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Sportsman Northwest
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Volume 11 • Issue 6
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PUBLISHER James R. Baker EDITOR Andy Walgamott THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Randall Bonner, Douglas Boze, Jason Brooks, Scott Haugen, Doug Huddle, Sara Ichtertz, M.D. Johnson, Randy King, Tony Lolli, Buzz Ramsey, Troy Rodakowski, Mark Veary, Dave Workman, Mark Yuasa EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Nick Rios, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Kayla Mehring, Jake Weipert
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 6
163 10 REASONS TO HUNT SPRING BEARS
Predator control, tasty meat, good hides – need more reasons to head out for a bruin? A proud Northwest bear hunter has more on why you should make the most of that spring permit!
(ONTARIO KNIFE CO. PHOTO CONTEST)
FEATURES 83
SHARING STEELHEAD RIVERS Southern Oregon streams have come to mean a lot for steelheader Sara Ichtertz, strengthening her in ways that she yearns to share with others. And in fully embracing the “the idea of women empowering women,” Sara and friends recently held their first ever “Catching to Cooking” Ladies Winter Steelheading Glampout. Prepare to be inspired!
117 COLUMBIA WALLEYE FISHING WARMS UP This time of year is prime for putting a whopper walleye and lots of eaters in the boat, and the Columbia River system from the Oregon-Washington border up through the reservoirs of the basin’s irrigation project are top bets. Mark Yuasa spotlights the best areas and baits!
129 NORTHWEST’S 68 BEST CRAPPIE WATERS Chinook and rainbows aren’t the only spring species to catch in our region, not by a long shot. A crappie killer from waaaay back, M.D. Johnson shares how to fish Oregon’s and Washington’s best lakes for specks, and if those aren’t enough, we’ve rounded up dozens more across the Northwest to fish in the coming months! 139 MARCH IN TO TURKEY SEASON Oregon’s spring gobbler prospects look good, but don’t go thinking that bagging a tom or two is a slam dunk. This month Troy Rodakowski has some key intel and spot-on advice for turkey hunters that just might make for a more successful April-May season!
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 $49.95 (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 © 2019 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.
10 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
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63
BUZZ RAMSEY:
WILLAMETTE WORTH IT FOR SPRINGERS
Despite this year’s low overall forecasted return of spring Chinook, the Willamette system is still expected to produce around 11,000 for anglers, and Buzz has the details on how to fish the lower river and the Multnomah Slough for the year’s first salmon.
(YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
COLUMNS 69
NORTH SOUND: Prime Time For Wild Skagit-Sauk Steelhead After 2018’s brief, 12-day April season on the upper Skagit and lower Sauk Rivers, North Sound steelheaders were chomping at the bit to get back on the water for this spring’s potentially three-month-long fishery. Doug sets you up for success from boat and shore for both rivers!
97
SOUTH SOUND: Washington Coast Bottomfish Season Kicks Off Well before summer salmon become the star attractions, there are plenty of tasty bottomfish to be had out of Ilwaco, Westport, La Push and beyond. Whether you book a charter or head out in a private boat, Jason has tips for bringing home the fillets.
105 THE KAYAK GUYS: Go Time For Big Oregon Lings Late winter and early spring offer a good chance to get out on Oregon’s Pacific to try for big postspawn female lingcod as well as nest-guarding males, and Mark Veary makes his return to our pages with tips and tricks for catching ’em from a kayak! 147 ON TARGET: Time To Talk Turkey Guns, Ammo With spring turkey season right around the corner here in the Northwest, if you’re looking to upgrade your shotgun and/or ammo, Dave has new offerings from Benelli, Mossberg, Winchester and more to peruse. 155 CHEF IN THE WILD: Not Your Average Turkey Hunt – Or Recipe In the grand pantheon of spring turkey ambuscades, it wasn’t the most traditional, what with its restricted shooting lanes in an Idaho resident’s backyard – one was “‘left of the gnome’ and to the wooden fence.” But if Chef Randy excels at anything, it’s making the most out of the varied ingredients that life serves up. 173 GUN DOG: Make The Most Of Mini Training Sessions Life – not to mention wet weather this time of year – doesn’t always leave a lot of time for nice, long training outings with your hunting pup, but that’s no reason to forego a session. Scott shares how even just working with your dog for 15 minutes a day indoors “will pay big dividends down the road.”
12 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
26 (RANDALL BONNER)
THE BIG PIC: OREGON BROODSTOCK STEELHEAD PROGRAM
Study aims to find out if using line-caught fish increases angler opportunities.
DEPARTMENTS
14 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
17
THE EDITOR’S NOTE So how many wolves are there here actually?
43
READER PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Winter steelhead, walleye and more!
47
PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Yo-Zuri, Ontario Knife Co. prizes
35
FISHING AND HUNTING NEWS Group threatens lawsuit over Puget Sound summer steelhead; Op-Ed – More intensive cougar management tools needed in Oregon; Hunter pink coming to Washington?; Phillips Reservoir launch, access upgraded
49
THE DISHONOR ROLL Game warden named Washington state cop of the year for rescue; Large reward for info on Seattle sea lion shootings; Tips needed for Oregon elk waste cases; Jackass of the Month
53
DERBY WATCH Roche Harbor, Friday Harbor Salmon Classics, NW Ice Fishing Festival and Umpqua Fisheries Enhancement Derbies results; Upcoming events
57
OUTDOOR CALENDAR Boat and sportsmen’s shows, upcoming openers, events, deadlines
57
BIG FISH Record Northwest game fish caught this month
95
GUIDE FLY Parallel Punk Perch
THEEDITOR’SNOTE
A
re there twice as many wolves running around parts of Washington as Fish and Wildlife’s minimum count suggests? It seems more likely in the wake of a state legislative work session on the species earlier this winter. Information from it gave wolf world observers a chance to compare WDFW’s figures for two northeastern counties with how many wolves that data gathered by scat-sniffing dogs says were actually there at the time. Scatsniffing dogs would be canines that the University of Washington’s Dr. Samuel Wasser et al have trained to sniff out excrement.
AN AREA THEY surveyed between April 2015 and February 2016 overlapped five pack territories. After a lab analyzed 3,917 piles of poo collected there, Wasser said 541 were left by 60 individual wolves. His abundance estimate for the area was a bit more, 68. Now, it’s not quite apples to apples, more like apples to pears, but according to WDFW's estimate, there were least 30 wolves in the area when the agency did its annual count that year. Thirty is, I
Maps show routes specially trained dogs ran in areas of Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties when five known wolf packs occurred there. (WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE) want to stress, a minimum number, the confirmed headcount, but it is also a lot fewer than 60, let alone 68. Why the big discrepancy? It may be due to a more precise count, the likelihood that some of spring 2015’s pups pooped then died before year end, the probability that some were dispersers from elsewhere or were from the area and left, or were poached. Still, it’s eye-opening. Hunters and others have long suspected there are far more wolves running around than WDFW’s minimum, and the evidence collected by the dung dogs from just one part of the state, albeit a wolf-heavy one, seems to bear that out.
THE BOTTOM LINE? This month WDFW releases its 2018 year-end minimum count. That figure is likely to be a lot higher than 2017’s 122 – Dr. Wasser believes it’ll end up around 200. And while WDFW has yet to confirm any wolves in the South Cascades, Wasser’s dogs also found potential evidence in Yakima and Skamania Counties. Yes, everything about wolves is a pain in the ass, but having four successful breeding pairs in that country is important for reaching the recovery goals that begin statewide delisting processes, and the sooner that occurs, the better. Well, the better for everyone except those trying to keep the species under kid-glove management. This new data strengthens the argument that there are far more wolves in Washington, they’re likely far more widespread and they’re far, far more resilient than Arizona’s Center for Biological Diversity, etc., want you to know. And that’s the straight poop. –Andy Walgamott nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 17
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Northwest Sportsman 25
How Oregon Coast Broodstock Steelhead Programs Work Study also aims to find out if using line-caught fish increases angler opportunities. By Randall Bonner
W
ith all the obstacles and adversity that our salmon and steelhead populations face, hatcheries are a necessity in order to have sustainable populations that allow for harvest. In order to have the best genetics possible for hatchery production, the capture of wild broodstock is also a necessity. Capturing wild broodstock is done by two different means. Ideally, the fish are line-caught and collected by anglers. Supplemental steelhead are collected when they are caught in hatchery traps and fish weirs. A hypothesis being tested at the Oregon Hatchery Research Center, on the Alsea River system, is that using line-caught wild broodstock grades towards a genetic disposition that the offspring will be line caught as well. Unclipped steelhead caught in the Central Coast stream by anglers are placed in tubes for pickup by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery personnel. The tubes are placed with the fish facing upstream so that a constant supply of fresh water flows through. The tubes themselves are somewhat constricting to the movement of the fish, but this also prevents them from injuring themselves. The enclosure also reduces stress on the fish by acting as a visual buffer for environmental disturbances. “The fact they can’t see anglers or potential predators makes them feel safe and keeps them calm inside the enclosure,” says Eric Hammonds, Alsea Hatchery assistant manager.
ONCE FISH ARRIVE at the hatchery, they are placed into a small container with an anesthetic that makes them easier to handle without causing physical damage either. Once the anesthetic has taken effect, the fish are given an antibiotic injection to prevent them from picking up diseases or fungal growths while being held at
Wild steelhead have been collected for broodstock for decades on the Oregon Coast, but a new study aims to determine whether it’s better to use fish that anglers catch instead of those that return by themselves to hatchery facilities. Guide Ryan Beck hands over a line-caught winter-run to hatchery personnel at a Nestucca River boat ramp. (RANDALL BONNER) 26 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
PICTURE
nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 27
PICTURE
A steelhead is loaded into an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife truck at the Farmers Creek ramp on the Nestucca for the ride to the agency’s hatchery to the south on the Alsea River. (RANDALL BONNER) Alsea Hatchery assistant manager Eric Hammonds administers an anesthetic to ease handling of a fish captured for broodstock purposes. (RANDALL BONNER)
the facility. This precaution is taken because the process of handling the fish removes some of their protective slime layer that defends them from these infections. They are tagged and placed into circular tanks and held until they are “ripe” to be spawned with a paired mate at the hatchery, and then released back into the river. The program typically shoots for a goal of 40 pairs of wild broodstock fish, but rarely reaches that goal due to the combination of low returns and lack of participation in the program. Traditional hatchery broodstock tend to have muddy genetics. Because they are spawned from the same pool, they lack the genetic diversity of a first-generation wild broodstock fish born from wild parents. The theory behind OHRC’s “biter study” is that decades of using hatchery fish that return to the trap for eggs and milt has evolved the stock into one that is less likely to be caught by anglers, as most hatchery fish that fishermen catch are harvested, rather than spawned. Traditional hatchery broodstock and first-generation wild broodstock (or “F1” fish) are marked with a clipped adipose fin, and separated by maxillary clips that differentiate returning hatchery adults as traditional broodstock or F1. Unlike the collected wild broodstock fish that are returned back to the river after being spawned, the returning traditional hatchery broodstock bucks are typically killed when they appear in the trap, while the females are stripped of eggs and returned to the river to swim back to the salt and return again. This practice ensures that the two groups of fish are less likely to spawn with each other on the gravel.
Y
PROGRAM OPPONENTS ARGUE that wild
Using circular PVC tanks such as this one at the Alsea Hatchery is intended to cause less harm to the steelhead than a concrete raceway. Biologists collect less than 2 percent of a river’s wild steelhead population for the broodstock program. (RANDALL BONNER)
28 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
steelhead populations can’t sustain being farmed to create hatchery fish for harvest. It is also undeniable that there is room for human error in this process. While the success rate for wild broodstock collection is extremely high (in the upper 90 percent range) there are accidents that happen. Adult fish left in collection tubes are susceptible to theft by poachers. Reporting the collection of a wild broodstock fish to hatchery personnel as quickly as possible is the best way to
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PICTURE prevent these kinds of incidents. Some wild broodstock collection programs employ the use of livewells complete with battery-operated pumps to aerate the water and keep oxygen levels high during transport. However, battery failures or contamination of the livewell can also create problems and cause mortalities. Even still, such incidents are extremely rare and represent less than 1 percent of the wild broodstock adults collected.
WILD BROODSTOCK PROGRAMS are typically funded and operated by volunteer organizations. The Alsea Sportsman’s Association provides the collection tubes for the Alsea Hatchery and the OHRC biter project. Tillamook Anglers and Nestucca Anglers provide livewells for the Nestucca River and surrounding Tillamook rivers that participate in wild broodstock programs there. While personnel from the Alsea Hatchery handle collection during business hours, the Cedar Creek hatchery on Three Rivers (a tributary of the Nestucca where hatchery operations are conducted) has a self-service option for wild broodstock that are collected and brought to the hatchery after hours. There, they are placed into a raceway and marked by quantity and sex on a self-service report form. The Nestucca program quota is 65
A clipboard displays the date, sex and quantity of wild broodstock fish that are placed in the raceways by participants in the program. (RANDALL BONNER) 30 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
Using the self-service raceway at the Cedar Creek Hatchery, guide Ryan Beck drops off a wild steelhead to be used for spawning broodstock. (RANDALL BONNER) pairs. Fish that are placed into the raceway are given Parasite-S (formalin) five days a week administered by a flow-through treatment in order to keep fungal growth at bay. The raceway is fed through an upwelling system, rather than flowing from one end to the other. This prevents fish from following their natural jumping instincts, and reduces physical stress. When it’s time for pairs to be spawned, the fish in the raceway are collected by the use of a “crowder.” It essentially functions similar to a seine net and allows personnel to net the individual fish for spawning, as well as pass fish that aren’t ripe back over the crowder and into the raceway. Collection quotas are determined by the number of required adults to produce the required amount of eggs to produce the required amount of smolts for release within a margin of loss during the process. They’re between 1 and 2 percent of the
wild population, based mostly on historical data from redd surveys.
WHILE THE SURVIVAL and success rates are high at the Cedar Creek program, with less than 1 percent of wild broodstock adults lost (mostly, unfortunately, occurring due to angler error), the Alsea program has endured some challenges in recent years through equipment failures. The chillers that keep water at necessary temperatures to prevent loss of eggs failed two consecutive years in a row before being upgraded and replaced with new wiring and equipment. Up the coast a ways, new collection cages for wild broodstock were installed at boat ramps on the Siletz River, for which the Alsea facility also handles wild broodstock spawning. Several adults were lost at the hatchery due to complications with the sharp, abrasive edges on the metal inside the cages at collection sites,
nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 31
PICTURE which caused severe physical damage and unnecessary stress to the fish that were collected. The cages have since been sprayed with a material used for truck bed liners to prevent future complications and casualties. Unlike Cedar Creek, Alsea uses a circular PVC tank system that is intended to cause less harm by using smooth surfaces and removing the concrete corners that are typically standard with the construction of rectangular raceways. In recent years, additional circular tanks have been added to the facility in an effort to reduce crowding of the fish.
IN RECENT HISTORY, the number of wild broodstock fish being collected by anglers for the Alsea Hatchery has paled in comparison to the numbers Cedar Creek’s facility gets. A hot topic of discussion within the Alsea Sportsman’s Association is the lack of angler participation in wild
Participation in the Alsea’s broodstock collection program has been lacking unfortunately due to angler mistrust. (SEAN KEARNEY) broodstock collection due to mistrust in the handling of the program by hatchery staffers in recent years. Even with upgrades and equipment repair, operators of the wild broodstock program are still working to fix public relations. Hopefully
learning from some past mistakes will help the program continue to improve, and regain the trust and participation from local anglers and guides. Meanwhile, the Alsea program is trying to portray a positive image in negative time. NS
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NEWS Skykomish River Skamania-strain hatchery summer-runs, like this one caught on a rainy day by Winston McLanahan a few seasons back, are being targeted by the litigious Wild Fish Conservancy which claims the stock is harming native steelhead. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
Group Threatens WDFW With Steelhead Lawsuit
E
ven as Washington steelhead managers have been making plans to move away from hatchery Skamania summer-run releases in Puget Sound rivers, an environmental group is threatening to sue them over the program. The Wild Fish Conservancy said in midFebruary it was filing a 60-day notice that it intends to sue the Department of Fish and Wildlife, saying the stock violates the Endangered Species Act. The highly litigious organization based in Duvall says that programs operated primarily on the Skykomish but also the North Fork Stillaguamish and Green-Duwamish Rivers threaten five wild populations of Puget Sound summer-run steelhead and are driving them “closer to extinction” by spawning in the wild, reducing fitness. WFC cites concerns that the National Marine Fisheries Service had in mid-2017 over Skamanias – a 1950s mix of Klickitat River and Washougal River steelhead that came from a state hatchery on the
Washougal. But in response to the feds, WDFW in coordination with its ad hoc Puget Sound Steelhead Advisory Group and the Tulalip Tribes last year came up with a plan. It would eventually replace the strain in the Skykomish with Tolt River summers instead, but would also take multiple years to come to fruition. “There’s no expectation to eliminate the existing program until we build up the Tolt,” WDFW’s Jim Scott, a special assistant to the director, told us for a story detailing the plan (Northwest Sportsman, August 2018), “and there will be a period of overlap of the programs” before Skamania releases ends. At last check in late 2018 that plan was still moving forward, so it’s unclear whether it has gathered enough momentum to now be some sort of threat to WFC and thus is forcing it into yet another lawsuit against fishery overseers. But what is clear is that the lawsuit would purposefully bump up against
the timeframe this year’s smolts would otherwise be released from Reiter Ponds into the Skykomish and elsewhere, perhaps an effort to get WDFW to come to a settlement like what happened with Chambers Creek hatchery early winterrun steelhead in 2014. One participant in Washington’s steelhead world working towards more pragmatic solutions was mystified by WFC’s continued courts-first approach, wondering when the group’s head, Kurt Beardslee, would “wake up and smell the Anthropocene,” a reference to the highly altered world we and our favorite species now live in. While it also wasn’t clear from WFC’s intent-to-sue letter what they considered the five populations of wild summers threatened by Skamania summers to be, earlier this year, researchers studying hatchery summer and wild winter steelhead in Oregon’s Clackamas River found the former didn’t affect the latter.
–Andy Walgamott
nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 35
NEWS
Op-Ed: More Intensive Cougar Management Tools Needed In Oregon By Jim Akenson, OHA
T
he fatal cougar attack on a hiker in the Mount Hood National Forest last year was a tragic thing. Evidence evaluation indicated the cougar was a female in good health. Is this a surprise? Not really. Cougar numbers are at all-time highs for our state, and the distribution of these cats encompasses the entire state. What Jim Akenson. (OHA) has accounted for this cougar population expansion from an estimation of less than 3,000 in the mid1990s to well over 6,000 today? Some of the answer is biological, some is social, and much is connected to management capabilities and practices. We need to find a way to return to this socio-biological balance, and looking to the recent past might just be the best bet – back to a time when hound hunting was a legal and effective management tool in Oregon.
WHAT ARE THE consequences of there being double the number of cougars in Oregon? These effects are best described as alarming and pattern changing. One such pattern is for prey animals, specifically deer, relocating to human development areas to avoid a higher predation risk. This relocation is also drawing in cougars that will go where the next meal can be found. Many hunters and state wildlife managers report that deer are now less abundant in the wilder mountain, high desert, and canyon regions of our state. Meanwhile, Oregon cities are wrestling with the number of deer inhabiting city limits, and cougars are showing up in backyards and 36 Northwest Sportsman
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Oregon wildlife managers identified this cougar as the one that killed hiker Diana Bober late last summer near Mt. Hood. The animal was tracked down and lethally removed. (ODFW)
schoolyards. As cougars become more comfortable in human-altered landscapes, the probability of negative encounters with humans, as well as pets and livestock, increases. So, what is the solution? Biologically, it is plain and simple – more intensive cougar management through various hunting techniques. With an estimated population of 6,400 cougars, and roughly 14,000 people hunting cougars and harvesting from 250 to 300 cats per year, this only equals a harvest rate of 4 percent, which is not enough to even flatten the ever-rising cougar population curve. Reducing human threat, increasing
deer and elk survival, and bringing a cougar population back in balance with other interests in our state will require increased management action and efficiency. According to the 2017 Oregon Cougar Management Plan, the success rate for 2016 cougar hunters was 1.9 percent, with 13,879 people reporting that they did hunt cougars. Contrast that with 1994 data, the last year that dogs were allowed in conservatively controlled, limited-entry cougar hunting, showing 358 people hunted cougars and harvested 144 for a success rate of 40.2 percent. Bottom line: hunting efficiency with dogs is dramatically higher, and provides wildlife managers a reliable tool for
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NEWS maintaining the cougar population within its management objectives.
OREGON’S COUGAR MANAGEMENT and record keeping are divided into six zones, each of which is assigned a desired harvest quota to keep the population in balance with the varied activities of all Oregonians. Employing the current limited management methods, only one of the six zones has met the harvest quota in recent years. A criterion for quota establishment is complaint frequency. By far the most cougar complaints are recorded on the west side of the Cascades, including the coastal region, in Zones A and B. This is also where the bulk of the human population lives. More than 350 cougar complaints per year were received during the last decade in these two zones. Unfortunately, this recording system was not initiated until 2001, so we don’t have data for the time before the dog ban of 1994. We do have records for administrative actions connected to human safety and pet conflicts before and after the dog ban of 1994. For eight years before the ban, they averaged only four per year, and then seven years after the dog ban these complaints increased to 27 per year – nearly a seven-fold increase. Oregon does have a legislatively authorized agent program wherein highly vetted houndsmen are permitted to lethally remove cats to reduce human conflict and bolster deer and elk survival. These agents work closely with ODFW district biologists. Even with this program in place, cougars are steadily increasing in Oregon, where hunting them is very impractical without the aid of dogs. At present, the law authorizing the use of agents is up for renewal, and hopefully it will receive legislative support and then be applied more broadly for both reaching zone harvest quotas and to help curb the upward statewide population trajectory. NS Editor’s note: Jim Akenson is a wildlife biologist, book author and conservation director for the Oregon Hunters Association (oregonhunters.org). He invested much of his career in researching the Northwest’s predators. 38 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
Hunter Pink Coming To Washington’s Deer Woods?
B
laze pink may be coming to a Washington deer and elk season near you soon. A bill that would add that color as a second option to orange, which riflemen and some other hunters must swaddle themselves in partially while afield, is advancing through the legislature this session. During a January public hearing, prime sponsor Sen. Lynda Wilson, a Clark County Republican, recalled to fellow lawmakers how she’d first heard that pink can be so much brighter to see in the woods than orange, and added that it might also help bring in more female hunters and revenues for conservation. “The gear is out there,” she said while testifying before the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee in a pink camo vest. The idea behind SB 5148 has been around for several years now. Other states that have OKed blaze pink include Wisconsin, which was first to do so, Colorado, Louisiana and New York in 2016; Virginia in 2017; and Wyoming and Illinois in 2018. But Montana lawmakers balked two years ago, and Treasure State hunter Jessica Gray wrote that as a recruiting tool, it was “insulting.” Back in Olympia, Tom Echols of the Hunters Heritage Council said his organization strongly supported Wilson’s bill. “While hunter pink is fashionable … that’s not the reason. It’s purely for safety. There is evidence that pink is superior to orange in the field,” he said. In also supporting the bill, David Whipple, WDFW’s Hunter Ed division manager, pointed out that hunting accidents have decreased drastically since states began requiring hunters to wear hunter orange. “We’re supportive of anything that opens additional doors to hunters as long as it’s safe,” he said. A bipartisan mix of senators from both sides of the Cascades cosponsored the bill. Essentially, it would require the Fish and Wildlife Commission to add pink to the hunts where orange must be worn. Those include during modern firearm deer and elk seasons, overlapping archery and muzzleloader seasons, anyone hunting bears, grouse, etc., in areas where rifle seasons are occurring, and upland bird and game seasons. Sen. Judy Warnick, who said her husband is a hunter, asked Wilson if sportsmen would have the choice to still wear orange, and Wilson responded that they would. For more news from Washington’s legislature, including the fee hike, nontribal gillnet ban and other bills, watch our website, nwsportsmanmag.com, for updates. –AW
NEWS
Boat Ramp, Access Improved At Phillips Reservoir
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oaters and anglers now have improved access to Phillips Reservoir, with the recent completion of the Mason Dam boat ramp. Mason Dam is a popular and heavily used boat launch facility. Phillips Reservoir receives approximately 5,000 boating use days annually. This project was identified in the Oregon State Marine Board’s “Six-Year Plan” as a priority to replace the deteriorating boat ramp. The half-century-old boat ramp was part asphalt, part concrete and part gravel/dirt. The ramp was unsafe and difficult to use at nearly all water levels. The recent project replaced the old potholed boat ramp with 430 linear feet of cast in place concrete ramp that improved access and will make the site more usable
during low water conditions. Phillips Reservoir provides good fishing for rainbow trout and yellow perch from mid-April through July and again in the fall as the water cools, according to Tim Bailey, district fish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The reservoir also provides good ice fishing for the same species from mid-December through March, according to Bailey. Since 2016, ODFW has stocked the reservoir with trophy-sized rainbows, providing additional opportunity to catch bigger fish. It is scheduled to receive 4,500 trophies this spring from May through June. Mason Dam boat ramp is the first access site that visitors encounter at the reservoir. In addition to the boat ramp,
amenities include an accessible vault toilet and parking for vehicles with boat trailers. The Mason Dam boat ramp is the only year-round boat ramp at Phillips Reservoir. The reservoir is typically ice-covered from mid-December through the end of March, but the site also offers access for ice fishers during that time. Cost of the project was approximately $275,000, which was paid by several partners, including the Oregon State Marine Board, ODFW through a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sport Fish Restoration grant, and the WallowaWhitman National Forest. For more information about boating access and boating regulations, visit boatoregon.com/map. –ODFW
A photo from earlier this winter shows the newly constructed Mason Dam boat ramp at Phillips Reservoir, a popular fishery southeast of Baker City. (USFS VIA ODFW)
40 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
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READER PHOTOS A January trip on the Quinault Indian Nation’s stretch of the Salmon River provided quite a hefty haul of hatchery winter steelhead for Spencer Ewing, his grandpa, sportfishing advocate Frank Urabeck, and another angler. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
You saw two of Earl Foytack’s grandkids with blacktails in last issue’s 2018 Big Game Yearbook, and here’s another, Alexa Harrison, 8, except with a Kenai River sockeye, her first! The family enjoys an annual trip to Alaska to fish for salmon. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) Happy new year! Phillip Besch caught this native on an Olympic Peninsula stream on the first day of 2019 while fishing a soft bead. He listed its measurements as 37.5 inches long with a girth of 20.5 inches. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
Jerry Han probably indirectly led to a few Mid-Columbia region hotel rooms being booked by Hawkeye State walleye anglers after putting Patrick Fullenkamp, a coworker’s cousin, into his first ever, in mid-December. “It was pretty funny because his family back in Iowa are big walleye fishermen and he posted on Facebook that he caught a bigger walleye in 45 minutes than his family had in years of trying,” reported Han, a frequent photo contributor. “That’s gotta sting a little for his family.” (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Yo-Zuri, Ontario Knife Co. and Northwest Sportsman, 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, 14240 Interurban Ave S, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for use in our print and Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 43
READER PHOTOS A winter trip to Idaho helped fill the freezer for the Andersons of the Tacoma area. Here’s Christina and her cow. (ONTARIO KNIFE CO. PHOTO CONTEST)
Hard to argue with steelhead or logic like this! “The Quinaults are putting out some excellent fish,” notes Darrel Smith, here with a 21-pound buck from one of the nation’s waters. “Why can’t our state hatcheries manage this – use brood from big fish?” (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
A pair of long-tailed roosters, a well-used over-and-under and an old barn make for a classic upland bird hunting photo. That’s Chad Zoller with two pheasants as well as four quail he bagged during a hunt at the family’s Willow Farms near Ione, Oregon, just before Christmas.
^
(ONTARIO KNIFE CO. PHOTO CONTEST)
Putting in his time on West End rivers is beginning to pay off for Rich Rex as he’s focused on wild steelhead the past two winters. “The first three months I didn’t catch a thing, but hiked rivers up and down looking for good water. Every weekend I was out there and finally I am starting to see success for my hard work,” he stated when sending this pic of his biggest 2018 fish. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
^
Mike Campion didn’t plan to fish the San Juan Islands that day for blackmouth, but after running down to the harbor during last month’s cold snap to check on his boat and warm the engines up, tide change was coming on, so … “Put down a ’chovy and bam,” he says. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
44 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
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Northwest Sportsman 45
46 Northwest Sportsman
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PHOTO
CONTEST
WINNERS!
Jesse Hopkins’ picture of daughter Noel fishing off the dock of an Oregon Coast lake last September for largemouth is the winner of our monthly Yo-Zuri Photo Contest. It wins him gear from the company that makes some of the world’s best fishing lures and lines!
Earl Foytack is our monthly Ontario Knife Co. Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of granddaughter Emily and her first deer, taken last fall in Southwest Washington. It wins him a knife from Ontario Knife Company!
For your shot at winning Ontario knives and Yo-Zuri fishing 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 | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 47
MIXED BAG
‘Honorable And Selfless’: WDFW Warden Named State Cop Of 2018
Sgt. Ryan John accepts the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award from Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib while WACOPS officials Chris Tracy (left) and Darrel Stidham look on. (WDFW)
A
Washington game warden who responded to the scene of a helicopter crash and helped save crewmembers’ lives was named the statewide Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Sgt. Ryan John’s actions in January 2018 in the southeast corner of the state were called “honorable and selfless” by Chris Tracy, president of the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, which gives out the annual honor. “You were off duty, away from your detachment, when you heard the call regarding a lost helicopter,” Tracy said. “After hiking in the dark to the remote canyon, you were able to communicate with the
LifeFlight team redirecting them to the proper location. With the help of another Fish and Wildlife employee you provided desperately needed first aid to the pilot and crew. The story is more tragic when we consider that one of the crew died in that crash. It also highlights how necessary and life-changing your efforts were for those that lived. Sergeant John, you embody the selfless heroism officers display every day in this profession. Your professionalism and dedication to the job compelled you to act.” Tracy presented John the award – the first Washington Department of Fish and Wildife officer to ever receive it – during a late January ceremony with Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib. Habib noted that John “is deeply
By Andy Walgamott
deserving of the award he received today,” and Gov. Jay Inslee also thanked the sergeant for his service. John along with Paul Wik, the WDFW district wildlife biologist for the Blue Mountains, were the first on the scene after the aircraft, operated by Clarkston’s Kiwi Air, went down in Ping Gulch near Central Ferry in northern Garfield County. On board were pilot Blake Malo of Clarkston, and crewmembers Garrett Bradshaw of Eagle Point, Oregon, and Benjamin Poirier of Colorado. Poirier died, unfortunately. The contracted chopper had been part of a WDFW mule deer capture operation. Last fall John was also honored with the WDFW Police’s Distinguished Service Award for his actions. “Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police are extremely proud and honored to have Ryan John amongst our ranks,” said Becky Bennett, the community outreach liaison for the agency’s Enforcement Division. “The sergeant showcases the exemplary professionalism, quick action, and dedication our officers have in protecting the public and our natural resources.” John is a son of the region he serves. “I feel like it’s not the writing tickets aspect of it. It’s the overall feeling of protecting fish and wildlife in this country that I grew up in,” he told a contributor for a March 2013 article in this magazine.
4 ELK SHOT, WASTED ON OREGON COAST
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regon wildlife troopers were asking for the public’s help to solve two poaching cases involving four elk. They say that three dead cows and a five-point bull were found dead in January in Tillamook and Lincoln Counties, all shot by a rifle. The cows were investigated Jan. 12
and were found in a clearcut 2.5 miles up a road off Highway 6 in the Fox Creek area east of Tillamook. Oregon State Police reported that they had been killed with a high-powered rifle and left to waste, but said that evidence was gathered at the scene. Tipsters are being asked to call OSP Dispatch (503-842-4433) and reference
case number SP19-013862. As for the bull, it was found by a landowner on Jan. 8 near Hidden Valley Road just west of Toledo. It too was left to waste, OSP reported. Informants are being told to contact Trooper Jason Adkins (800-452-7888; 541961-8859; TIP@state.or.us) and to reference case SP19-022825.
nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 49
MIXED BAG
Large Reward Offered For Info On Seattle Sea Lion Shootings
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ederal game wardens are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information on a string of California sea lion shootings in Puget Sound since late last summer. They say more than a dozen in King and Kitsap Counties have been confirmed to have been shot, with many washing up dead in West Seattle. “We are concerned about a number of recent reports of marine mammal deaths caused by gunshots in the greater Seattle area,” said Greg Busch of NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement in An X-ray of a sea lion found washed up dead on a press release. His agency is in a West Seattle beach show its head had been hit by at least five shotgun pellets. (WDFW) charge of enforcing the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which bars harassing, shooting or killing sea lions, among other species. Violating the act can incur up to $28,500 in penalties per count, plus a year in jail and forfeiture of equipment used in the crime. The reward is contingent on the info leading to a perpetrator or perps receiving a civil penalty or being criminally convicted. The numbers to call are (206) 526-4300 for the agent on the case, or a 24-hour hotline, (800) 853-1964. According to NOAA, sea lion shootings in fall and winter have become “a regular occurrence” up and down the West Coast. As the species has reached its habitat’s carrying capacity in recent years, conflicts have grown as the sea-going pinnipeds have swam up the Columbia and Willamette Rivers to feast on salmon, steelhead and sturgeon. Last fall, ODFW was granted a federal permit to remove up to 93 a year at Willamette Falls to save an endangered run of winter steelhead. And in December, a bill passed by Congress will allow up to 1,100 or so to be killed by Idaho, Oregon and Washington state wildlife managers and several tribes in portions of the Columbia and its salmonid-bearing tribs. At least two sea lion bills have also been introduced this session in Washington’s legislature calling on Congress to do more.
JACKASS OF THE MONTH JOTM had a few candidates to choose from this month. There was the Pennsylvania teen who allegedly took his mom’s minivan out and, with 50 Northwest Sportsman
MARCH 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
Southwest Washington Poacher Pleads Guilty To 15 Counts
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illiam J. Haynes, part of a loose-knit Southwest Washington poaching ring, was set to be sentenced in late February after pleading guilty to 15 counts of illegal hunting activities, including five felonies, in Skamania County earlier this winter. The 25-year-old could be sentenced to a year in jail, according to The Daily News of Longview, and he stands to lose his rights to own guns and dogs. Haynes also could be ordered to not contact two other members of the group that unlawfully ran William J. Haynes. (WDFW) hounds after bears, killing and leaving the carcasses to waste, as well as lose his hunting privileges, depending on a judge’s Feb. 28 sentencing decision, according to the paper. The other 10 charges he pled guilty to were gross misdemeanors. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard someone plead guilty to,” WDFW Region 5 Captain Jeff Wickersham told reporter Alex Bruell. Haynes was originally charged with 64 counts by the county. The Daily News also reported two other major players had been convicted there: • Eddy A. Dills pleaded guilty to illegal big game hunting in the first degree, unlawfully hunting with hounds and wastage last November and was sentenced to three-plus weeks of home detention; • And his son Joseph A. Dills pleaded guilty to four similar charges last October and faces sentencing next month. The fourth primary member of the group, Erik C. Martin, had also been expected to plead guilty and is currently serving a jail sentenced in Oregon, the paper reported. It wasn’t clear if the time Martin is doing south of the Columbia was related to the 42 charges he was hit with last May by Wasco County. That’s where the case began in late December 2016 after Oregon State Police wildlife troopers investigating a string of headless bucks shot and left on winter range near Mt. Hood matched a trail cam photo of a truck with one spotted in The Dalles and pulled it over. Inside were Haynes and Martin, and a mountain of evidence was ultimately found on their phones and homes. The case became public in spring 2017 after search warrants were served at suspects’ houses and antlers along with videos showing multiple bears and bobcats being pursued by hounds surfaced. Hound hunting has been outlawed for 20 years. “They just want to see stuff die. It’s a sick and twisted mentality; you and I will not get it,” then WDFW Deputy Chief Mike Cenci told Northwest Sportsman. “Most human beings wouldn’t do this.”
several friends, gunned down at least six whitetails. Then there was the Alabama woman who unknowingly bragged to a game warden on a dating app about the buck she had killed outside of rifle season and at night with a spotlight. But those can’t really touch the Wyoming man on whose property 114 decaying deer carcasses were found and which led to 11
counts of wanton destruction of big game animals charged against him. Gregg Lambdin, 62, faces up to two decades in prison and fines of more than $100,000 if convicted on all counts, nine of which are felonies, according to the Associated Press. He is suspected of killing the deer over a 28-month period starting in July 2016.
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Big Money Won At San Juans Derbies
By Andy Walgamott
A
pair of anglers took home some pretty big money following their wins at blackmouth fishing derbies held in Washington’s San Juan Islands earlier this winter. Lance Husby scored $15,000 at last month’s 4th Annual Friday Harbor Salmon Classic for his 16-pound, 13-ounce resident Chinook, caught on the first day of the event, while Paul McAbee’s secondday 19.13-pounder was good for first and $12,000 at mid-January’s 16th Annual Roche Harbor Salmon Classic. McAbee, who hails from Bellingham, also caught the fourth-place fish, which was the day one leader, bringing his payday to $14,000 overall. As for other results, coming in second for $5,000 at Friday Harbor was Tim Melton with a 15-pound, 12-ouncer, while Craig Hougen was third ($2,000) with a blackmouth just 2 ounces lighter. The rest of the top five at Roche Harbor included Michael Porter (17.12 pounds, $5,000), Connor Ryan (15.10 pounds, $3,000) and Bill Shaw (14.9 pounds, $1,000). Salmon For Soldiers also received a $10,000 check at the Friday Harbor event.
250-plus Steelies Caught In Umpqua C&R Derby
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or the second year in a row, guide Danny Bowers’ boat won the Umpqua Fisheries Enhancement Derby, catching 26 steelhead in the Feb. 2-3 catch-andrelease event that benefits habitat in the popular Oregon system. That’s four fish better than his 2018 result and was seven more than this year’s second-place finisher, Scott Worsley, who was also runner-up last year. Organizers reported that more than 250 winter-runs were caught by anglers over two days, 146 in the mainstem, 83 in the South Umpqua and 29 in the North. The event also includes a kids fishing day on Cooper Creek Reservoir for fifth graders at a local elementary. According to The News-Review of Roseburg, the overall effort has raised more than $1.54 million for salmon and steelhead habitat restoration over the past 26 years.
Lance Husby holds an oversized $15,000 check for catching the largest blackmouth during early February’s Friday Harbor Salmon Classic. (CARSTEN MCINTOSH, NMTA)
ONGOING/ UPCOMING EVENTS Now-spring: Spring Steelhead Derby, Washington’s Grande Ronde River; boggansoasis.com March 9 through the end of season: Westport Charterboat Association Weekly Lingcod Derby; charterwestport.com April 20, 27th Annual Spring Fishing Classic, Willamette River; nsiafishing.org May 19, 8th Annual Surf Perch Derby, Long Beach Washington; surfperchderby.com
nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 53
Oregon Angler Wins Okanogan Ice Derby
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ady anglers did well at mid-January’s 15th Annual Northwest Ice Fishing Festival, placing one-two. Kristin Williams took home the $1,000 grand prize for her 6.89-pound, five-fish limit caught out of Sidley Lake in Washington’s Okanogan Highlands, a bag that included a 3-pound, 2.6-ounce rainbow good for first place and $125 in the adult division as well. For how far Williams drove to participate – 443 miles, all the way from the Portland suburb of West Linn – less than an inch separated her from second place. Her big fish weighed the same as one Dawn Lawson of Oroville brought in, but was a quarter inch longer for the tiebreaker. Still, Lawson went back down the hill $100 richer for coming in second. In third was Josh Pollard of Shoreline, just north of Seattle, with a 2-pound, 11.8-ouncer, good for $75. “We had five anglers reach their daily limit,” organizers reported on the Jan. 19 event’s Facebook page. “Billy Monroe was done fishing before noon after maxing out!” On the kids side, Ezecial Pruett of Spokane Valley came in first ($75) with a 2-pound, 13-ounce fish while Koda Hirst of Oroville was both second and third with 2-pound, 6.6-ounce and 14.6-ounce fish, good for $50 and $25. Hirst was among the quintet of anglers limiting The award for more creative ice hut went to Sheree Wilkinson for her “hula hut” featuring palm tree, surfboard, leis, and other tropical elements. The festival is a derby/community gathering put on by the Oroville Chamber of Commerce and headquartered out of the Molson Grange, where there were activities and good food to be had. Sponsors included Country Store, Pastime Brewing, among others.
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Blackmouth Derbies Roll On
T
hree winter blackmouth derbies down, two to go. March hosts events on either side of Whidbey Island, leading off with the March 8-10 Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby out of Gardiner and followed by the March 16-17 Everett Blackmouth Derby. First prize at the former, held in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, is $10,000 and tickets ($40) are on sale online through March 6. Last year’s derby produced a remarkable tie with twin 16.85-pound resident kings weighed in, but the loot went to Micah Handley because his fish was on the scale a day before Kyle Madison’s. The derby is put on by the Gardiner Salmon Derby Association in support of student scholarships, and emergency and community services, according to organizers. For more information or to track results, see gardinersalmonderby.org. As for the latter derby, it features $3,000, $1,500, $500 and $250 payouts for the top four fish caught in Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9. The 2018 edition was won by Sam Shephard who caught an 11.82-pounder. Tickets are $100 per boat (up to four anglers) and are limited to 125. Organized by the Everett Steelhead & Salmon Club, the derby is headquartered out of Bayside
Western Washington’s blackmouth derby action shifts from the San Juans to the south side of the Straits and North Sound waters with two March events. Micah Hanley won the 2018 Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby with this 16.85-pound resident king. (DENNIS MARTIN) Marine, by the 10th Street launch. Both events are part of the Northwest Salmon Derby Series, and entrants are automatically in the running to be drawn for the $75,000 grand prize package that includes a Weldcraft 202 Rebel Hardtop equipped with 200- and 9.9-horse Yamahas, EZ Loader trailer, Scotty downriggers, Raymarine Electronics and more. For more, see nwsalmonderbyseries.com.
2019 NORTHWEST SALMON DERBY SERIES March 8-10: Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby March 16-17: Everett Blackmouth Derby July 12-14: Bellingham Salmon Derby July 24-28: The Big One (Lake Couer d’Alene) Salmon Derby Aug. 1-4: Brewster Salmon Derby Aug. 3: South King County PSA Salmon Derby Aug. 10: Gig Harbor PSA Salmon Derby Aug. 17-18: Vancouver (BC) Chinook Classic Aug. 31: Columbia River Fall Salmon Derby Sept. 7: Edmonds Coho Derby Sept. 21-22: Everett Coho Derby Nov. 2-3: Everett Blackmouth Salmon Derby For more details, see nwsalmonderbyseries.com.
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Northwest Sportsman 61
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COLUMN Despite a low forecasted return, the Willamette system is still expected to produce around 11,000 spring Chinook this season for anglers, and the Multnomah Slough, where Brian Farrell and Jason Bick show off one, is a good place to fish for the year’s first – and some say tastiest – returning salmon. (BUZZ RAMSEY)
Willamette Still Worth Fishing For Springers S BUZZ RAMSEY
ure, we’ve had larger runs of spring Chinook in past years, but this season’s 40,200-fish return to the Willamette might represent
your best chance at capturing one of these delicious-tasting salmon. Oregon fisheries biologists expect sport anglers will harvest just shy of 11,000 fin-clipped Chinook from the Willamette and its slough, the Multnomah Channel, this spring. What’s often described as a “metro fishery” – the Willamette runs right through the
heart of downtown Portland – produces salmon action from now through May and given a cool spring, could last into early June. And although April is considered the peak month, the action on the lower Willamette and the channel can produce all season long. The fish are good-sized for springers, averaging 9 to 15 pounds, while the few
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COLUMN Most anglers find success in deep water (over 25 feet) by trolling their outfits 12 to 20 feet below the surface. There are exceptions to this basic rule, though. For example, in early morning or when the river is turbid, fish can be found closer to the surface, say, 6 to 10 feet down. Given clear water conditions combined with a bright sun you may find salmon deeper in the water column or near bottom. It’s all different in the Willamette’s slough, where the water is mostly shallower than the Portland Harbor, the channel is narrower and more riverlike, and fish will hug bottom when the tide is running, and middepth – especially in deeper areas – when tides are flooding.
Springer tactics change throughout the months-long fishery, with a green-label herring behind a Fish Flash a solid setup for the early season’s cool waters. Later on, author Buzz Ramsey, here with brother John, advises running a 3.5-size Hildebrandt spinner behind a rotating flasher. (BUZZ RAMSEY) 5-year-old fish in the run might tip the scale up to 30 pounds.
OCEAN TIDES AFFECT the Willamette all the way to the falls at Oregon City and can influence the river and when and where salmon bite more than you might think. For example, a large flood tide can slow, stop or sometimes reverse the current of the lower Willamette and, especially, the somewhat narrow – at least compared to the mainstem – Multnomah Channel. Willamette springers respond positively to tide changes in the same way as ocean salmon, with the best bite often occurring before and after each tide change. Because tides affect when and where there will be current, their timing makes a difference in which technique you choose and, depending on that selection, when and/or where you fish. For example, plunking/still-fishing the lower river and channel will require moving water facilitated by an outgoing tide to make stationary lures perform. 64 Northwest Sportsman
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Forward trolling, and especially in a zigzag pattern, is often best when tides are flat or flooding. By trolling in an irregular pattern your lure or bait will change direction and action. This can trigger strikes from following salmon that may lose interest when lures, unlike real baitfish, don’t respond to their approach. If you have a small boat, you may have the advantage here since bigger/longer boats don’t turn as sharply as short ones.
DEPTH IS ONE of the most important factors to consider when forward trolling, and water depths vary a lot in the Willamette. The general rule is, if the water is 25 feet deep or less, position your outfit just above bottom since salmon will usually be found there. If the water is deeper, or when tides are flooding, fish can suspend above bottom or at middepth. This is especially true in the deeply dredged channel of the main Willamette from the Ross Island Bridge to its confluence with the Columbia.
FOR MANY ANGLERS a herring (green label is the most popular size for spring Chinook) trolled in combination with a Fish Flash is the most productive during the early portion of the season, when the water is cool. Later on, when the water is generally warmer and clearer, a small spinner, like a 3.5 size offered by Hildebrandt, trolled in combination with a rotating flasher, like a Pro Troll, seems to have the edge. What many guides and anglers do is run triangular flashers early on and a combination of triangular (on the front rods) and rotating flashers (on back rods) later. A downstream troll produces best when tides are ebbing, especially when the water first starts to run from an outgoing tide. Many regard the first half of the ebb as the best time to be fishing and not chasing lunch or taking a potty break. Realize that ocean tides affect the channel, lower river and harbor more than upstream areas, but the time of the tide change can trigger a bite even at Oregon City. In addition, the flow of the Willamette combined with the height of the Columbia can alter the timing of ocean tides. All of this requires a little thought, on-the-water experience and a tide book (available at tackle stores) or smartphone app (I use FishHead; another choice is EbbTide), which show the tide time difference and the amount of fluctuation for various spots along the Willamette and its slough. The theory behind why the best bite occurs when ocean tides cause the water to begin to run out is that all salmon will
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COLUMN where and when back-trolling or anchoring alongside one might produce best.
ANOTHER DOWNSTREAM TROLLING meth-
While the entire Willamette system below the falls is influenced by tides, how you fish the dredged river and the narrower, shallower Multnomah Channel, where guide Eric Linde shows off a nice 2017 springer, does differ, the author maintains. (BUZZ RAMSEY) then face into the current and by trolling the opposite way they are facing, you will encounter far more salmon than you otherwise would. The exception to this thought is when and where a big outgoing tide will cause the current to run too fast. Not wanting to battle a fast-moving current the salmon will often be positioned near bottom,
where the current might be slack or more of a flowing eddy. Other places to find salmon, when currents are moving fast, include just downstream from underwater drop-offs, bridge pilings, or positioned downstream from points of land extending into the river. Another place fish move to when flows are racing is along current edges. This is
od that is gaining in popularity is to trail a deep-diving plug, like a Mag Lip, out beyond your other lines. Salmon – all fish, for that matter – that did not bite when you trolled the main portion of your gear through them, might be feeling they missed out and strike a straggler – your trailing Mag Lip, in this case – with a vengeance. I’ll often trail a size 3.5, 4.0 or 4.5 Mag Lip out 50 to 70 feet or more behind the boat. Keep in mind that diving plugs will go deeper than normal when trolling downstream due to the current pushing the belly out of your line. If the water depth is 25 feet or less, the ideal plug size combined with the amount of let out should be such that your plug will trip/hit the bottom every few yards. And while having your plug occasionally trip bottom will likely produce more strikes than if not, you don’t want it grinding into the bottom too hard. The action of your rod tip should reveal whether or not your plug is hitting bottom and how hard. Strikes are hard, so set the hook without delay, as there is no waiting for springers to munch it down like when trolling a herring. NS Editor’s note: The author is a brand manager and part of the management team at Yakima Bait. Like Buzz on Facebook.
2019 COLUMBIA SYSTEM SPRING CHINOOK FORECASTS
T
he overall predicted return of spring Chinook back to the mouth of the Columbia is well below the 10-year average but should come as no surprise given recent ocean conditions. Expectations for this year’s first salmon runs to the big river were essentially set all the way back in 2017 when federal fishery overseers warned that that spring’s offshore survey of juvenile salmon foresoothed poor 2018 returns continuing into 2019. Still, some individual stocks are expected to hold steady or even improve slightly this coming season, and next year could be better. While seasons had not been set at this
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writing, here are forecasts for the rivers: Columbia (all runs, SAFE to Central Idaho): 157,500, down 91,000 from the overall 2018 forecast and 20,000 fewer than the actual return; just over half of the 10-year average and would be the lowest since 2007 if it returns as predicted Willamette: 40,200 adults, one of the lowest forecasts in 10 years but above 2018’s actual return; 10-year average is 64,900; Clackamas: 2,800, below most recent years’ runs, but above 2018’s; figure is part of overall Willamette forecast; Sandy: 5,500, slightly more than 2018’s forecast and more than actually came back
last year; Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis: 4,300 (1,300, 1,400, 1,600), the lowest forecast this millennium; 10-year average is 15,300; Mid-Columbia tribs: 40,000, slightly up from 2018 and 5,000-plus fish more than actually returned; Wind: 2,800; Drano: 5,600; Klickitat: 1,100; Yakima: 2,970; Umatilla: Not available at this writing Upper Columbia: 11,200, about 1,600 fewer than last year’s actual return and nearly 9,000 less than the forecast; Snake (springs, summers): 48,100, less than half of last year’s forecast and nearly 20,000 fewer than the actual return; 10year average is 110,477. –NWS
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COLUMN
Prime Time For Skagit-Sauk Steel NORTH SOUND
N
early delayed or done in for a second year by some sort By Doug Huddle of political/legal wrangling, nevertheless, we’re a month into the resurgent, planned three-monthlong upper Skagit basin catch-and-release winter-run steelhead fishery. With as close to an absolute guarantee as a nontreaty public fishery can get nowadays, this remake of the fabled – almost mythic – late-winter/early spring steelhead fishery of the 1970s-90s was given the nod for a five-year run by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s branch agency, the National Marine Fisheries Service, back in April 2018.
FIRST, THE COLDEST WATER … But before continuing on in wildly euphoric style, a little dose of reality. Recreational anglers should be mindful that nothing’s been restored to permanency here. Amid the contentious debate surrounding Puget Sound steelhead, this resumed opportunity essentially is “on probation,” its somewhat tenuous nature exemplified by several phrases in the 2018 NOAA-Fisheries letter granting the state and Puget Sound tribes permission to carry out some sort of fisheries. Pursuant to the feds’ lengthy scrutiny of the Skagit Resource Management Plan (RMP), the technical evaluation found that the comanager’s petition had provided enough information and assurances required by the Endangered Species Act and its recovery guidelines. But verbiage of the key consent paragraph includes a somewhat circumspect conditional caveat observing that the fishery “does not appreciably [my emphasis] reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of the Puget Sound Steelhead
After 2018’s brief, 12-day April season on the upper Skagit and lower Sauk Rivers, when this wild winter run was caught, North Sound steelheaders were greenlighted for a three-month fishery through next month, though with the possibility that catch-and-release, selective-gear angling could close earlier if impact limits are reached. (CHRIS SENYOHL, INTREPID ANGLERS) nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
Northwest Sportsman 69
COLUMN
The best way to work the big rivers is via boat, and there are good launches and takeouts from top to bottom of the open stretches. While jet sleds are OK on the Skagit (though fishing under power isn’t), only drift boats are allowed on the Sauk, which this pair of anglers was plugging last spring. (ANDY WALGAMOTT) Distinct Population Segment.” Remember that preserving and recovering are the essential pillars of endangered species law. The sobering interpretation of that line suggests that if this resource exploitation for recreational or subsistence purposes is poorly managed or miscalculated (which no one caught going in), then the odds of just saving these wild natives, let alone bringing back their numbers, must be presumed to decrease. NOAA Fisheries Assistant Regional Administrator Ryan Wulff’s consent letter goes on to say in the next paragraph: “NMFS views this 5-year approved fishery time-frame as a period to test and fine tune the Skagit RMP assumption and assess the overall success and impact.” For good measure, Wulff includes the admonition that “the Co-managers approach implementation of the Skagit RMP [including this fishery] cautiously and interact with NMFS’ biological staff to address any issues, during this period, as they arise.” In other words, the feds will be watching, albeit again in my opinion, just like parents of teenagers on a Saturday night. And, by the way, it would be in the best 70 Northwest Sportsman
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of all possible worlds that wild steelhead spawner numbers were up at the end of this five-year plan.
HOW ‘CAUTION’ IS CALCULATED In itemized provisions 3 and 4 in the 2018 letter of consent, among certain mandated responsibilities and compliance terms for the state and tribes is the “governor” for this fishery. Now, by formal rule there’s a calculable limit to the number of wild steelhead in each return year that die after encounters, either as ceremony/subsistence harvested fish, nonretention commercial or by being brought to hand by hook-and-line anglers in this and various other recreational fisheries. The management equation involved isn’t new as ESA dictums go, as it’s similar to formulaic methods that have been used for more than a decade on Columbia River system and Puget Sound fisheries encountering native Chinook and summerrun steelhead, and a derivation operates in bottomfish fishery management as well. As baseball announcers say, if you are keeping score at home, the working numbers for this year are: • 20 percent: Overall allowable loss from the Skagit’s wild steelhead run (an
in-year constant, depends on run size, the arbitrary figure is created by the rule); • 6,557 fish: The expected 2019 run size of Skagit River basin wild winter-run steelhead stock (also an in-year constant that will vary year-to-year); • 10 percent: The presumed mortality rate (the percentage of steelhead lost, i.e., dying, after release is an arbitrary figure, too); The encounters number is an increasing or cumulative figure derived from angler (creel census) interviews five days a week morning to evening in the C&R zone. For instance: • 2.2: Three days from the Feb. 1 opener, the calculated number of fish presumed to have died after release. Federal administrators agreed to a sliding scale of allowable mortality limits, known as takes, on wild Skagit steelhead, depending on the anticipated run-size. In any given year one will apply to the preseason forecast return as follows: • 4 percent for runs under 4,000 fish; • 10 percent for runs expected to number between 4,001 and 6,000 fish; • 20 percent for runs expected to number between 6,001 and 8,000 fish (this year’s allowable loss);
COLUMN For bank anglers, the Skagit and Sauk offer an assortment of options, some easier to reach than others. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
• And 25 percent for runs predicted to exceed 8,001 fish. These are “shared” rates. The combined calculated takes (losses) from both treaty and nontreaty harvest and research activities may not exceed these percentages of the run. State and treaty tribe managers agreed to a flexible apportionment each year of the number of takes to enable, in compliance with the Boldt Decision, equitable, planned fishing opportunities by both user groups. In conjunction, with the fish and wildlife department’s required intensive weekly monitoring, this presents the possibility that the cap on takes in the C&R fishery could be reached before the posted closure date, April 30. State managers advise that since this management regime is in its initial developmental stage and the pace and effectiveness of the angling effort is not, at this point, predictable, anglers check periodically to make sure that an emergency closure hasn’t gone into effect. Watch the Fishing Rules Updates section at wdfw.wa.gov. Now, back to the excitement. 72 Northwest Sportsman
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BOAT VERSUS BANK I’m among a probably quite small group of middling steelheaders who can see themselves adequately functioning and enjoying a day with their feet on either a fiberglass or aluminum deck or terra firma, it makes no difference. But I’ll concede that steelheaders weighing the choice objectively without the prejudice of any considerations other than simply covering water as a means to maximize catches would choose the boat option 95 percent of the time. Having said that, in this fishery it’s not necessary to bear the burden of watercraft ownership to be a successful and satisfied angler since there are a reasonable number of overland solutions. One note of prudence that does apply, especially to the upper Sauk reach, is that caution and experience piloting a boat is required. The significantly braided section of the river between the Suiattle mouth and Darrington can change substantially from year to year. Scouting some channel sections is a must if it’s your first time, and prudent regardless of how many times you’ve navigated it in the past. Also, shore-bound anglers, once they
get inside the meander lines of the rivers are safe, but to get there requires some sort of trespass. Permission is implied on publicly owned land but on private fee title or treaty trust properties explicit permission must be obtained to avoid the potential of a misdemeanor citation. It’s on you to know whose land you’re going on and get their verbal or written permission.
BOAT ACCESSES The mainstem Skagit’s C&R section is roughly divided into three reaches by four strategically located, readily usable trailered-craft ramps. One other approach allows launch or recovery of smaller drift and personal craft. From the top, they are: Marblemount (U.S. Forest Service Wild and Scenic), at the Cascade River Road bridge on the east, or left, bank of the river; it has a good ramp with fair keel/motor launch draft; Sutter Creek (Bald Eagle Rest Area), small, gravel but suitable for wrestling canoes and drift boats in/out; Rockport (Howard Miller Steelhead Park, Skagit County), just downstream of the Highway 530 bridge; an excellent ramp with very good draft at all flows;
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COLUMN Faber Ferry Ramps (North and South, WDFW), old private ferry slipways on both sides of the river; the north side ramp slides into faster water; And Baker River (WDFW), broad, graveled with occasionally shallow draft on lower flows. The lower Sauk’s fabled waters are fairly bisected by two good, purpose-built trailered drift or cartop craft launches at the top and middle points of the river’s run. Sauk Prairie Road Bridge, under the county’s bridge; And Lower Sauk (USFS Wild and Scenic), on the west, or left, bank downstream of the Highway 530 span. Note that the Faber takeouts are about 2 miles below the mouth of the Sauk.
BOOT ACCESSES The most no-hassle (publicly owned) entries in all the Skagit C&R fishery are
between Rockport and Marblemount, the list consisting of county (park), state (WDFW) and federal (USFS) shoreline parcels. This reach makes sense for a daylong “bankie crawl” because a decent smorgasbord of drop-ins are relatively close together. You can choose from high bank (feet dry), bar wading, and pool tailout drifting. Here are key Skagit entrees: The Dalles to Faber Baker River mouth (public eastside/ private westside, off Highway 20) at Concrete, the right (west) bank option allows you to walk a good way downstream. In April, when Puget Sound Energy is generating power and the Sauk is putting in color, there’s a plume wall extending more than a half mile downstream that can be played with a sinking fly. On the launch (east) side, you are pretty much anchored there;
Jackman Creek (public, off Highway 20), parking is limited and you need to stay in the creek channel down to the river where you can work the right bank downstream along more than a half mile of bank bar; USFS Wild and Scenic (opposite Jackman, public, off Concrete-Sauk Valley Road), gets you to several split channel drifts and a good piece of holding water where steelhead often lay over after coming up the fast water of the Jackman Drop. Faber to Rockport Rockport State Park (public, off Highway 20), trailhead south of the state highway leads to old railroad grade from Rockport downstream to the Sauk Store Road. Snaggy, high bank and bank bar type terrain on top of good slot stretches; Sauk Store Road (public, Highway 20), southern terminus of the old railroad trail and along the road itself there are a few drop-in plunker-style sites
Best flows are found in March, when winter still holds sway in the mountainous highlands of these wild and scenic rivers and they’re less prone to muddy blowouts. But good fishing can also be found later on following a freshet, as 2018’s top day by catch – April 18 – showed. One-fifth of the short season’s 565 steelhead were caught that day as the waters dropped back in shape and hook-naïve-fish were snapping at just about anything. (JAGGED RIDGE IMAGING) 74 Northwest Sportsman
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COLUMN There’s water for just about every kind of steelheader out there (OK, except bait guys), and while pink worms are a top option for these aggressive nates, jigs under a bobber and big spoons, along with plugs and flies all will catch their share of fish. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
Howard Miller Steelhead Park (public, Highway 20), accesses limited wading opportunity for early evening fly casting. Dawns aren’t viable here as too much noise from departing boats drives overnight loiterers from the “soft” shallows. It also serves as a trailhead for the old downstream railroad trail. Rockport to Marblemount Pressentin County Park (public, Highway 20), trails get you out to the bars at the Big Eddy hole below the mouth of the Cascade River, good for bobber and jig passes or drifting tailouts; Skagit River Resort (private commercial, Highway 20), there’s a great stretch of slot water on the lower end of the property’s trail that a bobber and jig can be floated through; Sutter Rest Area-Milepost 101 (public, Highway 20), access to high bank upstream (101 Hole) for spin casting and Sutter Bar on downstream end for drift presentations; Washington Eddy (public, Highway 20), a brushy walk to large point bar; The Eddies (private, Rockport-Cascade Road), for a high-bank spin-casting 76 Northwest Sportsman
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presentation. Lower Barnaby Slough-Lewis Farm (public, Rockport Cascade Road, off Martin Road), high-bank access is not as viable as it once was due to channel migration, but bobber and jig presentations work here. The Sauk’s landward approaches are harder to unambiguously define with so much of the river temptingly in view but virtually all of its confining banks are in private ownership. A secondary dilemma for walk-ins is finding a route not blocked by intervening non-steelhead-bearing side channel beaver ponds. The lower half of the C&R reach is bordered by the Concrete-Sauk Valley Road county on the west, or left, bank and State Route 530 (Rockport-Darrington Highway) on the other. There’s a small county park on the west bank below the so-called Government Bridge (the Concrete-Sauk Valley Road’s bridge). Some bottomland along the lower reach is owned by private timber companies which have policies allowing public, nonmotorized access but no fires or overnight stays.
The upper half of the Sauk’s C&R zone is close to being an exclusive watercraftaccessed fishery and unfortunately it’s the reach with the best prevailing water clarity as it’s above the influence of the Suiattle.
MARCH AND APRIL CONDITIONS If a poll was held among North Sound steelheaders for the month with the best water and weather conditions for flogging their wares – closest to ideal, that is – March likely would get the most votes. With precip still falling as snow aloft on the mountains and warmer rain down low in the valley bottoms during storms, both volume and clarity at depth ranges in both the Skagit and Sauk give cover for the fish without scattering them while enabling relatively easy navigation. Except for a mysterious group of really big wild steelhead that used to come through the lower Sauk in February bound for spawning grounds unknown in some hidden recess in the Suiattle or above Darrington, the majority of the adult breeding steelhead gradually work their way into the upper basin areas in late
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COLUMN March and early April, with peak spawning occurring in most tributaries in mid-May – the latest of all Puget Sound winter-runs. That’s most years, as in those drier Marches and Aprils when the bottom drops out of the river, clarity goes to that of gin and the temperature hovers around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, most of the fish will lay up further down below the Sauk. Given that clarity and flow volume are the characteristics influencing most anglers’ choices, designing a plan of attack for the remaining two-thirds of this season could go something like this. Boondogging jetsledders might want to focus time on the Skagit’s The Dalles to Sauk reach. One of the biggest steelhead, a 26-pound buck, I ever personally witnessed being caught was picked up on a boondog drift from a deep slot just above the bedrock exposure a quarter mile up from The Dalles Bridge on a March in-house club derby. Sauk-bound steelhead making the turn in March often mosey rather that streak up the lower reach where they’ll hold or
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be found by the first anglers through each morning in some unexpected watery hides, April’s calendar, with its increased flows and, in the Sauk, increased color from the Suiattle more likely, dictates a shift for plug pullers to the Rockport-Marblemount reach and for Sauk anglers moving upstream to Darrington down to the 530 Bridge. A note on flow regimes: While the Sauk’s discharges are all naturally arrhythmic, affected by irregular weather temperature and precipitation, in the Skagit’s Rockport to Marblemount reach base flows are additionally affected by a daily cyclic up and down that can be as much as 3,000 to 4,000 cubic feet per second caused by Seattle City Light’s Gorge Dam Powerhouse electricity generation. During March 2018 the maximum amplitude was around 1,400 cfs, the down drop started at around midnight and flow raised abruptly just before noon each day.
HACKLE AND HARDWARE Whether you’re an ardent plug puller, a
two-fisted Spey rod enthusiast, a focused drift fisher or a patient plunker, somewhere in the catch-and-release fishery’s grounds there is water with steelhead for you. The part of this discussion about rods, reels, lines and terminal tackle could go on for pages, but suffice it to say, to be a complete angler in any fraternity means being reasonably equipped. Every angler worth his or her salt will testify at some point to having a favorite tried-and-true lure or small arsenal of terminal gear that is/are the absolute killer for steelhead. But if you can’t read water, you bumble and splash into good holding water, can’t “feel” the ginger pick-up of a hardmouthed fish or one of more than a dozen other steelhead fishing failings or sins, you’ll never be able to make someone else’s fish-killer gear your own. As a general rule for either hardware or tied patterns, taking a broad enough selection covering small to large size ranges, as well as about half the chromatic variation of the visible spectrum, is effective. If you are a drift angler, an assortment of pink worms is considered by some a drop-dead necessity, just don’t dangle too much below the hook or you’ll only get lots of bungee bites. Add to the gaudy limber borrowed bass gear a selection of standard steelhead fare including Corkies, Spin-N-Glo winged bobbers or Cheaters with matching livery tufts of yarns. A comprehensive tackle arsenal also could include Maxi jigs (pink is preferred), Hot Shot or Tadpolly plugs (in red, orange and pink) and/or a selection of casting spoons 5/8 ounce and weightier for heavier water. The smaller versions of McMahon or Canadian Wonder spoons also can be included, and an old biologist friend of mine who used to fish the Sauk swore by an added eye dot on his favorite McMahon offerings simulating resident trout and salmonid paar trying to steal an extruded egg or two. A decent steelhead fly box should contain on one side a variety of imitator (single eggs, Muddlers, alevins) patterns and on the other an array of gaudy
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Finally, for this late winter/spring fishery, out-of-area anglers have several close-by choices for overnighting. They are: Howard Miller Steelhead Park, a highly popular riverside multi-option park that is operated by Skagit County’s parks and recreation department in the unincorporated town of Rockport lying just off State Route 20. As mentioned there’s a concrete puncheon ramp situated immediately downstream from the Highway 530 bridge. The park’s overnight accommodations include several cabins, sleep-in vehicle, RV (water and power) tent and group camping spaces/sites. Spots can be obtained on a first-come, first-served (drop-in) basis, or reservations can be made by calling, faxing or emailing the park. Contact information and numbers are available by searching skagitcounty.net. Glacier Peak Resort, formerly known as Clark’s Skagit River Resort, sits on State Route 20 about 2 miles west of “downtown” Marblemount. Modern, theme and rustic cabins as well as RV and tent camping sites, including along the river, comprise the list of accommodations. The resort also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at its restaurant and its staff also will shuttle drift-boaters. For rates and reservations, log on to glacierpeakresort.com. A little further afield but within a half hour’s drive are Rasar State Park near Birdsview, a rustic honor system private campground on Cascade River Road at the intersection of Rockport-Cascade Road, as well as a growing number of bed and breakfasts and several motels along the way. Camping is no longer allowed at Rockport State Park. NS
NEXT ISSUE April’s opening day roster of Skagit and Whatcom County lakes. 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 for more than 35 years.
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FISHING
Author Sara Ichtertz’s “Catching to Cooking” Ladies Winter Steelheading Glampout was meant as equal parts “positive soul food” for mentors such as herself (right) and Kimber Roberts (left) and instruction “on how to chase steelhead with nothing more than their own desire and gear” for participants such as Kimberly (middle). (SARA ICHTERTZ)
Sharing The River Organizing a ladies steelheading camp on Oregon’s North Coast, Sara embraces ‘the idea of women empowering women.’ By Sara Ichtertz
T
o describe her in one word would be simple – passionate. About being a mom, a wife, a friend, and a woman on the water. I feel fortunate to have witnessed her journey from dream to reality with this article. To see the love and dedication she has for the sport, the connection she has with each fish landed, or lost, and the passion she has for every minute spent on the water is one thing, but to see it written and published is
unreal and inspiring, to say the least. Sara, you truly are an inspiration in so many ways. The knowledge you have given me this last year gave me the knowhow to get out there on my own. Without you to guide me and calm my fears, my insecurities to step out on my own into the male-driven sport of fishing (would have stopped me). I can only hope that you continue to inspire other women and reel moms through your pictures, written pieces, adventures, and knowledge. I feel lucky that our paths have crossed and look
forward to spending many more mornings on the water with you. Because of you a piece of my heart is now on the river too.
THOSE ARE THE words that Suzy Pokorny wrote three winter runs ago, and they have never really left me. No matter what lay ahead in the runs to come, they helped me. There were days I would struggle as a fisherman, as a mother, as a human. But somehow knowing I changed this woman’s life in a positive way nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
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FISHING simply by being me and sharing my love for this pursuit on the rivers with her, helped me. Helped me to not give up on the days I might have liked to. The days I felt it might be best to let my dreams and desires drift downriver, as that would be the easier option. But I remembered that this all isn’t just for me. I do possess strength! It was God given and I should always do my best in remembering that. I am this Sara for a reason. There is no way that strength was meant to only foster a selfish hermitlike steelhead hunter. As my pursuit of happiness in life and the endless chase for steelhead goes hand in hand for me, I believe there is greater purpose. As women reach out to me as my fishing and writing adventures
Local guide David Johnson, who began hosting his “Fish like a girl adventures” several years ago, was on hand to talk about steelheading gear and provide on-the-water pointers. (SARA ICHTERTZ)
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continue to unfold, I love knowing I have inspired from afar, even if that inspiration helped them in their own life for just a moment in their own pursuit of happiness. One lady in particular inspired the adventure that intertwines throughout this story. She had no idea at the time, but by being able to feel her true desire to succeed on the riverbank Lisa inspired me as well. Sharing with her what I did and how to do it, she got down there and hooked herself a steelhead! It was her first and though it didn’t end in the happiest of fishy tales, it was beautiful. Empowering herself, she also empowered me from afar and ultimately led me here. One year later, embracing the silly “what ifs” in life, David Johnson and I put on our first ever “Catching to Cooking” Ladies
Winter Steelheading Glampout.
I HAVE LOVED the fisheries that Johnson, a guide, and Oregon’s North Coast have brought into my life. Yet nothing matches the love I so deeply feel for the riverbanks and for one species. If there was only one fish for me, 1,000 times over I choose steelhead! Year after year, run after run, their pursuit fulfills me. It tests me, shakes me, discourages me at times, and yet somehow connecting with even one of them in the beauty of nature fills my heart with a euphoria that I would never willingly live without. I will never even be close to the greatest steelhead fisher; however, I do believe my strength and determination as a woman and as an angler can be paid forward by bringing women together to share bank fishing so they can do so independently. I want women to know I believe in us. And in helping them to believe in themselves and in us, the beautiful thing is I felt new purpose. My heart hopes that enough ladies come to believe a world without steelhead wouldn’t be much of a world at all. I believe we can grow as both a positive and powerful force for the fish, their rivers and the water. And the day that women who love the fish stop comparing themselves to others and are willing to set that fear or that feeling of threat aside is the day we will start to believe in us. Not in me, or she, but in us. This hurdle may seem childish to those of you who do not live it or understand it. Or pretend this isn’t a true factor when I live this life and hear so many jaw-dropping stories of women completely unwilling to set aside that threat, the comparing and the downright bashing of other women. Having somebody share your passion should be beautiful; it’s not healthy to ridicule or be ridiculed while embracing what it is you love. But it happens every day. I’m not sure if they think that by trying to
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FISHING fire pit, we knew ladies could and would love to come and embrace the weekend we were concocting. This clean little nook was perfect, allowing different workshops to be held in different houses, and still gave us plenty of time together. David and I surrounded ourselves with an amazing group. They were essential to making this camp possible, and each had their own gifts to share and played a crucial role. It was a great feeling to encourage them to share their strengths and stories. I know this idea would have not been executed the way it was without my people, so thank you, Kimber Roberts, Gretchen Dearden, Cynthia Davis, and Ty Wyatt, I love and appreciate you all. (Pretty sure David does too.) Whether it was group discussions or breaking down into small groups much passion was shared. We as mentors gained that positive soul food, while participants gained knowledge on how to chase steelhead with nothing more than their own desire and gear. I hope they were all able to feel the love we have for these fish that mean so much to us.
Ichtertz and Kimberly work on a terminal rigging during the camp, held in the cozy confines of The Sheltered Nook just outside Bay City on Tillamook Bay. (SARA ICHTERTZ)
make others look bad, they look better or what. All I do know is I believe a woman who is brave enough to truly believe in herself and be confident in who she is can make the difference. After all, a woman should feel the beauty in other’s success, because it is there. When one is driven by great purpose, one can clearly see that others’ success is indeed their own success as well. The fish of the Northwest are so much greater than our social media accounts, our egos. It’s going to take strength and true heartfelt encouragement for one another to start giving back. So, this camp is my first hands-on attempt 86 Northwest Sportsman
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where I do my part in embracing the idea of women empowering women.
THE CAMP WAS passion driven. It was intended to be small, hands-on, and informative. The idea was for participants to gain understandings of steelhead behaviors and fishing tactics, all while encouraging and listening to what angling means to them. So this small group of ladies cozied up in the cutest of lodging amenities, The Sheltered Nook (find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Google) on Tillamook Bay in Bay City. The day David and I laid eyes on these sweet little houses, their gardens and the
THE FIRST NIGHT’S conversation gave me a good idea of who these ladies were. Being a writer I felt nervous to speak and I truly blew my introduction! That’s OK, though. As Stevie Parsons spoke, I saw clearly that my role was to make this happen and that together, we as a group would make it a success. As she spoke, I felt goose bumps and emotion come over me, as she said what I know so many of us feel. Her years have given her wisdom to where she absolutely knows who she is and is not afraid to say it like it is. “And I just think, the more that women can embrace women and we stop seeing each other as the enemy or as the competition – we are not the competition! We are the sisterhood, man! – and together we can kick ass when we set our minds to that,” said Stevie so passionately to these women. “There are no limits; if you want to do it, you can do it!”
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FISHING Stevie meant what she said, and she said what she meant! Her words that night were what it is all about. Give them the outlet to empower one another and true beauty will come from it. Standing on the side of that tiny river as it dropped into shockingly beautiful shape, I watched David give the ladies some final guidance. Feeling that beautiful bounce of the bottom, I believed this was exactly where we were meant to be, and I think we all felt happiness. The reason I fish is because I am truly happiest on the river. Encountering such creatures (whether they be wild or dinner) is out-of-thisworld amazing, and the happiness I find within their environment is second to none.
AS THIS WINTER’S run comes to an end, With instruction from Roberts, Kimberley tries her hand at casting. “There are no limits; if you want to do it, you can do it!” said one camp goer. (SARA ICHTERTZ)
fish numbers weren’t what I’d hoped. Does that change my passion for them? No! It does not. I realize there is much greater work for me to do as a fisher
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FISHING Inspired by Ichtertz’s own steelheading journey, Suzy Pokorny has successfully taken up fishing for winterruns, providing her own influence back on the author. “Three runs have passed us by, and she is a river hunter,” Sara says of Suzy, here with her first fish of 2019. (SARA ICHTERTZ)
than to simply catch fish. When thinking of Suzy and how I truly inspired her to get out there on her own, I see her love for the rivers and what lies beneath them. Three runs have passed us by, and she is a river hunter. In seeing such growth within her I believe there is much good work left to do in women helping women tap into their potential and see the greatness that can be reached within themselves as an individual, within ladies as a sisterhood, and within understanding how important the habitat of these fish is. Stevie is right! There really are no limits. If you want to learn to hunt the river, the only person who can stop you is you! Embracing our own watersheds and our unique characteristics we can grow. The depths of adventure my passion for steelhead continues to lead me to are almost as amazing as the fish are. They’ve given me great purpose and strength that I believe I was only meant to find within them. I trust in this pursuit of happiness and will continue living my life feeling thankful for the adventures and unchartered waters that await us. After all, my heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried. NS Editor’s note: For more on Sara’s adventures, see For The Love Of The Tug on Facebook.
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Parallel Punk Perch A
lliteration is a wonderful thing … unless carried on for too long. Then it becomes a terrible tome of tarnished, GUIDE FLY terse, taboo, tawdry By Tony Lolli tricks that thwart transcendental tranquility. But, I digress. Tom Loe owns Sierra Drifters Guide Service (sierradrifters.com, Facebook and Instagram). He’s had years of success guiding clients with the Parallel Punk Perch on California’s Eagle and Crowley Lakes and Bridgeport Reservoir, Oregon’s Crane Prairie Reservoir, Nevada’s Pyramid Lake and Utah’s Strawberry Reservoir. Loe’s been a trout guide for 40 years. Anyone who’s been in the business that long knows a thing or two about the tools of his/her trade. So, it’s advised to pay attention to what he has to say (whether or not he’s buying your next big bargain barrel of bright Bohemian beer). He says the fly was devised to imitate Sacramento Delta perch fry that inhabit numerous Western waters. By altering the color of the body dubbing it can also match the profile of other small forage fish, damselfly nymphs, cranefly nymphs, longhorn sedge caddis, swimming leeches and larger stillwater mayfly profiles. It’s a versatile pattern that can be fished by a myriad of subsurface techniques, including stripping it as a streamer. Fished below a strike indicator with the fly depth set in the section of water that the naturals are migrating in, this fly is effective. And if you have trout that feed on forage fish or larger aquatic nymphs, it’s a must! “The Parallel Punk Perch can be classified as a ‘strymph’ pattern,” says Loe. “It has characteristics of both a streamer and a nymph. The unique feature is how the jig-style hook shank is made to ride level or parallel to the bottom while the hook point rides up. “A cantilevered shape of the jig hook is accomplished by using a trimmed,
(SIERRADRIFTERS.COM)
MATERIALS Hook: TMC 403BLJ sizes 12 through 16 Thread: 8/0 black waxed Bead: Tungsten Black Nickel 3/32-inch, slid onto the pin before it is tied to the hook shank. Extension: Small diameter, flat head straight pin cut to fit two-thirds of the length of hook shaft. Tied on top of hook shaft to protrude beyond hook small-diameter flathead pin. A tungsten bead is first inserted onto the pin and then the pin is attached to the hook shank forward of the hook eye. As a result, the fly will lay parallel to the lake bottom, appearing very natural. “This appearance is vital in fooling trophy trout concentrating in shallow, clear water where your target can scrutinize imitations at a distance before they commit. Tied to the tippet correctly, a jig-style hook is very effective setting the hook in the lower part of the upper jaw. You will see an improved percentage of grabs to hooksets using a jig-style hook. I can honestly say that the unique features of this fly will give you advantage over others fishing a fly tied on a standard J-style hook,” says Loe.
eye 30 percent. Body: Arizona gray/Olive Simi Seal Tail: Olive marabou tips, Hareline Marabou Olive Brown XS265 Tail Flash: Three strands of Hareline KF-18 lime to be tied length of tail Ribbing: Small silver wire Gill band: Red 8/0 unwaxed
So, there you have it. A facetious fabrication of a fly fishing fry fly facsimile with enough finesse to fool finicky fish. If you’ll excuse me, I’m headed hastily to hearth and home (with hopes of getting rid of this headache). If you’re a guide with an innovative fly pattern to share, contact me (tonylolli@ yahoo.com) and I’ll send the details. NS Editor’s notes: This new column will rotate monthly between Northwest Sportsman and sister titles California Sportsman and Alaska Sporting Journal. Autographed copies of Tony Lolli’s new book, Art of the Fishing Fly, with an intro by President Jimmy Carter, are available from Tony Lolli, 1589 Legeer Rd., Grantsville, MD 21536 for $30 with free shipping.
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Bottomfish Season Kicks Off L
ate winter can be one of those times where you find yourself between outdoor activities. Steelheading SOUTH SOUND on coastal rivers is nearing an end and By Jason Brooks the anticipation for the spring trout opener as well as turkey season can be almost too much. But now is actually the perfect time to put some great-eating fish in the freezer, and it is fairly easily, too, if you have the right gear or are willing to explore some charter trips. Washington’s coastal bottomfish season opens on the second Saturday of March, and those who have ventured out onto the open Pacific in either their own boat or on a charter know how much fun these trips are. If you haven’t done it yet, then get out there this year and catch some fish.
STARTING DOWN IN Marine Area 1, out of Ilwaco, many charters and private boats head across the Columbia River Bar. This is the one area that you must pay attention to as well as be ready to adjust your plans on any given day. There are several outfits, including Sea Breeze Charters (800-2049125), that operate out of this small fishing town and are your safest way to hit the fishing grounds. When it comes to rockfish, in 2017 after federal overseers reduced harvest limits, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife lowered the bag to seven a day, with only two canary and no yelloweye allowed. With the lingcod limit still at two, the possession limit of bottomfish is nine. There are a few other restrictions when it comes to lings, so be sure to check the regulations. Westport is probably Washington’s un-
The many charter operations operating on the Washington Coast offer great trips for bottomfish before the salmon season begins. Author Jason Brooks holds a pair of nice-size black rockfish caught out of Westport. (JASON BROOKS) nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
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Bringing your own rods, reels and terminal tackle isn’t usually an issue on private boats, but if you’re going with a charter, call ahead and ask if it’s all right. Shrimp-pattern jigs are good for rockfish and don’t require constant rebaiting. (JASON BROOKS) official “fishing capitol” and is known for summer Chinook and coho. Thanks to several charters that belong to the Westport Charterboat Association, named WDFW’s 2018 Organization of the Year last May, you can do a combo trip later in the season after salmon opens up for bottomfish as well, but until then be sure to go out and target the many black seabass and lingcod
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available out of this harbor. There is no size limit on lings in the ocean, which can grow to large proportions though most are “eater” size, in the 5- to 10-pound range. The same bottomfish limits as Marine Area 1 apply here as well. The Westport bar is not as deadly as the Columbia’s but it is dangerous. Small craft need to heed any Coast Guard warn-
ing, but one thing this fishery provides is a jetty to fish near. Even 16- to 18-foot boats can head out on a calm day and fish along the jetty, but just be aware of currents and tides if you go. Bank anglers can fish the jetty too, on the north side of the bay, at the town of Ocean Shores. Rock hopping along any jetty is dangerous and you should use caution. Wear a life jacket because if you slip and fall, the crashing waves can make it hard to climb back up onto the rocks. Further north, La Push and Marine Area 3 has some additional rules such as the 20-fathom-line boundary, as well as a bottomfish area closure on the northern end where it meets Area 4. Some charters head up here from Westport, especially to find larger lingcod. This is early spring and caution should be used when making the trip in a private boat, but the fishing can be really good.
WHEREVER YOU FISH, be sure to have a sharp fillet knife and some freezer bags
COLUMN along. Last spring I overheard some guys talking about taking their kids fishing. At first I thought they were discussing trout lakes or some other local angling opportunities until one mentioned a “fish fry” for the following day. I inserted myself into their conversation to learn that each spring, before the trout season opens, they take their kids out to fish for rockfish on a charter. I have done this several times and each time it has been a lot of fun. Even if you own a boat, going on a charter can be the better way to go as you can take several friends and not have to worry about navigating tides or bar crossings. For those who have friends or family members who have little to no fishing experience, taking a charter is one of the best
ways to get them out fishing. Your group size and the experience you want will determine the type of charter you go on. Smaller boats, known as “six-packs,” are fast and hold six anglers along with the crew. They can cost a bit more than the traditional big-boat charter. There are other benefits, like having the entire boat to your group and getting out to the fishing grounds and back much faster. Some captains only offer trips if you book the entire boat, so be ready to have enough friends to go along and no more than what is allowed. Bigger charters cater to larger and mixed groups of anglers. To have the boat all to yourself expect to bring along a dozen or more friends. The vessels make for a comfortable ride and Washington laws al-
low anglers to keep fishing until the boat retention limit is caught. Several years ago I went out on one of these charters with some friends from Eastern Washington, along with another group of anglers that we did not know. On the way out to the fishing grounds the other group decided to enjoy some adult beverages and by the time we dropped our lines into the water half of them were leaning over the rail and “chumming.” Our group fished the entire day, catching our limits as well as the others’. They were happy to take home some fish and we were happy to keep reeling ’em in! Realize that these charters are used to taking out a lot of people and that the “angling” is not a finesse fishery. The rods are usually fiberglass with levelwind reels
Charter boat deckhands will make quick work of your catch, but be sure to wash the fillets with freshwater before freezing or vacuum packing. (JASON BROOKS)
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spooled with stout monofilament. Some use jigs or artificial baits and others use live herring. Deck hands can be picky about rigging bait or landing fish, but if you know what you are doing most appreciate not having to coddle you. Then again, it is your trip and if you don’t want to bait the hook, then the deckhand is happy to do it for you. Before you bring your own gear be sure to call ahead and talk to the captain or deckhands, as some will restrict certain gear. When I decided to bring some sensitive rods that would allow us to actually play the fish I was told to only string monofilament on the reels. This is because with braid’s thinner diameter, as the boat drifts it can cause tangles with the thicker mono that is angled differently. One thing you might want to bring along are some of your own jigs. Try large flies that mimic shrimp or a UV-colored jig that has a stout 4x hook. When you get into rockfish jigs can be deadly, plus you don’t have to stop and rebait the hook. Most charters fillet your fish for a price, a few dollars (or less) per fish, and then bag it for you in a large fish bag. The filleting is done as you cruise back to the dock, so the fillets are washed with seawater. Be sure to run freshwater over them before you vacuum seal or freeze them. I like to take an ice chest and a couple gallon jugs of drinking water and leave it in my truck. Back on dry land I will fill the ice chest with the drinking water and put the fillets in it, then grab a few bags of ice and make a freshwater slush for the ride home. This gets the saltwater and any blood out of the fillets and keeps them very cold. At the end of the day be sure to tip your deckhand and even the captain for their hard work. You will find that these trips are fairly inexpensive since they can put several anglers on the boat. This does not mean that you should be cheap; instead, extend your gratitude to the crew.
THIS TIME OF year is one of anticipation for Northwest sportsmen as we await spring’s turkey and trout openers. But if you’re eager to get outside now, head for the coast to partake in bottomfishing with friends and family, then have a fish fry. NS
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March Cowlitz River Steelhead
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Most anglers reported slow to mediocre steelhead fishing this season as the “A” run of fish didn’t really materialize across Western Washington. Don’t give up just yet, because it’s time for the B run and broodstock programs to start kicking it into high gear! These later runs of steelhead are more robust on average and usually return in stronger numbers, to boot! The Cowlitz River in Southwest Washington in particular will usually steal the show when it comes to these later fish, and why wouldn’t that be the case with a smolt plant of nearly 437,000! This “spring run,” which really gets going in March and lasts until mid-April, boasts 9- to 14pound steelhead on average. A few lucky anglers will even reach the 20-pound landmark every year! All the usual tactics apply when fishing the Cowlitz but if you have a jet boat, this river can really pay dividends!
1200 C St Bellingham, WA 98225 “Cowlitz River anglers made quick work with these early morning steelhead!”
Side-drifting is a staple technique on the Cow and most folks fishing from the Blue Creek hatchery to the I-5 bridge will be using this method. Conventional side-drifting gear such as the typical dual No. 4 hooks and Cheater set-up tipped with eggs or shrimp will put fish in the box, of course, but the last few years, many savvy fishermen have taken to using secret yarn configurations with a single No. 4 hook and favorite scent to lure these elusive and sometimes finicky critters. When it comes to the Cowlitz, the fish are usually there in March and April and it’s just a matter of time before you’re battling the official Washington state fish. If you decide to get down to the Cowlitz this spring, make sure you check the WDFW website for rule updates before you go. Have fun and be safe out there!
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COLUMN
It’s Go Time For Big Lings I
f you’re like me, you have been dreaming about catching large postspawn lingcod since, well, last March. THE KAYAK GUYS In an average year, the Kayak Guys By Mark Veary persistent Oregon rains and monochrome grey skies can moderate one’s desire to launch a kayak into the surf. This winter’s unusually warm, dry and sunny weather, however, has only worked to amplify the ocean’s siren call. At some point, we just have to give ourselves over to temptation. So, dust off your kayak, clean the terminals on your fish finder, organize your jigs and prepare for an infusion of ocean bliss.
WHEN TO GO Late winter and early spring may not seem like the most inviting times to be on the Pacific, but this transition season will present increasing windows of opportunity over the next month to chase lings. Winter storms are tapering off and the inland valleys haven’t yet warmed to the point where they’re fueling the raging afternoon onshores so common during summer months. Luckily, in this day and age, you don’t need to be a meteorologist to identify the next safe chance to get offshore. You can simply take advantage of the various internet forecasting tools designed for surfers and windsurfers. Magicseaweed
.com, Stormsurf.com and National Weather Service Marine Forecasts are great places to start. These sites all provide wind and swell forecasts out to seven days, based on slightly different models. The magic combination you’re looking for is a swell of less than 4 feet, with a period that’s greater than 8 seconds, just like you’d be shooting for in midsummer. And, like summer, you’ll be fishing in the lee of a headland, as winds over 10 knots are a no-go. This is especially true on those flat bluebird days with a prediction of rapidly building east winds. Of course, predicting any kind of weather in the Northwest is notoriously difficult, so you’ll want to monitor the
Late winter and early spring mark a good chance to get out on the Pacific to try for big postspawn female lingcod, like this one held by Jeff Anderson, as well as nest-guarding males. (MARK VEARY)
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COLUMN forecasts leading up to your trip. Where multiple predictions align, there’s a greater probability of their accuracy. At seven days out, all forecasts are merely educated guesswork. Within three days, Magicseaweed and Stormsurf are usually roughly accurate, but the day before you plan to fish all models should be fairly close to what you’ll experience on the water. Keep in mind that this time of year, the ocean is often generating significant secondary and tertiary swells. While these are generally accounted for in the swell forecasts, the impact of multiple swell directions can vary wildly by location. One beach may see swells stacking on top of each other, while around the corner they are canceling each other out. This is why it’s imperative to have a plan B.
BAITING UP Nearshore bottomfishing in March is defined by big, aggressive lingcod. Though their nests are rapidly emptying, male lings continue to jealously guard their remaining progeny from roving predators. On prime parcels of reef, several nests will often be grouped together in close proximity. Find the prime nesting grounds and you’ll have your limit in short order. While these beasts might take a wellplaced swimbait or jig, a live greenling anywhere near their nests will trigger a vicious attack. Greenling are so effective that it’s not uncommon for multiple lingcod to follow a half-swallowed bait all the way to the surface. With this in mind, you’ll want to start your day by prospecting for the perfect offering around wash rocks
While the call of the sea and limits of tasty lings is strong for kayak anglers after a winter of storms have kept them off the Pacific, it’s imperative to monitor multiple sources and consider swells, wave intervals and winds before pushing off the beach. (MARK VEARY; STORMSURF)
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and kelp beds with a small curly tail or Berkley Gulp! saltwater grub.
DROPPING IN Once you’ve secured your live bait, it’s time to find the lingcod. This is where having a good fishfinder mounted to your kayak comes in handy. Nests can be found in less than 50 feet of water, on hard ledges, amidst broken rocks or in crevices along the reefs. Don’t expect to see arches, though, as lings lay directly on the bottom. Having identified a likely area, secure your bait by carefully skin-piercing it with an 8-ounce jighead tied to a stinger hook or harness it to a couple of 8/0 J-hooks, anchored to a cannonball sinker. Either way, keep in mind that you’re unlikely to
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COLUMN it in. If the fish lets go at any point, pause for at least 10 seconds before dropping back down to allow a follow-up attack by the same fish or one of the followers.
THE END GAME
Big curl-tailed grubs on a heavy jighead will work, but few things trigger lings into biting like live bait. (MARK VEARY) actually hook the lingcod that bites it, so make sure that your bait is secure enough to hold up to a 20-pound hitchhiker under a heavy drag setting. When deploying your bait, let it fall to the bottom and then reel it up one or two cranks so that you can drift slowly along the reef without snagging. You’ll know Author Mark Veary shows off a nice lingcod caught just off Depoe Bay. The daily limit is two, minimum size 22 inches. For a 2017 blog, an Oregon marine fisheries manager told us that the state’s stocks are considered healthy and are being fished at nowhere close to concerning levels. (MARK VEARY)
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that there are toothy predators about by the increased activity of your bait. The take will likely be marked by a slow, deep bend in your rod. Should your quarry immediately start running, take up several turns of line to keep it out of the rocks. Now pause for a few seconds while the ling adjusts its grip, then begin winching
Well before your prey comes into view, ready your net for the scoop. These fish are tenacious and will hold on almost to the surface, but at some point they’re going to let go and swim back to the bottom. Once in striking range, take advantage of the ling’s singular focus and scoop it up from underneath. Nine times out of 10, the greenling will separate from the lingcod during the ensuing struggle. While securing and bleeding out your prize, leave the greenling in the water so that it can recover for the next drop.
REQUISITE NOTE ON SAFETY No matter how badly you want to fish, take the time required to understand whether the conditions are within your comfort zone. A wetsuit or drysuit with a well-fitted PFD are also a must. And finally, remember that the wind forecast is as important as the swell forecast. NS
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FISHING
Columbia Walleye Warm Up This time of year is prime for putting a whopper walleye in the boat as the hens feed up for the spawn, and the Columbia River system from the Oregon-Washington border up through the reservoirs of the basin’s irrigation project are top bets. (AUSTINSNORTHWESTADVENTURES.COM)
Big river system’s stable population provides good fishery for trophies, eaters. By Mark Yuasa
T
he Columbia River is the Northwest’s premier walleye fishery, and some anglers and fisheries experts are confident the next world record could be caught in the country’s fourth largest river, which stretches 1,243 miles from the Pacific
Ocean into the Canadian Rockies. “The Columbia is the Mecca for walleye, and we have a tremendous walleye fishery, which rivals anything else in the country,” says Danny Garrett, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fisheries biologist based in Spokane. “It isn’t uncommon to see fish up to 20 pounds and
wouldn’t surprise me if one day the world record comes from this area.” The IGFA All-Tackle World Record is 25 pounds and was caught by Mabry Harper on Aug. 2, 1960, at Old Hickory Lake, Tennessee. Not far behind is the Washington state record of 20.32 pounds, caught Feb. 28, 2014, by John Grubenhoff on Lake nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
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FISHING Wallula, also known as the McNary Pool, in Benton County. The vast majority of walleye in the Northwest waters aren’t tackle busters, averaging 2 to 5 pounds with some hitting the 15- to 18-pound class. But there are known catches of walleye in that “top dog” status. Tribal netters have caught walleye in the 25- to 26-pound bracket, including one in the Columbia’s The Dalles Pool. Ed Iman, owner of Ed Iman Guide Service (541-298-3753) in North-central Oregon, has caught some 18- and 19-pounders, and released a 25-pounder, which would have been a world record. “We’ve been conducting walleye surveys during the fall since 2002 and have an enormous amount of data going back almost 15 years,” Garrett
says. “I’m confident to say they’re a stable population. Walleye provide an excellent harvest opportunity for sport anglers.”
INTEREST IN WALLEYE fishing in the Northwest began several decades ago and the species has long been one of the most popular sport fish to catch in the Midwest and elsewhere. A walleye isn’t the greatest fighting fish, although a bigger-sized one will put up a decent tussle on the end of a fishing line. And while they aren’t anything like a salmon, many consider them one of the better tasting whitefleshed fish that swim in freshwater. For those who don’t know, the walleye is a non-native fish species in Washington. “It remains uncertain how they
were introduced to our waters and their first verification was recorded at Banks Lake in 1962,” Garrett says. “Soon afterwards walleye began to show up in Lake Roosevelt which was connected to Banks Lake – through a huge pipe and pump – and since then they’ve bred throughout the Columbia River.” According to Garrett there are good populations of walleye in places like Crab Creek, the mouth of the Spokane Arm (which has the largest spawning population), Lake Billy Clapp, Potholes Reservoir, Long Lake, Moses Lake, Crescent Lake, Soda Lake and Scooteney Reservoir. “That is just a short list for walleye, and they’re in all the big reservoirs of Eastern Washington,” Garrett says. “All you need is a canal with an ideal
While trolling either plugs or worms and a blade behind a bottom walker are good ways to cover a lot of water, jigging a blade bait or leadhead baited with a worm or plastic grub works well over structure that holds walleye. Jerry Han jigs the Columbia earlier this winter. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
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FISHING water temperature and they tend to do well. That is why places like the Columbia are perfect habitat since it has good water flow and oxygen.”
TIMING IS KEY for Columbia walleye. While virtually a year-round fishery, there are periods when it is much better, especially for larger-sized fish. “Walleye can be caught almost all the time, but it is difficult to compare the months of February through March when they stage to spawn,” Garrett says. “This is a really good time to catch fish, as the big females are preparing to spawn and they like to eat big meals. The postspawn in May and June is another time when it can be really hot.” During these late-winter, earlyspring periods, walleye stack up in headwater streams and below dams where they are easier to catch. Walleye spawn in May and this is when they’re the least active. Then it
Washington fishery managers survey several off-Columbia impoundments each fall to track walleye populations, and the most recent found Moses Lake, and Potholes and Scooteney Reservoirs held the best numbers. (WDFW)
gets progressively better during the postspawn time frame in June and July. When August rolls around the fishing gets tough as walleye become sluggish and don’t feed in the warmer water temperatures.
“People often ignore the fall, during October and November, when other fishing and hunting activities begin to increase,” Garrett says. “This is a very good period, too, as the water starts to cool down and they
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If you’re not into catching trophies, late spring offers another good reason to get after walleye, the postspawn “when it can be really hot” for lots of eaters. (AUSTINSNORTHWESTADVENTURES.COM)
get more active.” During winter, walleye will generally hold in deeper water until the spawning urge returns, but not much is known about their habits during that time of year. With their big, buggy opaque-white eyes, walleye are also sensitive to light, and will avoid bright, clear waterways. Their large eyes allow them to see prey in the dark, murky depths. Often the best fishing will occur in the dead of night or from dusk to dawn, when they rise to the surface or move into shallow areas to feed or spawn. 122 Northwest Sportsman
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“EASTERN WASHINGTON HAS a lot of places to fish for walleye, like the tailraces of the Columbia as well as its reservoirs and surrounding lakes,” says Austin Moser, owner of Austin’s Northwest Adventures (austinsnorthwestadventures.com) and a native of Wenatchee who has been guiding since 2010. “After being dormant during the winter walleye get hungry and aggressive as the water warms up,” he says. “The early season bite can be some of the best fishing. A lot of the dam areas and pools of the Columbia
are great spots.” If a world record-breaking walleye comes to fruition, the most likely location it will be caught is the eastern Columbia Gorge’s The Dalles Pool, the water from The Dalles Dam up to John Day Dam. The 24-mile-long reservoir – created in 1957 and also known as Lake Celilo for the drowned falls here – is a favorite walleye spot for Washington and Oregon anglers. It begins at the city of The Dalles, located east of Portland on I-84, and ends near Biggs, and is home to Oregon’s long-standing state record. There are many other prime locations in the vast Columbia such as the Wallula Pool above McNary Dam, where Washington’s current and previous state records were caught. The Hanford Reach near the Hanford Reservation has also evolved into a good fishery. Another place where larger-sized walleye lurk is the John Day Pool, also known as Lake Umatilla. This was where one of Washington’s old records was caught, Kimo Gabriel’s 18.9-pounder, with productive fishing from Paterson Slough to McNary Dam. Other walleye holes in the Columbia include Rock Island Pool; below Rocky Reach Dam; Wanapum Pool from Vantage to below Rock Island Dam; Bonneville Pool near The Dalles Dam and Stevenson; and below Bonneville Dam at Beacon Rock, Camas, Vancouver, Kalama, Kelso and Cathlamet. Eastern Washington has a plethora of other walleye fisheries like Lake Roosevelt near Kettle Falls; Banks Lake; Rufus Woods Lake; Moses Lake; Potholes Reservoir; Billy Clapp Lake; Lake Pateros; Lake Entiat; the Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam; and Scooteney Reservoir.
FISHING FOR THESE buggy-eyed fish isn’t complicated and doing some homework and having the right gear will make hitting the walleye bull’seye much easier. “A good rule of thumb is to start in
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Walleye anglers are protective of their species, and often feel shunned by state officials –Washington lawmakers introduced a bill that would have declassified them as game fish before it was amended. But are they too defensive? “I would make a good wager that the walleye population can stand a considerable amount of harvest by sport anglers,” says fishery biologist Danny Garrett, here with a nice one. (WDFW)
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deep water (30 to 40 feet) because the water is warmer down there in the winter,” Moser says. “Another key is trolling really slow, and on lakes I’m going 0.6 to 1.1 mph. When you fish the river your speed depends on the amount of current, and make sure you have a good line angle. Keep in mind color patterns, with chartreuse showing up good in (dirty) water.” Moser says that in early spring trolling a bottom walker rig – 3- to 5-ounce size, depending on your depth and current – and worm harness equipped with a Smile Blade (size 0.8, 1.1 or 1.5) allows you to cover a lot of ground. Keep a 45-degree angle, with your presentation hitting bottom as you troll. For bait a nightcrawler works well, as do a Berkley Gulp! worm or minnow. You can also employ crankbaits like a Yakima Bait Timber Tiger, stickbaits and/or plugs. Troll upstream so the bill of the crankbait dives
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straight to the bottom where the fish are holding. You can also cast and retrieve crankbaits in shallow water at dusk and right before nightfall. Vertical jigging a plain leadhead jig with a fresh nightcrawler or curltailed plastic worm works well. Moser says also try a Whistle Pig or Northland Whistler Propeller jig tipped with a plastic worm or a piece of a nightcrawler. These create vibration and noise to coax a finicky walleye to bite. A final note on gear is that Moser likes to keep his hooks razor sharp and one of his favorites is a Mustad Super Death Hook, which gives your bait a good roll and offers a solid hookup. Rocky bottoms are usually preferred with a drop-off depth change, and another place to look for fish is along or in weedbeds. Once you hook a walleye continue to work that area as where there is one fish, usually others are lurking in the same vicinity. Remember to never set the hook hard; simply lift the rod and reel until you feel the tug of the fish.
THE COLUMBIA IS big water and can often be a windy place where things can get very rough quickly. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast, especially when fishing out of a smaller boat. A fish-finder is a valuable tool, especially when you need to find structure. Look for points and bends on land, islands, riprap and other structures that create breaks in the current. In spring and early summer millions of young salmon, steelhead and shad migrate downstream to the ocean, and walleye will find locations in the slower current where these fish are easy meals. “I would make a good wager that the walleye population can stand a considerable amount of harvest by sport anglers,” Garrett says. “We want people to take advantage of this fishery and to go out and have fun catching them.” NS
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FISHING
Northwest’s Best Crappie Waters Rainbows and Chinook aren’t the only spring species to catch in our region. By MD Johnson
A
s a novice hunter/angler growing up in the late 1960s and early ’70s, I, thanks to my father, Mick, had two primary outdoor interests. Squirrel hunting was one, and boy howdy, did we ever squirrel hunt. The first Saturday after Labor Day, also known as Opening Day? Heck, it held the same significance as did December 25th. Or, now that I think of it, probably more. The second took place in April, around about the same time the waters of Berlin Reservoir, an Army Corp of Engineers flood control impoundment not far from my native Newton Falls in northeastern Ohio, reached that magical 58 degrees. This, incidentally, was the same time the buds on the inundated willow bushes would start to swell, the most eager splitting early to soak up the spring sun and throw a little bit of color – yellow, if you’re wondering – into an otherwise monochromatic landscape. This was crappie time. And the routine, thank goodness, was annually the same. The Old Man, 12foot Sears V-bottom and 9.9 Johnson Seahorse in tow, would stop at Les’ Bait Shop for minnows, two cans of 7 Up, and a pair of Hershey’s chocolate bars. With almonds. Les’, he said, was the place to buy bait; not that Les’ minnows were all that much better than the other guy’s, but rather because Les had a heavy hand when it came to counting out the small wiggling baitfish. “Pay for a dozen,”
Brownlee Reservoir, where this nice crappie was caught, stands out as one of the best for the species in the Northwest, but there are many other options for the diminutive but delectable panfish species. (BAKER COUNTY TOURISM)
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Where you find crappie varies from lake to lake and which side of the Cascades you’re fishing, but in the basalt-covered landscape of the Columbia Basin and beyond, look for a mix of big and smaller rocks in depths of up to a dozen feet in spring. The fish will move deeper in the heat of summer. (BAKER COUNTY TOURISM)
the Old Man would say as we walked back to the boat, “and get three.” It was a quantity thing, I reckon. Bait in the bucket, we’d start not 50 yards from the ramp. Tackle was wonderfully simple back then – a 10foot cane pole, or, if you were the Old Man, a refurbished fly rod. Salt and pepper braided nylon line with a tensile strength of roughly 1.47 million pounds. Snelled No. 4 Eagle Claw hook, pea-sized split shot, and a red-and-white bobber ’bout the size of a ping pong ball. Or, if you were my Dzedo – Slovak for grandfather – a bobber about the size of a pumpkin. Don’t know why; never asked. Rigged and ready, we’d spend the day dipping minnows in amongst the willows, and, more often than not, pulling black crappies up out of the shallow water, where they’d thump a 130 Northwest Sportsman
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ruckus in the bottom of that old Sears boat before the Old Man squirreled them away in his flimsy blue fish basket. Sometimes, it was a walleye. Or a largemouth. Or a channel cat. But more often than not, a big ol’ fat crappie – thick across the back, and 13 to 16 inches from nose to tail. At some point, the Old Man would crack his 7 Up, break me off a piece of his Hershey’s with almonds, and announce our return to the ramp. If we’d had a good day and the blue fish basket was heavy with specks, he’d let me run that old 9.9, which, for a 9-year-old, was a hell of a huge deal. Yes, sir. Those were the days, and that was the life. Fortunately, though, and perhaps to the surprise of some, a similar scenario, one reminiscent of my own Berlin Reservoir and Les’ Bait Shop, can be had right here in
the Northwest. And by that I mean the crappie fishing lifestyle. But where? This month, you’re in luck ‘cause Northwest Sportsman is going to tell you where.
OREGON’S BROWNLEE RESERVOIR I’ve not met Mr. Gary Gorbet; only spoken with him over the phone. That said, Gorbet sounds – and I mean truly sounds – like a man you’d want to spend the day fishing for crappie with. He has what I’ll call a patient voice, and I would assume a patient disposition; things quite necessary when targeting oft-finicky slabs. A resident of Richland, Oregon, Gorbet, along with his wife, Sandy, owns and operates Brownlee Charters (brownleecharters.com; 541-893-6863), an angling enterprise not limited to but certainly focusing
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Oregon is definitely not crappy for crappie – speck waters swaddle the state, with one of the best being Prineville Reservoir. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
OTHER OREGON OPTIONS Spinyray fishers may feel like the redheaded stepchildren of Northwest anglerdom, but state fishery managers do see the value of species that aren’t silver. In Oregon, the Department of Fish and Wildlife has put together a pretty good region-by-region breakdown of the best Beaver State waters for crappie, along with other species such as bass, bluegill, perch and more. In the Northwest region, along with more than a dozen Columbia River sloughs, ODFW points crappie chasers to Cullaby and Recreation Lakes, and Vernonia Pond. On the South Coast, the two Tenmile Lakes are “renowned” for more than just largemouth, but don’t overlook two waters better known for coho, Siltcoos and Tahkenitch. Closer to Portland, Sauvie Island’s numerous waters are spotlighted by ODFW, as are the Delta Park, Hartman and Dorman Ponds, plus several Columbia sloughs. In the Willamette Valley, crappie are the “main attraction” at Fern Ridge Reservoir near Eugene, but also an important part of the catch at Dorena and Cottage Grove Reservoirs. Further south along I-5 there are almost too many to list, but since that’s what we’re doing here, options include Agate, Emigrant and Galesville Reservoirs, Selmac and Willow Lakes, and the ponds of the Denman Wildlife Area. The Klamath Falls region also offers a number of good choices, starting with Gerber and several other reservoirs and lakes such as Crump, Hart and the North Warner Valley waters. Reader Carl Lewallen can attest to how good Prineville Reservoir is, while to the north McKay, Cold Springs and Willow Creek impoundments stand out, per ODFW. As our main story reconfirms, Brownlee gets the lion’s share of the press, but don’t overlook the two Snake River reservoirs below it, Oxbow and Hells Canyon. In Oregon’s southeast corner, Owyhee Reservoir takes top billing, but crappie at Bully Creek Reservoir and Cow Lakes also are an important part of the catch. For far, far more information on crappie and other spinyrays, go to myodfw.com and search “warmwater.” You’ll be glad you did. –NWS
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on crappies. A huge impoundment of the Snake River, Brownlee has the reputation for being perhaps the finest crappie fishery in the Beaver State, though that has changed in recent years, Gorbet says. “Several years ago,” he told me, “if you’d asked me to describe the Brownlee crappie fishery in one word, I would have said phenomenal. Today, though, a lot a changed. The Army Corps of Engineers uses Brownlee to regulate water levels for Portland, and if there’s a heavy snowpack, they’ll draw it down prior to the spring spawn. That makes the spawn inconsistent. In fact, I couldn’t launch (at Hewitt Park) until May 12th last year.” But, he added, Brownlee remains a good crappie fishery. “When we have a good spawn,” he says, “that’s the year class we’ll target. Last year (2018) was a good year due to the size of the fish, many of them 12-inch fish.” May, says Gorbet, is perhaps the best time to target crappie on Brownlee, though April – “If you can get on the water,” he adds – can be good. “May is a safe bet,” the captain says. “You’re reaching a water temperature of around 58 degrees. The weather is really nice, with (air) temperatures in the high 50 to low 60s. It’s the most pleasant time of the year.” Interestingly, Brownlee crappie fishing is quite similar and yet radically different from what I grew up with. “This is a different type of crappie fishing,” says Gorbet, “than you’ll see across the rest of the nation. It’s a deep lake, with steep sloping shorelines. You’re not fishing brush piles or shallow flats. Instead, you’re looking for broken rock structure – big solid rock mixed with (smaller) rubble – in, say, 6 to 12 feet of water.” Not surprisingly, and given the fact that traditional live bait, i.e. minnows, are out, Gorbet’s go-to presentation are jigs. “A 1/16-ounce leadhead and a variety of colors off tube jigs,” he
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FISHING advises. “I like to put those Berkley Gulp! Crappie Nibbles inside the tube. I do think it helps both with the visual scent trail and the scent itself. Colors? There are so many things involved there. We’ve had good luck using a chartreuse tail and orange body. The brighter colors seem to work well during the spawn.” “Later in the year, though, the more natural colors seem to work better. Angler confidence,” he
continues, “is the key when it comes to color. Confidence, and you’ll fish a little slower. Maybe pay a bit more attention to what you’re doing.” Gorbet’s tactics are, like mine were, pleasantly elemental. “I don’t use bobbers much (with my clients),” he says, “as the long leaders and casting can be difficult for some. So we’re tightlining the jigs. I’ll try to keep the boat, say, 25 feet from shore, and have my folks cast Believe it or not, there are people in the Northwest who turn up their nose at salmon and steelhead, preferring crappie and other white-meated freshwater species. (BAKER COUNTY TOURISM)
Unlike some of our other species, terminal offerings are pretty simple. These fish bite a variety of smaller lures, including tubes – guide Gary Gorbet stuffs his with Crappie Nibbles – or jigs under a bobber. (JULIA JOHNSON)
to within 6 feet or shore. Let the jig touch the bottom, and then work it slowly back to the boat. Because the shorelines are so steep, this naturally works the jig up off the bottom, which works well on suspended fish.” Brownlee’s crappie not receptive? The reservoir is chock-full of opportunities other than specks, including bruiser – and mighty fineeating – flathead catfish, channel cats, smallmouth, yellow perch, and bluegill, and lot of ’em.
WASHINGTON’S BONNIE LAKE When I first spoke to Danny Garrett in 2018, he’d been working as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife warmwater fisheries biologist in Region 4 for some eight years. Today, he serves in the same capacity, only in Eastern and South-central Washington; specifically, the agency’s Regions 1 (Spokane) and 3 (Yakima). A tournament bass angler and selfadmitted panfish junkie, Garrett speaks quite highly of the warmwater opportunities to be found around his new digs east of the Cascades. If it’s out-of-the-way you’re 134 Northwest Sportsman
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FISHING looking for, then Bonnie Lake might just be the place you’ve always dreamed of. This beautiful body of water is located south of Spokane and west of the little burg of Rosalia and Highway 195. She’s long and narrow, only covering about half a section, or 327 acres, from top to bottom; however, what she lacks in size, Bonnie more than makes up for in spring crappie action. But, be warned: Getting onto the water is the hard part. “Bonnie has a rough little launch,” says Garrett, “and this access makes it tough. A lot of folks will hike into it and fish from shore. For those with boats, I’d recommend something
small. Kayaks? On a nice day, Bonnie Lake would be perfect for a kayak.” The launch Garrett speaks of, and we’ll use the term loosely, is an unimproved gravel ramp located to the south of the aptly-named Hole-inthe-Ground Road. From here, boaters or kayakers travel upstream on Rock Creek to Bonnie’s southwestern end. And from there, most crappie seekers will fan out, stopping to hunt-andpeck at any type of sunken shoreline structure that might hold crappies. “This is a very productive crappie lake,” says Garrett. “It’s a special place. There are smaller fish, sure, but plenty of crappie from 10 to 12 inches, with the occasional 14-inch fish.”
Baker County Tourism offers competitive crappie anglers two derbies to take part in a little later in spring. On Saturday, June 1 is the annual Richland Brownlee Fishing Tournament, and then two weekends later on June 15 is the 3rd annual Richland Crappie Shootout Kayak Fishing Tournament. Both are headquartered at the county’s Hewitt Holcomb Park outside Richland on the reservoir’s Powder River Arm. (BAKER COUNTY TOURISM) 136 Northwest Sportsman
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According to Garrett, Bonnie presents a pleasantly elemental fishery. No braided line. No downriggers. No wobblers, ProTrolls, or tactics with odd names like boondoggin’ or bobber doggin’. Or any sort of doggin’ for that matter. “Here,” says Garrett, “we’re talking pencil bobbers and 1/16-ounce jigs, say, 4 to 5 feet below the bobber. Colors? White and chartreuse are good.” From experience, I have learned crappies are notorious for suspending in the water column, so some experimentation with depth is often necessary. Colors, too, as yellow, red, brown, black, or a combination of pairs of the above can make a
difference. When targeting crappies, my tackle bag will always include ultralight – 1/16- or 1/32-ounce – tube jigs, as well as similarly sized marabou and twistertail jigs. Small spinners, e.g. Mepps No. 0 Aglia, or jig/spinner combos like the tried-and-true Beetle Spin or Roadrunner are proven crappie getters. NS
EVERGREEN STATE ALTERNATIVES Two other Spokane County options that WDFW’s Danny Garrett mentions for black crappie include Eloika Lake northeast of Deer Park, and Downs Lake southwest of the college town of Cheney. The agency’s Fish Washington page also identifies Long/Spokane (Spokane), Newman (Spokane), Ohop (Thurston), Palmer (Okanogan), Silver (Cowlitz) and Soda Lakes (Grant) as other quality waters for the species. As for white crappie, WDFW’s quality waters list includes Alder (Pierce), Horseshoe (Clark), Ashes (Skamania), Umatilla (John Day Pool, Benton), Silver (Cowlitz) and Vancouver Lakes (Clark). Other waters managed with special regulations for crappie include Alkali (Grant), Banks (Grant), Big (Skagit), Black (Thurston), Campbell (Skagit), Cassidy (Snohomish), Coffeepot (Lincoln), Duck (Grays Harbor), Lower Goose (Grant), Moses (Grant), Potholes (Grant), Roesiger (Snohomish), Sawyer (King), Silver Lake (Spokane), Sprague (Adams/Lincoln) and Tanwax (Pierce). For yellow perch, Garrett suggests Ferry County’s Curlew Lake. “There’s a newly happening perch fishery in Curlew,” the biologist says. “Fish from 8 to 12 inches, with the occasional perch up to 14. They’re really robust (fish), and growing fast. Much fatter than Western Washington perch.” Though I’ve written about them in the past, I’d be tremendously remiss if I weren’t to mention King County’s Lake Washington and her perch fishing. And to the north, there’s Whatcom County’s diminutive Lake Fazon and what Garrett refers to as “awesome bluegill fishing,” with 6- to 8-inch fish common, along with the time-to-time 10-incher. –MDJ
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HUNTING
March In To Turkey Season Oregon’s spring prospects look good, but successful hunters start scouting, prepping for the hunt now. By Troy Rodakowski
I
t’s still cold outside and there is even some snow in the forecast for the lowlands as I write this while daydreaming of frosty mornings melting into warm sunny afternoons, wild flowers blooming and gobblers sounding off throughout the woodlands of the Northwest. I always wonder where my opening day will take me as I try to think of new options, consider revisiting old haunts and wondeing what the new season might have in store. Talking to a few biologists never hurts and I have found that sometimes they have good insights for hunters looking for new locations and tracking where flocks are moving. “We are seeing some range expansion in parts of the Columbia Basin and eastern Malheur County, where Idaho birds are pioneering some new areas,” notes Mikal Cline, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s game bird biologist. The state agency also conducts some trap-and-transplant operations, moving problem birds to more desirable locations, but only to improve existing flocks. According to several local landowners and turkey hunters there
Turkey season will be here before you know it, and successful hunters begin their preparations now by boning up on field reports and getting their packs ready. Terry Rodakowski shows off a gobbler he knocked over on last April’s opening weekend. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)
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HUNTING
Toms will begin early breeding and strutting activities as the days warm up with the arrival of spring. A group of gobblers sound off at some light yelping from author Troy Rodakowski. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)
are also improving flocks in the upper Deschutes watershed and locations around Bend, as well as the Hood River Valley. With below average snowpack and a fairly mild winter – at least as of this writing – larger flocks have been congregating in the lowlands near the mountain ranges of Northeast and Central Oregon. I have also seen some expansion of several flocks throughout the Umpqua River drainage. According to biologists, we are also seeing some range expansion in southern Wasco and Wheeler Counties, part of the Fremont National Forest north of Lakeview, and south of Ontario. No matter where you look it is very likely that there are some new areas to check out this spring. “The mild winter throughout Oregon has provided good conditions for our wintering turkey flocks,” notes Cline. 140 Northwest Sportsman
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It is likely that weather-related mortality will be low, but hens should be going into spring in good physical condition as well. “This of course also allows the hens to produce plenty of eggs and withstand the energetic needs of incubation,” adds Cline. We of course have been fooled by mild early and midwinter patterns only to have onslaughts of wet, cold and snowy conditions later on, turning the tables and changing things drastically as we progress into spring. Of course it is no secret that turkey populations seem to be robust throughout much of the Northwest. Oregon has a very liberal bag limit, with hunters able to purchase three tags apiece throughout the season. The West is becoming a turkey hunting destination for many across the U.S. Throughout Oregon harvest
rates have been steady over the past five years, “though this doesn’t reflect the increasing density of wild turkeys that are not in huntable locations,” Cline says. “Our Eastern Oregon brood survey routes show a 27 percent bump in turkey density from 2017 to 2018, so I would expect a strong showing this spring, particularly in the vicinity of the Umatilla, Malheur, WallowaWhitman, and Ochoco National Forests,” she forecasts.
THE TOP FIVE Western Oregon units in recent years have been the Melrose, Rogue, Willamette, Evans Creek and Applegate. All had good harvests, with some of the highest in Melrose and Rogue, followed by Evans Creek and Willamette respectively. One unit to keep an eye on for this year will be the Siuslaw near Lorane, especially
HUNTING Turkey numbers are steadily growing near agricultural lands throughout Oregon. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)
in the southeast portions near the small towns of Drain and Creswell. Also, the McKenzie, Alsea, Chetco and Keno Units have seen increasing numbers of birds on private lands near the foothills. In Central and Eastern Oregon, locations near LaGrande, Imbler, Elgin, Union, Cove, Wallowa, Sumpter and Flora all hold decent flocks. The Catherine Creek, Sumpter, Walla Walla, Pine Creek and Minam Units all saw decent harvest in 201718. And units that showed significant increases in harvest during the past few years include the Sled Springs, Chesnimnus, Keating and Starkey.
BEFORE SEASON STARTS, I like to take time and go through my turkey vest, removing any candy bars I left in there last year, along with the old, driedout reed calls, and replenishing the mosquito repellant and reorganizing the pockets. Trust me, nothing is more frustrating than getting out
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there and opening your bug juice to find that it’s empty, though the biting insects and ticks taking advantage of my complacency seem to enjoy it. And don’t forget to change the batteries in your headlamp – yes, I’ve done it; most of us have. You turn it on, get halfway up the mountain and the light begins to fade fast. Remember to take a good inventory of your shells and always at least take one shot on paper to reassure yourself of your pattern. It will only help your confidence in the field. Of course, make sure to get out and scout. Now is prime time as flocks are still grouped up and haven’t broken up into breeding mode. Snowy landscapes make for great backdrops to spot turkeys from long distances. You might even see some early strutting and breeding activity as longer, warmer days approach. Gobbles will become more frequent in the mornings and throughout the day as birds become even more vocal.
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Make sure to sit and listen in and around areas you have seen turkeys. It’s highly likely they won’t be far off by the time season opens. Find food sources, such as old oak stands with acorns, open fields with seeds and plentiful insects. Creek bottoms with snails and amphibian life are also hot spots. Turkey tracks can also be easily observed in soft soils near recent wildfires during the early spring. It’s these locations near burns where breeding flocks will spend a large amount of time strutting and dusting. These are great places to set up an ambush or a couple decoys and wait for birds to show. Roost trees won’t be far from where birds will travel to feed and water. Listening at dusk for gobbles can make a huge difference for hunters willing to put in some extra time putting a bird to bed. For more info and additional burn locations, search oregon.gov/ODF/ Fire/pages/FireStats.aspx. NS
Brought To You By:
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COLUMN
Spring turkey season is right around the corner in the Northwest, and if you’re looking to upgrade your gun and/or ammo, there are some new offerings to peruse. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)
Time To Talk Turkey Guns, Ammo W
ild turkeys can drive you nuts because when they’re not in season, you can find them all over the landscape, but when ON TARGET they are in season, By Dave Workman the buggers become almost as invisible as Sasquatch. I’ve found turkeys in abundance, sometimes crowding into somebody’s
yard, in Washington’s Stevens County, in Kittitas County south of Easton and Cle Elum and around Liberty, on the Wenas and Oak Creek Wildlife Areas in summer and fall, but come April and May, they can be elusive, and I’m being polite. I’ve got a full camo Mossberg semiauto Model 935 that has been in the turkey woods, stuffed with 3-inch magnums, ready for some dumb gobbler to come strolling out of the brush. And with patience, the right calls, a bit of skill and
plain dumb luck, they often do. Finding turkeys is up to you. What to shoot them with, well, that’s where I come in.
THIS YEAR, MOSSBERG has introduced new Mossy Oak Bottomland Turkey shotgun models, including the Model 500 in .410 bore and the Model 935 Magnum turkey in 12-gauge 3½-inch. Crazy as it may seem, I’m rather intrigued by the Model 500 in .410 because it is just the kind of gun someone looking for a real nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2019
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COLUMN
Brought To You By:
KICK-EEZ®
New shotguns for turkey hunters include (from top) the Benelli Performance Shop SBE3, Remington V3 Field Sport Turkey model, Mossberg 500 pump gun in .410 bore, and Mossberg Model 935 semiauto. (BENELLI; REMINGTON; MOSSBERG)
challenge might select. The .410 Bottomland has a 26-inch vent rib barrel with a fixed full choke, anti-jam elevator, anodized aluminum receiver, top-mounted safety and a full camo finish. Because it’s a Model 500, it has twin action bars, dual extractors, steel-to-steel lockup and that reliably smooth pump action. It’s got an MSRP of $500. For fans of big semiautos, the Model 935 Magnum Turkey Bottomland comes with Mossberg’s stock drop system, a quick-empty magazine release button, it is drilled and tapped for mounting an optical sight, and it is fitted with a 22-inch vent rib barrel that is overbored and threaded to handle Accu-Mag chokes. It comes with an X-Factor ported ulti-full turkey choke tube and fiber optic front sight. It carries an MSRP of $756.
NOW, A WORD about the 3 ½-inch 12-gauge round. It can be a punisher, and if you like recoil, you’re going to love stuffing the 148 Northwest Sportsman
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Model 935 with full-house turkey loads. They do reach out with a slightly bigger payload, and any longbeard on the receiving end is toast. Many of the more successful turkey hunters of my acquaintance have suggested 3-inch magnums are all one needs, but I’ve never considered that a hard-and-fast rule. That’s why decades ago somebody introduced the 3½-inch 12-gauge shell, and it has been a rather successful round for both turkeys and waterfowl. Remington offers Premier Magnum Turkey loads that are copper plated and buffered, available in 10-gauge 3½-inch, 12-gauge in 3- or 3½-inch and 20-gauge, 3-inch. Remington’s Premier Magnum Turkey High Velocity loads are offered for 3-inch or 3½-inch 12-gauges. Then comes the Nitro Turkey load with extra-hard lead shot that produces tight patterns through a super-full choke. Loads are available in 12-gauge in 2¾-, 3- and
3½-inchers, and in 20-gauge/3-inch. Winchester also offers several turkey loads in its Long Beard XR series. You’ll find 12-gauge 3½- and 3-inchers and 20-gauge 3-inch. There’s also a selection of Winchester Double X loads in 3½- and 3-inch magnum, in No. 4, 5 or 6 shot sizes, either high velocity or magnum. Winchester also offers Super X turkey loads in 2¾- and 3-inch lengths. And new from Federal this year are five new Heavyweight TSS loads in 12- and 20-gauge. There are blended loads that combine No. 7 and 9 or No. 8 and Tungsten Super Shot. Some payloads, according to Federal, exceed 1,000 pellets, which is more than double the count for No. 5 loads of the same weight.
BACK TO SHOTGUNS. Not every turkey hunter will opt for a Mossberg, and that’s why you’ll find some other options out there for spring gobblers in 2019.
COLUMN
Brought To You By:
New this year is Remington’s V3 Turkey Pro shotgun, a full camo selfloader covered with Realtree Timber that is chambered for 3-inch magnums. It features a SuperCell recoil pad, a VersaPort gas system, 22-inch vent rib barrel, TruGlo optic sight and synthetic stock. Don’t overlook the proven Model 870 Express with its 21-inch barrel and 3-inch chamber, or the Model 870 Express Super Mag with a 26-inch tube that handles 3½inch magnums. And then there’s Benelli Performance Shop SBE3 turkey shotgun model. It’s got a pistol-grip stock, which, along with the forearm, is covered with Mossy Oak Bottomlands camo. This shotgun comes with a mounted and presighted Burris FastFire II red dot sight and EDM porting on the 24-inch barrel for quick follow-up shots, if necessary. It comes with a Rob Roberts XFT choke and five Benelli chokes. It’s got an inertia-driven action, Easy Locking System, and ComforTech stock.
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Among new gobbler loads comes Federal Heavyweight TSS shotshells available for 12- and 20-gauge shotguns. (FEDERAL)
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others offer several options, and I’m not going to be so foolish as to insist that one is better than the other, because it just isn’t so. Just remember that wild turkeys are not entirely stupid in the spring, despite their romantic tendencies this time of year. I do know a fair number of people who will mix their camo patterns top and bottom, which can really be confusing because such pattern combinations just might look more like the brush cover in any given landscape than the real brush. Foliage in the spring is not consistent because while all kinds of different plant life explodes this time of year, it’s not all the same shade or green or on the same growth schedule. Be willing to look like your background, which may translate to dressing in chaotic patterns. If that puts you ahead of a tom, all the better. Be sure to pattern your shotgun when changing ammunition, and just to be on the safe side, double check the regulations. General seasons start April 15, but there are early youth hunts available in all three Northwest states. NS
HODGDON TO DISTRIBUTE ALLIANT POWDERS Hodgdon recently announced that it will now be a distributor for Alliant powders, according to Chris Hodgdon, the company’s public and media relations manager. This may surprise veteran handloaders, as the two brands have been competitors for several years. Hodgdon currently distributes smokeless powders under the Hodgdon, IMR and Winchester brand names. Hodgdon also owns and distributes GOEX black powder. In the past, Hodgdon has also distributed Vihtavouri as well as Alliant propellants, according to a company news release. –DW
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COLUMN John Warford of the Wild Turkey Federation tightens his ground blind down in an Idaho resident’s yard while hoping to put author Randy King’s sons into birds. (RANDY KING)
Not Your Average Turkey Hunt – Or Recipe I
n the stilldark hills near Grangeville, Idaho, the first putts and clucks of CHEF IN THE WILD the hen call came By Randy King from feet away in a ground blind. A quick moment passed, then the most gobbling I have ever heard echoed across the canyon behind me. Dozens of birds sounded off in unison. Little jakes finished first, while the big toms projected dominance over the pinecovered valley floor below us. When the first hints of light came into the blind I could see my two older boys smiling and looking at each other. Neither were able to wipe the sh*t-eating grins off their faces. I couldn’t either. Soon we could hear the sounds of birds
leaving the roost. Lots of them. About ten minutes later, off to the left, we could see a group of jakes walking down the gravel road in our direction. “You can shoot one of those, but I would not. There will be more,” said John Warford in a tone that suggested that shooting them was not, in fact, an option. I sat back in my chair a little flabbergasted: I don’t know that I have ever let a jake walk past me. Never has a legal turkey been so near me and not been shot at. But I trusted my new friend.
I HAD MET Warford at the Idaho Traditional Bowhunters annual gathering in Boise. I was teaching a seminar on how to “Get more out of your game” to club members, showing them how to cut up the front shoulders of deer, how to can rabbit meat
and how to spatchcock a grouse. Basically, I was giving away all my secrets. Warford listened intently. After my presentation I began to chat with the small crowd of folks I knew by name, all of us sharing a mutual spring passion – thunder chickens, gobblers, butterballs, also known as wild turkeys. After a while I was told that Warford was a chapter ambassador for the Wild Turkey Federation. I knew I liked him. After some buttering up he offered a hunt for my boys – all I had to do was show up. Fast forward a few months and some emails later and my older boys and I were headed north to Grangeville. We met Warford early in the morning and followed him out of town, down a few dirt driveways and eventually to someone’s front yard. I assumed that we then needed to hike to
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COLUMN Canned wild turkey and white bean chili garnished with pumpkin seeds, asiago cheese and cilantro. (RANDY KING)
CANNING TURKEY CHILI
C
anning is a lost art. Pressure canning is basically unheard of anymore. I am in favor of changing this paradigm. Why? Canning makes kickbutt food, bottom line. People tend not to can due to fear or because of lack of education, and I totally understand why – botulism is not your friend, and definitely not food. But with a little bit of learnin’ and some gumption, canning can become a great asset to the wild food cook. Understanding the two types of canning is vital to being safe. The first and the most common is boiling “water bath” canning. This is the easiest and most common type of canning for the beginner. The other type is “pressure canning,” where the temperature of the water actually exceeds 212 degrees, killing dangerous bugs. And, no, a pressure cooker and a
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pressure canner are not the same thing. As of this writing, you cannot pressure can in an insta-pot either. BOILING “WATER BATH” CANNING A stockpot, a rack on the bottom and some canning jars are about all you need to water bath can. Jars and specialized lids (that are only used one time) are immersed in boiling water for a set amount of time. Follow a known recipe for these. Canning is not a great place to experiment with times and temperatures. After the bath the lids create a vacuum seal, preserving the food in a sterile environment. PRESSURE CANNING A pressure canner is a thick chunk of metal that is designed to withstand harsh conditions. It comes with a vent, pressure gauge and a screwon lid (or clamps). Basically, as the pressure
goes up, the water heats to above the point that it normally boils. That causes the items being canned to heat above boiling as well. This is what is needed to create a sterile environment and kill the bugs. A pressure canner usually runs about $100 from one of the big box stores. CHOICES, CHOICES To understand what method is needed for what items you need to understand acid levels in foods. All low-acid foods – meat, fish, stock, soups – need pressure canning. High-acid foods – like peaches, jelly and pickles – need the boiling water bath canning method. The reason for pressure canning is that botulism bacteria is killed by boiling water, but the spores from those nasty things are not. They can survive being freakin’ boiled. Think about that! Anyway, to make sure you are safe, getting above
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COLUMN boiling kills the spores from botulism as well. You can also kill the spores with highacid environments – basically, pickling vegetables can kill the bugs and spores as well. Sugary foods also have a high pH suitable for canning too (note – do not skip the step in making preserves that calls for citric acid; this is what keeps you safe). So while you have to be safe at all times while canning, an understanding of the rules can open up culinary possibilities. I have previously published canned rabbit meat recipes in Northwest Sportsman, but this chili recipe is my new favorite. Safety is paramount – follow the directions below for safe canning. JAR PREPARATION Fill your canning vessel with water and bring to a boil. Wash the jars, bands, and lids in hot soapy water. Rinse well and place on a clean towel on the counter. Add the jars and bands into the water. Let boil for five minutes. This should kill just about everything on them. Take no chances. Remove the jars and lids from the water and place on a clean towel. Keep clean while you process the recipe. Reduce heat from a boil to a simmer. Place lids in the water for five minutes. Remove from water and place in clean area. FILLING JARS Prepare your recipe (see below). Don’t try and get fancy, just work one jar at a time. Use a ladle to fill the jars, leaving at least an inch of head space for expansion. A funnel is super helpful. I then
use a chopstick to stir the mix and remove any air bubbles. Then I use a damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar. Next place the lid on the jars so the rubbery section is on the rim of the jar. Screw the bands down to finger-tip tightness. Don’t overtighten the lids – trust me, they will blow up.
check for seals and tighten the bands. You should hear a “plink” noise as the seal snaps down. Put any jar that does not seal in the fridge and use in the next few days. Label the jars with the date and name of the product. Clean them and store in a cool, dark location.
PROCESSING FILLED JARS Heat the water back to boiling. Place the jars in the pressure canner. Make sure the jars are all covered by at least an inch of water. Secure the pressure canning lid onto the top. Follow the directions on the canner that you own to get to the pressure and time required for your recipe. Remember to use the altitude adjustments to be safe with temperature and time. When the time has elapsed do not remove the lid or vent the lid. Removing it will probably burn you. Venting will cause a pressure change that can cause the glass jars in the canner to blow up. Neither of those are good. Let the pressure fall on its own. I remove the canner from the heat source and place on a rack to cool quicker. When the pressure drops to zero remove the lid and the jars from the water. Use some tongs and remove the jars from the water. Place them on a towel. Watch them boil on the inside – it is really cool looking. Do not tilt, turn or dry, and do not disturb the lids or tighten the bands. This can lead to “false positives” on the sealing and that can put you in danger. After two hours,
CANNED WILD TURKEY AND WHITE BEAN CHILI 1 cup dry white navy beans (Soak beans overnight covered in water. This is optional, but I like the texture of the beans better when they have soaked overnight) 1 turkey breast, cooked (I grilled mine), diced ¼ cup cumin 1 small onion, diced 10 cloves garlic, crushed 1 6-ounce can green chilies 1 tablespoon red chili flakes 1 can diced tomatoes, pureed Salt and pepper 1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in water 3 cups water
Canning is a good way to make shelf-stable food out of your wild game. (SARA ROAHEN, SOUTHERN FOODWAYS ALLIANCE, CC 2.0)
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This recipe calls for a raw pack of the ingredients. That means that all the items in the recipe get mixed beforehand, then placed into the jars to cook. Basically the canning process cooks the things in the jar. In a mixing bowl add the diced turkey, cumin, onion, garlic, green chilies, chili flakes, tomato puree, beans, salt and pepper. This mix will be “thick.” Fill each pint-sized jar leaving 1 inch of headspace on the top. Next pour the water/ bouillon cube mix into each jar barely covering the beans. Use a chopstick to stir the mix and get out any excess air bubbles. Follow the lidding procedure above. Follow the sanitation directions above. Can the chili for 90 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure, or 90 minutes at 12 pounds of pressure if you live above 3,000 feet in elevation. Follow the cooling and jar removal procedure above. When you want to eat simply heat the chili to a boil and garnish! For the picture on the last page, I used pumpkin seeds, asiago cheese and cilantro. For more wild game recipes, see Chefrandyking.com. –RK
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COLUMN our location. I was wrong. “Oh, man, looks like my blind blew into the fence,” Warford said via headlamp. I looked his direction and not 30 yards from the garage of a newish house was a camo ground blind. The boys and I quickly helped him right the blind. We staked it down and “moved in” with chairs, a cooler and our guns. I was still in a little bit of shock. We had two shooting lanes in the house’s front yard. One was between two decorative shrubs, a garden hose rolled up under one. The other was “left of the gnome” and to the wooden fence. It looked like the homeowner had mowed his lawn the day before for us – so courteous. Next we went to set up the decoys – I had to kick a dog chew toy off the grass to place a decoy. Honestly, I was feeling dirty. But then, while it was still dark, Warford hit the call. And the hills came alive. So. Many. Birds. After the first group of jakes walked by unscathed a new crop of gobblers strolled
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birds we could see.
AFTER SULTRY CALLS from Warford’s mouth
It wasn’t the most traditional of spring turkey hunts, what with its restricted shooting lanes (one was between the garden gnome and a wooden fence), but Noah and Cameron King were successful. (RANDY KING) past. We just watched them walk up the driveway and past the house, out of sight. We didn’t even bring up a gun. “Those ones will be back,” Warford said. I believed him. Then a 9 a.m. dry spell fell upon us and my desire to kill a jake came back hard. Eventually at about 10 the gobblers began making their way back down toward us. When they came back in sight Warford and I began to call them. We could see them about 100 yards off on a hill in front of us. Then more gobbles came from behind us, in the trees, not from the
call and the scratching of my box call all the gobblers shut down. Then less than 10 yards directly behind us a gobbler sounded off. We could hear it and other birds walking in the duff. It was hard not to laugh. Then out of the corner of my eye I caught movement. About 5 feet from the blind a turkey popped out of the trees, his beard nearly hitting the ground. He and several of his friends filed by us – five gobblers coming from the trees to meet the five gobblers coming down the lawn. Soon the two groups met on the grass in front of us. It was like the Capulets and Montagues. The birds circled each other for a while. We waited for a gang fight, but two big booms ruined the party. Well, for the turkeys – two birds down, two kids smiling. While this hunt was not technically difficult, it certainly was perfect for a youth hunt. Get them hooked, then keep them hooked with success. NS
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HUNTING
10
Reasons To Hunt Spring Bears
A proud Northwest bruin hunter lists why you should make the most of that permit. By Douglas Boze
W
e all catch it. A little bit of cabin fever as the rains and snows of the dreary Northwest winter pound us into submission and complacency,
sending us to the comfort of a warm fire and coffee inside our homes. I understand, I am one of those people. Trapping and calling coyotes helps, but once deer and elk season is over with, the long wait until
next season seems like an eternity, with no oasis of hunting in sight. Or is there? This is where spring bear season comes into play. If you live in the three Northwest states, you have There are a lot of good reasons to get into spring bear hunting, including getting afield at a nice time of year and possibly notching a tag on good eats. Author Douglas Boze, here with a bruin, recommends making summer sausage, breakfast sausage and pepperoni sticks with the meat. (DOUGLAS BOZE)
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HUNTING with the reduction of just one black bear in a birthing area can greatly increase the chance that the ungulate population can add a few more babies to adulthood, and that is a good thing for us deer, elk and moose hunters.
It didn’t make this list of 10 reasons to hunt bruins this time of year, but reducing damage to young conifers is why state wildlife managers make some tags available. (DOUGLAS BOZE)
2) Feeling fat and lazy after that long winter? Me too, which is why it is so important to get off your dead butt and start to shed some of those unwanted holiday/winter pounds. Spring bear season requires you to cover ground looking for areas that are greening up with fresh shoots, which are the first thing a bear has the chance to eat once it comes out of the den. This can also be a great time to scout for deer or elk, as well as explore new areas that you might not hunt during regular season. As a relative of mine in physical therapy relates, “Motion is lotion.” Keep moving, keep in shape, your older self will thank you.
3) Prime hides. To those of you new
options of over-the-counter bear tags or can put in for the draw. You’re not a bear hunter, you say? Why would you want to hunt a bear? After all, you rarely see them while deer or elk hunting and really only buy a tag on the off chance of coming across one during those respective seasons. Well, let me give you some reasons why you should be out and about chasing these magnificent creatures in the spring. 164 Northwest Sportsman
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1) Spring is calving and fawning season. When your choice of food is between green shoots sprouting up in the spring sun or calorie-rich little calves or fawns, which one would you choose? You can bet that bears have the same idea that you do. They love elk calves, deer fawns and, yes, even moose calves. It’s a perfect time for them to do what bears do, and that is eat and eat what is readily available. Even
to the bear hunting game, bears in the spring have wonderful hides left over from the cold winter. A “prime hide” is a term used to indicate one that is about as full and luxurious as it is going to get. The earlier you can score a bear during the spring, the better. Once they come out of the den, and it begins to get warmer out, the bear will start to rub and scratch the hide on trees, trying to get that heavy coat off. If a nice hide is important to you, take the time before you shoot to really get a good look at the bear on all sides to make sure it has not rubbed a bald spot on its face or sides, which happens all the time. Nothing compliments a mancave, bedroom, or living room like a bear rug set in a place of honor, to be revered and remembered.
4) Spring bear hunting and shed hunting go together like peas and carrots. Don’t like peas and carrots? If you don’t like shed hunting and lack the desire to score a legend of
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HUNTING
With a change this year in Oregon, all spring bear seasons there are permit only, but in some Washington units, less than half of those who draw a tag actually hunt, wasting a prime opportunity. (DOUGLAS BOZE)
the woods, no amount of my writing will help you. But I can tell you this: When you are out shed hunting, having an added bear tag in your pocket sweetens the deal. On the topic of shed hunting, am I the only one who runs up to them when I spot an antler from a distance, seemingly worried that someone else is going to pop out of the brush and pick it up before I can?
meat diplomacy at parties and gettogethers, introducing it to those who might not have otherwise had a chance to try game. I have never once had a person who tried a slice of bear summer sausage and cheese say to me that they didn’t like it, or not have seconds. Rather, most have stated “This is bear?!” in surprise and then I move the subject to hunting, why I hunt them, the joys of it, etc.
5) Adding organic meat in your
6) As a hunter, don’t you want to help
freezer is always a plus. If you are lucky enough to get a bear in the spring, you will find that they are a delicious meat similar to pork, one which deserves your care and is worthy of much enjoyment (but must be fully cooked to avoid trichinosis). I personally like bear meat as summer sausage, breakfast sausage and pepperoni sticks. Prepared in this way, I enjoy them throughout the year, and like to do some wild
with the conservation of ungulates and even predators? Your added license/tag fees will do this, along with your efforts to help control predator populations, and I am not just talking about bears. If you get bored of looking for bears, or want a break, give coyote calling a try while out. I have called in plenty of bears while predator calling, and if I can curb the coyote population (which also takes its share of ungulate babies), that’s all the better!
7) Spring is a time when the woods are not overly crowded. Now, in some corners, once shed season starts, it’s a free for all and kind of crazy. Me personally, I avoid these areas. But certain bear hunting units – most of them, in fact – are quite barren of people this time of year. The latespring/summer hikers are still not out and very few hunters are scouting deer and elk, so you will likely find yourself with some solitude. This is yet another great reason to go spring bear hunting, to simply enjoy the woods and nature without the hustle and bustle of general deer or elk season. 8) Some of my favorite hunting memories are because I pursue bears. I’ve been three steps from one; I’ve watched them strip trees for their cambium layer; I have seen their tracks in the higher elevations in the snow as they have wandered around with food on the brain. I say this, because if I wasn’t out hunting bears, I would not have made these memories, they 166 Northwest Sportsman
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HUNTING would not exist and that is reason enough for me to want to continue hunting bears as much as possible. When you start to hunt them, what memories will it make for you, what paths will it take you down?
9) Bear cubs. That’s right, bear cubs.
If you want a bear rug, spring is the time to do it, preferably before boars start rubbing their hides. Monica Weeks bagged this cinnamon in Northeast Washington while hunting with husband Stan. (ONTARIO KNIFE HUNTING CONTEST)
No, you shouldn’t hunt them, but observing young bruins and their mischief can be quite enjoyable. I once watched a sow and cub come into my predator call from about 500 yards off. They weaved in and out of the tree line, disappearing and reappearing effortlessly through the thick underbrush and shadows. As they moved closer and closer, there was a log that was nothing for momma to step from, but it was several feet down, on the downhill side, which coincidentally was quite a distance for a small cub. He paced nervously back and forth as mom waited patiently and he built up the
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SAGE CANYON OUTFITTERS courage and then made a leap of faith. With the grace of the late Chris Farley the cub launched off the log and made a landing in the brush, which would have left a human living in a van down by the river. It wasn’t much of a landing, but it was a scene to behold. My point is, watching sows with cubs is an amazing and heartpumping experience.
10) Finally, reconnecting with nature is something I think we can all use, and use as often as possible. Being a part of nature – not just a spectator – is vitally important to the mental and physical well-being of humans. We were meant to be hunters. We were meant to go out and kill for our food. We were meant to harvest animals to sustain our life, not pick up our food from Styrofoam and plastic packages. Our bodies are sustained by the death of or harvest of other organisms. Do you want to know where your food has come from, or would you prefer to rely on the printed label on the package? Except for a few packages of chicken in my freezer, I can tell you exactly where my meat has come from, what valley it lived on, what hillside it died on, how it was butchered, how it was cleaned and cared for, and what it took to actually take that life. Every time I head out into the woods, I learn something new, I am able to clear my head, to recharge my soul, to contemplate life and to appreciate it. Hunting makes me a better person, a better father, provider, a better human. I know that you cannot have life without death, and I know that one day I will have my end too. But until then, I will remain a spring bear hunter, and proud of it. I would encourage you to do the same. NS Editor’s note: Douglas Boze is the author of The Ultimate Guide To Black Bear Hunting, creator of the Ultimate Predator Calls app for iOS and Android and can be followed on Instagram (@bozeandbears).
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COLUMN
Make The Most Of Mini Training Sessions T
hough spring is fast approaching, the coming weeks can be some of the wettest. If you have a new puppy that’s not fond of the rain, or GUN DOGGIN’ 101 you’re tired of it getting By Scott Haugen muddy every time you let it out of the house, don’t let that hinder your training time. Devoting 10 to 15 minutes a day to training your puppy will pay big dividends down the road, and don’t think you have to go outside to train either. There are a lot of puppy training drills that can be done inside the house, in a fairly small area.
TEACHING YOUR PUP hand signals is one of the most important things you can do, and this starts the day you bring it home. Start by teaching the pup to sit. While getting it to look at you – usually by holding a treat close to your eye – say “sit” and once it sits, say “look” to get it to look into your eyes. Repeat “sit” while patting the pup’s hind end down with the other hand. When the pup sits, give it the treat. As the sitting becomes consistent, then hold out giving it the treat until it looks at you. Keep at this until the pup sits on command. Some pups pick this up surprisingly fast, within a day or two, while others may not be ready to do this for a couple weeks or more. Once the pup sits, place a little kibble a foot to the right of it. Do this on carpet so the puppy doesn’t slip. Say “sit” so the pup knows not to move. If the pup moves before you say “get it” (or whatever your command will be), reach out and stop it, while quickly saying “na!” in a loud, nasal tone. This quick response will startle the pup, and your simultaneously grabbing it will help it learn. Remember,
Playing with your new pup is one of the best ways to build bonds and develop clear communication. (SCOTT HAUGEN) you’re not scolding the dog, rather patiently teaching it. Clear, consistent communication is key. Sit the pup down again, a foot from the food, then give the command to get
it. Verbally praise the pup, as this, along with the food, is the reward. Next, have the pup sit where it is, then place food a foot to the left of it. Repeat the same verbal and physical commands.
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COLUMN pieces of kibble on both the left and right side of it, at the same time. This teaches the pup restraint, and it should not get either pile of kibble until you give the command. When the pup has shown patience and consistency, place a few pieces of kibble behind the dog. Imagine a baseball field, where you’re the batter, the pup is in the pitcher’s position, the right pile of kibble is first base, and the left pile of kibble is third base. Now, with the pup facing you, put some kibble behind it, on second base; there should be no food on first or third base. While extending your arm straight over your head and saying “back” the pup will learn to release to the food, straight back. As the pup masters sitting and getting the kibble from all three bases, increase the distance between them. You’ll go from a foot, to 10 feet, to several yards. Once you start bumper training outside, you can place them several yards from the pup, and help guide them to the bumpers via hand signals and your verbal commands.
AS THE WEATHER gets nicer, your training
Patience and consistent training are key to getting a puppy to maintain its composure and obey your commands, as this 9-week-old pup demonstrates by sitting and staying in response to both verbal and hand commands. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
AFTER A FEW days, the pup will begin to learn when it’s supposed to move both left and right. At this time, you can guide it with an open hand to the right, while giving your verbal command, then do the same thing to the left. This open hand signal will be what the dog keys on when 174 Northwest Sportsman
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in the field, up to a couple hundred yards, or more, away. Should you cripple a bird or have multiple birds down, or if you’ve located a shed antler you want your dog to retrieve, hand signals are invaluable. Once the pup is comfortable moving left and right, have it sit and put a few
sessions will expand, both in time and area. By getting a pup to be disciplined and learn your language at an early age, it will be much easier to train in the field. The more the pup learns, the more eager it will also be to please you. In all puppy training, quality time and clear communication are critical. No matter how small your training area is, pups can learn something, and they need that stimulation every day, sometimes two to three times a day. It’s better to work with a pup for a couple minutes in the morning, then again at midday, then in the evening, than trying to cram it all into one session. When training a pup, don’t forget to have fun. Play with your pup, get on the ground, roll around with it and just enjoy these days. This is extremely valuable in developing that bond which will lead to respect, and when a pup respects you, it’ll do anything in the world to please you. NS Editor’s note: To see some of Scott Haugen’s puppy training video tips, check out visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.