Northwest Sportsman Mag - Mar 2021 by Media Index Publishing Group

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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 13 • Issue 6 PUBLISHER James R. Baker

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

ALUMAWELD STRYKER

EDITOR Andy Walgamott THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Dave Anderson, Randall Bonner, Jason Brooks, Jerry Han, Scott Haugen, MD Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Tom Schnell, Dave Workman, Mark Yuasa EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER Katie Aumann INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER Lois Sanborn WEBMASTER/DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines

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ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@nwsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email letters, articles/queries, photos, etc., to awalgamott@media-inc.com, or to the mailing address below. ON THE COVER Jamie LeBon shows off a very nice black rockfish caught last season off the North Jetty of the Columbia River. (JAROD HIGGINBOTHAM)

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CONTENTS

PRE-ENGINEERED STEEL FRAME STRUCTURES

VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 6

855.668.7211 • www.wsbnw.com

NORTHWEST ROCKFISH, LINGCOD SEASON PREVIEW

“When you look at 2021 and ’22 recreational bottomfish opportunities on the west coast, it’s really exciting to see things starting to open up.” So says one of two Northwest rockfish and lingcod managers that our MD Johnson interviewed for this issue’s special focus on some of the besttasting fish our region has on offer!

(JARROD HIGGINBOTHAM)

ALSO INSIDE 67

SLOW-PITCH JIGGING 101 Never heard of slow-pitch jigging for rockfish? Er, neither had we, but the technique that originated in Japan and has made its way to the Gulf Coast and California, is beginning to make inroads in the Northwest. Jerry Han broke out the super-limber rods and flat-fall jigs last fall to give it a try off Brookings and reports back on how it works.

PREP NOW FOR OCEAN BOTTOMFISHING Freezer low on white-meated fillets? Time to get ready for lingcod and rockfish season on the briny blue! Dave Anderson knows a thing or two about prepping the boat and building a mess of pipe jigs, and this issue he shares his wisdom.

SEE YOU IN SEKIU! Pugetropolis blackmouth anglers have had few options – and disappointing ones at that – this winter, but that changes this month with the opening of the western Strait of Juan de Fuca. Mark Yuasa plans to make a pilgrimage to this fishy “Mecca” and has the details on where and how to hit it.

PARTNERS IN CHROME A double date on the Siletz served up a double dose of trophy wild winter steelhead for two couples, as well as a chance to say goodbye to a much-loved friend. Randy Bonner reflects on a memorable drift down the Oregon Coast river.

109 GET IN THE KOKE ZONE To use downriggers, run a dropper setup or just long line for kokanee, that is the question. Each has its place for targeting these delicious fish that are stocked or have selfsustaining populations in the region’s reservoirs and natural lakes, and Kokanee Power of Oregon board member Tom Schnell shares his tips for when to use which tactic to get in the school zone.

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 © 2021 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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Drifting Baits For Steelhead, Bobber Doggin’ Edition Why has bobber doggin’ grown in popularity on Northwest steelhead rivers? “The reason is simple,” says Buzz, and it boils down to a couple technical reasons and the fact it really works well on winter-runs. The legend shares tips and tactics for making this technique work for you.

COLUMNS 117 NORTHWEST PURSUITS Shake Off Winter Blahs With Early Trout Ops No need to wait for April when there are trout to be caught across the region in March. With the days lengthening and water temperatures perking back up from their winter lows, kick-starting the food chain, Jason has some ideas on where to head and what to use. 133 GUN DOG Seasonal Reflections With waterfowl and upland bird seasons largely wrapped up, now is the time to reflect on what worked – and more importantly, what didn’t – for you and your fourlegged hunting partner this past campaign. Scott shares what to consider. 141 ON TARGET As Winter Hunts Wrap Up, There’s Gun Shopping To Do Creedmoor Who? The new 6.8 Western from Winchester Ammunition has caught the attention of Dave, who this month spies out rifle lines now chambered for this “long-range sizzler.” He also highlights other new long guns, shotguns and a suppressor-ready Buck Mark. 153 CHEF IN THE WILD Cooking Fails Tea-smoked sturgeon. Mackerel fish and chips. Squirrel-not-skinned-soon-enough dumplings. Just some of the disasters Chef Randy has tried to pull off in his day. But each one taught him something new about cooking, including the right way to combine squid, horseradish and avocado.

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(ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS)

THE BIG PIC

New Focus On Snake Dams Hopes rise for salmon, fisheries and local economies with Idaho Congressman’s massive plan.

DEPARTMENTS

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THE EDITOR’S NOTE Reasons for optimism

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Coast, Fishing monthly prizes

THE DISHONOR ROLL Crater Lake poacher banned, fined heavily; Flurry of waterfowl wastage cases; Jackass of the Month

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

rey Carskadon sees the bright side of things in the Northwest fishing world, and in late January he saw the beautiful bright sides of a 39-inch-long wild winter steelhead. It was a wellearned catch. The Portland angler said on social media that his “goliath steelhead punctuates a lifetime spent chasing a fish of this magnitude.” Carskadon caught the Oregon Coast chromer at a time of year that his life is otherwise consumed 24-7 by his day job. He is the public relations director for O’Loughlin Trade Shows, which puts on the Northwest’s biggest sportsmen’s shindigs. Usually, he would have been up to his eyeballs in Puyallup preparations, with – ack! – the even larger PDX production coming up PDQ. But in 2021, those shows were pushed back till this month due to Covid-19. Carskadon saw it as a chance to make lemonade from lemons. “Moving the shows to March means more steelheading for me than in Trey Carskadon cradles a large wild steelhead he caught while bobber doggin’ with guide previous years,” he told me in Josiah Darr in late January, a dream catch 50 years in the making. (TREY CARSKADON) December.

THE BRIGHT SIDE has become hard to see in recent years. We Northwest hunters and anglers seem to have slipped into a deep rut of discontent. The issues are myriad and real. I’ve written about them here many times: low runs, environmental calamities, habitat loss, predators, etc. – pick your poison. Yes, it sucks, but now even good news goes scoffed at, as if we’ve forgotten that the sun is still capable of rising. And seemingly no post by the Departments of Fish and Wildlife – even innocuous ones – goes untorched. It’s gotten so bad that we are being openly mocked on agency threads as negative nellies and whiny little so-and-sos. I’d blame it on my catchall bogeyman, the idiotically hyperpartisan times we live in, yet ironically 2020 turned out to be “a banner year for the conservation community,” if fish, wildlife and habitat bills that were passed by Congress are any indication. And now comes a plan that not only bridges so many divides in a comprehensive way, but works to save key Northwest salmon and steelhead stocks at the same time. It’s Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson’s let’s-float-all-the-boats proposal to remove the lower four Snake River dams, replace clean energy and transportation corridors, and much, much more. It’s this issue’s Big Pic, which begins on page 26, and guess who has been working behind the scenes trying to land this behemoth for twoplus decades? Carskadon. He tells me that at one point, the whole idea was said to be “dead, dead, dead,” but here we are. Yes, there will be pushback and who knows what hurdles lie ahead, but for Carskadon, just being able to say it “‘could happen’ is huge.” I’ll take the power of positive thinking and sticktoitiveness any day, but even forces for good need help. Please read our story and mull this game-changing approach. If you’re not already, I hope you get on board. –Andy Walgamott nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

Northwest Sportsman 23

New Focus On Snake Dams

Hopes rise for salmon, fisheries and local economies with Idaho Congressman’s massive plan; ‘This is our moment, and we need to grab it,’ says sportfishing leader. By Andy Walgamott

hen Buzz Ramsey talks, people tend to listen. I know I do. For decades upon decades now, the famed cowboy-hatted Northwest angler has been catching salmon and steelhead, tinkering with lures and sharing expert advice with fellow fishermen. Ramsey retired at the end of 2020 after a long career with Yakima Bait and Luhr

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Jensen, among others, but he’s not giving up on fishing. No chance of that. In January he appeared in a steelheading video in which he and a crew catch a wild winter-run to help power a state broodstock program. After helping deliver that native fish to a livewell back on land, the Klickitat, Washington, resident put his rod down for a moment to talk about Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhead recovery.

It’s an issue that is now back on the front burner, with the dials turned on high, as angling and conservation groups see a stellar chance to make headway – “This is our moment, and we need to grab it,” said one regional leader in late January – in a comprehensive way that also helps the region’s economy and those potentially impacted by dam removal, goals that are part of a $30-plus-billion plan that an Idaho Republican Congressman laid out in

PICTURE

Southeast Washington’s Lower Granite Dam would be the first of the four on the state’s Snake River to be breached under a $33.5-billion removal, infrastructure and salmon and steelhead recovery plan unveiled by Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson (R) last month. (NOE GONZALEZ, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS)

early February and is behind this push.

“IT’S NOT THAT any one dam is so bad,” Ramsey said in the 21-minute-long video posted January 20 by Salmon Trout Steelheader. “It’s the cumulative effect of too many, which is why there is talk about removing the four dams on the lower Snake River … Because to get to all that habitat, 70 percent of the remaining habitat in the Columbia River system is in

Idaho and they’ve got to traverse eight dams” to access it. The four dams are Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite, all in Southeast Washington and all constructed in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, the high tide mark of the federal dam-building era. That tide is now ebbing hard as society takes a sharper look at what we’ve done to our natural world and what we can do to restore it. Free-flowing-river advocates say

the lower Snake dams provide just 4 to 5 percent of the region’s electricity, that as run-of-the-river facilities they have limited flood-control and water storage functions, and only one of the impoundments – the lowest – provides any water for crops. Ramsey maintained that while the quartet offers “the least benefit to society,” the plan to remove them includes “(making) sure we take care of everybody.” “In other words,” he said in the video,

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Northwest Sportsman 27

A screengrab from a recent Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine video shows Buzz Ramsey as he talks about salmon and steelhead restoration on the ColumbiaSnake system. (YOUTUBE)

PICTURE “we’re not talking about taking those dams out and leaving the irrigators high and dry. No, no. They can still irrigate out of the river; it doesn’t have to be out of the reservoir. So there just needs to be a plan that includes those people so they are left whole. “If we plan for it, we can backfill the hydropower that is produced by those dams,” Ramsey added. “If shippers that are shipping stuff out of Lewiston – keep in mind, 80 percent of the commodities that come down the Columbia River are coming out of Tri-Cities, below those four dams; it’s only about 20 percent that comes out of Lewiston – if those shippers up there need subsidized freight, we can subsidize it. The federal government can put together a plan that subsidizes those shipping costs, if that’s what those users need, and keep them whole.” Chinook, steelhead and other stocks, as well as workers, would also see benefits. “This can be just as big of a boon to the region, to where we get federal appropriations to take those dams out,” Ramsey said in the video. “It brings jobs to the region. It’s a jobs project. And it recovers salmon, and part of that plan is to keep everybody whole so nobody is disadvantaged.” “That’s the vision of recovering salmon,” he said. “Because if we don’t do it, salmon will go extinct. Wild salmon will go extinct. That means that not too long afterwards hatchery salmon will go extinct because you’ve got to, just like we’ve been talking about – [the wild steelhead the crew caught and brought in for broodstock purposes during the shooting of the video] – dip into those wild stocks to keep those hatchery fish vibrant and working.” Some $17 billion has been spent trying to recover salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin over the past quarter century “with no success,” say those in favor of dam removal, though Snake River fall Chinook are said to be approaching goal, per a recent Washington report. “To have salmon go extinct is unacceptable to me and for a lot of residents in this region, it’s unacceptable 28 Northwest Sportsman

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to them too,” Ramsey said as the segment came to an end.

IT’S ALSO UNACCEPTABLE to those who took part in an hour-long Snake River Restoration Panel put on by the National Wildlife Federation and Association of Northwest Steelheaders in late January. “The science is clear on a lot of things right now,” said Tucker Jones, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Columbia River fishery manager. “The science is clear that the dams on the lower Snake River and the lower Columbia River are one of the major causes of the decline and really, the biggest current source of direct mortality for these [Endangered Species Act] listed salmon and steelhead from the Snake Basin.” Some days it seems that every fellow Columbia system salmonid angler is sure their particular bogeyman is the singular thing responsible for fish woes – terns, walleye, sea lions, tribal nets, commercial nets, harbor seals, cormorants, smallmouth bass, too-warm river conditions, hatcheries, you name it – and that eliminating it would solve all problems like some silver bullet. But Jones insisted that none of those myriad factors stack up next to the impact of the dams. “Everything else is, relatively speaking, such a tiny piece of the overall puzzle,” he said, holding his index finger and thumb closely together to illustrate the point.

“Really, just looking at the differences of fish that otherwise share the same experience, those fish are going to have the same sea lions chasing them. They’re going to have the same ocean conditions when they hit the estuary plume on their outmigration. They’re going to face the same fishing pressures in the ocean and in the river,” Jones said. The difference is that “cumulative effect” that Ramsey referred to in the STS video. “What some of them don’t have to face, and what some of them do have to face, is the number of dams,” Jones said. “And really, every time one of those fish hits one of those dams as a smolt swimming out of the river, it decreases its opportunity of returning as an adult by about 10 percent. Every time. If you have only three dams to pass and you’re unfortunate enough to hit three dams, you’ve basically reduced your chances of coming back about 30 percent. If you have eight dams to get past, and you are unfortunate to hit eight dams, you decrease your chances of returning by about 80 percent. That builds up and it stacks up.” Earlier in the evening Jones stated that there is a clear difference in return rates for John Day River spring Chinook, which only face three mainstem Columbia dams – John Day, The Dalles and Bonneville – versus those from the Snake, which face eight – the aforementioned seven plus McNary. He acknowledged that spilling water

PICTURE over the dams instead of running it through the turbines in spring has helped to a degree in flushing smolts downriver, but he and fellow panelist Jack Glass also shared stories of so-called “tech-no-fixes” – of convoluted juvenile fish bypass systems at dams, of smolts trucked down to Bonneville and released into water so warm they were jumping out of the river in thermal shock and making easy, fast meals for predatory birds. Glass did allow that the Snake dams were being managed to make fish passage easier and he was careful with his words around what would happen with the structures, broaching breaching, which would leave portions in place for the river to flow around. Both he and his son Brandon are fulltime fishing guides, and Glass said they depend on good salmon runs, calling them the “bloodline of the Northwest.” Chris Hager, executive director at the Association of Northwest Steelheaders, said today’s fast-filling fishery quotas stand

An Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife graph illustrates wild spring Chinook mortality sources. (ODFW) in “stark contrast to what it could be, and the Snake River dams play a big role in that.” Lower Columbia Chinook seasons are managed around impacts on Endangered Species Act-listed Idaho-bound kings.

IF IT WAS Jones’ job to talk science and stats during the Snake restoration panel discussion, it was Liz Hamilton’s to rally the troops.

“Together we are a mighty force for conservation,” said the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association’s executive director. “The sportfishing business community and our customers, though, are pretty conservative by nature, but maybe that’s why so many of us embrace the efforts to restore the lower Snake River basin if we can build a comprehensive solution that supports

Tucker Jones (lower left) of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates the relative impact that non-dam sources of mortality have on Columbia system salmon and steelhead during late January’s Snake River Restoration Panel. Others on the presentation included (clockwise from upper left) Liz Hamilton of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, guide Jack Glass, and Betsy Emery and Chris Hager of the Association of Northwest Steelheaders. (ZOOM) 30 Northwest Sportsman

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PICTURE

What looks like twin battleships under construction in drydock is actually part of Ice Harbor Lock and Dam, the first of the lower Snake four to be built. (CORPS OF ENGINEERS)

have to be ready to put our differences aside and work together, and we need to seek a Congressional action and a comprehensive legislative infrastructure package that protects and creates jobs and restores salmon and steelhead.” “This is our moment and we need to grab it,” Hamilton exhorted.

SO WHAT’S CHANGED, making this go time?

others who also rely on the river.” “Because it’s cost-effective, and it will double and sometimes triple the smolt-to-adult returns in the river, double, sometimes triple the number of hatchery and wild spring Chinook and B-run steelhead back to the basin, if we can build this comprehensive solution. And it will also benefit other stocks that migrate through the hydropower system corridor,” she said. Last year, the Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration and Bureau of Reclamation decided to keep the four dams in place, despite recognizing that removing them is the most effective way to restore salmon and steelhead. That drew a rebuke from Elliott Moffett of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, who said, “The status quo has not and will not work” and that “major changes need to occur in order to restore the salmon

runs within the Nez Perce Territory,” where the Nimiipuu, or Nez Perce, live. Hamilton spoke to that status-quo political thinking that has prevented forward movement on the issue. “I think we’re done with those false choices, right,” she said. “We’re done with the us versus them. We’re done with the fish versus irrigation, fish versus energy. We can modernize this system in a way that creates irrigation and solutions for farmers. We can replace the power from the Snake dams with clean and renewable energy and, hey, how about conservation? We can upgrade rail, road and port transportation, revitalize waterfronts, and also include money for dam removal.” “To engage in this mighty lift, we need the voices of these 400,000 anglers that fish in the river and who care about the future that we leave for our children and our grandchildren,” she continued. “So we

WEB RESOURCES Rep. Mike Simpson: simpson.house.gov/salmon Northwest Strong: nwstrong.squarespace.com Our Northwest Opportunity: nwopportunity.org NSIA: nsiafishing.org/advocacy/snake-river-restoration

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Regional leaders – from US senators to one of Idaho’s Congressmen to the four Northwest governors and others – are “leaning in and are asking those ‘What if’ questions,” Hamilton said. Questions like, how do we get past standoffs and roadblocks; how do we upgrade the system, create jobs and ensure that salmon share in the prosperity? Then there is the plight of starving southern resident killer whales, which has brought the problem of low salmon runs home to the residents of Pugetropolis in a way that arguments over far-off dams on a stilled inland river never could. “What’s new is, this region is ready for this future,” said Hamilton. “But as important as all of this is – because the science didn’t drive anything and the salmon crisis didn’t drive anything – right now, the Pacific Northwest has the most senior and the most powerful senators and representatives that serve on committees that have influence over salmon and influence over infrastructure.” Washington’s Sen. Maria Cantwell (D), the incoming chair of the powerful Commerce Committee, stressed the importance of salmon habitat, restoration and stock assessments during a late January hearing with Gina Raimondo, President Joseph R. Biden’s pick to head up the bureau that oversees the National Marine Fisheries Service. Raimondo indicated she looked forward to working on the issues with the Senate committee. But asking “What if” the loudest literally is Rep. Mike Simspon, that Idaho Republican who last month formally unveiled the $33.5-billion “concept” he’d talked about in 300-plus behind-thescenes meetings with stakeholders across the spectrum over the past three years. Dubbed the “worst kept secret” in the Northwest by outdoor reporter Eric

PICTURE Barker of the Lewiston Tribune, the plan – which at this writing has not been formally introduced as legislation – includes $1.4 billion for breaching the dams, starting with Lower Granite in summer 2030; $3 billion for revitalizing salmon habitat in the Snake and Columbia watersheds, as well as elsewhere in the region; $10 billion to replace the lost energy generation and develop new sources of clean electricity; $700 million for “Priority Salmon Fisheries Infrastructure Backlog,” which you can read as hatcheries; $700 million for non-listed salmon runs; $200 million for lamprey passage in the Columbia; $1.5 billion to reconfigure transportation of agricultural crops; $150 million to restore the waterfronts of Lewiston and Clarkston; and much, much more. “The Northwest has been caught in an unsustainable cycle of conflicts over salmon and energy,” Simpson said in a press release announcing his plan. “For over 30 years, lawsuits, appeals, salmon management directives and endless spending have prevailed, while salmon, energy, agriculture and transportation interests continue to suffer. What I am releasing today is a

proposal to break that cycle and deliver certainty and security to the Northwest without picking winners and losers.” It’s a plan for the future that recognizes what’s being done currently isn’t working. Simpson said that scientists advise him that Idaho smolt-to-adult salmon survival rates, or SAR, are just 1 percent, “which I am told is below replacement and on a trajectory towards extinction.” He compared that to 3 to 4 percent for stocks that go through just the four lowest dams on the mainstem Columbia and “greater than 4 percent” for John Day spring Chinook, reiterating Ramsey’s and Jones’“cumulative effect.” And it acknowledges the threat of climate change to river and reservoir temperatures and thus salmon, a risk that Simpson expects will only get worse in coming times. “Changes of this magnitude might be unnerving at first, but we have a unique opportunity to create a solution that finally puts a stop to the never-ending salmon wars,” said Simpson. “This concept could take Idaho’s salmon off the path toward extinction and put them on a more certain path of sustainability and viability. We can protect our stakeholders and modernize our energy system for the next 50-plus

Lewiston and Clarkston would no longer be seaports under Simpson’s plan, but they would receive money to revamp their waterfronts as the Snake and Clearwater become free-flowing rivers again, and see – hopefully – far more Chinook, coho and steelhead than under the dam era. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

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years, and we can do this on our terms.” Referencing the divisive “spotted owl wars” of the 1980s, Simpson’s plan also calls for a 35-year moratorium on salmonrelated litigation. NSIA is part of a recent lawsuit filed in January against alleged deficiencies in hydropower operators’ latest plan for managing the impact of the ColumbiaSnake system on listed stocks. It’s the eighth challenge in the long-running case that has been argued in U.S. District Court before Judges James R. Redden and, now, Michael Simon. “And so this is a magic moment right now where all these things are aligning,” NSIA’s Hamilton said. “Energy prices are dropping, people are tired of false choices – they want solutions. Covid has created the need for stimulus packages and jobs. So that’s why, again, your 400,000 voices are so important, because united, this is a powerful conservation point at a powerful moment in history. This is our once-in-a-lifetime chance to make a truly meaningful difference.”

A HUGE LIFT, obviously, and a plan that was almost immediately declared a “nonstarter” by agricultural interests, while a quartet of U.S. Representatives whose districts

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Northwest Sportsman 35

PICTURE border the Columbia and Snake came out with a statement protective of hydropower and even calling for its increase. Some in the Northwest fishing world were also dubious. “Salmon are not worth destroying a comprehensive system of flood control, irrigation, power production, transportation, and yes recreation. I fish Salmon and love eating them but not at this price,” wrote one Central Washington angler on our Facebook page. However, irrigators appear to be on board after weighing the risks of future court rulings versus having a seat at the table now, and the editorial board of the Idaho Statesman, the Gem State’s largest paper, endorsed it as well, while Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Oregon Governor Kate Brown welcomed Simpson’s plan and supported it. It’s not just a confluence of influential lawmakers in key places that make this

a ripe moment. Simpson and removal/ breaching advocates, by extension, appear to be pinning their hopes on including the plan in a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure and energy stimulus proposal from the Biden administration expected sometime later this year. I haven’t written as much as I should have about the four lower Snake dams. I do have strong ties to this part of the Northwest and I care about it. I went to Wazzu for a couple years or so, following high school buddies, and the river and its tributaries and fisheries did not go unnoticed by us “Coasties.” One of our roommates came from a Palouse farming family and we hunted their lands. He’s semiretired now, the lucky dog, and we caught up last fall, talking about the dams and their future, resurgent Idaho B-run returns and the need to guard against shifting baselines, deer hunting and thinking about deer hunting, and his harvest-time job on the farm – driving crops to a processing plant near Moses Lake. He told me about a car that had

suddenly pulled out of the Colfax airport cutoff onto Highway 26 in front of him as he was westbound with a full load. I know I don’t have the answers, but I am very intrigued by this comprehensive effort. I like what I’m hearing from Buzz Ramsey and Rep. Simpson, about looking out for and working with those who would be impacted by dam removals; about the prospect of improving access to inland habitat and restoring the Snake to a more natural environment for the fish; from Tucker Jones and Liz Hamilton about reducing smolt mortality and increasing adult returns; and the alignment of political and stakeholder will towards achieving this. Those are all key buy-ins for me, making it much more doable, or at least advancing the conversation to the next level in what in all likelihood will be a very long talk. And it will, if Elwha and Klamath removals are any indication. It’s all a tall order, but those are relatively low dams on the lower Snake and I fear that time is short for the fish, so I can see stepping on the gas. Now. NS

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PHOTO

CONTEST

WINNERS!

Russell Southard is the winner of our monthly Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to his pic of sons Robert and Reagan with their big broodstock rainbows from a Willamette Valley lake. It wins him gear from various tackle manufacturers!

Chad Zoller is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of his daughter’s and son’s Southeast Washington bucks and a bonus pheasant. It wins him a knife and light from Coast!

For your shot at winning a Coast knife and light, as well as fishing products from various manufacturers, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details 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 our print or Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

Northwest Sportsman 39

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MIXED BAG

Crater Lake Poacher Banned, Fined Heavily

Medford-area man who “used one of Oregon’s most valuable natural preserves as his private hunting ground” has been forever banned from Crater Lake National Park, as well as ordered to pay $42,500 for killing five elk and a deer there in 2015 and 2016, as confirmed by digital and DNA evidence. The sentence handed down early last month to Adrian Duane Wood, 44, of White City also took away his hunting privileges for five years while he is on federal probation, and included a six-month stay in a halfway house. Reaction on our Facebook page, where we first posted the news, ranged from calls for harsher sentences, including hard time and lifelong hunting and fishing bans, to thumbs up that it was at least more than a slap on the wrist, but there were also worries of recidivism, given certain aspects of the case. Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division troopers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents began investigating Wood in July 2014 after sources reported he was “bragging” about pursuing elk and deer inside the national park. “It’s taken a long time to get here, and it’s nice that federal and state agencies pursued this case,” said Paul Donheffner, the Oregon Hunters Association’s Legislative Committee chairman. “I would give a tip of the hat to prosecutors, DOJ, OSP and the National Parks Service for following through on this. He (Wood) says he knows better, but then he continued the behavior, and that’s incorrigible.” Wood’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment, but in a Facebook

An image included in federal court documents shows a cell phone photo of Adrian Duane Wood with a bull elk he poached in late September 2016 inside Crater Lake National Park. His sentence forever barred him from the Southern Oregon park. (U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE) post last month, Wood claimed, “Most everything they put in the article was hear say (sic) and never proven but they had to slander me anyway because they spent 5 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars believing someone with no proof.”

ELEVEN YEARS AGO in these same pages we reported on a similar case – a sixby-seven bull poached a mile inside Olympic National Park – but Wood’s actions appear to be more egregious. A federal sentencing memorandum from U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy J. Williams and assistant attorney Adam E. Delph terms Wood “a prolific poacher in Crater Lake since at least 2011.” He operated in

western portions of the national park and forensic evidence tied him to two elk killed there in early September 2015, another in late August 2016, a deer and an elk in mid-September 2016 and then a sixby-five bull in late September 2016. Wood was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2019 for unlawfully killing that last elk inside Crater Lake and transporting it out of the park, a Lacey Act violation. In August 2020 he pled guilty to it. He also agreed to pay $42,500 to the Department of Interior Restoration Fund for the six animals, based on the state of Oregon’s fee schedule for poaching big game. Along with OHA, Crater Lake officials submitted statements ahead of Wood’s sentencing, saying that the poaching of large, “genetically superior” bulls had the possibility of impacting the park’s “extremely small” herds. Rangers also found rock salt piles, as well as a cached empty salt bag, in areas Wood was said by sources to hunt, leading to concerns of increased elk use of areas, affecting both vegetation and soil conditions. “Anything that imperils wildlife in the park diminishes the experience,” said Craig Ackerman, park superintendent. “Some of the most compelling and meaningful comments we hear from our visitors is that coming upon wildlife unexpectedly is a highlight of their visit.”

IT WASN’T JUST Wood’s disregard for wildlife laws or repeatedly violating the sanctity of our shared national treasure – known as Giwas by the Klamath Tribes – that makes this case so flagrant. According to federal court documents,

JACKASSES OF THE MONTH

pair of Northcentral Oregon men were sentenced in December for poaching and wasting a pronghorn buck in the Murderers Creek Unit in fall 2019. Wildlife troopers say that neither Jonas C. Waite nor

Austin J. Catron had an antelope tag when Catron shot the animal from a vehicle with Waite’s rifle. They only took the buck’s head, leaving the carcass to waste. Both men pleaded guilty to criminal unlawful take and possession of a pronghorn, with Catron receiving five days in jail, 12-month probation, 40 hours of community service and a $100 fine. Waite

was ordered to pay $1,100 in fines and take hunter ed, and is on probation for a year. His .22-250 was also seized. Neither man can hunt for three years. Troopers allege that their investigation “revealed that Catron and Waite were also involved in the poaching of multiple deer over the past two years as well as Waite’s poaching of a golden eagle.”

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MIXED BAG Wood has thrice been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm since he turned 18, including after being caught in 2014 right outside the park with an AR15-style rifle that he tried to hide from an Oregon State Police trooper. On that particular trip he was accompanied by his son, a minor, who was also along during a 2016 excursion into Crater Lake when Wood “shot and wounded an elk,” per court documents. Photos recovered from Wood’s phone show the boy crossing a fallen log with what look to be shooting sticks, papers say, and a message on the device from Wood to his wife says the boy “was laughing because [Wood] arm crawled across meadow to get him lol,” apparently in reference to the wounded elk. “Wood not only altered the ecosystem of Crater Lake; he also potentially effected a new generation of hunter,” court papers say. Documents also say that in 2015 Wood bought a pack horse, which he named Junebug. “Junebug-15” was the name of a waypoint found on Wood’s GPS that corresponded to a location inside the park less than 100 feet from where elk bones were discovered by a park ranger in October 2015. That GPS delivered a trove of data, showing “that the majority of his hunting waypoints and tracklogs were consistently within Crater Lake from 2011-2016.”

Custom waypoint names inside the national park include “Medo Salt,” “Hit,” “Saaalt,” “Half Way Salt,” “4 Wollows,” “Oasis Salt,” “Rubs” and more. They also helped tie remains recovered at kill sites with animal parts collected at Wood’s house via DNA testing by USFWS’s National Wildlife Forensics Lab in nearby Ashland. The GPS and DNA also linked blood on a partially validated Oregon archery elk tag that Wood handed to a fish and wildlife trooper who stopped him on September 22, 2016, with the carcass of a freshly killed bull elk found four-tenths of a mile inside the national park. The feds determined the animal had been killed by a gunshot. Two weeks later, USFWS special agents served a search warrant on Wood’s property and found six rifles and a handgun, none of which were secured. In an interview at his place of employment beforehand, Wood claimed any they found would be his wife’s. With federal and state game wardens clearly paying attention to him, Wood “may have paused” his excursions into Crater Lake for a year, but “he apparently did not cease completely,” court documents allege. They say sources claimed Wood was bowhunting in the national park again in September 2018, though no charges were filed. Yvonne Shaw, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Stop Poaching

Data taken from Wood’s GPS shows numerous waypoints and travels within the national park. (U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE)

Campaign coordinator, called it all “a troubling case.” “This individual has displayed continued disregard, over a number of years, for multiple animals that belong to all Oregonians,” Shaw said.

Flurry Of Waterfowl Wastage Cases

he tail end of Idaho’s waterfowl season saw four wastage cases, with at least 44 ducks and 11 geese dumped without any of their meat being taken. One case was quickly solved, thanks to security camera footage from a Fred Meyer of a black Ford pickup seen in the vicinity of a pile of 19 whole ducks and 15 breasted carcasses, and public tips. Two college students, 17 and 18, were cited for wastage and could face civil penalties of $50 per bird and fines for each from $25 to $1,000. Cumulatively it could come to “just a bit less than a semester’s tuition,” said state wildlife officials. A second duck wastage case involving 25 whole carcasses left near Emmett, and a pair of cases involving five and six Canada unprocessed geese found in separate

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parts of Southeast Idaho were still open at press time. And they follow on the wastage of 59 ducks last November and 154 ducks and geese in November 2019. So what’s going on? Is it all about making big critter piles for the ’Gram? I brainstormed with a longtime waterfowler about the duck cases, and they thought that if it were people killing just to kill, there would be more of a mixed bag than primarily mallards. The preponderance of greenheads also suggested the shooter(s) knew what they were doing and they had a pretty good spot, either public or private. They also saw the high number of whole ducks dumped as a possible sign that the shooter(s) knew they had too many to take care of, but that with season

almost over, they probably didn’t want to stop shooting either. In the case of the two college students who were cited, Idaho officials pointed to “poor planning.” “Every ethical hunter needs to be prepared for what comes after the hunt, that is, caring for the meat,” said conservation officer Ben Cadwallader. “These kids’ hunts should have ended before the birds stacked up and forced them to dump and waste the unwanted birds.” If you are not going to eat what you kill, don’t kill. If you are throwing out dead ducks to make room to kill more, stop. We didn’t rebuild North American duck populations and raise untold hundreds of millions of dollars to restore their habitat for them to be treated as Pop-Its.

nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

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OUTDOOR

CALENDAR* MARCH

Lake Billy Chinook’s Metolius Arm opens for fishing; Numerous Eastern Washington lakes open for fishing; Blackmouth opener on Marine Area 5 2-5 Pacific Fishery Management Council salmon meetings – info: pcouncil.org 4, 11 ODFW Intro to Hunting Big Game in Oregon ($, register), Albany Rifle and Pistol Club – info: odfwcalendar.com 13 Bottomfish, lingcod, rockfish and cabezon seasons open in Marine Areas 1-3 and Area 4 west of Bonilla-Tatoosh line 15 Last day of bobcat, fox, raccoon, rabbit and hare season in Washington 16-17, 23-25, 31 North of Falcon salmon season meetings for all Washington, Columbia, South Coast and Puget Sound waters – info: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon 16-18 ODFW Intro to Hunting Big Game in Oregon ($, register), Portland Sportsman’s Warehouse – info: see above 20 Washington sea duck, Southwest Canada goose, snow goose and brant harvest reports due 31 Last day 2020-21 Washington fishing, hunting licenses valid; Last day to fish for steelhead on remaining Washington coastal systems

APRIL 1

New Washington fishing, hunting licenses required; Opening day for special permit bear hunts in select Idaho and Oregon units 1, 5-6 North of Falcon salmon season meetings for Columbia and South Coast waters – info: see above 3-4 Washington youth turkey hunting weekend 6-7 ODFW Intro to Hunting Big Game in Oregon ($, register), Portland Sportsman’s Warehouse – info: see above 6-9 Pacific Fishery Management Council salmon meetings – info: see above 8-14 Idaho youth turkey hunting week 10-11 Oregon youth turkey hunting weekend 12-15 Pacific Fishery Management Council salmon meetings – info: see above 15 General spring turkey season opener in Idaho, Oregon and Washington; Opening day of special permit bear hunts in all select Washington units, as well as more Idaho and Oregon units. 22 Fishing or bait opener on select Oregon waters 24 Opening day of lowland lake fishing season in Washington

MAY 1

Northern pikeminnow reward fishery begins on Columbia and Snake Rivers – info: pikeminnow.org

SPORTSMAN SHOW CALENDAR NOW THROUGH MARCH Northwest Sportsman’s Virtual Sportsman Show; nwsportsmanmag.com/virtual-sportsman-show/

MARCH* 4-7 Tacoma RV Show, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma; otshows.com 11-14 Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show, Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Redmond; otshows.com

17-21 Washington Sportsmen’s Show, Washington State Fair & Events Center, Puyallup; otshows.com

24-28 Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show and Portland Boat Show, Expo Center, Portland; otshows.com

MAY* 7-9 Willamette Sportsman Show, Linn County Expo Center, Albany; willamettesportsmanshow.com

* Check ahead for any Covid-19 changes.

nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

Northwest Sportsman 45

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ocated in the heart of Central Washington, MarDon Resort is a sportsman’s destination like no other. The lakeside property sits on the shores of the Potholes Reservoir, a 28,000-acre freshwater reservoir held back by the longest earthen-filled dam in the U.S. An earthen-filled dam, rather than the typical concrete structure, allows water to seep through the cracks, creating small lakes south of the dam. There are over 70 small lakes south of Potholes Reservoir, and many are open year-round for fishing, hiking and more. When MarDon Resort first opened under Don and Marvel Spiers – hence the

name MarDon – it was a fish camp. The Meseberg family purchased the resort from the Spiers in 1972, and the property has evolved into an RV resort featuring big-rig RV sites and tent camping, cottages and rental homes, camper cabins, a tackle shop, a full-service restaurant and a marina. The Mesebergs are now in their third generation of ownership. “The family has never ceased to add improvements to the park to make our customers’ experience more enjoyable,” notes owner Marilyn Meseberg. “People come here to slow down and soak up the sun,” she adds. “To get away from life’s everyday stresses.” Meseberg calls MarDon a “family park”, as we cater to family fun, in addition to the

fishing, watersports, hiking and bird hunting (in season) there is a large swimmers beach, volleyball, half court basketball, horse shoe pits, paddleboard and kayak rentals and a brand new lighted 18 hole mini-golf course. Speaking of fishing, there is always a bite to be had at MarDon Resort and Potholes Reservoir, both of which are open year-round. “Currently, folks are winter walleye and rainbow trout fishing,” says Meseberg. “Walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish and rainbow trout are common species in the lake. As spring progresses and the water temperature goes from frigid to cool, the bass and walleye go into their

From humble beginnings as a “fish camp,” MarDon Resort has flourished since 1972 under the Meseberg family and now offers RV and tent sites, rental cottages, homes and cabins, a tackle shop, full-service restaurant and a marina.

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Northwest Sportsman 47

Something’s bound to be biting year-round on Potholes Reservoir, home to walleye, bass, trout, crappie and more.

Activities include a miniature golf course.

spawn cycle. Fishing can be very good before and just after the spawn. During the spawn, not so much. But all species do not spawn at the same time, so a fisher always has opportunity. Our tackle shop staff are happy to point the fishers in the right direction. Our website and our Facebook page offers a weekly fishing report.” Whether you’re looking to catch your limit of bass and walleye, or you’re looking for a family vacation destination (or both!), MarDon Resort’s staff is happy to help. “We actually answer the phones, so you can always get an answer to any question,” says Meseberg. “There is a lot of planning that goes into a getaway and our goal is to make it as enjoyable as possible.”

“People come here to slow down and soak up the sun,” says MarDon Resort’s Marilyn Meseberg.

Along with a spacious dock, boat rentals are available at the marina.

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Editor’s note: For more information, visit mardonresort.com. Also look out for MarDon Resort in our e-newsletter and on nwsportsmanmag.com. You can sign up for our e-newsletter on our website.

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FISHING While salmon and tuna come and go, rockfish and lingcod are steadily available to Oregon and Washington charters and private boaters, providing a “bread and butter” fishery out of coastal harbors like Newport. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

Oregon, Washington Rockfish, Lingcod Season Preview ‘When you look at 2021 and ’22 recreational bottomfish opportunities ... it’s really exciting to see things starting to open up.’ By MD Johnson

llow me to open this month, again, with an admission. I loved the 18 years my wife Julie and I spent in Iowa. The hunting was extraordinary, especially for whitetails, wild turkeys and Canada geese. The duck hunting

left something to be desired, but the pheasants more than made up for the lack of mallards. At least where we were in Jones County. And the fishing? Year-round, and it, too, was exceptional. No, no salmon or steelhead, but plenty of crappie, walleye, sauger, bluegills, channel cats, flatheads and, should

one fancy such things, trout. Even wild trout on some of the prettiest little streams in the Midwest. But the one downside, per se, to this bounty was the time off. Sure, ice anglers had a way of dealing with the period between the end of muzzleloader season (January 10) and the mid-April start of turkey nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

Northwest Sportsman 53

FISHING The rocky bottoms and reefs off the Northwest Coast are home to copious amounts of all kinds of sea bass. While these were caught in Washington, Oregon anglers will see six fish in the bag limit this year. (DAVE ANDERSON)

season. However, unless you’re into lots of snow, ice and bitterly cold temperatures during which a rise to zero was considered a warm spell – note: I was not one of those guys – well, then, you have what’s known in the vernacular as the off-season. Turn, now, to the Pacific Northwest, where I’ve made my home since 2015. And I’ll make this brief using this month – March ’21 – as a perfect example. Late goose season, which began in February, ended on March 10 in both states. Two days – two days – later, Washington bottomfish 54 Northwest Sportsman

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season opens. Just 48 hours. Sure, it’s a long 48 hours, but it’s better than two months. Or three months. And why, pray tell, might I use bottomfish as an example? Even as I write this on the morning of February 9 from my home near the north bank of the Columbia, I’m in the process of getting myself and my wife ready for the March 13, aka second Saturday in March, bottomfish opener. Rods. Reels. Line. Leadhead jigs. One-ounce egg sinkers. Twistertails. Sassy Shad. Oh, it’s getting gone over, checked, rechecked and generally fiddled with

in anticipation of the coming of that most welcome Saturday morning. Last year, pre-Covid, was good to us in terms of land-based angling for black rockfish. Sea bass, as some, ourselves included, call them. Lingcod too proved eager early on in the season. Overall, Julie and I, along with her brother, Gordon, enjoyed our best season ever in terms of rockfish. Yeah, it was that good. But what about 2021? Are we looking in the face of an encore presentation, or are there changes afoot? This month, Northwest

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North of the Columbia, there will be more opportunity for deep-water lings early and late in the season. Darrel Smith hooked this beauty on a charter trip last year. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Sportsman is pleased to introduce the readership to the individuals responsible for monitoring and managing the bottomfish resources off the coasts of Washington and Oregon. And through them, we’ll get a glimpse into what anglers might expect to see – and perhaps even catch – this year off the bottom. We’ll start with Lynn Mattes, 56 Northwest Sportsman

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who has been with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for 12 1/2 years now, and currently serves as the agency’s project leader for recreational groundfish and halibut fisheries. “I do the in-season monitoring and management,” she told me, “along with helping with policy and quotas. All that fun behind-the-scenes stuff.”

here y for and rrel auty ear.

EST)

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Northwest Sportsman 57

FISHING Northwest Sportsman So, for my benefit and the benefit of those who might not know, define rockfish. Lynn Mattes Rockfish are a subset of bottomfish, and (the terms) bottomfish and groundfish get used interchangeably. It’s sort of a catchall category for things that aren’t salmon and aren’t tuna and aren’t halibut. Everything else gets lumped into this category called groundfish or bottomfish. Within that group of about 100 species that occur off Oregon and Washington, there are approximately 60 species of rockfish. They’re a family (Sebastidae) and genus (Sebastes) all their own. They generally live on or around rocks, and generally have that sea bass-type body shape. And most of them have a nice flavored white flesh that anglers like.

NWS So what about lingcod? LM Lingcod are a bottomfish, but not related to rockfish. They’re an

entirely different family. Lingcod and greenling are very closely related, like first cousins. A lingcod is neither a ling nor a cod. A ling is an eel-like fish found in the Gulf of Mexico, and it’s not a cod either. A lingcod and a true cod, like a burbot, would be fourth or fifth cousins.

NWS How do biologists monitor a deep-water species like rockfish and lingcod? They don’t swim upstream, and it’s generally pretty tough to count them visually in 50 feet of water. LM Good question, and the answer is two-fold. We have what we call fisheries-dependent information, which is information we get from fisheries, both commercial and recreational, as well as fisheriesindependent information. First, fisheries-dependent info. When you fish, you’ve often run into a creel checker. Often they’re

called fish checkers. Maybe state biologists on the dock ask you where you were fishing and how long you were there. They’ll often take measurements of your fish. Weight. And sometimes ear bones for aging. This is good information to help us measure the fishery inseason against quotas. It tells us how a population is doing on the whole. There are similar programs within the commercial fishery, along with on-board observers. The problem is this information might be slightly skewed because people are targeting these fish, and know where to go to find them. The National Marine Fisheries Service doing trawl surveys and acoustic surveys off the coast is an example of fisheries-independent information. You look at a big area and try to figure out given “X” area, we have “Y” number of fish. It’s good information about that particular

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FISHING the season, folks were generally very happy. January 2020 was basically a wash due to the weather, and all the ports were closed. But even with these closures, last year saw the second highest number of lingcod landed in Oregon, as well as the second highest number of bottomfish angler trips. As the summer progressed and because people couldn’t do things indoors, we saw a lot of new anglers coming out to experience the fishery.

Shore anglers can also get in the action by fishing the jetties of port entrances and where steep banks line the Pacific, though extreme care must be taken due to slick rocks and sneaker waves. Author MD Johnson caught this black rockfish off the North Jetty of the Columbia. (JULIA JOHNSON)

G P

NWS Any significant changes for 2021 relative to bottomfish?

LM Our bottomfish fishery in Oregon is open year-round, unlike Washington where it’s restricted. The last couple seasons, we’ve started with a fivefish bag limit. Last year about halfway through the season, we were able to go up to seven because of the (Covid) restrictions. We’re starting off 2021 with a six-fish bag limit based on effort estimates and what our quotas are. We think we can allow that extra fish for the season, but we’ll watch it carefully. Being able to start the season with a little higher bag limit is going to be appealing to a lot of people.

NWS Have recent poor salmon returns

area. We can then try to determine how many (fish) we might try to catch. It’s a combination of a lot of different types of data, and it makes up roughly 50 percent of my job.

NWS How are populations of rockfish and lingcod doing at present?

LM All the groundfish stocks on the West Coast are regularly assessed by the NMFS and the Pacific Fishery Management Council about every 10 years. One species currently in rebuilding status (on the West Coast) is yelloweye rockfish. All other species of bottomfish are considered healthy. That means their population is estimated to be 40 percent or 60 Northwest Sportsman

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higher of unfished biomass. The last assessment for lingcod in Oregon was either three or four years ago, and at that time was estimated at 65 percent of unfished biomass. The goal is to stay at 40 percent or above. So any time you’re above that 40 percent of unfished biomass, it means you can fish and probably increase the catch.

NWS Last year was undeniably strange all ’round. Your take based on what you saw and heard about the ’20 bottomfish season? LMWhen anglers could get out, barring weather and Covid restrictions, those able to fish seemed pleased with how their season went. Over the course of

resulted in higher pressure being put on alternative fisheries, such as bottomfish? LM Opportunities in other fisheries do impact our bottomfish fishery, with one of the key ones being albacore tuna. How close or far offshore the tuna are in late July, August and September can have an impact. Chinook salmon don’t impact the bottomfish fishery too much, but the coho fishery can be too good or too bad, and push people to bottomfish. There’s a sweet spot in the middle (with coho). If it’s really good, people will go out, get their fish quickly and then go after bottomfish. Or they’ll be out a couple hours, not get anything, and say “Let’s go after bottomfish.” So we do have some bleed-over there.

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FISHING of Fish and Wildlife for 27 years now. Hall holds a marine biology degree from Western Washington University, and is the intergovernmental ocean policy coordinator for the agency. “My job,” she said to me, “means I work on coastal groundfish and manage the recreational bottomfish fishery off the west coast (of Washington) and Puget Sound. I also manage the halibut fishery for the WDFW, and am the policy person for our coast Dungeness crab fishery.” Hall is also WDFW’s designee to the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Payoff for getting out on Northwest ocean waters comes in the form of big hauls of delectable whitemeated fillets. (JASON BROOKS)

NWS Is there a difference in how Washington monitors bottomfish populations from the methods used by Mattes and ODFW? Heather Hall Our stock assessments are largely focused on the west coast (of Washington), so when we have stock assessments for black rockfish, for example, it’s a west coast stock assessment. Same with lingcod, but potentially with some lines drawn, area-wise, so we’re accounting for differences up and down the coast. Largely, though, we’re the same (as Oregon). The thing that is different is how we structure our seasons. That’s where the differences can show up. We try to make sure those differences are small, especially in the Columbia River area, so it’s not confusing to sport anglers.

NWS And how are the rockfish stocks currently off the Washington Coast?

HH The black rockfish assessment in 2015 (showed the population) as stable but a bit smaller than previously thought. So WDFW made adjustments to bag limits and also closed that fishery during the winter. From mid-October through midMarch, our recreational bottomfish fishery is closed. We looked at our fishing effort and saw we didn’t have a lot of fishing effort in the winter, so that was one way to cap our fishing effort for recreational bottomfish. We’re 62 Northwest Sportsman

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interested in protecting that black rockfish resource, as it’s long been thought of as one of our bread and butter resources, especially when salmon seasons are down. Yelloweye rockfish [author’s note: a species of concern off both states’ coasts] are doing better, but they’re still a nonretention species. We are starting to be able to back away from (the 20-/40-fathom) restrictions a bit, and provide access to deep water. Or allow the retention of more species on a halibut trip. All of these are linked to yelloweye conservation measures. It’s a success story for us, and something that anglers have contributed to in the long run. Their willingness to abide by some of these more complicated rules meant to protect yelloweye rockfish are truly paying off.

NWS Heather, talk about the 2020 bottomfish season. Good? Bad? Covid ruined everything? HH I give kudos to our recreational

fishing industry for what they went through in 2020, and with Governor Inslee’s Stay Home/Stay Healthy (mandate). We worked closely with our small coastal communities and listened to their concerns about people coming to those areas. Our fisheries were closed for a period of time, and when we did reopen, we did it very carefully. We were in constant communication with our recreational stakeholders as we reopened the fisheries. They were incredibly patient and understanding of how we did that process. From what I heard, people were very appreciative about being able to get out and do things again, like go fishing.

NWS And might we be so bold as to ask for a bottomfish forecast, per se, for ’21? HH There’s a couple really cool things. Lingcod opportunities are expanding. Not the bag limit or the season, but, for example, in the Columbia River Area and Marine Area 2 off Westport, where there had been a deep-water

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lingcod closure to protect yelloweye rockfish, we’re opening these areas for a period of time in both June and September. So folks are going to be able to enjoy those deep-water lingcod fishing trips a little earlier and a little later in the year. As long as we can maintain a low number of yelloweye encounters, we can keep exploring opening more and more of these deep-water lingcod areas. The same thing is going to happen off Washington’s North Coast. We have a 20-fathom restriction [author’s note: anglers may fish only inside of 20 fathoms] that’s typically been in place from May or June through Labor Day. This year, that restriction will only be in place from June 1 through July 31. That’s really exciting. We’re working on the regulations for 2021 and ’22 with the councils, and (a priority is) aligning the rockfish able to be retained during the halibut fisheries. Starting in ’21 in Washington and during the halibut fishery, anglers can keep not only sablefish, Pacific cod and flatfish as in the past, but we’re also allowing the retention of yellowtail, widow, canary, red stripe, green stripe, silver-grey, chili pepper, boccaccio and blue/deacon rockfish with halibut onboard. And these species are important because they’re the same species you can keep in Oregon, if you’re fishing in accordance with their fathom requirements.

NWS Final thoughts for Washington bottomfish anglers as we proceed through ’21? HH When you look at 2021 and ’22 recreational bottomfish opportunities on the west coast, it’s really exciting to see things starting to open up. And we’ve done so in a very careful way. We haven’t been able to get into some of these deep-water areas for as many as 15 years, so we’re carefully exploring options and moving toward more opportunities in a slow and careful manner. But we’re getting there, and that’s very exciting. NS

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FISHING

Slow-pitch Jigging 101 Here’s a look at a bottomfishing technique from the other side of the Pacific that is now beginning to be used on Northwest waters. By Jerry Han

low-pitch jigging is a technique that was developed in the 1990s by Japanese angler Norihiro Sato and is currently one of the hottest ways to vertically jig for a wide variety of fish, from bottom-dwellers to pelagic species. It is extremely popular from Japan to Australia to Europe and is currently

gaining in popularity in the US along the Gulf Coast and off Southern California. Now it is just starting to make its way to the Pacific Northwest.

HOW IS SLOW-PITCH JIGGING DIFFERENT? Slow-pitch jigging was developed in the heavily fished and highly pressured waters of Japan to catch fish that were not willing to chase down and bite a traditionally jigged

lure. For a long time, the jig was worked in a way to mimic a panicked and fleeing baitfish, with fast jigging motions and rapid reeling. Slow-pitch jigging, on the other hand, is a very relaxed and almost effortless way of working the jig to mimic an injured/ dying baitfish on its last “legs,” or fins. This makes it much more appealing to fish that are neutral to negative in mood, making it much harder to

No, this story isn’t about fishing for sea bass and lings with Barbie rods; rather, a new-to-the-Northwest fishing method called slow-pitch jigging that utilizes limber rods to give the lure action. Capt. Andy Martin brings a black rockfish to his boat while using the technique off Brookings last year with author Jerry Han. (JERRY HAN)

nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

Northwest Sportsman 67

FISHING

Slow-pitch jigging utilizes wider-bodied flat-fall jigs that flutter as they fall horizontally in the water column. The jigging is also far less pronounced, mimicking a just-about-to-die baitfish rather than a panicked one of more aggressive jigging styles. (JERRY HAN)

resist an apparent easy meal.

THE TACKLE

Jon Crawford and the author show off a pair of rockfish caught off Southern Oregon using the technique. Slow-pitch jigging originated in Japan and has made inroads among Gulf Coast and Southern California anglers. (JERRY HAN) 68 Northwest Sportsman

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Slow-pitch jigging has spawned its own specialized gear to maximize the effectiveness of this technique. The rods are quite a bit more limber in action to help impart action to the jigs. The jigs are made to fall horizontally and flutter on the fall, and true slowpitch jigging reels are very specialized. The first thing most people notice is just how “small” everything seems to be. The rods are unbelievably thin and reels to match are usually much smaller than a typical bottomfishing reel. Even though the combo seems like a toy, it is extremely powerful when used the way it’s designed. Just as with salmon, slow-pitch gear runs the spectrum. Setups can run from inexpensive all the way to the super-high end. Hardcore slowpitch anglers can easily spend $1,200

FISHING “The first thing most people notice is just how ‘small’ everything seems to be,” writes Han, here in his garage illustrating the slow-pitch setup’s size and limberness. “The rods are unbelievably thin and reels to match are usually much smaller than a typical bottomfishing reel. Even though the combo seems like a toy, it is extremely powerful when used the way it’s designed.” (JERRY HAN)

on a rod and reel, but those who want to see what this technique is about can get a decent rod and reel setup for under $200. I am relatively new to the slowpitch scene, but what I have found is that the rod is the most important part of the setup. Without a rod designed to do the slow-pitch method, it is exceedingly difficult to get the desired results. On the other hand, until you decide to spring for a more specialized model, the reel can be any with adequate line capacity to fish the depths the fish are at. As for the line used, it is just your typical braid like Power Pro or Berkley X9. However, a major concept in slow-pitch jigging is to use as thin a diameter line as possible so that you can stay vertical with your gear. The thinner the line, the less impact the current will have on it, allowing you to control your jig effectively. Many experts in slow-pitch jigging will fish 12- to 16-pound braid just to be able to stay vertical with as little bow in their line as possible. As mentioned above, lures for the technique are designed to fall horizontally. Standard slow-pitch jigs are center-balanced, where most of the weight is in the middle of the jig to achieve the horizontal fall and flutter, although there does seem to be a high amount of variation in jig designs on the market today. However, almost always the jigs are rigged with assist hooks on them.

THE TECHNIQUE Slow-pitch jigging seems ridiculously easy and almost relaxing. True slowpitch jigging involves only turning the handle on the reel to load the rod and then pausing to let the rod unload and cause the jig to lift and then fall. That is it. That is why the rod is so important, since the rod does all the jigging for you. As far as fighting a fish with slowpitch gear, in particular bigger fish, the best method is just a steady retrieve. Remember, these rods are designed for making the jig look like an injured 70 Northwest Sportsman

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Northwest Sportsman 71

FISHING Hard to say how much traction slow-pitch jigging will get in Northwest waters, but if it catches fish – and if Crawford’s lingcod is any indication, it does – it’s likely to become part of the toolbox for ocean anglers. They’ve already embraced light-tackle bottomfishing with spinning gear. (JERRY HAN)

RIGGING BASICS The standard rigging is braided line to a fluorocarbon leader. The FG and Alberto knots are the two most popular ways to tie the braid to the fluoro. Tied to the end of the leader is the assist hook setup. The two popular assist hook setups are: 1) tying to a solid ring with assist hooks and a split ring attached; and 2) a ball-bearing swivel with assist hooks and split ring attached. The attached split ring on the setups allow you to quickly change jigs without having to cut off the jig and retie. The split ring attachment also seems to allow the jig to flutter better. A couple things you may/will notice when researching gear is that the line rating on the rods will be in “PE” and lure weight will be in grams. I spent a lot of time flipping between a tackle web page and a grams-toounces conversion page on Google. The PE, or polyethylene, rating for these rods is not a pound test rating, but rather a diameter of line measurement. The easiest way for me to convert it is to think of 1 PE equals 10-pound line, 2 PE equals 20-pound line, etc. Perhaps the best way to choose a rod is by how many ounces you will be using for the depth that you will be fishing in.

ON-SCENE APPLICATION

and dying baitfish; they are not designed for fighting fish. The proper technique is to keep the rod slightly below horizontal and use the reel like a winch to bring the fish to the boat. At this point in any conversation about slow-pitch jigging is when I highly recommend that you go to Dr. Google and YouTube and search for more because there are many variations that you can add to just 72 Northwest Sportsman

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the basic technique. Be sure to add jigging in your search, otherwise you will see dudes crushing softballs over 400 feet, which, while entertaining for a few minutes, isn’t the point. There are some particularly good slow-pitch tutorials that can explain and show you what this technique is and can do. In particular, I recommend the video seminar by Florida Sport Fishing.

Armed with slow-pitching gear, my buddy Jon Crawford and I loaded up and headed to Southern Oregon’s bottomfishing paradise to fish with Capt. Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters (brookingsfishing .com). The angling in this area is incredible, with great lingcod, black rockfish and jumbo vermillion rockfish, but perhaps the best part is that the fishing grounds are quite literally just 10 minutes from the dock. We knew we were going to be fishing in depths less than 150 feet, so Jon and I both brought along Majorcraft CRXJ-B64L/LJ rods that are rated for a jig weight of 40 to 120 grams (1.4 to 4.2 ounces) and line of 0.6 to 1.2 PE, and I brought a second

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rod rated to 160 grams (5.6 ounces). All reels had 20-pound Power Pro or Berkley X9 braid with 10 feet of 25-poundtest fluorocarbon leaders. For jigs, we brought along Shimano Flat Fall jigs, some generic slow-pitch jigs from Amazon and some flat-fall blanks from Ebay that I had painted. Jon’s rod was topped with a Daiwa Lexa 100 and I had a Shimano Calcutta 250. After a short run to some pinnacles just outside the jetty tips, it did not take long for us to hook up to some quality Southern Oregon black rockfish. Incidentally, the sea bass off Brookings feed heavily on krill, which makes them taste a little sweeter and less fishy than rockfish in other areas that feed more on baitfish. With good steady action slow-pitching for black rockfish, Jon suddenly had something much bigger hooked up. After a couple good runs, up came a nice lingcod of around 10 pounds, which the gear handled with no problem at all. In short order we finished up our limits of rockfish and headed in, incredibly pleased with how our slow-pitch session went. This technique has a lot of potential for Northwest fisheries from bottomfish to albacore, but I strongly encourage you to do some research online to get more detailed information on this jigging method. If anything, it is a blast to fight fish on this type of gear! Tight lines! NS

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Northwest Sportsman 75

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FISHING

Prep Now For Ocean Bottomfishing Freezer low on white-meated fillets? Time to get ready for lings, rockfish on the briny blue. By Dave Anderson

ho is starting to get that fishing itch? This is the time of year when we all start prepping for the start of our ocean season off the coasts of

Washington and Oregon. Now is the time to get the boat out on a lake, bay or Puget Sound for your shakedown runs. It is important to make sure your boat is ready for the ocean and trips over the bar. Part of preparing your boat for the

ocean also includes checking all your onboard safety equipment, making sure everything is up to date. If you are new to fishing the ocean, I would highly recommend starting with friends or people who are familiar with angling and boating

With ocean bottomfish season upon us, you can bet author Dave Anderson will be at his work bench making copper pipe jigs in anticipation of fishing for deepwater lingcod. (DAVE ANDERSON) nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

Northwest Sportsman 77

FISHING While ling and rockfish season is open year-round off Oregon, it reopens Saturday, March 13, in Washington’s Pacific waters. (MILES HARRIS)

on the Pacific. Another great option is to head out with one of the bigboat charters or six-pack boats. The latter would provide a better learning opportunity since these boats are a bit smaller and generally you are riding in the cabin with the captain. The captains who make up the sixpack fleets are very knowledgeable, and most are willing to share tips on operating in the ocean and crossing the bars.

LET’S TALK GEAR, tackle and tips for bottomfish. My gear and tackle selection is extremely basic. For rockfish, it is always a good idea to have plenty of shrimp flies in different colors. I always tie my shrimp flies up in a double-rig fashion. These are extremely easy to tie yourself. I will also tie off a loop on the top and add a snap swivel to the bottom so I 78 Northwest Sportsman

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can connect a cannonball sinker to the rig. I prefer to use anywhere from a 4-ounce to a 10-ounce cannonball on the bottom. It is also never a bad idea to have some jigs on board to add another tool to your arsenal. One of my biggest tips for targeting sea bass and other rockfish is to not drop lines until your sonar screen is loaded with marks. I will never drop with just a single mark on the sonar. The real fun is when everyone is hooked up with two at a time. Once your screen goes blank and you stop hooking up, it is time to head back upcurrent and reset your drift. Be sure to keep an eye on the line angle, even shallow, because once you start having line out the back, you will end up hanging up on the bottom and retying gear. Lingcod is one of my favorite types of bottomfish to target in the ocean. My number one tackle requirement

for lings is a pipe jig. Just as the name implies, these must be jigged to be effective. You cannot just let it hang and sit on the bottom. You must work the jig and pop it up and down off the bottom. Pipe jigs are a must, especially if I am fishing for deepwater lingcod. For these fish, I prefer a ¾-inch copper pipe about 13 inches long, which is close to 3 pounds. This jig will have a 12/0 treble hook in the middle. I use a Rosco 5/0 stainless swivel. These tough swivels are overkill, but I have never had one fail me. The top has a stainless cable that comes out in a loop. From here, I will attach my snap on my main line to the top of the jig. For targeting lingcod in shallower water, 150 feet or less, I make smaller pipe jigs that work well. I will use ½-inch pipe and place a 10/0 hook on these. The 10/0 hooks are a little

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FISHING

Simple shrimp-fly rigs are a good way to limit on black rockfish, the bottomfish species that provides the bulk of the catch in both Northwest states. (JASON BROOKS)

more forgiving and they will bend if you get hung up on rocks. Generally, the shallower you fish, the rockier the bottom is. My number one recommendation – one that I cannot stress enough – is to make sure to tie a monofilament topshot onto your braid. Having a bunch of braid get caught up on the bottom will ruin a rock pile or your favorite fishing hole in a hurry. I have had multiple situations occur in the past where several people have hooked into fish and just as fast the lines all popped, leading to the discovery of what seemed like an acre of braided line tangled like a spider web beneath us. These situations are frustrating; not only will you quickly lose gear, but you will be forced to move to new spots. Running pipe jigs and fishing them effectively is easy to accomplish, as long as the captain of the boat is making sure they are paying attention to the line angle of everyone on 82 Northwest Sportsman

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board. This all depends on the size of the boat you are running. I typically run larger boats that are 28 to 35 feet long with offshore brackets, so I can back into the swell in reverse, using the main engines to control line angle. It is so important to be straight up and down, or at an ever-so-slight angle, as you track the bottom. You never want to see your line shooting straight out the back of the boat like you are trolling for tuna or salmon. I see this a lot and it can be so bad sometimes, leading to a tangled mess with other people’s gear around you or even worse, tangled in someone’s engine. In other words, don’t be that guy!

WE’VE HAD A rough 2020 into 2021 with the pandemic, so who knows if the launches in La Push and Neah Bay will open or remain closed all of this season. Quileute and Makah facilities there have been closed to

the nontribal public since last season. Fingers crossed that they do open, because if I had to pick my favorite places to target bottomfish, it would be out of those two ports. It is tough to beat the scenery of Washington’s North Coast. In addition, there is a ton of structure and rocky outcroppings in that whole area and you do not have to go far before you can start dropping lines. But I do know that we will make the best of it and take advantage of what opportunities we are given. Ilwaco, Westport and Seiku offer options for targeting bottomfish in the ocean. I am really looking forward to the start of the ocean season. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and every one of us can get out on the water and start replenishing our freezers with delicious white fish. Cheers to a great kickoff to the ocean season, be safe out there and most importantly, have fun! NS

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FISHING

See You In Sekiu! Blackmouth anglers will want to trailer west to this port in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca, where there’s no quota and Chinook are close in. By Mark Yuasa

ar from the marine winter Chinook fishing glory years that occurred decades ago, you can literally hear a pin drop in 2021 as blackmouth anglers are hunkered down with ever-dwindling options. In central Puget Sound’s Marine Area 10, Chinook encounter rates climbed so rapidly that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife decided to close the remainder of the season after just 18 days (January 1-18) of fishing. The only saving grace is Deep South Sound, Area 13, open year-round for salmon, although it’s left virtually untouched due to a lack of Chinook. However, there are positive vibes on the horizon as Sekiu – an iconic rural fishing community in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca – is open daily from March 1 through April 30 for hatchery Chinook. The even better news is that this Area 5 fishery will be a full, open-door season without any possible early catch guideline/encounter closure. This is the optimal period to trailer your boat to Sekiu since just like clockwork, the winter fishery ramps up. WDFW coded-wire tag analysis shows that these fish tend to congregate in the western Strait from late winter through early spring. Many fish are entering the third and fourth year of life, and begin

Blackmouth anglers have had few and disappointing options this winter, but that changes this month with the opening of Marine Area 5, in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca, for hatchery Chinook. Author Mark Yuasa (right) plans to make a pilgrimage to this fishy “Mecca” for its March 1-April 30 fishery. (MARK YUASA)

to sexually mature in the next few months, eventually migrating to Puget Sound hatcheries in summer and fall. But this time of year, these fish will be fattening on baitfish. It’s not uncommon for anglers to see winter Chinook in the 8- to 13-pound range,

with a few hitting the high teens. WDFW is finalizing report data for Sekiu’s 2020 fishery, but during the 2019 season, 312 legal-size hatchery Chinook were caught in March and 568 in April. In 2018, 342 were landed in March and 118 in April. Those are pretty impressive catches! nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

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FISHING

The fishing grounds are a fast run from the docks at Mason’s and Van Riper’s Resorts, with options to the right and left as you clear the breakwater. (WASHINGTON DOE)

THE FISHING GROUNDS are relatively easy to reach and not a far boat ride from the docks, but the key here is locating baitfish schools – usually concentrated just off the bottom. These hungry salmon are feeding on abundant 4-inch-long sandlance (candlefish) and large-sized 5- to 7-inch herring. Most opt for downrigger trolling on a flood or ebb tide with a whole or cut-plug herring, Tomic Plug, Silver Horde spoon or Ace Hi Fly or hoochie (plastic squid). Others will drift or motor mooch with herring or jig with a variety of metal hardware, such as a Point Wilson Dart, Crippled Herring, Dungeness Stinger or Buzz Bomb. On an ebb tide, start your troll or drift just around the corner from the Sekiu breakwater at “The Caves” in 100 to 150 feet of water, looking for schools of baitfish. Continue in a westerly direction for a few miles until you see some houses along the shoreline near Eagle Bay, just off the Hoko River. This is the end of the 86 Northwest Sportsman

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line and you’ll then move back east and repeat the process or shorten it if the baitfish are concentrated in a particular area. Another option on a flood tide is to head east in Clallam Bay or to the Slip Point buoy and make your way to Mussolini Rock, Coal Mine and the Slide area toward Cod Fish Bay, fishing in 90 to 175 feet of water. Area 5’s Chinook grounds cover a lot of acreage from Low Point at the mouth of the Lyre River on the eastern boundary to the mouth of the Sekiu River on the western edge. Because of Sekiu’s location, anglers are often protected from the predominant southerly winds that hit the steep Olympic Peninsula mountains. An added perk is that usually – and especially on weekdays during the next two months – you’ll virtually have the entire area to yourself!

THE WESTERN STRAIT of Juan de Fuca isn’t just a summertime fishing affair,

and taking the time to rearrange your schedule right now could have you toting home an ice chest filled with Chinook. Despite the four-plus-hour drive and ferry ride from Seattle, Sekiu is a fantastic place to be right now, and one of the last legitimate ports to fish for saltwater salmon before everything starts shutting down until summer. There are two fishing resorts open in the late winter and early spring, offering amenities, moorage, fuel and accommodations with a spectacular view of the Strait, so be sure to bring your toothbrush, an extra change of clothes and plan on staying for a couple days to make it worth your time. They are Mason’s Resort, located on the west end of town, and right in the heart is Van Riper’s Resort, on the right-hand side of the main road into Sekiu. I’m planning on making the pilgrimage to this “Mecca” for winter salmon fishing enthusiasts. I’ll see you on the water soon! NS

COLUMN A bobber doggin’ setup awaits deployment for Sandy River winter steelhead earlier this season. The hot technique combines elements of float, side and drift fishing. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

Drifting Bait For Steelhead, Bobber Doggin’ Edition I

f there ever was a classic steelhead fishing method – it’s the one I used to catch my very first steelhead – it would be the one BUZZ called drift fishing. RAMSEY Here’s how: cast out, across and upstream, using enough weight so your outfit will sink to the bottom and drift along slightly slower than the surface current. Your drift is complete when your outfit swings near shore, which is when you’ll need to reel in and cast again. Drift fishing

is a series of casts, drifts and retrieves. The hardest part once you’ve got the drifting down, which has a lot to do with using the correct amount of weight – enough so your outfit will skip bottom every few yards – is learning to detect when a fish is mouthing your bait. You wouldn’t expect such a light take from a big fish like a steelhead, but this fishing method requires an almost uncanny sense of feel in order for you to differentiate a fish mouthing your bait from your weight from the hook or weight hanging bottom. You need to pay close attention as your outfit drifts along and should it stop, pause or hesitate – that is, do anything

suspicious – set the hook! Because the river current will push a big belly in your main line between your sinker and where your line leaves the water, you will need to set the hook really hard, so, once again: pay close attention, follow your drifting line downstream with your rod tip held somewhat low (30-degree angle) and don’t be bashful about setting the hook when suspecting a bite.

BOBBER DOGGIN’, WHICH is essentially the same bait-drifting presentation, has grown in popularity in recent years. The reason is simple: It’s much easier to fish with your eyes by watching a float than by feel. The nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

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COLUMN

To get started bobber doggin’, author Buzz Ramsey recommends this or similar gear and tackle. (BUZZ RAMSEY) additional benefit of bobber doggin’ is that if done properly, you will likely have fewer hang-ups, which results in less rerigging and more fishing. Let’s be clear, bobber doggin’ is different than float fishing, where your bait or jig is positioned above bottom and your float rides along in a vertical fashion. With bobber doggin’, you want to position your adjustable bobber stop such that your weight will tap bottom while being pushed and pulled along by the current and your bobber. As such, your bobber will be riding along in an angled fashion. This keeps your offering near the bottom, where steelhead hold, and your outfit drifting straight downriver. That offers a more realistic drift presentation, which can result in more bites and subsequent hookups. Here’s how: cast out, across and upstream, using enough weight so your 90 Northwest Sportsman

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weight and trailing bait will sink to the bottom and drift along slightly slower than the surface current. Because your bobber will keep your outfit drifting straight downriver, providing that you leave several feet of line floating on the surface ahead of your bobber, your outfit will not swing in near shore as it drifts downstream. While you want several feet of line running downriver ahead of your bobber to keep it riding straight downriver, you may have to mend excess line upriver so that you can set the hook if and when a fish strikes. Bobber doggin’ can be done from shore or a boat. If fishing from a stationary position, you will need to reel in and cast again once your drift is complete. If you are fishing from a boat, you can extend your drift the full length of the hole by simply adjusting your downstream speed to

match that of your bobber(s). Many boaters like to keep their craft floating even with or just ahead of their bobber(s), as doing so might help achieve a better hookset. Most guides encourage their clients to reel and set the hook when the bobber disappears.

RIGGING UP FOR bobber doggin’ requires you to thread a free-sliding float onto your main line above your sinker. Because your bobber is rigged to slide, it will be positioned just above your weight for casting but slide up the line after your outfit touches down and stop wherever you place your adjustable bobber stop. Some packaged bobbers come complete with a bobber stop and bead, but if not, those can be purchased separately. When choosing beads, those with a small hole are what work best, as they ensure your adjustable stop will do

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COLUMN

What bait goes on the sharp end of the setup is up to you, but for bobber doggin’ it should be neutrally buoyant or nonbuoyant. Here, a BnR Soft Bead is being pushed over the bead stop that comes with each package. (BUZZ RAMSEY) its job. Your bead should be threaded on your main line first and then your bobber. Some anglers will thread a bright-colored Corky between their float and bead, which makes it easier to see that your weight and bait has indeed slid down to the bobber stop. Some anglers, especially those fishing from shore and who cannot chase down a bobber lost to a break off, will position

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a second bobber stop and bead on their main line below their float. This saves a bobber from being lost due to a break-off – just install your lower stop a foot or so above your weight. Water depth will determine where you place your upper bobber stop. Since most steelhead will be found holding in water less than 10 feet deep, your adjustable stop will likely spend most of its time positioned

6 to 12 feet above where your main line and leader meet. Rigged correctly, your bobber will allow your sinker to tap bottom, which means the line from your bobber to sinker will run at roughly a 45-degree angle. A longer leader is what many anglers use when bobber doggin’, say, 3 to 6 feet, which gives the bait the freedom to move naturally with the current. You should realize, though, that your lure/bait offering

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COLUMN should be of a neutral or nonbuoyant design, like a yarnie (yarn ball), bead, soft bead, egg cluster, sand shrimp or steelhead worm.

NO MATTER WHICH lure you use, a slinky, pencil or stick weight can be used to get down. Just remember you won’t need as much weight when bobber doggin’because you are not fighting the submerged line belly associated with drift fishing. A popular sinker style that might keep your outfit

bouncing bottom while hanging up less is one called Dave’s Tangle Free. For example, I recently bobber dogged Oregon’s Sandy River for steelhead with fishing guide Jack Glass (503-260-2315) and we employed Hawken’s bobber doggin’ float in the large size rigged in combination with a 3/8-ounce Dave’s Tangle Free Sinker. We had our bobber stops set 9 feet from the sinker on most drifts and up to 12 feet in the deeper slots. Because there were four of us fishing from Jack’s sled, we Aaron Prueitt and Richard Rhoda caught this wild winter steelhead on Oregon’s Trask River while bobber doggin’ a bead. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

would each cast different distances from the boat so as to cover a wide swath of the river while Jack maneuvered his boat to stay with or just ahead of the bobbers. Although you can use monofilament main line when bobber doggin’, super braid is by far more popular because it floats better than mono. You can add even more flotation to your super line by treating it with fly line dressing, which makes line mending really easy. Given their thin diameter as compared to breaking strength, most anglers use 30-, 40- or even 50-pound-test super line. I’ve got 30-pound Berkley Braid spooled on my reels set up for bobber doggin’.

AS MENTIONED ABOVE, most anglers employ long leaders when bobber doggin’, which helps give baits a more natural drift in the current. Some anglers will rig a double bait rig strung in tandem. Where the leader length to a single bait might measure 36 to 60 inches, a double bait rig might be made up of two 36-inch leaders, the second one tied to the first’s hook using a Duncan knot, sometimes called a uni knot. This results in a combined leader length of 6 feet or more. Invisible fluorocarbon leader is what many anglers use, with 10- to 15-pound test being the norm. Keep in mind, however, that stepping up to a 20-poundtest leader might be a good idea when the water is running high or when fishing a fast-moving tailout from shore, where following a fish downstream is difficult or impossible. And while spinning or baitcasting outfits work, there is little doubt that spinning setups are what most anglers employ. To facilitate the casting of long leaders, efficient line mending and keeping your line off the water when following your drifting bobber, rods measuring 9-foot-6 to 10-foot-6 are what most anglers use. Once rigged up correctly, all you need to do is cast out, follow your bobber along with your rod tip, and reel-and-set if your bobber disappears. Easy! NS Editor’s note: Buzz Ramsey is regarded as a sport fishing authority, outdoor writer and proficient lure and fishing rod designer. 94 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING

A float down Oregon’s Siletz River after several January storms proved to be a good bet for Megan Serry, here with her first-ever winter steelhead, a hatchery fish caught with boyfriend and author Randall Bonner. (RANDALL BONNER)

Partners In Chrome A double date on the Siletz serves up a double dose of trophy wild winter steelhead, and a chance to say goodbye to a much-loved friend. By Randall Bonner

here’s a first time for everything, but there’s something special about bearing witness as a person you care for deeply catches their first steelhead all on their own. Someone like my mother, who caught her first steelhead on the North Santiam with guide Matt Halseth in 2019.

Remembering that experience, I talked with him about booking a trip in hopes of my partner catching her first steelhead on the Siletz. With my hatch day approaching, timing the trip in late January would be ideal for the birthday presence of my PIC, or partner in chrome. For the past decade or so, I had sort of stopped celebrating adding another year to my age, and instead decided I would

celebrate my dog’s birthday, which was also sometime in late January. My dog, Wrangler, would also be joining Matt, Megan and I on this float, only this time it would be in celebration of his birth and life, which ended last fall. I wanted to scatter his ashes in the current of his favorite stomping grounds as an offering to the river for our blessings. Matt brought his partner in nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

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FISHING chrome, Sarah, who was on the hunt for her first steelhead as well. The combination of two birthdays, a memorial, and a double date on a river float for two first-timer steelheaders holds a lot of kinetic energy. “Let’s just keep our spirits high and expectations low,” Matt counseled me the night before. With plans to start in the town of Siletz and make it a long, scenic float to the lower river, we met at the launch, did our introductions, then got the two wide-eyed women on board dialed into the program. Conversations were had about how fishing had been tough, that there might be limited opportunities, so Matt or I handing a fish off might be a possibility. I think there’s good intentions in those actions, but we all know that the feeling of independence from hooking and landing a fish all on your own is a very special experience. As Matt got our dates dialed in, we began talking about water conditions and why fishing hadn’t been easy. With two massive high-water events following back to back in the first weeks of January, the river had just begun to take shape that week, but not a lot of fish had shown. “The water up here looks nice, but the ocean has been rough and a lot of those fish won’t cross the bar if there’s a lot of silt stirred up in the bay,” Matt stated. The incessant waves of rain clouds held in warm air for weeks, but this day was the kind of cold that makes you think cuddles and chrome. Being hopeful, I told Matt that I knew of a commercial crabber who had posted on social media about having a beautiful day on the job, with clear skies over a flat ocean, a couple days beforehand. “Well, I’ve got a hunch then,” said Matt, as he hit the throttle on the motor and moved downstream. We blew past a lot of good water and a lot of good fishermen down to the lower reaches of the river.

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the program, Megan mentioned she didn’t like her orange bead and bait presentation but was shy about mentioning it to our guide. So I spoke up for her and said, “I’ve got some pink eggs I cured up yesterday.” The bait was part of a demonstration for a youth wilderness skills class that I teach. I had confidence in my fresh bait, and I wanted to impress Megan, who was also a youth wilderness skills instructor. Matt, picking up on As guide Matt Halseth and Serry look on, Sarah Jones fights a large native steelhead that “came racing across the surface like a jet-propelled great white shark” at one point in the battle. (RANDALL BONNER)

my vibe, asked for some eggs for his end of the boat, and I obliged. As we set up to fish the first run, Megan made a short cast close to the boat. As we drifted down, her float went a couple feet under and she pulled back the rod into a chromebright hatchery hen. It did some headshakes, peeled some drag, ran under the boat then did a somersault behind the motor, all the fun stuff we love about the action of a steelhead

FISHING Communication is key, and you want to be there for your buddy to seal the deal. Well, considering I was holding the net and struggling to get the fish to go in headfirst in some frog water, I got a little friendly heckling, but managed to get the fish into the net. Sure it was a hand-off, but I think it made everyone’s day in the moment to have a part in the action.

It can take steelheaders years to land a fish of this caliber, a 37.5-inch by 20-inch wild buck, and Jones caught it as her second one! (RANDALL BONNER)

being on the other end of the line. As it hit the net, we noticed it was a hatchery fish. Megan was elated about the opportunity to clean her own fish and share the spoils with her family. She was less elated about having to bonk and bleed it, but I asked her if she wanted to do the honors anyway. As I held the fish for her to dispatch, I told the fish, “Thank you for making my day, my year even. I’m so grateful for you.” Megan posed for pictures hugging and kissing the fish, telling it “I love you!” When I asked her if she was ready to catch another, she simply said, “Yeah, but I don’t know if 102 Northwest Sportsman

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I want to bonk it,” and laughed. After all that fuss had settled down, we went back to business to get the guide’s girl a fish. I casted back out into the run and hooked into another chrome hen, this one wild. I reluctantly handed the rod to Sarah by the captain’s orders, but felt good about doing my buddy a solid as his wingman. This fish put up a similar fight, playing hard to get coming to the net. I had just finished talking about an article on “Being a good netman” that I’d had published and how it’s not much different from being a good wingman.

AFTER THE BITE died in that hole, we slid down to the next one. “I got a good feeling we’re on ’em now,” I said in an effort to keep the group encouraged. Then Sarah’s float went down and the reel started dumping line. As she held on for dear life, Matt did his best to keep her calm and give some coaching. “Try to turn him back here into the slackwater where we can net him,” he said. This fish wasn’t having it, though, and kept bulldogging her. Then suddenly it took off on another run behind the boat, and came racing across the surface like a jet-propelled great white shark, turning back at the boat. “Reel, reel, reel!” The time for being calm had passed. I shouted, “He’s still on there!” as the rod went straight. Sarah kept cool and kept reeling, finally catching up the slack and bringing the line tight again as the fish ripped around the bow and back out behind the stern again. As Matt ran the motor, I handed him the net back to be downstream of the fish. Handing the responsibility of landing the fish was not only logical given the position of the boat, but an appropriate wingman move. When the fish hit the net, Matt’s eyes got big as he said to Sarah, “That’s a 20-pound steelhead. People fish their entire lives for one like this.” I hopped out with them to do measurements and take pictures. Matt started joking to Sarah, “Randy has been to Alaska and caught dozens of these fish daily, but probably never one like this!” Rolling my eyes, I started thinking about how everyone will probably forget that I handed off that previous fish to Sarah, but I

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FISHING Wrangler was a faithful companion to the author, accompanying him on trips throughout coastal Oregon as well as on a southeast Alaska steelheading adventure, before passing away last year. (RANDALL BONNER)

was just happy to see my wingman seal the deal on landing her fish of a lifetime, a 37.5-inch by 20-inch wild buck. As I filmed the release and Matt chattered about dimensions of the fish, Sarah reached up, grabbed his face and laid a kiss on him, as Megan and I let out an “Awww!!!”

WHILE THIS SEASON’S early run consisted of fewer fish, Matt and I discussed how the ones that did show up were big. Given that neither of the women in the boat had done much steelhead fishing, some of their casts lacked distance, but perhaps their short 104 Northwest Sportsman

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tosses into the slower channels of moving water played a role in finding a super-sized steelhead. Regardless, Megan said, “By comparison, I guess my fish didn’t really fight as hard.” I tried to remind her to be grateful she had caught one for the dinner table, but I could see the desire burning within her to find a giant of her own. Matt motored downriver as the action slowed down. The temperature dropped significantly, and as the wind cut through the air of the moving boat, our dates huddled next to us for warmth. Matt and I looked over our dates’ backs and gave each other a big

wingman smile and thumbs-up. “How much longer until we get to be somewhere warm?” Megan asked. As Matt turned the boat into position to make a pass, I told her we only had a couple holes left to fish, and to just keep casting. Sarah, who had landed a fish of a lifetime, was now more concerned about keeping her hands warm than trying to top her personal best in the last few stretches. As Megan and I made a pass, she hooked up in the tailout with a fish that didn’t want to come back up. We chased it into some pretty swift water and it just kept going and going, testing

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FISHING the line capacity of the reel and Matt’s maneuverability on the tiller. Once we got into some calmer water, Megan was able to bring the fish close enough to see it was going to be a challenge to tire it out. Every time we’d pass a log, the fish would intuitively swim towards it as Megan would do her best to follow Matt’s directions to pull it away from danger. This went on what seemed like forever, until the building of excitement and adrenaline took its toll on everyone. “Bring your rod to the right ... too the right!” As Megan continued to pull her rod to her right, I could tell she was too focused on the fish to understand the warnings Matt was trying to communicate. Seeing the log approaching to Matt’s right, I reached up and grabbed her rod, swinging it away from the obstacle to pull the fish back towards the boat. This not only confused her, but frustrated her that I had grabbed the rod while she

was fighting the fish. She glanced a glare at me, and although I wouldn’t dare take the rod away from her, I remembered what Matt had said at the beginning of the day, that this was all a team effort. With my wingman and our captain nervous about Megan sealing the deal, I felt a shared responsibility to intervene but without stealing her thunder. We narrowly avoided more obstacles before Megan was able to lift the rod and reel up with her cramped hands until the 36.5-inch by 18-inch buck was within reach of the net.

LEADING UP TO this day, I spent some time explaining the difference between hatchery fish bred for harvest and the reverence of wild steelhead. Adipose fins, spawning cycles, broodstock programs, none of those explanations did justice to the experience Megan had had harvesting her first steelhead and following up

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with a giant wild buck that kicked her butt up and down the river. “Let’s end the day on that note!” said Matt, as he fired the motor back up to head to the takeout. On the way, we noticed some pipes on the shore that just looked kind of odd. We pulled over to check them out, discovering an elaborate set of windchimes. Laughing hysterically, I began sloshing the chimes into the water to rinse out the mud until they were clean, claiming them as a souvenir. The notes started out harsh, but as the silt emptied from the chambers of those pipes, they made a sweet, low-pitched sound. I hung the chimes in the same maple tree where I typically hang my fish from a carabiner until I’m ready to fillet them. Now, whenever the wind blows, I think of the spirit of my dog’s send-off from the physical realm, and that epic double date with my friend Matt and our partners in chrome. NS

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FISHING To use downriggers, long line or run a dropper setup for kokanee, that is the question. Each has its place for targeting the delicious fish that are stocked or have self-sustaining populations in the region’s reservoirs and natural lakes. (TOM SCHNELL)

Get In The Koke Zone

Long lining vs. dropper rods vs. downriggers for kokanee. By Tom Schnell

LONG LINING

Long lining is simply that, using a dodger, which tends to be heavier and will provide some diving action on its own. No additional weight is used. Typically the line is let out anywhere from 75 feet up to 150 feet, sometimes more. Long lining is used when the fish are shallow and easily spooked by the boat. It allows kokanee to come back in behind the boat and strike the lure. If you are seeing fish jump but nothing is on the depth finder, try

s the world of kokanee fishing continues to explode, many newcomers are asking how to go about fishing for them. There are many facets to the fishery, but here’s a look at three ways to get your gear in front of a school. These are just guidelines, and subject to change based on conditions, experience and preferences. The only absolute is: If you’re not out fishing, you’re not going to catch any fish.

long lining. It might be an indicator they are up higher in the water column. This is often the case in the early season and sometimes early in the morning.

DROPPER ROD Dropper rod fishing is similar to long lining, except a weight is used in front of the dodger, with typically a 24inch leader between the main line and dropper. Using a barrel swivel to connect your main line to your dodger leader is helpful to prevent tangles. nwsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2021

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FISHING Dropper rod weights can vary from ½ ounce upwards to 6 ounces. You can also use leadcore line. The heavier the weight, the deeper your presentation, and the less you feel

the fish fighting. A good depth chart for amount of lead to use is easily accessible online. Dropper rod fishing is often used when the fish are deeper than can be reached with long lining,

and yet may be shallower than what using a downrigger is worth. Or it can be used if you don’t have a ’rigger. One word of caution when dropper rod fishing for kokanee: Let the line out slowly or you increase the risk of all your gear becoming entangled. A good dropper rod will have a little more backbone than a good downrigger rod or one used for long lining, as it will need to handle the extra weight. Dropper fishing is very similar to long lining in how far out and what dodgers work well with it. A lighter dodger can and will work, but it will not dive like a heavier one, meaning you might need extra lead to get down where you want.

DOWNRIGGERS

Author Tom Schnell and his wife Rhonna successfully fish for kokes throughout Central Oregon. (TOM SCHNELL) 110 Northwest Sportsman

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Downriggers are optimal when you want to run your gear at 30 to 40 feet, or deeper. Oftentimes they are used in shallow water conditions as well. Their main advantages are for fishing deeper and knowing exactly how deep your gear is running. As for electric versus manual, my preference is the former due to ease of use and not having to hand crank them up, especially when the fishing is hot. Manuals work great, though, if that is what you like or can afford. When it comes to weights, setbacks and line clip lengths, there are some rules of thumb with downriggers. 1) Use 1 pound of weight for every 10 feet of depth you want to fish; 2) Use the 100-foot rule: for however deep you are going, subtract the amount from 100 to determine your setback. Opinions abound on both, so once again, if you are new to downriggers, these are starting guidelines. Some manufacturers suggest using at least a 7-pound weight with electric ’riggers. Standard weights for kokanee fishing with electric downriggers are 8- and 10-pounders. Some go lighter, some heavier. Regarding length of leader for clips, the standards are 18 and 30 inches. Some go longer than that, as they feel that with a longer clip leader

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FISHING

Some of the Schnells’ productive setups for landlocked sockeye salmon include these dodger and spinner blade and bead combos. He uses the rig in the main image when running a dropper rod, the one at top left off a downrigger and the one at top right – due to its weight – when long lining. (TOM SCHNELL)

they can see the rod bounce better when a fish hits. Keep in mind that the longer the clip leader, the higher it will run above the downrigger weight and thus be less true to the depth of the weight.

Using a snubber between the main downrigger cable and the ball can be very useful. If the main line is stainless steel, it can stop any electric current between an electric downrigger and the ball. It can also help reduce

bounce when lowering and raising the ball as well. One last thing I like about snubbers is that they are easier on your hands when lifting the ball out of the water, as the stainless steel cable can cut you if there are any

CANNED KOKE BREAD SPREAD

time-tested favorite recipe of my wife Rhonna and mine is combining canned kokanee and other ingredients as a spread on sourdough bread. Some prefer to drain the canned fish prior to mixing, but if you use the whole jar, the spread will be a little moister and capture all of the flavoring and essential oils that are otherwise lost. If you do drain the fluids, you may need to increase the amount of mayonnaise used. 1 pint canned kokanee 3 tablespoon mayonnaise (more or less for desired texture) ¼ teaspoon garlic salt 1/8 cup dehydrated onions 1 teaspoon lemon juice 3 small dill pickles, cut up super fine 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice from dill pickle jar (flavor-dependent)

Toasted canned kokanee spread on sourdough with avocado slices. (TOM SCHNELL)

Mix ingredients well and let stand for at least one hour in refrigerator. Toast a slice of sourdough bread slightly. Put kokanee spread on toasted bread. Broil until spread starts to slightly brown. Cover with grated cheese of choice. Broil again until cheese is melted. Garnish with avocado and/or tomato, or eat as is. –TS 112 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING

Here’s a close-up of how to rig a weight slider and the main line-to-leader connection when fishing a dropper rod. The rubber bumper and lower 6mm bead help shield the knot at the terminal end of the main line, while the other bead protects the fishing rod’s top eyelet in case you over-reel bringing in a kokanee. (TOM SCHNELL)

stray wires.

DODGERS AND RODS Good dodgers for downriggers are lighter, creating less drag and tracking very close to the depth of the downrigger weight. Can heavier dodgers be used on downriggers? Absolutely. Just remember, they will tend to dive deeper than your downrigger weight, so your lure may not be at the depth you think it is. A good downrigger rod for kokanee is one that is an ultralight

that is very flexible. You want one that can be “loaded up,” which in simple terms means it can have a good bend to it while its reel’s line is attached to the downrigger clip. There are many makes and models of rods specifically designed for kokanee downrigger fishing. Tight lines and fish on! NS Editor’s note: Tom Schnell is an avid outdoorsman who lives with his wife in Central Oregon. He is also a Kokanee Power of Oregon board member.

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COLUMN No need to wait for April when there are trout to be caught across the region in March. Action warms up as the days lengthen and water temperatures perk back up from their winter lows, kick-starting the food chain. (JASON BROOKS)

Shake Off Winter Blahs With Trout A

s the weather finally starts to warm up and the days get longer, it is hard for anglers to wait NW PURSUITS another month to By Jason Brooks go catch some trout. Washington’s annual lowland lakes opener the fourth Saturday of April seems so far off, but there is no need to wait that long, as many lakes are open year-round, while early-opening waters have been recently planted. Think of it as a primer to the statewide kickoff. The first thing you need to do is check

the regulations to see which lakes are currently open or have just opened. Then study the fish planting reports found at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking. You will find several lakes with newly released trout, but don’t forget those that received a late fall planting or even a summertime stocking of fingerlings. Some of these lakes get a boost of triploid trout, which makes for a fun day. Once you have a few lakes in mind, it is time to look at access, as some lakes have boat ramps and paved roads, while others might be a hike-in-only affair. Don’t forget that some Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon and Idaho lakes might still have a

thin or unstable layer of ice on them and not be fishable until later in the month.

NEAR QUINCY, IN Central Washington, you will find several March 1 opener lakes that are freshly stocked or have a good population of carryovers. Some are hikein waters with catch-and-release fishing or stocker rainbows to keep, while others you can easily access from a road and Department of Fish and Wildlife access sites. If you can hike to the more remote lakes, you will find solitude and some good fishing, but again, be ready for a windy day and cold temperatures. Not far to the east, in lower Grand

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COLUMN Coulee, is one of my favorite early-season lakes, Lake Lenore, which is good as soon as you can cast into open water. Lahontan cutthroat trout in the 2- to 4-pound range are common here, but back in my early years, they went into the low teens, with 8-pound fish very common. Small aquatic bugs will start to emerge out of the mud as the sun warms the water. Chironomids work well when used with a strike indicator to let you know when the fish have slurped up the tiny subsurface pattern. Early in the season, sizes 12 up to 6 are best, but as water temperatures come up, smaller is better, with sizes 16 to 12 being common.

Lenore is a unique lake in that it has a creek that the cutts go up to spawn and which is where they are collected for hatchery production. Winds here can come up quickly, so if the ice is off and you are using a float tube or a pontoon, be sure to stay close to shore. The north end of the lake is very popular due to it being protected by tall basalt cliffs. Some of the best lakes to fish in March are the year-round fisheries. In winter, anglers often forget about these waters as they instead head to rivers to target steelhead or just put away their rods and wait for warmer days. But in Southwest

Along with Central Washington waters opening March 1, lakes in the Blue Mountains’ Tucannon Valley also draw anglers as the year’s third month arrives. A lad and his grandfather work on filling their stringer at one of the chain of lakes last March. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST) 118 Northwest Sportsman

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Washington, several lakes have been receiving plants, including triploids and larger rainbows, throughout the cold months. Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond are two of them, and you can find many more by checking the regulations and the stocking stats.

AS FOR CATCHING these early-season trout, how you are going to fish will determine what you will use to get them to bite. For the bank angler looking to keep some fish for dinner, soaking bait is one of the top producers. Floating dough bait off bottom works well and is the standard go-to, but don’t overlook other offerings

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COLUMN

You almost can’t go wrong trolling plugs, spinners, flies or spoons, nor plunking dough bait, but giving your offerings a little shot of scent won’t hurt either. The author prefers Pro-Cure products. (JASON BROOKS) such as salmon eggs with a marshmallow to float it, or a piece of salad shrimp. For those with boats that can access shallower waters, bays and coves where the water is warmer and bugs are hatching are great places to fly fish. This doesn’t necessarily mean using a fly rod and whipping a line with grace and

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finesse. Emergers and nymphs can also be fished using spinning gear and a split shot. Rig up with a small bobber, a few split shot and a long leader, cast out and either let your fly sit, allowing the spring breeze to induce action as the bobber moves around, or slowly reel it in. If the fish are deep, remove the

bobber and cast out and let the fly fall to the bottom and then very slowly reel in. On windy days you can use the breeze to “troll,” pushing the boat along and just letting the nymph move with it. It’s the same theory as when a float tuber uses flippers to kick along. Small spinners such as Rooster Tails, Wedding Rings and Promise Keepers are good lures to use in early spring. Black, brown or olive green Rooster Tails are popular for good reason: They catch a lot of fish. Downsize them to the 1/8-ounce size, and if you plan on releasing fish, switch out the treble with a single siwash hook. You can cast or troll these spinners, which makes them very versatile. A drop of Pro-Cure Super Gel in the Trophy Trout formulation on the blade of the spinner will create a scent trail and attract fish, as well as get them to commit to the bite. Scents are really important in the spring, as you can attract more fish and create a feeding frenzy. Powdered krill is a good attractant to add to the gels and oils because it has a strong scent. Trout

COLUMN like shrimp and the water-soluble shrimp oil from Pro-Cure won’t ruin hackles on flies or Rooster Tails either. If you use bait, such as salmon eggs or salad shrimp, you can make up a few different “brines” for the baits and add things like Monster Bite or Slam-Ola powder, which are bite stimulates. You can add dyes and other scents as well, with anise, garlic and nightcrawler being popular for trout. Be sure to add scent often and don’t be afraid to experiment with other scents to find what brings on the bite.

WHY WAIT FOR April when there are trout to fish for now? There are plenty of wellstocked lakes that either just opened up or never closed. Grab the regulations, check the stocking report and the fall release schedule, and then head to the lake to catch a few fresh fish dinners. That way when the lowland lakes opener does finally come around, it won’t be such a mad rush to get there. NS

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Owen Austin carries a hefty stringer of broodstock rainbows caught at a Willamette Valley pond during a February youth wilderness skills course with Northwest Sportsman contributor Randall Bonner. Numerous waters in Western Oregon saw releases last month. (RANDALL BONNER)

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COLUMN With bird seasons largely wrapped up, now is the time to reflect on what worked – and more importantly, what didn’t. That way you’ll be better prepared to serve the needs of your gun dog and keep it comfortable and healthy on future hunts. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

Seasonal Reflections A

s I write these words, it’s a bittersweet time. Not because of all that’s going on in the world, but because GUN DOGGIN’ 101 January has passed. By Scott Haugen Not only has the first month of the new year come and gone, but so too has duck season, along with chukar, Hun, quail, grouse, snipe, crow and fall turkey seasons. At the end of every bird hunt I like to reflect on what went right for the day, but especially what went wrong. I’m not much for dwelling on success; rather, I spend more time evaluating faults and mistakes in order to become better at what I’m doing. It’s no

different when hunting with my dogs.

ECHO, KONA AND I went on more bird hunts this past season than ever, and I learned a lot along the way. I reaffirmed that dogs are far better hunters than humans will ever be, that they mark more ducks and geese than we do, that they know what we’re going to do before we even make a move, and that they have noses so incredibly powerful, we’d be hating life if we took in all the miserable smells of the world the way canines can. I also learned that by being prepared in the field, I can ensure my dog’s safety and comfort. In last month’s column I wrote how I made a couple mistakes this past duck season by not covering up steel posts

that secured my blind, and failing to cut heavy-stalked brush close to the ground, both of which my dogs suffered for. I reaffirmed the importance of keeping a knife handy on duck hunts, too. I only used it once, but it was a necessity, as Kona got his foot so tangled in my jerk cord when chasing a duck, I had to cut him free. Again, it was my fault for not lifting the cord out of the water in the first place, but it could have been ugly had I not had a knife. I also learned to check the contact points of my e-collars to make sure they don’t come loose; yes, I lost one at the start of a two-day hunt. I don’t like shouting commands at my dogs while hunting, relying on beeps and hand signals to direct them instead. There are a few times

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COLUMN a year I might have to give them a quick, low-power zap – usually to prevent them from getting in a tangle with a skunk or porcupine, or keep them from going where they shouldn’t – and both posts must be secured for this to happen. Check them at the start and close of each hunt, and have an extra in your pack, just in case. As waterfowl season progressed, ice and snow descended upon us. Toss in temperatures in the 20-degree range, along with 30 mph winds, and things can get cold for the dogs. To protect them from the elements, I built a wind-block of heavy wire and thick brush. Rarely do my dogs hunt from inside a blind, as I want them to have a 360-degree view; as I said, they spot more birds than I do.

FOLLOWING UPLAND HUNTS, where my dogs cover three times the miles that I do, my 7-year-old female started getting noticeably stiff, especially on cold days. I began giving her O’Paws Advanced Mobility supplement, and it made a world of difference.

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Author Scott Haugen noticed impressive relief in his dogs’ mobility and comfort after being given O’Paws Advanced Mobility blend as a food topper before and after physically demanding, coldweather hunts. (SCOTT HAUGEN) Used as a food topper, I give her one tablespoon of it the night before the hunt, another following the hunt – usually late morning – and another at dinner; I don’t feed my dogs the morning of a hunt. This season I also reaffirmed the value of dog vests that fit. As the season progresses, your dog will become a lean machine,

and keeping vests functional is vital to their comfort and performance. Kona, my male pudelpointer, trimmed down and his vest started rubbing inside his front legs. I eventually custom-cut the neoprene vest for him and it made a world of difference. When hunting fall turkeys and valley quail this winter, my dogs spent a lot of

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COLUMN Haugen and Kona pose with a January turkey that the 4-year-old pudelpointer tracked, pointed and retrieved. On this hunt, Kona’s vest was removed and his collar tightened for safe, easy movement through thick briars. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

time in briar patches. One of these hunts I removed their vests and made sure their e-collars fit snugly, which greatly eliminates hangups in the brush. We had a wet winter and spent a lot of time in water, and one of my dogs had constant ear inflammation I couldn’t get a handle on. Then I started using Thornit, a canker powder made in the United Kingdom. After just one treatment the difference was amazing, and my dog felt much better. After a second treatment, he was 100 percent healed.

WITH SEASONS BEHIND us, now is the time to reflect on the types of adventures you and your dog embark upon, as well as the demands you place on them. As their master, you owe it to your dog to meticulously monitor their health, for only then will you ensure their comfort, performance and safety. NS

Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

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COLUMN

Creedmoor who? The new 6.8 Western from Winchester Ammunition caught the attention of author Dave Workman, who calls it a “long-range sizzler” that “delivers more energy at 500 yards than the 6.5 Creedmoor, which uses a lighter bullet,” per some ballistic reports. (WINCHESTER)

As Winter Hunts Wrap Up, There’s Gun Shopping To Do

arch is a transition m o n t h during which guys like me take a last crack at rabbit hunting – ON TARGET Washington’s season By Dave Workman ends March 15 – and try to get in a fleeting shot at coyotes to maybe save a soon-to-be-born fawn or elk calf. Wandering the Eastside’s prairies looking for songdogs, or hitting the public lands and checking the blackberry tangles or other cover for cottontails is a worthy endeavor. Coyote pelts should also still be in fair condition for tanning if temperatures remain cold enough. Last year at this time, I was tramping the dunes north of Potholes Reservoir with a rescoped .257 Roberts looking for

a coyote. Too much wind made effective calling impossible. Maybe this year, eh? Don’t forget to purchase your new 2021-22 hunting license by the end of this month, because you need one in Washington to shoot ’yotes, which has always seemed like the state charging hunters to do a public service. For those who can’t go somewhere to press a trigger, now’s the time to start planning and shopping. While there was no Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show in January, there are a lot of new guns out there worth checking, and that’s precisely what On Target has been doing, and we struck the mother lode.

FOR STARTERS, THE big news isn’t a rifle, but what goes into it. Say hello to the latest long-range sizzler, the 6.8 Western from Winchester Ammunition. Long story short,

move over 6.5 Creedmoor. The 6.8 Western’s parent cartridge is the .270 WSM, but the new entry features a longer, heavier .277-caliber projectile, same as the parent cartridge, and it can really reach out. The maximum cartridge length is 2.955 inches, according to Winchester, making it perfect for short-action rifles. Browning is offering a load topped with a 175-grain Sierra GameKing, while Winchester offers two loads, one with a 170-grain Ballistic Silvertip and the other pushing a 165-grain AccuBond Long Range pill from Nosler. Depending upon the load, expect muzzle velocities in the neighborhood of 2,900 feet per second or better. According to some ballistic reports I’ve seen, the 6.8 Western delivers more energy at 500 yards than the 6.5 Creedmoor, which uses a lighter bullet. Upon hearing of this new cartridge, I

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Along with the new 6.8 Western cartridge come new rifles chambered for it, including Winchester’s XPR (above) and Model 70, along with numerous offerings from Browning, including its X-Bolt Hunter Long Range and Western Hunter Long Range rifles. (WINCHESTER GUNS)

For waterfowlers, the latest iteration of a popular shotgun from Benelli is the Super Black Eagle 3, available in 12- and 20-gauge, and chambered for 3-inch shells. (BENELLI)

wondered what the late Jack O’Connor, who championed the .270 Winchester, might think. Make a hell of a sheep cartridge, eh, Jack? As one might expect, Winchester and Browning both wrapped several rifles around this new specimen. Winchester offers several variations of its bolt-action XPR, along with several different versions of its legendary Model

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70 bolt gun in 6.8 Western. The XPR offers short-action rifles in this caliber. This is a gun with a fast boltthrow, several stock finishes, three-round magazine capacity and barrels are cut with a 1:8-inch rifling twist. Additionally, there are nine different Model 70 variants in 6.8 Western, ranging from models with synthetic stocks to those with traditional checkered walnut in

blue or stainless. Like the XPR models, the Model 70 magazine can handle three of the fat 6.8 cartridges. Browning, meanwhile, chambers its X-Bolt Hunter Long Range, X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Speed A-TACS AU camo, X-Bolt Western Hunter Long Range, X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Long Range and other rifle models in 6.8 Western. Some of the Browning entries might

COLUMN

Also trotting out a new long gun model is Franchi. Its Momentum is now chambered in .350 Legend and available in a flat dark earth finish. (FRANCHI)

get just a bit more gusto because instead of the 24-inch tube on Winchester’s guns, Browning has 26-inch barrels on its models. Also new from Winchester is a suppressor-ready version of the popular Wildcat semiauto .22-caliber rifle. It features ½x28-threads-per-inch threading to accommodate most common

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suppressors and muzzle brakes. The Wildcat’s chrome-molybdenum steel barrel measures 16.5 inches and features precision button rifling. It features polymer construction in the upper assembly, lower receiver and skeletonized buttstock. It comes with a 10-round rotary magazine and dual magazine releases with spring-assisted magazine ejection.

NEW FROM BENELLI are three additional chamberings in its Lupo rifle series: 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Winchester and .243 Winchester. These short-action models

should appeal to hunters who prefer long treks back into the tall hills. Introduced last year, the Lupo features an alloy lower receiver, adjustable black synthetic stock and forend, and a Criotreated free-floating barrel bedded into the alloy chassis receiver. According to Benelli publicity, the Lupo’s stock can be adjusted to 12 different dropand-cast positions, and can be expanded to 36 positions with optional combs. Length of pull is adjustable from 13.8 to 14.77 inches. Individually, the 6.5 Creedmoor model has a 24-inch barrel cut with a 1:8-inch

COLUMN right-hand twist and it weighs 7.1 pounds. The .243-caliber entry has a 22-inch barrel featuring 1:8-inch rifling on a righthand twist. It weighs 6.9 pounds. Likewise, the .308-caliber model also has a 22-inch barrel, cut with a 1:11-inch righthand twist, and it also scales at 6.9 pounds. Also from Benelli is the newest incarnation of an old favorite, the Super Black Eagle 3, available in 12-gauge, 3-inch and 20-gauge, 3-inch. The first time I set eyes on a Super Black Eagle was quite some time ago, and this remarkable smoothbore has improved with age. The SBE3 features Benelli’s proven inertia-driven action that includes an “Easy-Locking Bolt System.” Benelli calls this “an enhanced breech-closing system that eliminates the possibility for a shooterinduced stoppage.” It is designed to clean up easily and can be operated while wearing gloves. It comes with a shim kit to allow for eight

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different cast-and-drop configurations, according to Benelli, so it can literally be tailored to fit any shooter. It has a third-generation ComforTech 3 stock and Combtech cheek pad, which combine to reduce felt recoil. The SBE3 is offered with either a 26- or 28-inch barrel.

FRANCHI HAS ADDED a new color option to the Momentum rifle line and added the .350 Legend chambering so this rifle meets requirements in some states calling for a straight-walled centerfire cartridge. The Momentum features a coldhammer-forged chrome-moly freefloating barrel with a matte finish and it’s threaded for a suppressor. Threads are protected by a knurled cover. The rifle has a two-position safety and Franchi’s proprietary Relia Trigger that may be adjusted from 2 to 4 pounds. According to Franchi, the stock/finish is hunter gray or flat dark earth. Magazine capacity is four rounds (three in the .300

Win. Magnum). The new .350 Legend version is available only in flat dark earth, and it has a 24-inch barrel, cut with a 1:16inch right-hand twist. From Savage comes the Impulse rifle family with three variations, the Big Game, Hog Hunter and Predator, each to address a specific challenge. What sets the Impulse family apart is the straight-pull action featuring a Hexlock, which involves six hardened steel bearings that lock the bolt in place inside the barrel extension. As noted by Savage president Al Kasper, company designers “studied more than a century’s worth of straight-pull actions and kept running up against the same conundrum; straight-pull actions are fast, but they don’t inspire confidence.” “Speed means nothing if you can’t hit what you’re aiming at,” he observed. “Impulse changes that. We’ve brought our tradition of accuracy into the mix to make the fastest, most accurate straight-pull

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Browning touts its new Buck Mark Plus Vision Americana semiauto .22-caliber pistol as “suppressor ready.” (BROWNING)

rifles ever built.” The Big Game models are chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .300 WSM, .30-06 Sprg. and .300 Win. Magnum. Hog Hunter models are available in four calibers including .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .30-06 and .300 Win. Magnum. Impulse Predator models are available in .22-250 Rem., .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win.

AND FOR HANDGUNNERS, there’s Browning’s Buck Mark Plus Vision Americana “suppressor

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ready” semiauto .22-caliber pistol. Think eye-catching, because this new entry features a color scheme that will jump right at you, with a blue finish on the anodized aluminum outer barrel sleeve with CNC-machined stars and stripes. It comes with a muzzle brake that can be swapped out for a suppressor. There’s a Picatinny rail on top of the receiver and the front sight is fiber optic, while the rear is adjustable. It has black UFX overmolded grips and Browning supplies a pistol rug with this model. NS

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COLUMN

Anyone who has ever tried cooking has failed – here’s the editor’s attempt at grilled cheese for one of his sons – and Chef Randy is no exception. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

Cooking Fails, Chef Edition O

f the five people at the table, I was the only one with a smile on my face. That was probably because CHEF IN I had not taken a bite THE WILD By Randy King of food yet. The others had more of a concerned – perhaps even troubled – look. As my optimism blinded me, they dutifully chewed, then swallowed. I waited. I was on a limb with this flavor combination and I knew it. Honestly, I thought I could be making a whole new – maybe even somewhat unique – dish. The sidelong glances from my guests (all of them avoiding eye contact with me) and squirming in their seats finally made me nervous. I looked down and took a bite. The horseradish and avocado stuffed

squid was not “good eats,” as Alton Brown says. In fact, I could hardly swallow the bite I had taken. The combination of chewy squid body, creamy and warm avocado and the bite of horseradish made the whole experience quite vomit inducing. I had tried to be creative and I had failed. Miserably. Horribly. Embarrassingly. But while the moment was not good, the outcome was. I now know that those flavors and textures will not work together. It was far from the first time I had failed in the kitchen. I have a laundry list of epic failures. For example, Cocoa Puffs do not work as the base for a spicy bread pudding. Nor does a squirrel that was not skinned soon enough work for dumplings. (The whole

house smelled of beaver castor for like three days.) Tea-smoked sturgeon could be a success – if you smoke it with something other than pure green tea leaves. The way I did it was revolting and got the landlord asking if I had a prescription for the smell. (Idaho is still way behind on all of this.) Toasted hemp seed vinaigrette? You mean bong water, mustard and vinegar? Mackerel fish and chips? Oh, you mean fried cat food and fishy-tasting French fries? The list is long and distinguished. And each one taught me something I needed to know as a cook.

WHY SOME CLASSICS WORK, AND OTHER COMBOS DON’T One of my old chefs – Richard was his name – played a trick on me years ago. He described a dish to me thusly: “Dry

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Fried squid rings with avocado and horseradish dipping sauce. (RANDY KING)

CALAMARI, TAKE 2

eventually found a way to make avocado, horseradish and fried squid work in a dish. I just had to change the format. I ended up making a dip with the horseradish and avocado. Then I breaded and fried the squid rings, tossing them with a squirt of lime juice and a pinch of salt – salt, fat, acid and heat in the correct proportions. Here’s how. THE SQUID 3 cups canola oil (for frying) 1 pound squid rings and tentacles 3 medium eggs, cracked and beaten until smooth 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (unbleached) 1/3 cup fine corn meal Salt and pepper Zest from half a lemon Lemon, for juice

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Add the three cups of oil to a thickbottomed saucepan. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Or, turn a deep fryer on. Drain any excess moisture off the tentacles and rings and add them to eggs cracked in a bowl. Combine the flour and the corn meal in another bowl. In small batches (about a quarter of a pound at a time) remove rings from egg mix and toss them in the flour/corn meal mixture. Then carefully fry them for about one minute in the hot oil. Remove the fried squid to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, lemon zest and a squirt of lemon juice. They will be a light golden color when done. Overcooking the squid makes for chewy squid. In between batches, allow the oil to heat back up for three to four minutes. This will make the last batch as good as the first.

THE SAUCE 1 medium avocado (peeled and seed removed) 1/3 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1 green onion, sliced thin Zest from half a lemon Salt and pepper to taste Add the avocado, mayonnaise, horseradish, Dijon, vinegar and garlic powder to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add the green onion and lemon zest, then stir. Season with salt and pepper as needed. This sauce is good with steak, shrimp and calamari. Use it quick – the avocado will turn in a day or two. Enjoy! For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK

COLUMN bread, hard cheese, bone-filled stinky fish, flavorless vegetable, citric acid and emulsified egg.” Then he asked me if I thought the dish would be any good. “No!” I said emphatically. “Sounds awful.” “Well, it’s a Caesar salad,” he replied. At that point I ran through the salad station in my mind thinking about what he had said. Dry bread – croutons, of course. Hard cheese – parmesan. Bonefilled stinky fish – anchovies. Flavorless vegetable – romaine lettuce. Citric acid – lemon juice. Emulsified egg – mayonnaise, the dressing base. Son of a gun, he was right. How could the description of something sound so bad but the flavor be so good? It comes down to trial and error. Deconstructing a classic Caesar salad is an interesting thought experiment for a cook. What does a dish need to be successful? I like the description from Samin Nosrat with her show and book Salt Fat Acid Heat. She nails, in a very simple way, what it takes to make a dish great.

Chefs have been using those four words to “fix” dishes forever. Samin codified it and sent the methodology to the public, and I love her for it. The theory is that finding a balance of those four things in a dish, or at least the proper application of them, is foundational to cooking. I think she should also include texture, contrast and temperature in her descriptions as well, since they change a dish for the better often as well. So if we take a Caesar salad, what do we have? Salt – anchovies. Fat – mayonnaise (dressing). Acid – lemon juice. Heat, or lack of it in this case – cool and raw flavor. Texture – flavorless romaine lettuce. Often this dish can come with grilled meat, offering a great contrast to the rest of the ingredients. The Caesar salad has “all the things” that can make a dish successful. Unfortunately, so too did my squid, avocado and horseradish dish. Salt – I seasoned the batter with salt and used it in the stuffing. Fat – avocado is full of fat. Acid – lemon juice for the win, baby! Heat – fried

squid! While my dish had “all the things,” it was not a success.

SO, WHAT IS A HOME COOK TO DO? If you struggle with finding flavors that work together, I suggest two things. First is look for guidance from others. On my bookshelf at home is a grease-stained book called The Flavor Bible. It is a “paint by numbers” book about cooking. In the book you can look up your ingredient, and see all the things that classically go well with it. It even bolds those that go “very well.” When coming up with new dishes for my restaurants, I would often refer to this book for inspiration. It would drive me toward a flavor profile and then I could bounce from there. It gave a direction that I could then apply Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat methodology to. Second, keep pushing the boundaries and try to find a dish that works. Remember, humans put a man on the moon before they put wheels on a suitcase; there is plenty of room for innovation. NS

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