: Cut the tag end of the netting off and place the bait into the chicken liver container.

Step 8: Marinate with your favorite fish oil – this is one of my secret weapons! I use Super Dipping Sauce in garlic scent.

Step 9: Put the loaded containers back into your refrigerator or freezer. I like to keep my liver balls on ice, as I like fresh bait most of the time for pikeminnow fishing.

HOW TO RIG Step 1: Load your reel with 100 yards of 20- to 30-pound braided line, which helps to detect the bite better.

Step 2: Slide a snap swivel up the braid to clip to a 1- to 6-ounce cannonball, and then add a 6mm rubber bead or other bumper to help minimize metal-to-metal noise.

Step 3: Tie a good barrel swivel to the end of the braid and then attach a 3-foot-long, 20-pound-test leader rigged with a size 4 Gamakatsu hook.

Step 4: Barely hook the liver ball so that the fish will hook itself while biting the bait.

Step 5: Dunk in your favorite marinade and cast away. NS

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Northwest Sportsman 133

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FISHING

Pulling a wagon loaded with fishing supplies, author M.D. Johnson heads down to water’s edge on the Long Beach Peninsula to try and catch some surfperch. (JULIA JOHNSON)

Perch ’N Plastics On The LBP The sprawling sands of the Long Beach Peninsula offer good access, fishing for redtail surfperch.

By M.D. Johnson

I

’ll admit it. I’m a bait guy. Sure, I understand well the River Runs Through It aesthetics of a trout rising to inhale an artificial fly. I know the thrill of a smallmouth smashing a Zara Spook, a walleye pounding a fire tiger Hot ‘n Tot, and a silver jumping all over a rainbow trout Syclops spoon. Yep, I love throwing hardware, which makes me both a bait guy and a hypocrite; still, and for the most part, I’m a bait guy.

This means I’m a bait guy when it comes to one of my favorite species, the redtail surfperch. Clam

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Northwest Sportsman 135

FISHING necks, kelp worms, sand shrimp, nightcrawlers – whatever the bait du jour might be at the moment I set foot into the surf. Recently, though, I experimented with the effect of plastics on surfperch, and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

That said, successfully perching on plastic does – typically – involve a little more than simply slipping a Berkley Power Grub on a size 6 baitholder hook above a 2-ounce lead and heaving her into the surf zone.

Absolutely, there are times when a pine cone on a bent safety pin will do the trick. Not for me, however.

For some guys, though.

Here, I’m going to focus, as many an angler has, on the opportunities to be had on the Long Beach Peninsula.

In the past, I’ve done quite well on both redtails and striped perch from the Westport jetties, as well as from Fort Canby’s North Jetty. But it’s from the sand on the LBP where I’ve enjoyed my best success.

RUN ’N GUN Before diving into the details, it’s vital for those of you unfamiliar with the ways of LBP surfperch to know a little bit about targeting them. It’s a tactic known primarily to turkey hunters; a strategy where a hunter walks and calls, walks and calls, walks and calls, until he gets a response from a receptive gobbler. Once a bird gobbles, it’s then up to the hunter to quickly develop and execute that game plan. It’s an aggressive, proactive style of hunting, one which has its time and place. And one to which I’m particularly partial.

I mention this because this style of turkey hunting can be applied to redtails. With a twist. First, there’s the scouting. Done best at low tide, you’re searching for variations in the contour of the beach; that is, breaks in an otherwise unvarying surfline.

Bowls, slots, troughs – any feature that alters the LBP’s largely gently sloping beach, and provides even a bit more water depth. How much 136 Northwest Sportsman

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Many anglers and Johnson use natural bait such as clam necks and sand shrimp for surf perch, but the author has recently been giving plastics a try and reports excellent luck with Berkley Gulp! sandworm, nightcrawler, sand flea and peeler crab imitations. He rigs them on either a Carolina or multi-hook live bait setup. (JULIA JOHNSON)

water depth? I hate to say it, but it really depends on the location and the situation. I’ve caught redtails in 3 feet of water 20 yards out and 8 feet at 60 yards.

And this brings me to the run-ngun tactics. Perch move, and they move constantly. That explains the two fish-nothing, two fishnothing, two fish-30 minutes-two fish scenarios. Schools, and typically schools consisting of like-sized individuals, swarm back and forth along the beach. Often, a school will linger in a depression, where wave action scours the sand, mixing fishfood throughout the water column.

They’ll feed, and then move. Feed, and then move. So unless you’re well on your way to a 12-fish/30-minute limit, my suggestion is to copy the habits of your target – fish, and move. Fish, and move. Which brings me back to the preceding paragraph concerning scouting. Don’t find one depression at one beach approach; find several. Mark them on a GPS. Drop a pin on your iPhone. Hell, if you’re technologically challenged like me, take a mark in the dunes –

and there’s plenty of them – so you can locate the holes later.

A note about when to fish: While it’s best to scout at low tide, fishing is usually better on the incoming tide. True, I’ve bagged plenty of redtails on the ebb; still, the fishing traditionally is better on the flood or on the turn. Here, I’ll interject an unproven theory of mine, the one that says the best time to fish redtails is on the incoming tide immediately following a weekend razor clam dig.

I have no scientific evidence, other than what seems to be consistently better fishing after the digs. I assume the human activity, i.e. the digging itself, along with beachfront clam cleaning, provides increased food sources – unintentional chum, if you will – for cruising redtails. Naturally aggressive in my experience, perch can spin into a feeding frenzy when confronted with a banquet of clams and clam parts.

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Northwest Sportsman 137

As waves lap up onto the Long Beach Peninsula, the author displays a redtail surfperch that bit for him early last month. (JULIA JOHNSON)

FISHING of plastic baits works, and seems to work incredibly well, both on the freshwater and saltwater fronts.

Side by side, these fakes outfish traditional synthetic soft baits, and on more than one occasion, have, for me, outproduced live or natural baits 2-to-1 or better.

Advertorial aside, they’re my goto choice when it comes to perch and plastics. But in what configuration, as there are literally dozens to choose from? I’ve had excellent luck with sandworms and nightcrawlers, both in natural colors. A sand shrimp lookalike in what Berkley calls “Ghost Penny” is another one; so, too, is the one-inch natural sand flea. Similar to the sand flea is the 2-inch peeler crab, which I cut in half prior to hooking.

Breaking away from the more visually realistic plastics, Gulp! clams have proven a good choice.

Remember Silly Putty? Those of you born in the 1960s will recall the light, tan-colored mystery substance used primarily to: 1) roll into balls, bounce and immediately lose; or 2) flatten and smash onto the Sunday comics, thus pulling a full-color reverse image. No? Doesn’t matter. The fake clams look damn near like the real ones. I cut the Gulp! blobs into strips, and fish them much in the same way I would with real clam necks.

Non-natural plastics – soft baits that don’t resemble a natural food source, per se – can also be effective.

Sticking with the Gulp! line, I pack a supply of 3-inch minnow grubs in chartreuse, pumpkinseed and pearl white, with a backup in red, just in case. Straying outside the Berkley family, there’s nothing wrong with trying what I’ll call Plain Ol’ Plastic – the Mister Twister grubs and the dozens of fakes like them. The nice thing about these and others is the typically wider variety of colors available, and color can and often does make a difference from day to day, or even hour to hour.

The common denominator here, regardless of who makes the bait 138 Northwest Sportsman

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and whether it’s scented, unscented, salted, unsalted, or any of a thousand seemingly vital variations is this – Smelly Jelly. Into each bag of plastics, I squirt a bit of shrimp Smelly Jelly immediately upon opening, and work with the admittedly slimy concoction from there. Does it make a difference?

My nonscientific experience says yes. No Smelly Jelly? I’ll drop three or four fresh sand shrimp or pour an ounce of clam juice into each bag and seal it up tight. My belief? Scent – real natural scent – works, whether you’re targeting surfperch, yellow perch or Nile perch.

HOW TO FISH ’EM As for gear and riggings, I keep both simple. My go-to surf rig is a 9-foot Shakespeare Ugly Stik Elite mediumheavy topped with an Ambassadeur 5500S baitcaster spooled with 30-pound Cabela’s Ripcord braid.

With this, I can throw 2 ounces easily, 3 if I have to. If the surf calls for something with a little more spine, I have an identical rig, only the Ugly Stik is rated extra heavy. Now I can throw 3 and 4 ounces, even up to 5; however, I like to keep the riggings as light as the surf allows. One, I like to fight fish, not lead. And two, I want my presentation to wander as the redtails do; not sit anchored on the bottom. Experimentation with the weight is key. You don’t want the plastics rushing back in nor sitting idle. Typically, 2 to 4 ounces will work on the LBP. What kind of lead?

Flat discs, i.e. pancake weights, or traditional bell-shaped bank sinkers move nicely in the surf; pyramids and anything with spikes, per se, tend to stick.

The business end of the riggings can be as simple or as complex as you wish. I recommend simple, and

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Northwest Sportsman 139

FISHING by that I mean trying one or both of these basics:

LIVE BAIT RIG Specs: 30-inch, 30-pound mono leader, with a size 3 stainless barrel swivel on top and a size 1 snap swivel on the bottom with the weight of choice. Dropper loops are tied (double overhand knot) at 16 and 24 inches, with a size 6 baitholder snelled hook on each dropper.

Fishing it: Plastics are hooked to each dropper, and fished in the same manner as live/natural baits. Keep the rig in constant motion, which typically is not a challenge in the LBP surf. Hook long plastic baits (e.g. sandworms, nightcrawlers, bloodworms) once through the middle, leaving the ends to dangle. Shrimp, crab and sand flea fakes can be hooked as if natural.

Minnow grubs and/or twister tails are rigged with the hook point inserted top-center; out above the

PLENTY OF BEACH TO FISH Touted as the longest continuous beach in America, there are numerous public accesses to the Long Beach Peninsula, and more than half of the sand spit is drivable year-round. Those sections are from the town of Long Beach north to Oysterville Road, and from the Seaview Beach Approach south to Beards Hollow. For more information, see funbeach.com. Other areas have parking lots near the beach and are open for walking in and fishing. –NWS

tail start, the same as if fished on a small leadhead jig.

Variations: Replace the size 6 baitholder hooks with 1/16- or 1 /8-ounce Road Runner leadheads – those with the rounded Indiana-style spinner blades – tied to short (10inch) leaders on stiff mono; attach to each of the two droppers. Hook the Minnow grubs or twister tails on the heads, and fish the entire rig as if it were one large jig.

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hook to 24 inches of 20-pound mono, and clip up.

Fishing it: Cast, allow to roll in the breakers, and retrieve using either natural or Minnow grub/twister tail plastics on the hook.

Variations: Color attracts attention, especially in the visual melee that is the surf. Replace the traditional leadcolor egg sinkers with two 1-ounce Mr. Crappie egg-leads in either chartreuse or hot red. Or paint your own 2- to 4-ouncers in a variety of fluorescent colors and experiment. A second option is to replace the size 6 Daiichi hook with a 1/8-ounce Road Runner, dress with a grub, and work it as slowly as the surf allows. NS

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COLUMN

Get Crabbin’!

A

s the warmth of June hits the coast, your crab pots should be hitting the cool bays and SOUTH COAST nearshore waters.

By Randy Wells In my opinion, a fresh Dungeness crab dinner is second only to a fresh Dungeness crab lunch.

While the name of the shellfish comes from a spit in Washington, the crabs are available up and down the Oregon Coast. In Southern Oregon you have many locations to drop a pot, but if you and your family want to crab from the dock, few places equal Charleston.

As a young man first venturing from Medford to the coast in search of saltwater fishing, I found myself at this port right inside the mouth of Coos Bay. I first started chasing rockfish with Betty K Charters and spent my evenings dropping crab pots off the dock during the incoming tide, no matter what time it occurred. For a current report, contact Rob Gensorek at Basin Tackle (541-8883811) or visit BasinTackle.com.

Summer’s the beginning of dock crabbing season, with September and October representing the peak of season.

Adult Dungeness do not like freshwater.

Therefore, spring, with its heavy rains dumping massive amounts of runoff into the bays and estuaries, is not a good time to throw those crab pots out. Summer’s dry heat means less freshwater flowing into the estuaries, more saltwater in the bays and big adult crab.

If you have a seaworthy vessel and you’re heading out chasing lingcod and rockfish, I highly recommend launching out of Brookings with some crab pots. As you know, I spend six months in Seward every year operating my charter service, and the other six months in Oregon’s southernmost port operating my saltwater

Never bet Curt Zeretzke that he won’t kiss a crab – it’s as sure a thing as the quality of the Dungeness fishery up and down the Oregon Coast. Tillamook, Newport, Waldport, Charleston and Bandon can see pretty good results in June, and offshore crabbing out of Brookings and other ports can be great too. Zeretzke and friends were working Winchester Bay. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

charter and freshwater guide service. I can assure you that the waters near Brookings have some of the greatest Dungeness crabbing in the entire state. Beginning in summer and running to fall, boaters can often find limits of fatty crabs in 50 to 100 feet of water straight west from the mouth of the Chetco River. They’ll be hunkered in areas with eelgrass and sand or muddy substrate.

BEFORE CHASING THIS tasty tablefare, keep a couple things in mind. Dungeness do not grow like other animals; because they have a hard shell, they must molt.

Prior to the molt, a crab will develop a soft shell underneath the hard one, then absorb seawater so that it can expand and break away from its current hard shell. After breaking out of its old shell, the soft-shelled crab will bury itself in sand for protection as it generates the new shell. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, a

Dungeness will molt up to six times in its first three years of life, but after reaching adulthood, that slows to once a year. In addition, adult crab seem to molt simultaneously, females in spring and males in late summer. Therefore, if you’re crabbing in June, July or August, it’s important to check the softness of the crab’s shell because directly after the molt, the crab meat is not as firm and thick as it should be.

That’s not to say that you won’t get great-eating crab during the summer, but just be sure and check firmness.

According to Russ Burkman of Pacific Ocean Harvesters (541-251-3643), a seafood store in Brookings, you can check a crab’s softness by pinching the first leg after the claw. If the shell of that leg feels soft, toss it back. Burkman is also a good resource for current crabbing and fishing reports out of Brookings. You can also stop by his store on Lower Harbor Road for fresh shellfish during your visit

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Northwest Sportsman 143

COLUMN

Whether you’re using ling, rockfish, salmon or other carcasses collected at the fish-cleaning station for bait or picking up a whole chicken on the way to the dock or boat ramp, author Randy Wells advises injecting it with attractant to get results like this. (RANDY WELLS) to Brookings.

For more on Dungeness, I contacted Justin Ainsworth, an ODFW shellfish biologist. I asked how his agency regulates and maintains such a healthy fishery.

Ainsworth said that because only male crabs that are 5¾ inches or wider across the back can be retained, it stays strong. Males can mate with multiple females, and because of the minimum size limit, they can breed for three years before reaching legal retention size. So, each year a large portion of legalsized males are harvested, but a larger portion can still mate. And because female crabs cannot be harvested, a strong balance is maintained.

In order for ODFW to be sure of this science, they check hundreds of female Dungeness up and down the coast each summer after breeding season. To be sure the females have mated, their sperm144 Northwest Sportsman

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plug is checked. It shows if the female has mated and if it will produce eggs in the fall. Learn more at dfw.state.or.us.

OVER THE YEARS I’ve heard many different guys and gals tell me what they think is the best crab bait, and most do indeed work. I recommend stopping by your local fish-cleaning station the day before you plan on dropping pots to collect lingcod, rockfish, salmon or tuna carcasses. Inject the fish carcasses with the Pro-Cure Crab and Shrimp Attractant, and put your bait in the refrigerator overnight.

If you’re driving to the coast and don’t have time to get fresh carcasses, your next best bet is a whole chicken. This is another one of my go-to baits. It’s firm and it does not come off the bone easily, therefore your bait stays in the trap longer.

As with the fish carcasses, inject the whole

chicken with a lot of the aforementioned attractant. I use a bait injector and really swell up the meat. Remember to keep your bait in the refrigerator or ice chest – rotten bait is not the way to go.

Crabbing is a great opportunity for you to show your family the wonders of the Oregon Coast. It’s truly an experience that everyone will enjoy. Whether pulling an empty pot or one full of undersized crabs with a few keepers, nothing beats a day at the coast with your family.

To learn more about the whens, hows and wheres, see ODFW’s crab page, dfw. state.or.us/MRP/shellfish/crab/index.asp. NS Editor’s note: Randy Wells is a full-time fishing guide in Oregon and Alaska. His websites are oregonfishingadventure.com and fishsewardalaska.com. He can also be reached at (541) 500-7885.

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COLUMN

Sound’s Bounty (Sans Salmon)

I SOUTH SOUND

t’s hard to beat a summer day spent out on Puget Sound, but with all the unresolved conflicts over salmon seasons, I got to thinking about other options for saltwater anglers in Marine Areas 11 and 13. Indeed, there are other fisheries out there to take advantage of. To wit:

By Jason Brooks

LINGCOD ARE OPEN through the middle of this month. These big, ugly toothy creatures of the rocky bottom are one of the best-eating fish in the salt. It’s hard to argue with your mouth full of some deep-fried lingcod!

Look to rocky breaks and deep drop-offs along the South Sound’s shores. For beach anglers, a few are caught off of the many public piers, and marinas with large breakwaters or jetties allow those willing to lose some gear to catch them from shore too.

Of course, one of the most popular spots is near the Tacoma Narrows Bridges. Stay on the city side and work the rocky ledges

along Titlow Park. Jigs tipped with a piece of herring do well, and a mooching set-up with a live herring that you can get from the Point Defiance Boat House is a good bet for catching The waters of the constantly churning Tacoma Narrows and nearby sheltered bays provide these lings. Make sure good fishing and shellfishing for a medley of that once your gear hits seafood, including lingcod, shrimp, flounder, bottom you reel up a like the author’s son Ryan Brooks holds, and Dungeness and red rock crabs. (JASON BROOKS) few cranks; otherwise, you will quickly lose your rig. This is why most use the mooching presentation. A 5- to 8-ounce banana weight with a 20-pound, 36-inch leader allows you to drop your gear, hit bottom and reel up two cranks to keep your herring about 2 or 3 feet from the structure. Drift with the current. The outgoing tide is more productive than the incoming, plus if you start on the north side

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COLUMN of the bridges, it keeps you away from them, as they can become very dangerous with the ripping tides. Since you’re in the area, give Point Evans a try, as well as the shoreline between Point Evans and Gig Harbor.

SPOT SHRIMP ARE one of Puget Sound’s most sought-after bounties, but there are only a few open days in May. If you missed your chance or just want to get more shrimp, remember that coonstripe and pink shrimp seasons open back up June 1. Make sure to check the regs and know which area you’re fishing (the northernmost of the two Narrows bridges is the dividing line between Areas 11 and 13). In Area 11, you can’t shrimp more than 150 feet deep, but there is no depth restriction in Area 13. Also, know that since spot shrimp are closed, you can use ½-inch mesh pots instead of the standard 1-inch mesh pots.

I primarily target coonstripes. These crustaceans are smaller than the spots, but still get up to 5 inches in overall length. When you end up cooking the tails, they finish to about the size of salad shrimp, making them perfect for battering and deep frying into popcorn shrimp or adding them to your favorite pasta dish – and save a few for salads too.

Don’t throw back the smaller shrimp you catch either. Instead, head to Sportco or Outdoor Emporium (sportco.com) and pick up a shaker bottle of Pro-Cure’s Prawn and Shrimp Cure. Then put those smaller shrimp to use this summer, fall and winter catching

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steelhead. They also work great hover fishing and float fishing for fall kings.

To find coonstripes, look for large flats in water around 150 feet. I put out some prospecting pots and let them soak for about an hour. When pulling your pots, do so steadily all the way into the boat, as even with the smaller mesh, these shrimp are quick to escape. Once you stop pulling, they get out. The steady pull pins them against the side of the pot and they can’t move about.

For bait it’s hard to beat a couple cans of cat food; I like using the salmon ones, and then adding some Pro-Cure Crab and Shrimp attractant. I also will add a can of tuna. Simply punch a bunch of holes in the cans and put them into the pot’s bait cage.

LAST JUNE SAW an early crab opening in Area 13. At press time, it wasn’t clear if that would repeat this year, but even if it doesn’t, June is the time to get your crabbing gear ready for the summer season, which traditionally kicks off around the Fourth of July holiday in the rest of Puget Sound. I make sure my crab pots are ready to go, retie the cotton hinges on the biodegradable doors, and look over my knots and buoys. It’s always a good idea to rewrite the required information on your marker buoys, and that the red and white parts are still red and white. I drag out my crab cooker as well, fill the propane tank and make sure it all lights and is in good working order. The last thing I want when crab season finally opens is to get home and not get the burner to light, so now I have to cook all the crab on the kitchen stove.

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COLUMN ONE THING MY youngest son Ryan and I like to do when we are out crabbing and shrimping is to catch flounder and other bottomfish. Flounder are a lot of fun because they are easy to find, easy to catch and provide excitement. If lingcod is still open, we will save the smaller ones for bait, but otherwise we tend to just catch and release while waiting for our shrimp and crab pots to soak. I’ve talked to some people who like to eat the flounder, and have even heard that if you cut the meat out into small squares or circle, it’s similar to scallops.

To catch them, we like to take our light-action trout rods. I’ll rig up with a 1-ounce banana weight and a 2-foot leader of 10-pound test to a 1/8-ounce jig, as the fish have small mouths. The idea behind using the banana weight is to help get the jig down to the bottom in the tide; a jig that light will never find bottom on its own, what with the drifting currents. Tip the jig with a piece of herring or a worm. If you don’t get a bite in the first few minutes, move around a little. It doesn’t take long to catch a few fish. Most run under a pound, but we have caught a few that went up to 3 pounds; given their flat shape, they are a lot of fun on a light rod.

Again, check the regs, as rules can vary by marine area. In Area 11, you can’t fish for bottomfish in water deeper than 120 feet, and throughout Puget Sound you cannot fish for any kind of rockfish.

ONE LAST OPTION to enjoy along the shores and beaches of Puget Sound is to head to a state park and look for clams. Most parks

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with beach access also have a supplemented clam and/or oyster bed. We first discovered this when we were invited to Penrose State Park with some friends for a barbecue and some time at the beach. When we realized people there were clamming, we began digging in the sand too, albeit with the play shovels and bucket the kids had brought. We picked up Whether to cook them up as popcorn shrimp Manila, or “steamer,” clams or hold on to for fall kings, there are coonstripes to be had in June. (JASON BROOKS) and a few horse clams.

There was also an oyster bed, and so after borrowing a plastic bag we had our limit to shuck on the beach, per the regs.

VERY FEW COHO are returning to Puget Sound this year, and we may or may not get to fish for Chinook. That doesn’t mean leave the boat in the driveway. There’s plenty to do while enjoying the beautiful inland sea we call home. Head out with the shrimp pots, a few light-action rods and a bucket or two for some steamer clams and enjoy the bounties of the South Sound. NS

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®

COLUMN

Miss an easy shot last fall? Best retire to the range right now for practice. Author Dave Workman is not going to complain about a group like this because no deer or elk is going to protest, either. He was prepping for a Wyoming hunt a few years ago, using 165-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips in a .30-06. He came home with venison and a nice rack. (DAVE WORKMAN)

Time For A Little ‘Group’ Therapy C

omplaining or simply beating up on yourself about a shot you missed last fall is not going to solve your problem.

June is here, and with it are those long, lazy, mild late spring and early summer evenings that you can spend at the range, and if you’re lucky, you’ll bump into old pals ON TARGET

By Dave Workman and enjoy some therapeutic conversation and trigger time.

Making excuses for not being able to take this time seems

to be a favorite pastime of people determined to become vegetarians and just go camping with guns in the fall. For the rest of us, however, putting meat in the freezer and notches in that tag requires more than just sitting around thinking about it until the night before the fall opener.

First item of business: Clean your rifle. Now. Inside and out.

There’s nothing like a bath of Hoppe’s No. 9 or Outer’s Nitro Powder Solvent to get the gunk out of your gun. Pull the stock and clean the action and trigger group. You don’t have to be a gunsmith for this; just get some aerosols and go to work, preferably outside.

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COLUMN

Brought To You By:

KICK-EEZ

Workman zeroed his Savage bolt-action chambered for .308 Winchester. Notice that he “walked” his rounds up from the 10-ring to just below the 2-inch line.

He subsequently clicked the crosshairs left a half-inch after this photo was taken. Couple of months later, he was on the Snake River, cleaning a 4x5 mule deer buck. (DAVE WORKMAN)

®

I got out the gunsmith gear, tightened the screw down and dropped on a dab of clear nail polish.

Item No. 3: I just mentioned it. Get fresh ammunition. If you don’t reload, get down to the store and stock up. There’s work to be done. Be sure to stick with one load. If you plan to hunt with, say, a .30-06 with 165-grain bullets, then sight your rifle in with the same ammo. Putting your gun into zero with one type of ammunition and then hunting with something different is going to mess you up, maybe just enough to miss.

Item No. 4: Also from the “This happened to me” file comes this bit of advice: If your rifle barrel is supposed to “float” free of the wood stock and doesn’t when you run a dollar bill down the underside, between the bottom of the barrel and the stock, and the bill doesn’t slide all the way up to the receiver, you need to lightly sand the barrel channel out, coat it with linseed and/or tung oil, allow it to dry and make sure the barrel does not contact the wood.

SCOPE IT OUT! Item No. 2: Check your scope mounts and bases. If you missed an easy shot, it just might be that one of your bases has come loose. That happened to me once, about five years ago. Couldn’t get my rifle to zero all of a sudden, and this was with fresh ammunition I had only just loaded up at the bench. Sure as hell, one of my bases was just a teensy bit loose.

One more thing is critical. Make sure your scope is mounted properly, and that means making sure the crosshairs are straight up and down, and flat one side to the other. A few years ago, I helped someone zero a rifle with which she was having trouble. Piece of cake, because she’d gotten the gun as a package and the scope was tilted off-center. You can’t really zero a gun that way.

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COLUMN

Brought To You By:

KICK-EEZ

We rotated the scope until the crosshairs were where they belonged and, voilà, five rounds later the rifle was zeroed.

If you’re careful with a rifle, the zero shouldn’t change from year to year. Use a good sandbag rest under the stock and under the butt. This steadies the rifle for a precise shot. Set a target at 25 yards and 100 yards. Fire one round at the close target, let the barrel cool for a minute and fire again, and if it is off right, left, up or down, adjust accordingly. Remember, a rifle that adjusts a ¼ inch at 100 yards for each click will need to adjust four clicks at 25 yards.

If you have adjusted correctly, the third shot at 25 yards should be in the X-ring.

Now, shift out to the 100-yard target and expect the bullet impact to be slightly off, probably on the low side, but that’s not always guaranteed. Fire a second shot and if the bullets impact close to one another, take note of the impact point and adjust the scope as needed while the barrel cools.

THE COLD BARREL It is important to let the barrel cool, for a number of reasons. The most important of these is that out in the field, your first shot at game will be from a cold barrel. Also, you can damage a rifle by making the barrel so hot you can’t touch it. Save your rifle barrel and do this process slowly.

®

If your first two shots landed low an inch or so but windage is fine, run your elevation up eight clicks and fire again. This should solve your problem. Now set the rifle aside with the action open and the muzzle upwards on a rack while you trot downrange and change targets.

Save your first target to study back at the bench as you get ready to fire again.

If you plan to be hunting an area where shots at game may be at 250 to 350 yards, prepare to do the following. Fire one or two more rounds to make sure the rifle is in the X-ring with the new target. It should be.

Now, click up eight to a dozen clicks, which should put the bullet impact 2 to 3 inches high at 100 yards, but – depending upon the caliber and velocity – it should then strike pretty close to dead on at about 250 to 300 yards. Where I hunt over on the Snake River, I’ve shot deer out to about 400 yards. My -06 was zeroed to shoot 3½ inches high at 100 yards using a 180-grain Nosler AccuBond ahead of a max charge of Hodgdon Hybrid 100 V ahead of a standard large rifle primer. Bingo!

RETURN TRIPS Don’t think this gets you ready for fall. Go home, clean the rifle, put it away and then in July, head back to the range. The rifle should put shots right where you were putting them at the initial

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COLUMN

Brought To You By:

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sight-in session.

Set aside a date in August and again in September for the same purpose. Even if you fire only a couple of shots at each sitting, you will know that the rifle is retaining zero and you will be all set when the season arrives.

Remember, this is a “group effort.”

A rifle with a good barrel and scope combination should be able to produce 1- to 2-inch groups consistently at 100 yards.

®

Not everyone is capable of shooting three-shot strings into a hole that can be covered by a quarter, but take my word on this: If your bullet strikes an animal within an inch or two of where you want it to strike its vitals, that animal is headed for the meat locker.

What is a good group? As I said, 1 to 2 inches is nothing to complain about. A three-shot cluster that looks like a cloverleaf?

Save that target and frame it. NS

NEW PROPELLANT FOR SHOTSHELL RELOADERS Good news for shotshell reloaders came from Hodgdon just as I was writing this column. There’s a new Winchester smokeless propellant dubbed Winchester 572, a powder that is designed to “perform multiple tasks.”

This new propellant allows shooters to duplicate the AA target load for the 28-gauge shotshell, and according to the press release, it is “perfect for the original Winchester 3¼ dram equivalent, 1330 fps, 1¼ oz, 12-gauge upland game load.”

It’s also good for building 1,200-foot-per-second target loads for both 28- and 20-gauge shooters, and here’s the kicker: It is also a good propellant for loading pistol cartridges, including the .380 ACP, 9mm, .38 Special and .45 ACP. Complete loading data for this new propellant is available at HodgdonReloading.com. –DW

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Hodgdon has announced a new propellant for shotshells and pistol cartridges. It’s Winchester 572, which should keep shotshell reloaders pretty busy. (HODGDON)

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Attitude Is Everything

HUNTING

How to succeed in Northwest hunting’s most brutal test – the backcountry.

By Nicole Hobson

M

y brother Justin and I were miles into the Eastern Oregon wilderness on a backpack hunt when he shot over the back of a broadside 6x6 bull elk.

It was our first day hunting together that archery season, but it was his tenth day in the woods. The previous nine days, he had been solo hunting out of his remote spike camp. After his miss, I witnessed the culmination of physical exhaustion, frustration and disappointment flow from him as his dream disappeared with a crash into the dark timber.

A Washington High Buck hunter (above) descends a knee-killing gulch from an alpine basin during last September’s wilderness season. Physical pain that will fade away either with time or Tylenol can be overcome by emotional fortitude in the search for backcountry bruisers, like the massive public-land, generalseason bull elk Jake Adams packs out. He killed it on the last day of 2013’s season. (MAIN: CHASE GUNNELL; INSET: PHOTO COURTESY WILLAMETTE VALLEY OUTFITTERS) nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2016

Northwest Sportsman 163

HUNTING After a few cuss words, we sat on a log in silence. We were in a basin 3 miles from our spike camp. Justin was devastated and mad at himself. I tried to break the silence with a few words of encouragement, but he countered with words of disappointment. His body language echoed his words.

This went on for about 30 minutes before we decided to head back to camp for the day.

WE DIDN’T TALK much on the hike

An Oregon wilderness trail heads onward and upward, towards the high perches backcountry hunters haunt come late summer and fall. (BLM)

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back to our tent. We knew the way and there was no need to replay the events of the day out loud. I was pretty sure that Justin was doing a fine job of beating himself up for missing the bull. I did not need to contribute.

Once at camp, we started talking about what we should do. Justin was drained both physically and mentally, yet I had just arrived the day before and was fresh. We discussed our options. One was to pack up and hike to the vehicles and the other was to continue chasing elk. Throughout the evening we oscillated between the two. The more we talked about the missed shot and the “what ifs,” the more we wanted to go home. It was a spiral that brought us very close to giving up on the hunt that season.

However, after sleeping in the next morning and making coffee, instead of talking about the negatives, we decided to talk about the positives of the situation.

We started listing all the reasons why we should stay and hunt and why we still had a chance to see elk.

The list grew. The more we talked about the positive “what ifs,” the more we wanted to climb back up into that basin.

With our attitudes boosted and positive thoughts driving us, we decided not to quit. We put our daypacks together and made our way into the high basin for the evening hunt.

That evening, the woods were silent. No bugles, no branches breaking. The wilderness was still.

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HUNTING A tent in sunsetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last glow offers a home away from home. Idaho, Oregon and Washington hold nearly 20,000 square miles of wilderness and thousands more miles of roadless areas, more than enough hunting ground for backcountry hunters with positive mental attitudes to stretch their legs and expand their horizons. (BLM)

As we waited over a wallow in the silence, we fought off negative thoughts. We whispered a few times about how awesome it would have been to be packing out meat and heading to a diner for a celebratory soda and burger. Then we would quickly whisper how thankful we were to be sitting over an active wallow that very few people have hunted. It was a battle to stay optimistic.

Even though we did not see any animals that evening, we decided to hunt the next day. We continued to focus on the positive and encouraged each other. We knew that elk were in the area, and our odds of harvesting would be zero if we went home.

OUR NEGATIVE ATTITUDE, thankfully, was eventually snuffed out by our decision to focus on the positive and keep pursuing elk. Almost exactly 48 hours after Justin missed the bull, he got his second chance. After some nothing-to-lose calling, the bull 166 Northwest Sportsman

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HUNTING Backcountry hunting isn’t for everyone. No doubt about it, it’s tough. But the rewards, whether in meat, experience or views, or all, are priceless. (BLM)

came bugling into the wallow, ready to fight. Justin drew and held his bow, let down and then drew again as the bull made his way through the timber. One cow call from me turned the bull broadside at 50 yards and Justin released his arrow. The thwack of the arrow let us know the bull was hit and Justin was adamant the placement was perfect.

From thankfulness to relief, we were both overwhelmed with emotions. We fought off tears as we prayed for the elk to have a quick death and for us to be able to find him in the dense forest. Less than 45 minutes later, our prayers were answered as we walked up on the dead 6x6. He had only run about 60 yards before expiring.

As we admired the animal, we could not help but reflect on the previous 48 hours. We were so very thankful that we managed to overcome the negative attitude and continue the hunt!

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HUNTING DAYS LATER, WHILE I drove home alone after packing out Justin’s bull, I realized what the most important aspect of backcountry hunting is.

It is not gear.

It is not scouting.

It is not the coveted tag.

It is a positive attitude!

Yet maintaining a positive attitude during elk season is not always easy, especially in the backcountry. The austere environment, endless days of physical exhaustion, gear failure and unpredictable animals can all work against the excitement and positive attitude needed for success.

In one day, emotions can go from elation to frustration, back to elation, to disappointment and eventually to wanting to quit. The hunt with Justin was a prime example. So how does a backcountry hunter fight against this emotional thrill ride?

Over the years, I have learned that the answer to this question is

preparation and perseverance. The Internet is filled with tips for physical preparation, but training for the emotional ups and downs of the hunt is a little different.

When preparing for a backcountry hunt, in addition to the gear and physical preparation, I like to consider the following three things to increase my odds for success.

1) Acknowledge that backcountry hunting is hard and the trip probably won’t go as planned. Gear will fail, animals will spook, weather will change. Make a conscious decision ahead of time to be OK with the unexpected. The animals we pursue are unpredictable; it follows that the hunt for them will be too. Choose to enjoy the challenges that the wilderness holds.

2) If hunting with a partner, have a conversation about attitude and encouragement. There is nothing more frustrating than a hunting partner who complains about how

tired and heavy their pack is, or a partner who wants to quit and hike back to the truck after missing an animal. Talk with your partner and agree to encourage each other. In the field, positive words help overcome emotional and physical exhaustion.

This may sound too touchy-feely to some, but just give it a chance the next time you are grinding out a 20-plus-mile day in the hills. The outcome might be a pleasant surprise.

3) And before the hunt, decide that success doesn’t have to mean a harvest. Packing out meat and antlers is fantastic, but a good hunt won’t always include that experience.

Success in the wilderness includes finding joy in being there, spending time with friends/family, a safe return and learning things about wildlife that will help on future hunts.

THESE THREE ASPECTS of hunting preparation are just as important to me as practicing with my bow. Yet

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along with the preparation, once in the field, perseverance becomes even more important. There are two parts of perseverance that I like to keep in mind when in the backcountry.

1) When the hunt doesn’t go as planned, don’t go home. Taking seven to ten days off work is not easy and it is not an opportunity many people get. So, hunt as much as possible. It is acceptable to move camp or pack back to the truck to find another trailhead, but don’t leave the hunting area just because disappointment has set in. The next draw might hold a herd of elk or a great buck.

2) Remember to take a nap from time to time. When frustrated with the hunt, waking up from an afternoon nap surrounded by wilderness can be refreshing.

Revitalized and less groggy, going home becomes less appealing.

Of course, these are just two pieces to the perseverance puzzle.

There are many different ways to stay emotionally upbeat when the slog of chasing big game begins to take a toll.

Sometimes, acknowledging the need for perseverance is the first step to finding success in the backcountry.

A positive attitude while hunting the backcountry is crucial. Yes, gear and physical fitness are important.

And outdoor skills such as navigation, caring for the meat and dealing with the natural elements are vital.

Nevertheless, all of these things will not help you overcome the emotional stress that comes from hunting deep.

Gear will not help you power through the disappointment of missing a giant bull, and summer scouting doesn’t guarantee the animals will still be in that remote basin.

A positive attitude, however, will ensure that the backcountry experience is successful, regardless of a harvest. As Mr. Hanes would say, “It’s all mental.”

Maybe this fall, a little positive attitude preparation and perseverance will lead to a second chance at a 6x6 bull for you, like it did for Justin and me. NS 172 Northwest Sportsman

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Back Page

TRAIL OF EVIDENCE

By Dennis Dauble

T

here are three things that frost my wife Nancy’s backside.

First on her no-no list is evidence of egg cure on her granite countertops. Second is finding fish scales in the kitchen sink. Third is someone stinking up the house with smoked fish.

Bait stains happen nearly every time I prepare a fresh batch of roe. It doesn’t matter how carefully I spread dry cure, the persistent pinkish stain of Pro-Cure or a loose crystal of borax shows up someplace. Bait cure acts like a virus that way, spreading from source to places you can only imagine.

Along with superior eyesight, Nancy has a sense of smell so powerful she can discern between varieties of single-malt whiskey with a single sniff, while blindfolded. In contrast, my sense of smell is muted by years of exposure to paint fumes and sawdust. I bring this up as partial explanation for why my latest attempt to smoke a batch of fish created a stir.

Three racks of steelhead were placed in the smoker from 9 a.m. to dusk. Unfortunately, my Little Chief struggled in the belowfreezing air temperatures. Nobody I know likes raw fish, so I put the batch in the kitchen oven to finish it off. You guessed it. The entire house smelled like smoked steelhead.

Things settled down and all was forgotten, until Nancy woke up hungry for cinnamon toast. (Notice I didn’t say forgiven?)

Nancy makes toast the old-fashioned way. She butters her bread, sprinkles sugar and cinnamon on and broils the concoction in the oven until the surface takes on a metallic glaze.

Unfortunately, she chose the same pizza pan that I used to finish off the partial-smoked steelhead.

The same pizza pan I put back in the kitchen cupboard after a half-assed job of scrubbing off baked-on fish skin.

You guessed it.

Her cinnamon toast tasted like smoked fish, and I got reamed.

I must mention that Nancy also has a detective mindset. You are guilty until proven innocent. She was rejected from jury duty once after telling the screening lawyer her favorite TV show was Perry Mason. “Where was the last place you saw it?” she asks when

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(RONALD REED)

she catches me wandering around the house looking for a lost object. “You need to reconstruct what you were doing and where you went.”

Nancy pulled up in the driveway recently to find me cleaning out my small boat cooler, the one I use for food and drinks (and bait, when I can get away with it). I had just returned from a pink salmon trip with the grandkids and the cooler was a mess.

“What did you do, get fish slime on it?” she said. “Ha-ha, as if you care.”

“The grandkids spilled pop all over the inside.” I replied. “Soda pop is sticky and attracts ants, if you must know.”

“Whatever. Why is the big cooler out?”

“I thought I would wash it while I was at it,” I replied, hoping she wouldn’t put two and two together and figure out that I hauled salmon home in it. It ain’t lying if there’s a grain of truth in your story. It’s merely elaborating.

But, as usual, Nancy was a half step ahead of me.

“You sure about that? You better not be using the good cooler to transport fish.”

Good cooler? I thought. The lid lacks hinges but stays in place if you tie it down with a sash cord. It’s dented and the inside has pink splotches from egg cure. As if reading my mind, she tossed out, “I’ll just buy a new one.”

“We’ve got plenty for intended purpose,” I replied, reflecting on the collection of rustic coolers scattered about the garage.

What saved my bacon on the fishy cooler was a previous directive not to bring a single salmon home. However, Nancy had no knowledge of the 20 pounds of pink salmon I had already filleted and placed out of sight (and out of smell) in the freezer.

That left loose fish scales in the kitchen sink as the only other evidence to cover up before the Perry Mason side of her brain kicked in. NS Editor’s note: This story is adapted from author Dennis Dauble’s forthcoming book One More Last Cast. Dauble is author of Fishes of the Columbia Basin and The Barbless Hook. Both books are available at Amazon.com, Keokee.com or DennisDauble.com.

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