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Sportsman Northwest
Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource
Volume 13 • Issue 10 PUBLISHER James R. Baker
Your Complete Hunting, Boating, Fishing and Repair Destination Since 1948.
ALUMAWELD STRYKER
EDITOR Andy Walgamott THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Jason Brooks, Scott Haugen, Sara Ichtertz, MD Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Tom Schnell, Dave Workman, Mike Wright, Mark Yuasa EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Kelley Miller, 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 John Nunnally cradles a 30-plus-pound Chinook he caught on a Silver Horde Kingfisher spoon last July near Tatoosh Island, off Washington’s North Coast by Neah Bay. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
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CONTENTS VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 10
More than a building... it’s a solution! PRE-ENGINEERED STEEL FRAME STRUCTURES
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OCEAN COHO 2021: ‘I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR’
With a forecasted 1.732 million coho swimming off the Northwest Coast this summer, charter skippers based in Garibaldi, Ilwaco and Westport share tips and tactics for catching your share.
(FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
ALSO INSIDE 81
DON’T ESCHEW CHELAN FALLS FOR CHINOOK Mention Northcentral Washington summer salmon and the famed Brewster Pool likely pops to mind first. But not too far to the south are some fishy waters as well. Mark Yuasa details the bite where Lake Chelan meets the Columbia.
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KOKANEE AND KIDS Plentiful, found in many Northwest lakes, easy to catch, good fighters, superb table fare – “Kokanee fishing is a sport that is worth sharing with a kid,” says Central Oregon expert Tom Schnell, who shares how to make it fun and create lasting memories with youngins.
105 ROAD TRIP: HEBGEN HOSTS BIG TROUT It’s a fair pedal from most of our region, but the Yellowstone area’s Hebgen Lake is a trophy rainbow and brown trout destination that shines in summer. Mike Wright outlines how to fish for its notorious “gulpers,” as well as the excellent nymphing to be had.
119 SUMMER’S MADE FOR SPINYRAYS No doubt the Northwest is a bastion for Chinook and coho, steelhead and sturgeon, but there are spinyrays to be caught here as well. Our resident Midwest transplant MD Johnson details the fast action to be had on crappie, bluegill, perch and other panfish. 147 CRABBING OFF THE BEACH Catching Dungeness and red rocks from shore is nowhere near as productive as from a boat or off a pier, but it’s not impossible either. So discovered a Covid-19-inspired (and possibly fevered) editor Andy Walgamott as last summer he sought the least effective way possible to bring home some crabs for dinner.
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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(BUZZ RAMSEY)
BUZZ RAMSEY
Buoy 10 Tides And Strategies Buoy 10 and the salmon fishery at the mouth of the Columbia doesn’t open until next month, but Buzz opened up his calendar and tide books to identify the primo days for trolling these waters for the bounty of kings and silvers expected back later this summer.
COLUMNS 55
NORTHWEST PURSUITS Four Sure! Washington’s Marine Area 4, located on either side of Neah Bay in the Pacific and Strait of Juan de Fuca, is a crossroads of sorts for salmon migrating to their home waters and this month and next it will be a good place to fish for Chinook, coho and pinks. Fuel up the boat and take a ride with Jason as the runs converge at the northwestern tip of the Lower 48!
133 CHEF IN THE WILD The ‘Gauntlet Of Bad Casts’ In short order, casting a fishing rod becomes old hat, but when you’re first starting out, it can lead to all sorts of wayward tosses, some of which even land in the water where the fish live. Chef Randy shares the tale of a “wee lass” who successfully ran the “Gauntlet of Bad Casts” to catch a mess of bluegill, and has a yummy fishcakes recipe. 139 FOR THE LOVE OF THE TUG Cracking Open New Taste Buds As the name of Sara’s column denotes, it’s all about the bite, so how does that work out for her with crabs? She shares her journey from being grossed out by the smell and taste of crustaceans to eagerly pulling pots in search of the absolute freshest food on tap. 164 ON TARGET Too Early To Prep For Deer? Nope, 6 Things You Should Do Now Deer season will be here before you know it, so with summer’s long days and warm temps it’s time to get cracking and prepare your gear for fall, Dave counsels. He’s prepared a checklist for you, and also takes a look at new scope rings from Weaver. 175 GUN DOG Dog Fight Prevention “Own a dog long enough and there will be a fight, and you should always assume there’ll be a fight, even if your dog has never been aggressive.” So notes dog trainer Jess Spradley, who taught Scott a thing or two about avoiding gun pup dustups.
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THE BIG PIC
Blues Elk Calf Woes Studied With Washington’s herd at a 30-year low and hunter harvest half of what it was just six years ago, state wildlife managers have launched a two-pronged investigation into “poor to marginal” survival rates among young wapiti, and it could lead to predator control actions – a first at the herd level.
26
O (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
DEPARTMENTS 23
THE EDITOR’S NOTE Beware Initiative Petition 13
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PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Spring turkeys, spring Chinook, spring bass and more!
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THE DISHONOR ROLL ‘Multiple people’ suspected of raiding Coquille trib steelhead trap; Kudos; Jackass of the Month
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DERBY WATCH Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge returns; Upcoming events
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OUTDOOR CALENDAR Upcoming openers, workshops, events, deadlines, significant minus tides, more
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THEEDITOR’SNOTE
Y
ou know me, I’m no hairs-on-fire alarmist, but you’ll want to keep a close eye on an Oregon initiative to dramatically expand animal cruelty laws and which could be on the November 2022 ballot. Hunting organizations are already redoubling warnings about the consequences if passed by Beaver State voters. According to the Oregon Hunters Association, hunting as well as fishing and trapping would effectively be criminalized by Initiative Petition 13, as would slaughtering livestock and other farm animals for food – even killing pests like mice and rats. So worried is OHA that last month they and other local groups and national heavy hitters said that the draft ballot title and summary from the state Attorney General’s Office “(does) not adequately convey the initiative’s devastating impact” to those legal and long-standing activities. OHA, the Oregon Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Oregon Trappers Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wild Sheep Hunting, fishing and trapping would be criminalized in Oregon under a petition being Foundation, Sportsmen’s prepared for the November 2022 ballot. (ODFW) Alliance and Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation filed their comments after petition supporters had cleared a 1,000-signature threshold for the AG’s office to come up with the language. “Under this initiative, it would be illegal to put a deer in the freezer, catch fish, or raise animals to offset a family’s grocery bill,” said Amy Patrick, OHA outreach coordinator, in a press release. It theoretically would totally gut license-funded fish and wildlife management and critter conservation.
THE PETITION IS being pushed by Colorado transplant and Portland resident David Michelson, who openly explained during a podcast that it would remove exemptions to state animal abuse laws that shield hunters, anglers, farmers, researchers and others, effectively making us subject to the same laws as those who wantonly hurt, neglect or sexually abuse animals. The only exemption would be for self defense. It sounds utterly preposterous, but the Oregon AG’s office confirms that, as currently written, a yes vote on the petition “prohibits intentional injuring/killing of animals, including farming, hunting, fishing, research/teaching; self-defense exception. Redefines animal crimes, criminalizes most breeding practices.” At press time, the AG was mulling comments from OHA et al. The office could change the petition’s wording or run with it – which could lead to a legal challenge. Once the petition’s language is certified, just 112,000 signatures would be needed to hold a vote. “While we may think that it is impossible for such a far-fetched idea to make it to the 2022 ballot, let alone get passed, we must take this threat seriously,” OHA says on a special webpage, oregonhunters.org/initiate-petition-13/, set up to track the petition. Hear, hear. –Andy Walgamott nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
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Blues Elk Calf W
With Washington herd at 30-year low and hunter harvest half of just six years ago, state wildlife managers launch two-pronged investigation into ‘poor to marginal’ survival rates among young wapiti; could lead to predator control actions. By Andy Walgamott
N
ews I posted that Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists planned to capture and radio-collar as many as 125 Blue Mountain elk calves this spring to determine the reasons why so many are dying before they even reach a year old drew a pretty strong well-duh pushback on Facebook:
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Lions and wolves and bears, smart guy. So why the hell even bother with this study? “Because it’s never that straightforward,” Anis Aoude, agency Game Division manager, told me. “Having done ungulate management now for two decades, it’s never just predation.” Aoude pointed out that the same exact predator guild exists in Northeast
Washington, “but those elk populations are not having a problem with calf recruitment,” according to recent PredatorPrey Project work there he cited. Both regions are strongholds for the state’s packs. They’re thick with cougars and bruins too, and all three species (plus some other toothsome ones) take their toll on elk calves, as they have evolved to over the eons. But there’s another element to consider.
PICTURE
f Woes Studied
A small group of elk in Washington’s Blue Mountains warily watches visitors at a state wildlife area. With calves here struggling to survive their first year, managers are gathering data that could lead to predator management actions, a first at the herd level. (ANDY WALGAMOTT) “Nutrition is a huge factor. That’s what we need to ferret out,” Aoude said. And ferret out fast whether it’s the quality of forage available across the seasonal ranges of Blues elk, predation or a combination of the two that has led wapiti numbers this year to dip to – at a minimum – a 30-year low. Hunter harvest has also sagged. Last year’s kill was just half of what it was a mere six seasons ago. That’s partially a function of reduced antlerless permit opportunities starting in 2017 that otherwise should have spurred a herd rebound by now – but hasn’t – and
also strongly influenced by how many bulls are surviving their first year to grow a set of spikes and become legal for general season hunters. Figuring out what’s going on and addressing it is critical, as WDFW says the herd “plays an important role in this region’s ecosystems and provides the public with hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities.” “We want folks to know we’re working on it,” said Aoude of his agency’s mid-May press release announcing the “elk calf monitoring project” between Dayton and Asotin Creek, on the northern flanks of the range. “We do pay attention to this population and where
they’ve declined and not rebuilding, we want to take a look at them.” As of June 10, WDFW reported capturing 51 calves and documenting 11 mortalities. While operations had been temporarily paused because the neonates were “still in a strong hiding phase, which was resulting in a low encounter rate for the capture crew,” managers are still optimistic they will reach their goal of 100 to 125 collared calves.
A SECOND FRONT has also been opened. WDFW is performing an assessment of the “literature” – the copious research that’s been done on elk in Washington’s as well
nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
Northwest Sportsman 27
PICTURE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife data charts the population of elk on the Evergreen State side of the Blues over the past 30 years (above), as well as general season and special permit harvest (below) of bulls, cows and calves here over the past 10 years. (WDFW)
as Oregon’s Blues by the states, US Forest Service and biologists like John and Rachel Cook, plus other places where the same suite of predators and elk exist, along with a look at local herd demographics and predator densities – as a step towards possible predator control. That is called for in WDFW’s July 2015June 2021 Game Management Plan: “Management of predators to benefit prey populations will be considered when there is evidence that predation is a significant factor inhibiting the ability of a prey population to attain population management objectives. 28 Northwest Sportsman
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For example, when a prey population is below population objective and other actions to increase prey numbers such as hunting reductions or other actions to achieve ungulate population objectives have already been implemented, and predation continues to be a limiting factor. In these cases, predator management actions would be directed at individuals or populations depending on scientific evidence and would include assessments of population levels, habitat factors, disease, etc.” Some of that biological information can be found in recent agency documents. A
Fish and Wildlife Commission presentation from this March estimated Washington’s Blues herd earlier this year numbered just 3,600 animals, the fewest surveyed since 1991, and 35 percent below the population objective of 5,500. The decline began during the very harsh winter of 2016-17, when the herd dropped steeply from around 5,700 animals to 4,400, then wilted further to 4,100 in 2019. While on paper it rebounded to 4,600 in 2020, that might actually have been “partially related to a group of elk being in the survey area that also spends time in Oregon and was not observed in 2019,” according to WDFW. Now Washington Blues elk numbers are as low as they’ve been since the Gulf War, if not even further back. While the ratio of bulls per 100 cows is currently meeting expectations of 25:100, calf recruitment rates of 17-25:100 cows since 2017 have been “poor to marginal,” pointing to that part of their life history as the problem area and why the herd is struggling to rebuild itself in recent years and hunter harvest has dropped. A mid-2020 briefing of the commission’s Wildlife Committee on the state’s at-risk deer and elk populations shows calf recruitment rates were as low as 11:100 cows in Game Management Unit 186, Grande Ronde; 15:100 in GMU 172, Mountain View; and 19:100 in GMU 166, Tucannon, last year. For riflemen, archers and muzzleloaders, the Blue’s big bulls are one of the most coveted hunts in the land, but the harvest has seen a “significant decline” since 2015, when 268 antlered and 136 antlerless elk – 404 total – were taken during general and permit seasons, according to this March’s commission presentation. Last fall saw just 159 bulls and 41 antlerless elk – 200 – killed, WDFW records show, again a function of a smaller herd and reduced antlerless opportunities. Blue Mountains elk are also hunted by the Nez Perce, or Nimiipuu, and Umatilla Tribes through treaty-reserved rights.
BUT THERE’S MORE to the equation. “To do any predator management, that means assessing beyond what hunters take,” said Aoude. “We have to ascertain that predators are preventing
PICTURE
The wall tent of a family that’s been hunting elk in Washington’s Blues since 1937 looks snug in a snowy setting. It belongs to Larry Scoggins, who sent it to us for a hunting camp photo contest some years ago. (LARRY SCOGGINS) the population from reaching its potential.” The calf collaring will give WDFW a chance to compare survival and predation rates with research from the pre-wolf era. The Blue Mountains Elk Herd Plan notes that a 1992-98 study by WDFW’s Woody Myers, since retired, found that 113 of 240 calves – nearly half – didn’t reach a year old, with 48.6 percent of their deaths attributed to cougars, 15.9 percent to black bears, 15.8 percent to “undetermined causes,” 8.4 percent to “unidentified predators,” 4.7 percent to coyotes, 4.7 percent to hunters and 1.8 percent to accidents. During those years, the herd was also below objective, but not nearly as far underwater as it is today. The plan reports that a cougar research project that wrapped up in 2013 found densities of 3.02 mature cats per 100 square kilometers, or 38.6 square miles, in the Blues, “considerably higher than reported elsewhere in the state of Washington, which averaged 1.5-1.7 adult cougars/100 km.” And it also mentions a 2002 ODFW elk 30 Northwest Sportsman
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predation and nutrition study of 460 calves in two units just south of the state line, Wenaha and Sled Springs. Again, around half died in their first year, and predators were responsible for 214 of 232 documented deaths – cougars: 169, or 75 percent; bears: 33, or 15 percent; with the remaining 10 percent attributed to unidentified predators (nine), unknown (eight), humans (six), disease or abandonment (four), coyotes (two) and bobcat (one). With those radio-collared calves, WDFW biologists will not only be able to track the seasonal movements of calves but get to carcasses quickly once a device sends off a mortality signal, giving them time to do a postmortem that will help determine the immediate cause of death and provide details on the relative health of the elk at the time of its demise. Obviously there’s zero doubt predators are taking their toll on elk – bears in late spring right as calves drop; cougars and wolves the rest of the year – as they always have and always will, but nutritionally
poor habitat can make calves an even easier target for them, research touched on in the herd plan. “If they’re born weak, they’re more susceptible to predation,” Aoude said. Calf birth health is a function of summer and fall range condition impacts on their mothers and whether they even come into estrus. If conditions are good, all cows come into estrus; if they’re poor, only older ones – a smaller relative portion of the breeding population – do, depressing herd productivity. Winter range is also important in terms of the late-gestation health of cows. Their nutritional levels the previous summer and fall also impacts calf birth timing – earlier and all together at once is better for dealing with predation than later and out of sync – and how heavy or robust calves are when born. Those without that “spring in their step,” as Aoude put it, are at higher risk of being eaten. Encounters with more and more predators surely must also impact the ability of elk to feed and thus maintain their health, and then there’s human disturbance during calving time. More than 10 run-ins above normal amounts reduces a cow’s reproductive success. That’s the reason for winter range closures. Aoude says that nutritional studies have shown elk in the Blues across both states “are not generally in great condition.” “They’re kind of skating by. Get some bad years and it’s easy for them to slip,” he said.
THE “TABLETOP EXERCISE” of that literature assessment may lead WDFW to try an experiment, Aoude said. Will predator control reduce calf mortality and help rebuild the herd? If that course is taken in one to three years, it would be a big step for the agency. “I don’t think we’ve done it on the scale of a herd,” said Aoude. In his recollection it’s only been applied on individual mountain lions impacting small populations of bighorn sheep. “We have gone in and removed specific cougars, but nothing really on a scale like this,” he said. The statewide game plan says if WDFW decides to go that route, it would be done via hunting seasons, specific licensed hunters/trappers, USDA Wildlife Services
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PICTURE
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Wolves returned to the Blue Mountains in 2008 with Oregon’s Wenaha Pack – a trail cam photographed these two juvenile members of the group last September – and today there are at least four packs on the Washington side of the range and another six in Oregon within fairly close proximity of the state line. (ODFW)
or agency staff. First, however, biologists and managers have to figure out if it is warranted in the case of Blue Mountains elk calves. “We don’t know yet,” Aoude said. If it is, he said only the main predator species would be targeted, he said. “It’s unlikely it’ll come out to be wolves,” Aoude added. “Wolves don’t usually end up being the limiting factor.” Another furry fanger seems to be the undisputed title holder in the Northwest. A 2016 paper from a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks researcher looking at the Bitterroots reported that “Despite the recent recolonization of the study area by wolves, mountain lions caused more elk calf mortality than wolves in summer and winter.” A synthesis of 15 years of wildlife data in Idaho by that state’s Department of Fish and Game “found that wolves accounted for 32 percent of identified mortalities for female elk while mountain lions accounted for 35 percent. That disparity grew when looking at elk calf survival with wolves accounting for 28 percent of known-
PICTURE
A very large tom peers out of a Douglas fir in Northeast Washington. (BRIAN KERTSON, WDFW) fate deaths and lions accounting for 45 percent,” Eli Francovich at the Spokane Spokesman-Review wrote in 2019. And WDFW’s summary of ODFW’s 2002 elk predation and nutrition study states: “The data indicated that predation by cougars limited recruitment of elk calves; the authors predicted that calf recruitment would increase if cougar populations were reduced. However, they suggested that the high predation rates observed may mask nutritional limitations, and predation may be at least partially compensatory, meaning calf recruitment may also be constrained by inability of habitat to meet nutritional requirements of calves prior to winter.” In the Blues, a higher ratio of calves is lost between September and March than in winter, according to Aoude and that June 2020 presentation, pointing the finger in the direction of predation and specifically cougars, given their proclivity 34 Northwest Sportsman
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for ambushing any and all deer-sized prey.
IT’LL BE INTERESTING whether WDFW’s elk calf work over the next year replicates Idaho, Montana and Oregon findings, or turns up something else completely. It is a different landscape with different challenges. While I’m definitely no wildlife biologist, if I had to bet a nickel, I’d put it down on cougars as still the primary predators here and I’d venture a second five-cent piece that predation rates are somewhat above what that 1992-98 WDFW study found, with wolves now taking a solid bite, though, again, not a larger one than lions. I’d also hedge my bets by throwing a dime down on habitat issues causing strong nutritional stress for mama and baby elk, with cougars, wolves and bears subsequently taking advantage of that, depressing herd numbers and productivity and turning the Blues into
something of a nutri-dator pit. “It’s complicated. Everybody wants it to be one thing and it’s never one thing,” said Aoude. “If we see predation is the issue, we can mitigate that, but not for a long period.” That’s because to do so is an expensive proposition, as IDFG’s Mark Hurley and other ungulate researchers have stated. The longterm solution is better habitat for the elk. I don’t hunt the Blues for wapiti, but as a Washington hunter I do appreciate WDFW doing the calf capture-collar project and the literature assessment. Given how incredibly sensitive all things Evergreen State predator have become – witness the ridiculous spring bear and wolf lawsuits, advocates endlessly pressuring the governor on wolves and cougars, a certain commissioner’s recent apparent attempt to derail bear seasons for no good reason – they absolutely must have a solid scientific base should control actions be taken. NS
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Northwest Sportsman 35
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READER PHOTOS “It’s gonna be Thanksgiving dinner around our house for a while, LOL,” reported Jeff Benson after son Jack harvested a pair of long-bearded gobblers and daughter Carly downed two more during Washington’s youth turkey hunting weekend in early April. “Feels so good to get back out in the field chasing strutters,” Benson added, referring to last year’s sixweek hunting and fishing closure. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)
“Unfortunately for Mom, this will be a very expensive taxidermy bill,” boasted Jerry Han after sons Corbin and Austin got their very first turkeys on the family’s first-ever gobbler hunt. Han credited advice and help from others and said that both toms attacked their decoys, allowing the boys to make great shots. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)
Trevin Balodis hoists one of a quartet of spring Chinook he and his family caught at Drano Lake on an early May outing. “Not only was it a great day of catching, it was pretty cool to see fishing legend Buzz Ramsey out on the water too,” said Trevin’s dad Steve. That’s one of the editor’s best Drano memories too! (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
Thanks to the local Lion’s Club, Brooklyn, 5, and Harper, 4, loaded up a stringer with worm-and-PowerBait-biting rainbows at a mill pond in Eatonville, west of Mt. Rainier. “Doesn’t get better than this!” said Brooklyn’s grandpa, Randy Hart Jr., who sent the pic. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
Graham Corcoran reaped the rewards of getting good grades – a trip with his dad onto Offut Lake where he also caught his personal best rainbow, this 21-incher that went 6.5 pounds! He was using a Koka-whirl with red Hyper Vis tape. Mused Kelly Corcoran, who sent the pic, “I wonder if it would work to promise him a replica mount for straight A’s?” Maybe! (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Northwest Sportsman and Coast, respectively, send your full-resolution, original images with all the pertinent details – who’s in the pic; when and where they were; what they caught their fish on/weapon they used to bag the game; and any other details you’d like to reveal (the more, the merrier!) – to awalgamott@media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave S, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for use in our print and Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
Northwest Sportsman 39
READER PHOTOS
If you’ve read Trishana Israel’s stories in these pages detailing her mobility struggles, you’ll know how much this Drano Lake springer means to her. “I was really proud of myself. I fought this beauty all by myself without assistance. I almost fell out of the boat in the process, but that would’ve only made for a fun memory,” she shared. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
Not just youngsters bagging their first toms this spring! Kyle McCullough got his over Washington’s opening weekend. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)
Columbia Basin bank bass boss Maralee Moore got her fishing season off to a great start with a 22-inch smallmouth, caught on a swim jig, then followed it up with another hawg. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST) 40 Northwest Sportsman
JULY 2021 | nwsportsmanmag.com
Rally Wallace lifts a nice springer he caught in the Multnomah Channel in late April. Buddy Jeff Flatt sent the image. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
Northwest Sportsman 41
PHOTO
CONTEST
WINNERS!
Pistol Bullets and Ammunition Zero Bullet Company, Inc. Gary Strassburg is the winner of our monthly Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to this shot of grandson Bradley and his first walleye, caught at Lake Roosevelt. It wins him gear from various tackle manufacturers!
ZER
P.O. Box 1188 Cullman, AL 35056 Tel: 256-739-1606 Fax: 256-739-4683 Toll Free: 800-545-9376 www.zerobullets.com
Les Logsdon is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of he and his western Palouse pheasant limit from last season. It wins him a knife and a 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 | JULY 2021
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MIXED BAG
‘Multiple People’ Suspected Of Raiding Fish Trap
R
eaders of this page will recall April’s Jackass of the Month, the guy who tried to net winter steelhead in a fish trap on an Oregon Coast stream and then shot up a Department of Fish and Wildlife trail cam watching the facility. Turns out he wasn’t the only person allegedly trying to illegally remove fish from the trap on the Coquille River’s Woodward Creek. State officials say that early this year “multiple people” were photographed at the site that collects fish for a local broodstock program. “We would get a call from a volunteer saying there were six or seven fish in a trap. Then when we got there, the trap was empty, or there was only one fish in it,” said Mike Gray, CoosCoquille-Tenmile District fish biologist, in a press release. “We found evidence that the trap had been damaged, so we knew someone was getting in there.” That led officials to put up trail cams and on the very first night, three people were photographed using a net to catch fish out of the trap. ODFW says that steelhead were likely also taken from broodstock boxes stationed at local boat launches for anglers to donate live fish they’d caught. According to ODFW, the theft of spawners occurred during a shortage of returning adults. Biologists had to net the river to try and meet eggtake quotas. A shortfall means possibly fewer fish to catch in a few years. “These are not legal anglers,” said A surveillance camera captured this photo of a person described OSP Fish and Wildlife Division Sergeant as a “potential suspect” going down to a fish trap on Woodward Creek, near Powers, Oregon, in mid-February. (ODFW) Levi Harris. “These are opportunistic people who have no respect for the vulnerability of these fish while they are in the traps.” Anyone with tips is asked to contact OSP via the Turn In Poachers, or TIP, Line at (800) 4527888 or by emailing TIP@osp.oregon.gov. As for that man who was caught, Kaine M. Horner, 24, was charged with criminal mischief II and unlawful take of steelhead, as well as angling in a prohibited area of the South Fork Coquille. The rifle that the former resident of Myrtle Point allegedly shot the trail cam with, his net and fishing gear were all seized.
KUDOS
(OSP)
Douglas County, Oregon, Senior Deputy District Attorney Allison Eichmann was named the state police Fish and Wildlife Division’s 2020 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year last month. “We like to call Allison our DA because she cares about fish and wildlife laws, she has taken the time to understand how to prosecute our unique cases very well, she makes herself available for team meetings and presentations, and has taken a personal interest in valuing our local wildlife community,” stated Senior Trooper Aaron Baimbridge (left) in a press release, summarizing what it takes to earn the recognition. Eichmann was a unanimous choice by an OSP panel that reviewed nominations of a number of fellow prosecutors. Accompanying the honor is framed artwork courtesy of the Oregon Sportsman’s Coalition. “To have one of our own be selected as a recipient of such a statewide honor is tremendous,” said County Commissioner Tim Freeman. “Allison does an exceptional job for the county, and we are proud of all the work she has done and continues to do in the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.”
JACKASS OF THE MONTH
T
here were e n o u g h Jackasses of the Month in the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division’s April newsletter alone to last me the rest of the year, but the modern-day Neanderthal spotted, er, catching and releasing at an Albany-area lake this spring might have been the worst of the bunch, though his only slightly more evolved cousin slashing and keeping wild rainbows at a Bend-area lake wasn’t far behind. Modus operandi for Caveman 1 – we’ll call him Zoggg – was to reel in his catch, keep it out of the water “for up to two minutes” as he used “his foot to pin the fish to the rocky shore to unhook treble hooks that were sometimes located deep into the fish’s mouth,” according to OSP. Then Zoggg would “kick the fish back into the water.” Ahh, yes, C&R circa 56,000 BC. Zoggg was cited for failure to release his catch unharmed, OSP reports. Meanwhile, his cuz Zorki was spotted by a La Pine-based fish and wildlife trooper during a patrol on Crane Prairie Reservoir, where the regulations state that wild rainbows must be released. Zorki was seen “cutting the tail sections off of the trout he was catching,” then he would hide the fish in his vehicle and toss the tail sections in the lake – which turned out to be the fatal flaw in his plan. When the trooper contacted him, Zorki claimed “he always cuts the tail off his trout.” But thanks to the water clarity of the Oregon Cascades impoundment, it became pretty, er, clear why he’d actually been doing so: “it was revealed the trout were non fin-clipped.” Zorki was ticketed for unlawful take of nonfinclipped rainbows. Stone age meet citation age.
nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
Northwest Sportsman 45
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By Andy Walgamott
Buoy 10 Challenge Back On
A
fter a year off due to Covid-19, the 21st Annual Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge returns this summer and registration is now open for the Friday, August 20 event. It’s a fundraiser for the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association’s efforts across the region to preserve and enhance fish populations and angling opportunities and it features tens of thousands of dollars worth of prizes and giveaways – “virtually no one will go home empty handed,” say organizers. With 2 million fall Chinook and coho forecast to flood into the mouth of the Columbia, derby fishing is open from the buoy itself upstream to Rice Island. The awards ceremony and dinner will be held the same evening at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, just outside Astoria. Cost to enter is $110 per person and you can register at nsiafishing.org/buoy10-salmon-challenge. The derby is sponsored by Fisherman’s Marine, Astoria Bait and Tackle, Okuma, Big Rock Sports and Weldcraft/Duckworth Marine Group, among others.
Members of guide Bill Monroe’s crew during 2019’s Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge show off their catch in front of the Astoria-Megler Bridge. (NSIA)
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS* Now through Oct. 31: WDFW 2021 Trout Derby, select lakes across Washington; wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby July 9-11: Northport Chamber of Commerce Annual Fishing Derby, Upper Columbia River; northportwa.us July 17-18: Limit Out Marine Potholes Shootout Team Tournament, Potholes Reservoir; bigbasstrail.com Aug. 13-14: Washington Tuna Classic, Westport; missionoutdoors.org/wtc Aug. 27-28: Oregon Tuna Classic, Garibaldi; oregontunaclassic.org * Covid-19 restrictions were easing as of press time, but always confirm events before attending.
NORTHWEST FISHING DERBY SERIES EVENTS July 21-25: Lake Coeur d’Alene Big One Fishing Derby Aug. 6-8: Brewster Salmon Derby Aug. 7: South King County Puget Sound Anglers Derby
Aug. 14: Gig Harbor Puget Sound Anglers Derby Aug. 21: Salmon For Soldiers Sept. 11: Edmonds Coho Derby Sept. 17-19: Resurrection Derby
Sept. 25-26: Everett Coho Derby * For more information and updates, please go to nwfishingderbyseries.com.
nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
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Salmon anglers fish the central Strait of Juan de Fuca near Crescent Bay last summer. These waters open for hatchery Chinook and fin-clipped coho, as well as pinks, on July 1. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
OUTDOOR
CALENDAR* JULY
1
Leftover big game tags go on sale in Oregon at 10 a.m.; Start of Oregon youth “first time” hunt application period; New Washington fishing regs pamphlet takes effect; Washington Marine Areas 5-7 and 12 south of Ayock Point open for salmon; Steelhead restrictions begin in Washington-side Columbia Gorge thermal refuges; Expected Upper Columbia summer Chinook, sockeye opener 1-3 Oregon Central Coast all-depth halibut opener – info: dfw.state.or.us MRP/finfish/ halibut/management.asp 4 Areas 3-4 Chinook, fin-clipped coho, pink salmon opener 8-13 Series of significant minus tides in Puget Sound 10, 11 ODFW Basic Shotgun Skills workshops ($, register), EE Wilson Wildlife Area – info: myodfw.com/workshops-and-events 14, 15 ODFW Intro To Big Game Hunting workshops ($, register), Sportsman’s Warehouses in Portland and Roseburg – info: see above 15 Deadline to purchase Washington raffle hunt tickets; Steelhead restrictions begin in Oregon-side Columbia Gorge thermal refuges 15-17 Oregon Central Coast all-depth halibut backup weekend (if quota) – info: see above 16 Areas 9-10 hatchery Chinook opener 17 Kokanee Power of Oregon 1st Annual East Lake Banquet, East Lake Resort tent camping area, 2-6 p.m. – info: kokaneepoweroregon.com/banquet-tickets 17, 18 ODFW Basic Shotgun Skills workshops ($, register), EE Wilson WA – info: see above 20-26 Series of significant minus tides on coastal, Puget Sound waters 25 CAST For Kids event at Prineville Reservoir (registration) – info: castforkids.org 31 CAST for Kids event on the Umpqua River at Elkton (registration) – info: see above; ODFW Basic Shotgun Skills ($, register), Portland Gun Club – info: see above
1
AUGUST
Fall bear season begins across Oregon, Washington; Columbia River from Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to Highway 395 bridge in Pasco opens for Chinook and hatchery coho 1, 7, 8 ODFW Basic Shotgun Skills workshops ($, register), Portland Gun Club – info: see above 1-10 Buoy 10 section of Columbia River opens for hatchery Chinook, hatchery coho only 6-9 Series of significant minus tides on coastal, Puget Sound waters 8 CAST for Kids event on Yaquina Bay at Newport (registration) – info: see above 11 Buoy 10 opens for any Chinook, hatchery coho 14 Take a Warrior Fishing event on Lake Washington at Renton (registration) – info: castforkids.org 19-23 Series of significant minus tides on coastal, Puget Sound waters 28 Opening day of bowhunting season for deer and elk in Oregon * Covid-19 restrictions were easing at press time, but always confirm events before attending. nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
Northwest Sportsman 49
FEATURED COMPANY
LINE-X OF GRESHAM
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PDX-area Line-X franchise sprays ‘almost anything’ – boats, ATVs, bumpers PHOTOS BY LINE-X OF GRESHAM
I
n business for nearly two decades now, Line-X of Gresham was opened by Robert Brown and his family in late 2003. “After 14 years in the failing timber industry, it felt like Line-X was a good brand and a good product,” explains Brown. “So we ventured into this and it has been a very good business to own and run.” The Portland-area shop specializes in spray-on truck bedliners, protecting vehicles from rust, corrosion and tear, along with scratches and dings. Not only does Line-X provide great undercarriage and body armor protection, it also protects your vehicle from storms, high winds, debris and even hail damage. “It is one of the most durable coatings out there,” says Brown. “Line-X franchises are held to ‘standards,’ which most other companies are not. If the bedliner is not sprayed to proper standards, it will fail.” While truck bedliners may be the most popular products that Line-X of Gresham offers, “almost anything can be sprayed with Line-X,” says Brown. The tough and nearly indestructible sprayon can be applied to metal, fiberglass, concrete, plastic and wood, so it can be used on boats, trailers, farm equipment and more. Line-X offers ultraviolet ray protection for marine applications and a tough, rugged outer shell for all-terrain vehicles, so no matter where your adventure takes you, you can rest assured that Line-X will handle the job. Customers can even customize the color of the Line-X product for their vehicle or equipment. In addition to the spray-on products, Line-X now offers a line of truck accessories. The Truck Gear by Line-X offerings include bumpers, toolboxes, Jeep parts, step bars and more. All Truck Gear accessories carry the Line-X lifetime warranty.
Line-X may have built its reputation with protective truck bedliners, but Robert Brown and his Gresham, Oregon, franchise also spray boats, trailers, farm equipment and ATVs, and offer a line of accessories that include bumpers, toolboxes and more.
Editor’s note: For more, visit linexusa.com.
nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
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E
F
COLUMN
Four Sure T
he seas were calm for the North Pacific but the wind was starting to kick up from the west. Typical afternoon NW PURSUITS weather for Marine By Jason Brooks Area 4, otherwise known as Neah Bay, though that is just one of the small villages strung along the shoreline of the northwesternmost tip of the Lower 48. Wind is common here and if you are aware of the upcoming weather and have a good sense of fishing in the open ocean, then you know that a westerly can become a big problem when the tide switches to outgoing. Rollers can kick up and wind waves moving against the current soon turn a fun afternoon into a rush to get back to the harbor. Take note of that because just like last year when Covid-19 closed the Makah Reservation, the large and safe harbor found at Neah Bay is still off-limits to nonresidents, so the run back to port will continue to be a long one for North Coast anglers. The hope was that the Makah would reopen their popular boat launch and marina by the end of June, but the tribe announced that both, along with their reservation, will stay closed until at least October 1. This means that if you want to work the fishy waters of Area 4, you’ll need to launch out of Sekiu, some 25 miles to the east in Area 5, and your boat better have a big gas tank and be able to run in some rough conditions.
BUT ANGLERS WHO fish the open Pacific between Washington and Vancouver Island know that they can intercept salmon heading to the Columbia and natal waters even further south as the fish migrate down from the feeding grounds in Southeast Alaska, the Haida Gwaii islands,
Washington’s Marine Area 4, located on either side of Neah Bay in the Pacific and Strait of Juan de Fuca, is a crossroads of sorts for salmon migrating to their home waters and will be a good place to fish for Chinook, coho and pinks this month and next. (JASON BROOKS) nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
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COLUMN Nootka Sound and Vancouver Island. These are big fish that have to travel a long distance to get to their final destination. Then there are the stocks heading back to Puget Sound; they split off at the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and turn to the east and their headwaters. And don’t forget that Fraser River-bound fish are often found on the “outside” of Vancouver Island, as well as the inside passage, and those that prefer the open Pacific must come right by here as well. Neah Bay is essentially the “end of the highway,” a known fish migration route from the north to the south that commercial trollers, trawlers and sport anglers flock to to get into some of the biggest and best runs of salmon anywhere in the Pacific. Chinook are the first fish targeted and this year’s quota of 5,825 compares favorably to last year’s 4,700. The season opened back on June 19 as a Chinook-only fishery, but as of July 4, fishing is open for “any salmon” with the exception of chums beginning August 1. Daily limit is two adults, but wild coho must be released. The coho quota is 5,730 marked fish, more While rich with fish life, the waters off the northwest tip of the Lower 48 demand a safety-first outlook, given the area’s frequent foggy days, strong westerlies, ocean currents and tides, plus shipping traffic. Add in a longer trip to the fishing grounds due to a marina closure and it’s not for everyone. (JASON BROOKS)
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than double the previous season’s 2,340. And since it is an odd-numbered year, pink salmon will also be in the mix, though there will be no “bonus” fishery this season. By the end of July, you will be going through schools of coho either trying to find the hatchery fish or just trying to get your gear down deep enough past them to where Chinook prefer to move and feed. Now you will also have to contend with pinks, and a lot of them – over 2.9 million, to be exact. Coho are expected back in serious numbers out past Tatoosh Island as well, where anglers will be intercepting both Puget Sound- and Columbia River-bound fish.
TO TARGET KINGS, you better be ready to make the run out to Swiftsure, an offshore bank that is split by the U.S.-Canada border. A good sonar, GPS with chart plotter and radar are a must. This area is known for fog and storms, and it is the main channel for large cargo container ships heading into Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, Tacoma and other ports. This is where the radar is a must, as it will let you know if a ship is coming. They will not stop, slow down or get out of your
way and you must yield to them at all times. Coho prefer the “shipping lanes,” as this is deep water where the silvers will be in the top 100 feet as they cruise along to get out of the open ocean. By the end of the month, anglers often switch over to coho simply because there are so many of them that it is almost impossible to get down to the Chinook. Now with pinks arriving, you can target them to keep the action going and get off the water quickly if you need to. Keep in mind that since Sekiu is the closest port, the boat launches here will be busy, as will the marinas and motels. Make reservations now or you might not get a room or a boat slip. Since this is so far away from most major cities, anglers often spend several days here. Expect midweek to be almost as busy as the weekends. Gas for your boat is available and, again, make sure you have a full tank before making the run to the ocean. Area 4 starts at the mouth of the Sekiu River and extends into the open Pacific. The area is subdivided for those who want to target bottomfish such as lingcod, black sea bass or canary rockfish. The limits vary,
COLUMN
This summer’s Chinook and coho quotas are higher than 2020’s, though only hatchery silvers may be retained. There will also be a plethora of pinks, though no bonus limit. (JASON BROOKS) as do depth restrictions. Once you re-enter Area 5 the limits change again, so if you plan on fishing in Area 4 it is best that you don’t stop to fish in Area 5. You don’t want to be caught fishing waters with a different daily limit and have to explain why the fish box is full from Area 4.
AS FOR HOW to fish for salmon, those who want to target Chinook often troll large spoons or Tomic-style plugs, which are trolled at a fast speed. Bait is great but you will burn through a lot of it trying to get to the Chinook and it can be frustrating to be constantly checking baits that get bit on the way down on the downrigger. If you plan on targeting just any salmon that is willing to bite, then smaller spoons such as Koho Killers in the herring aide color or 3-inch Coyote spoons in the 58 Northwest Sportsman
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mackerel or pearl finish will get bit by both Chinook and coho. Don’t be surprised if you get a pink or two on them as well.
CHECK THE WEATHER daily and even hourly. The first time I ever fished out of Sekiu it was a beautiful summer day – flat calm and the morning had an outgoing tide. I remember this because we watched a drift boat launch and two guys row out into the channel. The tide took them west and several hours later, while we sat in the small café near the boat launch chomping down cheeseburgers, we watched that drift boat go by on a trailer, looked at our watches and it turned out that they had used the incoming to push them back to the boat launch. Seemed risky to me, and it was. Halibut fishing out on Area 4 a few years ago, we were in large rollers on the
outgoing with the wind pushing in from the west, creating “wind waves” on top of the large swells. It was not fun and we burned through a lot of fuel to get to the fishing grounds. Don’t let Sekiu fool you as you leave port and head west. Once you get to the open ocean, it can turn quickly. It seems like boats capsize out here every few years, as it can be very deceiving. Clallam Bay, home to Sekiu, is known for its calm waters, but it’s not Swiftsure by a long shot, and the ocean can be rough out there. Still, this month and for the rest of summer, a lot of salmon will converge on the northwest tip of Washington as they decide whether to head south or east. This is where you want to be in July, ready to catch Chinook, coho and pinks as they merge on the salmon highway. NS
FISHING
Salmon anglers line up with their catch back at the docks in Garibaldi, at the mouth of Oregon’s Tillamook Bay. This summer’s quotas include 42,400 coho for the waters from nearby Cape Falcon north to Ilwaco, 120,000 for the rest of the Oregon Coast, and 20,440 off Westport. (GARIBALDI CHARTERS)
‘I’m Really Excited About This Year’
With a forecasted 1.732 million coho swimming off the Northwest Coast this summer, not to mention a lot of Chinook too, three charter skippers share tips and tactics. By MD Johnson
F
irst things first. I want to go across the Columbia River Bar and out into the ocean. I want to troll offshore, but within sight of the Long Beach Peninsula. I’d like that different perspective; rather ocean-
to-beach instead of my usual beachto-ocean view. And a mola mola. And ocean sunfish. I’d really like to see one of those while I motor around drinking Gatorade and hooking into coho after coho after coho after… But, alas. Apparently, I have ED. No, not what you’re thinking. This is an equilibrium deficiency. That is,
the moment I cross the bar – OK, the truth: on the way out to cross the bar – my ears and eyes convince my stomach to do a 180-degree flip, and I stay that way until 1) I throw up, and 2) we get back into the river. Just the way it is, I reckon. So, and with that brutal admission behind us, I live vicariously through nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
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FISHING
Guide Bill Monroe nets an angler’s coho off the mouth of the Columbia, the river where most Northwest silvers are returning to this summer. (BUZZ RAMSEY)
those who don’t immediately lose their lunch upon boating onto the briny blue. And this year, according to the Washington and Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife, those stories are going to be as many as there are stars in the sky. Per WDFW in late February: “Coho runs offer some optimism: nearly 1.6 million early and late Columbia River coho are projected to be available for this year’s ocean and Columbia River fisheries, which would represent a marked increase from last year’s return of approximately 363,000 fish.” Should be a banger of a season, if things don’t go sideways and Mother Nature or any number of variables don’t change and – well – fiddle things up. It looks good, and folks are understandably excited about getting started, especially charter service owners and captains. After the mess that was 2020, it’s no wonder these folks are chomping at the proverbial bit to get out and start trolling. Or
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Northwest Sportsman 63
FISHING mooching. Or jigging. Or whatever method works best for them. This month, Northwest Sportsman had an opportunity to catch – ha! – three of the coast’s best-known and experienced charter boat operators in between the end of sturgeon season and midJune’s ocean salmon kick-off, and get their thoughts on what to expect once the silver(s) starts rolling in.
The Captain Randy Ratliff The Marina Westport The Biz Rampage/Westport Sportfishing
Experience Operating out of Westport for 16 years Contact westportsportfishing.com; (360) 268-1080
Northwest Sportsman Looking at a good year, Captain? Randy Ratliff You know, the early signs are good. It’s encouraging. The trollers have been having decent
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numbers. There seems to be a lot of feed in the ocean. The (water) temperatures seem to be in a good place. For early Randy Ratliff prior to starting our season, it’s encouraging.
NWS Tried and true tactics, Captain?
areas at certain times of the year. All of the above.
NWS First time out on the ocean. Your best advice for this new-to-blue angler? Ratliff Be prepared for any kind of weather because it changes frequently.
NWS Seasickness. What do you tell people?
What do you plan on doing out there? Ratliff Like any fishery, you have to adapt. We have all the tools at our disposal. I mooch. I troll. It depends on what the fish are doing. I’ll use lures. I’ll use herring. Depends on what’s working. We adapt accordingly.
Ratliff When they first call me, I
NWS It’s a big place, this Pacific Ocean.
NWS When should folks plan to book with you, Captain? Ratliff July. I’m not even going to start fishing until I can keep two fish. Incidentals in keeping with the laws of the fishery are always a bonus.
How do you find ’em to start with? Ratliff After a while, you start reading the ocean. Where’s the bait? Where’s the life? [Ratliff chuckles.] Where are the reports coming from? Typical
usually will ask how they do in a car or an airplane. Have they had any experience on the water at all? Do car rides affect them? There are a lot of OTC medications available, and I tell people it’s better to be safe than sorry.
FISHING
Participants in a derby, including frequent photo contributor Kelly Corcoran (with sunglasses, seventh from right), show off their catch. The Westport Charterboat Association is once again holding their weekly and season-long derbies with prizes for hefty coho and Chinook. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
The Captain Butch Smith The Marina Ilwaco The Biz Coho Charters Experience Family-owned and operated since 1956 Contact cohocharters.com; (360) 6423333 NWS You looking at a good ocean fishery, Captain? Smith I do. I think the reports and the (coho) run are going to come to fruition this year. The way I look at it, even if they’re (WDFW) off Butch Smith 200,000 fish, that’s still over a million coho swimming around out there. When we’ve been going out, we’ve been seeing some good signs. We’ve been seeing some fish in the rips as we’re heading out to the halibut grounds. I think this is going to be the real McCoy this year.
NWS Do you start with kings, Captain, and then make the switch to silvers?
Smith We will this year because of the 66 Northwest Sportsman
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king-only season (to start). But when our general season opens (June 27), we target both. We catch what’s biting. No specific targets after the Chinookonly season. And I think this year, if the prediction is right, you’re not going to have a choice because you’re not going to get through the silvers to get one of those old slow kings to catch up to the bait. There’ll be 10 or 15 coho chasing your one anchovy, I’m thinking. I’m really excited about this year.
They fish what has worked for them for many years, and they’re more than happy to pass that experience along to make sure they’re successful. The whole thing is to be a good listener.
NWS It’s tough to say, Captain, but
NWS First-timer advice, Captain? Smith Be a good listener. The deckhands
what about Covid as it relates to charter fishing trips this summer? Smith It’s changing almost daily, but right now, we’re telling our customers to bring masks. We like to have you wear them if you’re in the cabins, but if you’re out by your rod – we have plenty of space aboard and ample space for social distancing – and you want a pop or a sandwich or just want a breath of sea air, you pull your mask down for a bit and enjoy yourself. It’s certainly not as regimented as it was last year at this time. That’s the good news. Hopefully we’ll be progressing to no masks at all in July some time.
and the skippers will all try to make sure you have a great trip, and catch a fish or two or three and have a good time. But listen to what they have to say. Every captain fishes a little bit differently.
The Captain Tamara Mautner The Marina Garibaldi The Biz Garibaldi Charters Experience Mautner and her husband
NWS Tactics, Captain? What will you be running?
Smith We’ll be running EZ Tackle Delta Divers in front of a 36- to 42inch mooching rig with a nice fresh anchovy. That’s the go-to that’s worked for a lot of years.
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FISHING have owned the business for the past eight years; her folks owned it for 13. Mautner served as a deckhand, both for her father and for the owner prior to her folks Contact garibaldicharters.com; (503) 322-0007
NWS Are you looking for a good ocean coho year, Captain? Mautner We are; at least we’re hoping for a good year. There have been years where the runs were supposed to be good, and as Tamara Mautner much as I’d love to say we did awesome down here, it wasn’t quite as good as we’d hoped. On those years, we did see really good returns up the Columbia but as far as catching ’em in the ocean out front here, you had to find the bait. And if you didn’t find the bait, you didn’t
find the fish. That being said, we are seeing a lot of bait in the water, and we’re hoping for a really good year this year. I haven’t seen any incidental catches yet, but it’s (June 8) still really early. We’re excited.
NWS Tactics, Captain? Is it a mix of things? Improvise and adjust? Mautner Historically, we’ve always just trolled. Mostly topwater gear; some downriggers to see if you can get any feeder Chinook out there. It’s a little more improvisation lately, though, because you do have to find the bait, so there’s been a lot more “drop it in and run looking for birds.” Troll around. Maybe do some mooching. My captain who’s going to be running most of the salmon trips this year said he’s planning on doing some mooching to see if he can pick some up over the reefs where we’ve been seeing incidental catches when we’ve been bottomfishing.
NWS Mooching in the open water, Captain? Mautner Over the last few years, we’ve been seeing more coho in closer over the reefs where we wouldn’t necessarily troll for them. We’ve been bottomfishing and picking salmon up as incidental catches. So, my captain this year said he’s going to (purposely) give mooching a try. We’ll do as your other captain said; we’ll improvise and adjust. Whatever seems to be working, that’s what we’ll be doing. NWS Word of advice for those new to the ocean? Mautner [Laughs.] Keep your tip up and keep reeling. That’s the number one salmon fishing rule. Don’t stop reeling, even if it feels like they’ve gotten off. They’re probably swimming toward the boat. And don’t point your pole down at the fish. Keep your pole pointed right up in the air, so you have a lot of room to play. NS
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COLUMN Buoy 10 and the salmon fishery at the mouth of the Columbia doesn’t open until next month, but you should have your calendar and tide books out to identify the primo days for trolling these waters for Chinook and coho. (BRIAN LULL)
Buoy 10 Tides And Strategies A
re you, y o u r friends and boat ready to greet the more than 570,000 Chinook and 1.6 million BUZZ coho predicted to RAMSEY enter the Columbia River over the next two months? Like previous years, only one of your two-salmon limit can be a Chinook. However, there is some exciting news: this year’s Buoy 10 Chinook season is scheduled to begin August 1 and extend through Labor Day, September 6. That’s the longest Buoy 10 Chinook season in awhile and good news for those wanting to feel the fight of a really big
salmon. The one restriction is that for the first 10 days of August, only Chinook with a missing adipose fin can be kept. While ocean-fresh kings are what draws most anglers to Buoy 10, this year’s coho return is impressive with 1,590,000 expected to enter the Columbia on their way to the hatchery or the natural habitat that produced them. What’s interesting is that over a million of the coho forecasted to return are of the early-returning stock. Their abundance during the August time frame will likely change the dynamics of the fishery, in that many anglers will want to punch that second fish rather than head back to the dock after everyone on board has obtained their one-Chinook limit. Although this article is about planning your August trips around the best times
and tides, keep in mind that the coho limit will go to three hatchery fin-clippers daily beginning September 7.
AS I’VE WRITTEN before, when it comes to catching salmon, planning a fishing vacation or the best time of day to fish, it’s all about the tides at Buoy 10. Every year, well in advance of the fishery, I write the time of each daytime high and low tide on my month-at-a-glance calendar. For the 16-mile section extending from Buoy 10 to Tongue Point, the basic concept of where salmon can be found is pretty simple: Fish wanting to enter the river each day collect at the mouth when the tide is outgoing (ebbing) and simply allow the flooding/incoming water to transport them upstream into the estuary.
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COLUMN
The tides listed on author Buzz Ramsey’s calendar are for the Astoria Port Docks. Times will vary by a half hour or more depending on location within the 16-mile-long, up-to-4-mile-wide Buoy 10 management zone. (BUZZ RAMSEY) How far each wave of salmon floods into the river depends on how big the tide is. Intercepting this pulse of fish should be the centerpiece of your Buoy 10 strategy. Ocean tides change direction four times daily, with each 24-hour time frame having two high and two low water exchanges. These fluctuations are never the same from year to year. What some might refer to as a wild card is that the nighttime tide can be bigger than the daytime one and therefore
push more fish into and perhaps through the estuary during the cover of darkness.
AUGUST 1 TO 12 During the first 12 days of August the tides will be building each and every day, with the amount of exchange at the beginning of the month equating to roughly 4 feet of movement and increasing daily to over 8 feet of exchange by August 12. These building tides will likely result in
the best fishing occurring in the middle estuary, between Ilwaco, Hammond and the western tip of Desdemona Sands for the first few days of the fishery. However, the number of salmon holding at or above the Astoria-Megler Bridge will likely increase as the daily tides continue to build. And while the amount of exchange could make for all-day success during the first few days of the month, the best bite will likely occur during the middle of the day as we near August 12, since the daytime high tide will go from morning to afternoon. Those high afternoon tides can offer success near or above the bridge, but strong winds, if they occur, can make for tough trolling and/or a rough ride back to port. One strategy, given that the bridge blocks a lot of west wind, at least in the North Channel, is to launch at the East Mooring Basin or John Day ramp. Although difficult to predict as of this writing, given the current trajectory of tributary flows, water temperatures in the Columbia this summer could approach those of 2015. What happened six years ago was that river temperatures spiked to the point of being lethal for anadromous fish stocks. This resulted in much of the summer Chinook run stalling in the estuary. Although terrible for future generations of
SAFETY FIRST!
W
hile the weather and water can be calm and easily navigated at Buoy 10, be aware that fog, rough water, fast-moving tides, wind and ship traffic can up the odds of a mishap. For example, sea-going freighters move quicker than you might think and have the absolute right-of-way, so keep your eyes peeled and move out of the shipping channel well in advance of their arrival. My fish finder includes GPS mapping that displays my exact location on a builtin diagram of the area. It’s great for knowing my location at all times, especially if and when the fog rolls in. Of course I have waypoints of all my favorite fishing spots and boat ramps marked on the unit too. In addition, just to be safe, I carry a compass and portable GPS unit as a backup. After all, electronic devices can and do fail and the last thing I want is to be caught in a thick fog and not know my location.
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Passengers aboard a boat at Buoy 10 splash through a wave. There are myriad dangers at this popular fishery, including freighter traffic, strong currents and winds, fog and more. (AUSTINSNORTHWESTADVENTURES.COM) Keep in mind that although much of the water is deep enough to easily navigate, there are areas where mostly underwater sandbars can spoil your day. And while Desdemona Sands can be crossed depending on the stage of the tide and how much water your boat drafts, you will need to know where it is safe to do so in advance of just trying your luck. What many boaters do when wanting to head to the North Channel is to navigate around
the western tip of Desdemona Sands rather than try a crossing. The western tip is marked by a three-pillar piling with a black and white checkerboard on top. Most guides and anglers, including me, insist that everyone on board wear an inflatable life jacket while navigating Buoy 10. As you might know, these inflatable jackets are comfortable to wear, even with a salmon on the end of your line, and can be quickly inflated should a mishap occur. –BR
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COLUMN salmon, this concentration of big, fat, hardfighting summer Chinook produced an unexpected bonus for anglers trolling the waters near or above the Astoria-Megler Bridge during the first week of August. Although regulations could change, as of this writing no adult summer Chinook can be kept during the late-July time frame.
AUGUST 13 TO 22 We start off this time period with a get-outthere-early 5 a.m. high tide on the 13th. The tide advances an hour or so each day until switching to afternoon highs on the 20th of the month. From the 13th to 17th, the tides will favor those willing to hit the water early. If you are interested in making a successful day trip to Buoy 10, the midday
high tides that occur from the 18th through 22nd are for you. The advantage of day trips is you can confirm a lastminute go based on how and where the good fishing is at the time. The scenario for a productive day trip is to be on the water near the bridge three hours before high tide and troll with the flooding water, then reverse your trolling direction during the first half of the outgoing tide. The only thing that could muddle this strategy is if too strong of an afternoon wind blows, so check the weather/wind forecast.
AUGUST 23 TO 27 Although the number of fish migrating through Buoy 10 will likely be increasing daily by this late in the month, the hot
fishing may be somewhat elusive for those unwilling to reverse their day, as the tide will be outgoing all morning long – not the most productive time of day to fish. You can take advantage of the afternoon flood by sleeping in and focusing your fishing efforts before and after the p.m. flood.
AUGUST 28 TO SEPTEMBER 6 It’s not until the 28th that the morning high tide happens during legal fishing hours again. And while an early start will be important during the first half of this time period, it won’t be as important over the Labor Day weekend, as the high tide won’t occur until around noon on Friday, September 3. Since the run will likely be
Although herring or anchovy rigged in combination with a Fish Flash remain the most popular setup for salmon success at Buoy 10, spinners can be effective, especially in the upper estuary, where water temperatures can spoil a bait bite. Rotating flashers, like a Pro-Troll, are used by some but mostly when the tides are soft, as big tide swings and the strong underwater currents that accompany them can make it difficult to maintain the right trolling speed. Brightcolored flashers and baits, like pink, can increase your odds of success if and when targeting coho. (BUZZ RAMSEY)
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COLUMN peaking during this time frame, quick limits of Chinook and coho should be had by most.
NOW LET’S TURN to some additional thoughts and tips. One strategy that has become popular is to hold your boat into the incoming water and allow the flooding tide to push fish into your gear as you hold steady into the current – it’s back-trolling but with the bow of your boat facing westward. This has been a popular strategy during years when
coho are abundant near the western/ Buoy 10 navigation marker boundary and especially during big tide exchanges. If you try this, you should plan to be at or near the western boundary a few hours after low tide when the water calms due to the influence of the flooding ocean water. What you also need to know is that it works in other areas too, like off Baker Bay and near and above the AstoriaMegler Bridge. Keep in mind, this method is the most productive during large tide exchanges.
Guide Bill Monroe Jr. and Ron Powell show off a chrome king caught during 2019’s fishery. Whereas 2020’s season didn’t open until mid-August, this year’s begins on the first day of the month, though only finclipped Chinook can be kept through the 10th. (BUZZ RAMSEY) 78 Northwest Sportsman
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A tide book, or better yet a smartphone app (Ebb Tide is a reliable phone app), can provide you with the timing of the daily tide swings at various locations and tell you the amount of water being exchanged with each in-and-out tidal movement. This is important because a big tide will push more fish further into the estuary, in which case you will need to move upriver with the school, while a low exchange will cause fish to accumulate in the midestuary, near Hammond or the lower end of Desdemona Sands. The sands separate the dredged shipping channel from the north, or false, channel, sometimes referred to as Blind Channel. Although much of the sandbar is submerged, even at low tide, the western tip of Desdemona Sands is located 2 miles west of Hammond and extends eastward all the way to Rice Island. The North Channel, although ultimately a false one, maintains good depth over 3 miles above the bridge and can offer success equal to the south, which is a well-maintained shipping channel. What many anglers do when trolling the North Channel is to parallel Desdemona Sands in 20 to 30 feet of water and make their upriver troll well past the bridge as the flood tide is nearing its peak. Once the tide changes direction and begins to ebb, they turn their boats around and troll westward. In the south channel, since it is mostly deep water, anglers will let their lines out 20 to 30 feet on their linecounter reels, as many salmon will suspend at middepth over deep water. This works when trolling over deep water in the North Channel and other deep water areas too. As mentioned earlier, given a decent exchange of water, your trolling strategy in the mid- and upper estuary should be to troll upstream (the same direction as the flooding water) during the latter half of the flood and switch directions, going westward, when the tide begins to ebb. What most anglers do is to make milelong tacks before picking up their gear and running back to make another pass. NS Editor’s note: Buzz Ramsey is regarded as a sport fishing authority, outdoor writer and proficient lure and fishing rod designer.
FISHING
Don’t Eschew Chelan Falls For Chinook The waters on the way up to the famed Brewster Pool are also fishy in July.
By Mark Yuasa
W
e all seek to fulfill ultimate goals, and the revered salmon fishing grounds of the Upper Columbia River at Chelan Falls should be on the summer mustdo list. Nestled behind the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, the Upper Columbia’s natural beauty is diverse with nearby rugged, forested peaks, vast fruit orchards and arid, desertlike scablands. Yes, the landscape is a sight to see, but it’s the highly anticipated arrival of summer kings that’ll turn anglers into a tizzy when the river opens July 1. “The king fishing can be amazing around Chelan Falls as they begin to stack up in early July,” said Aaron Peterson, owner of Peterson’s Northwest Guide Service (petersonsnorthwest.com, 425-2202928). “The second and third week in July is the best period, but you can catch them into early August.” What makes the fishery click is that around a decade ago the Chelan Falls Hatchery ramped up Chinook production to help rebuild the region’s salmon runs. These Chinook migrate to net pens (completed shortly after 2010) at the outfall to a powerhouse plant where intake pipes stretching up to
Early morning is the best time to work the Chelan Falls stretch of the Upper Columbia. Tegan Yuasa caught this one before the sun had risen over North-central Washington last July. (MARK YUASA)
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FISHING Lake Chelan gush cold water down the gorge and into the Columbia’s warmer water. It is here where salmon hold in the calm, cooler water before migrating to the net pens or further upstream. The fishery – located about 4 miles from the touristy town of Chelan – has garnered more attention, although many still beeline up US Route 97 to the famed Brewster Pool not realizing they’re driving past prime opportunities. Like others, I’ve zipped by without taking notice, and it wasn’t until last July that my son Tegan and I joined Peterson to experience this remarkable fishery.
IN EARLY MORNING darkness, we met Peterson at the Chelan County Public Utility District’s Beebe Bridge Park boat launch (about 34 miles north of Wenatchee). Both Beebe plus another launch site across the river at Chelan Falls Park have excellent camping and/or RV sites, day-use facilities,
picnic shelters and other amenities. This is a daybreak bite, so being on the water by 4:30 a.m. is the program. Once the bright sun hits the shallow water, the bite tends to wane even though you can catch fish periodically all day long. You’ll even find a good chew for a few hours right before sunset. After a short three-minute boat ride – just above Chelan Falls Park – we saddled alongside 50-plus boats trolling in a tight, shallow-water area at depths of 25 to 35 feet. Peterson’s fish-finder was lit up with kings under the boat as other fish rolled and jumped on the surface. Our rods were set up with an 8or 12-ounce sliding cannonball drop sinker to a chain swivel attached to a Pro-Troll ProChip Flasher. On a tandem-hook leader (18 to 24 inches long) was a 3.5 Spinner or Brad’s Super Bait Original stuffed with NW Bait & Scent in a mashedup canned tuna concoction. Others opt for a whole or cut-plug herring
soaked in a colored store-bought brine or an artificial version like a Brad’s Mini Cut-Plug. You can deploy downriggers, but they’re cumbersome since milfoil can grab wires and foul up gear, lure and bait. Remember, these kings aren’t here to dine on a salad. The Upper Columbia has a rather liberal six-salmon daily limit (up to two may be an adult hatchery Chinook or two sockeye or one of each); release coho and wild adult Chinook.
ONCE OUR LINES were in the water, we trolled in a zigzag pattern parallel to Chelan Falls Road near Powerhouse Park up to the Chelan Falls Boathouse. At the top we turned and trolled downriver to Chelan Falls Park. After about 20 minutes and on a slight zig of the zag above the park, the rear fishing rod jerked hard into the water. “Fish on,” Peterson called out as Tegan grabbed the rod as line peeled off the reel. The king went
Salmon anglers troll off the mouth of the Chelan River where it enters the Columbia below the Beebe Bridge. (MARK YUASA) 82 Northwest Sportsman
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FISHING in all directions, jumped a few times and then sulked beneath the boat before Peterson was able to net the 15-pound hatchery Chinook. We moved back into the trolling path, and quickly the port-side rod buckled over. After a brief tussle, I landed a mint-bright 13-pound hatchery Chinook. As the sun crept over the eastern horizon, the morning bite faded and Peterson headed toward Beebe Bridge to begin a downstream troll in deeper water. During a lull in the action, my eyes wandered to the steep cliffs and shrub-steppe carpeted with wildflowers and sagebrush. The sun rose over the eastern horizon, reflecting on the layered basalt from ancient volcanic flows glowing a reddish-orange Mars-like hue. Nearby, bighorn sheep and deer strolled the river’s edge and golden eagles could be seen soaring above.
“When it’s slow I’ll do a downhill troll by tricking these fish to bite instinctively,” said Peterson, jolting me out of my trance. “The water levels (up as high as 6 or 7 feet the day we fished) and flow affect how the fish bite.” In a final attempt, Peterson made a Hail Mary decision to troll further below Chelan Falls Park, where a 14-pound hatchery king inhaled our Super Bait at mid-depth. Happy with our three-fish day, we motored to Beebe Bridge Park by 10 a.m. Not bad for half a day’s work, and the roughly three-hour drive over Blewett Pass (4,124-foot elevation) and Snoqualmie Pass (3,015-foot) got us back to Seattle in time for a late afternoon lunch and power nap!
THIS YEAR MANAGERS are predicting decent back-to-back returns of Upper Columbia summer Chinook. If the 77,600 forecast comes to fruition, it would rank as the seventh
highest run since 1980, and 109 percent of the average return observed over the past decade. A good chunk is large-size Chinook, better known as June hogs, comprised of 36,900 fouryear-old, 39,900 five-year-old and 800 six-year-old fish. “Since the summer Chinook preseason forecast is very robust, we were able to establish season dates,” said Chad Jackson, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regional Fish Program manager in Ephrata. “We’ll monitor the returns so we know what we’re playing with, but it would take a draconian crash for us to make any in-season measures,” Jackson said. “Even if that happens, we’ll likely be able to maintain bubble areas like Chelan Falls and meet broodstock goals.” The 2020 return was the 12th largest since 1980, totaling 65,494 compared to the 38,300-fish preseason forecast.
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FISHING
This year’s sockeye forecast isn’t as large as last year’s actual return, but they are notoriously hard to predict and some of the best fishing for these delicious salmon will likely occur in the Brewster Pool. (MARK YUASA)
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The 2020 return was 91 percent of the 71,995 recent 10-year average (2010 to 2019); 96 percent of the average observed since 2001; and nearly four times the 1980-2000 average of 17,425. In 1980 to 2000, returns were at low levels yet remained fairly stable, ranging from 9,400 to 22,700. Improved ocean conditions and substantial changes in the hydrosystem enhanced downriver passage, significantly increasing the 2001 return to 53,000. During 2002 to 2017, the run averaged 72,900 fish, ranging from a low of 37,000 in 2007 to a high of 126,900 in 2015. Summer Chinook migrating above Priest Rapids Dam aren’t listed under the Endangered Species Act. “There will be lots of fish around to catch if the run comes in as expected and anglers should have a good time,” Jackson said. “The fishery has its ups and downs as waves of fish return, and the willing biters tend to get picked off right away.”
FISHING You can track fish migration to the Upper Columbia via fpc.org.
CHELAN FALLS ISN’T the only showstopper, as about 18 miles upstream is the Brewster Pool where you’ll find sockeye and Chinook in late summer. Last August, we fished the Brewster Pool with Austin Moser, owner of Austin’s Northwest Adventures (austinsnorthwestadventures.com, 509-255-3195), and scored fast limits on sockeye and released a large unmarked king. “The water temperature (as it warms up) creates a thermal barrier at the Okanogan River mouth,” Moser said. “Those fish will stack up and not go anywhere.” The 2021 forecast is 154,900 sockeye (127,300 to the Okanogan) compared to a 2020 actual return of 345,018 (273,667 was predicted), and hopes are high the run will once again wax expectations.
“The preseason sockeye forecast is big enough to have a limited harvest,” Jackson said. “The bulk of a 7,000-sockeye quota is for the Upper Columbia, and if we hit the quota or the run is downgraded, then we may have to shut it down. We’ll adjust accordingly, but at the moment we’re not expecting an abundance like we saw last year.” The 2021 Columbia sockeye forecast is 50 percent of the 201120 total average return of 312,234. The Okanogan-origin component is approximately 49 percent of the recent 10-year average (257,179). Also note that after a one-year hiatus due to Covid-19, the Brewster King Salmon Derby (brewstersalmonderby .com) is back August 5-8. The region’s other sockeye fishery, Lake Wenatchee, is forecasted to see 27,300 (56,111 in 2020). That’s more than the 23,000-escapement goal, although less than the 53,835-
fish 10-year average. Watch the Tumwater Dam fish count to see if an August fishery is viable. Another location to try for summer Chinook and sockeye is Wells Dam, between Chelan Falls and the Brewster Pool, but use caution as releases create turbulent waters and levels can rise and drop quickly. Most fish the west side near the outlet and intake for a hatchery. Bank anglers fish the Chelan County, or west, side. Other early-season spots on the Upper Columbia include the Crab Creek mouth near Schwana; above Priest Rapids and Rocky Reach Dams; below Wanapum Dam at the Toilet Bowl; and the mainstem of the Big C around Wenatchee. In the weeks ahead, I’ll keep tabs on fish counts as I plan getaways to this “little piece of heaven on Earth” where salmon make the marathon 500-plus-mile journey from the entrance to the Pacific Ocean! NS
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FISHING
Teach Kids To Catch Kokanee Plentiful, found in many Northwest lakes, easy to catch, good fighters, super table fare – kokes are great for young anglers to learn about fishing. By Tom Schnell
W
ith the advent of video games and social media, many of today’s youth are missing out on the joys of spending time outdoors. In days gone by, parents and grandparents were often seen taking out the next generation, teaching them the skills that video games and Facebook cannot replace. Don’t get me wrong, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube can be great places to pick up skills and new techniques, but there is something about spending time together enjoying the sport of fishing that these mediums cannot replace. The sights, the sounds, the smell, the fish slime. OK, some might argue about the fish slime, but a video game will never replace the thrill of getting a rod slammed by a fish, nor the pounding of your heart as you fight a fish, which is in a life and death fight itself trying to keep from becoming dinner. Then there is the broken heart of having a fish right up to the boat only to watch it break free and swim back into the abyss. Catching your own fish, learning how to release them correctly to live another day, and knowing how to clean and cook them are life lessons not learned sitting behind a video screen. These
Have a koke and a smile! Author Tom Schnell’s daughter shows off a nice limit of kokanee she caught with her dad. Patience is needed while teaching a youth how to become a successful angler. (TOM SCHNELL) nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
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FISHING are lessons, though, that can be passed down from one generation to another. One fish in particular comes to mind for teaching young anglers how to fish: kokanee. Kokanee are freshwater, or landlocked, sockeye salmon. They are plentiful and can be found in many lakes throughout the Northwest. They are easy to catch, put up a good fight and are some of the best table fare out there. One can start fishing for them with minimal gear.
TERMINAL SETUPS One does not need to spend a lot on
tackle for kokanee, although since it is an addiction, most will end up spending more than they probably need to. I recently saw a post that read, “Teach your kids to fish and they’ll never have enough money to buy drugs.” There may be some truth to that. Kokanee fishing in particular can be very addictive. It can also be a habit that is enjoyed with the whole family and can bring years of joyful memories. Rods and reels for kokanee fishing do not need to be expensive to get started. Decide if you want to teach kids how to jig or how to troll. Both A young angler proudly shows off her first place finish at a recent Kokanee Power of Oregon fishing derby. KPO has a special emphasis on encouraging youth to take up the sport. Great job showing the boys how it’s done! (TOM SCHNELL)
have their advantages and require different gear. An inexpensive rod like an ultralight Ugly Stik or an Eagle Claw Kokanee yellow rod won’t break the bank. There are many inexpensive reels on the market that are good to start out with too. When we first got started trolling for kokanee, all we had were some 7-foot ultralight Ugly Stik casting rods matched with Abu Garcia Silver Max reels. Nothing fancy, but they got the job done until we upgraded later. The nice thing about an inexpensive setup is that if it gets broken or somehow falls overboard, you are not out a lot of money. Spend some time at home before the big trip teaching them how to use their rod and reel. Help them learn how to cast and proper reel techniques. A little time getting a young angler acquainted with their gear will pay dividends out on the water.
LURES
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
B
efore you think that the next generations are lost and all is doom and gloom, there is actually good news and a bright future for our children and grandchildren. There are many programs that have been and are being developed to pass the heritage of fishing down to the next generation of anglers. Having been involved in some of them, I can attest that we are in good hands. If you are not sure where to start, either to learn how to fish or to teach a youth how to fish for kokanee, check with your state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife/Game. Many offer youth mentorship and angler education programs and are actively seeking volunteers and youth to join. ODFW has put together an article on how to fish for kokanee for beginners and it is worth checking out at myodfw.com/articles/kokanee-fishing-oregon. Sportsmen’s shows are also a good venue for various fishing seminars, some specifically on kokanee. Most kokanee addicts, as kokanee fishermen/women often refer to themselves, are more than happy to share their knowledge, especially when a young angler is involved. Organizations such as Kokanee Power of Oregon (kokaneepoweroregon.com) also have derbies and mentorship programs that they have developed just for young anglers. –TS
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One part about kokanee fishing that can be really fun for youth is having them make their own lures. The best part is that the fish hit pretty much anything. Young anglers can make up some pretty ugly stuff by most standards, and the kokanee will still devour it. They do not need to be master fly-tiers to enjoy making their own gear. And then to watch them catch a kokanee on it, the joy of their expression will be priceless. There are many books, YouTube videos and even Pinterest articles that can help you decide what to make and how to make it. A little research on Google or a kokanee-focused Facebook page will provide a plethora of information on this topic. Northwest Sportsman has published many articles on kokanee fishing. Going through some of the older articles will yield some excellent resources on what to fish for kokanee.
EQUIPMENT One downside to taking someone kokanee fishing used to be the need for a boat that is specifically outfitted for
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FISHING Seeing the smile on a young angler’s face as they net a kokanee makes it all worth the time, energy and effort put into teaching them how to fish. (TOM SCHNELL)
the species, complete with electronics and gear like downriggers. But boats don’t need to be elaborate. Growing up, my best friend’s dad taught me how to kokanee fish, and he had an old 12-foot aluminum Gregor fishing boat with a 5-horsepower motor and a basic sonar depth finder. Nothing fancy, but boy did we ever catch the kokanee! With the advent of kayak fishing, many people are now using this watercraft to target kokanee. Taking a young angler out on a kayak trip while fishing can be very enjoyable. It provides good exercise and can actually be more fun sometimes than sitting in a boat slowly trolling around waiting for a strike. Kayaks can also be a lot less expensive to purchase and maintain compared to a power boat. Many places also rent kayaks. It may be worth renting a couple of kayaks for the day to see how you and your young angler like them. By renting one first, you can also decide what features you like and do not like about them. An important safety item to have on any watercraft is a personal 96 Northwest Sportsman
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floatation device. Make sure everyone is wearing them! A PFD sitting on a boat or kayak seat is worthless in the event of an accident. Get one that fits and is comfortable. Teach your young angler why wearing one is for their own personal safety and protection.
GUIDED TRIPS If you are still not sure you want to invest a lot of money into kokanee fishing, hire a guide for the day and have them take you and your young angler out fishing. Most kokanee fishing guides are more than happy to take young children out, as long as one of their parents or a guardian adult goes with them. This may be a way to see if they really get hooked on fishing before spending a lot of time, energy and money on the sport, only to find out they really are not that excited about it. When seeking out a guide, make sure to ask if they mind taking a young angler fishing, but most will jump at the opportunity. Many kokanee guides also enjoy showing young anglers how to fish for them too.
MAKE IT FUN One area I have seen others fail – and frankly I am guilty of this as well – is expecting a young angler to have the same attention span and hardcore drive for kokanee fishing as an adult. They are still learning, so short trips on a nice weather day can help improve the experience for them. Most youth do not care if they catch their limit or not. Just being out on the water and being able to catch a few fish that they can eat that night may be more enjoyable to them than going for a long period of time. Be prepared for them to want to come back earlier than what you planned on. It’s OK. Better that they want to go out on many short trips than be burned out on one long trip and then resent fishing. One of the most important parts of taking a young angler kokanee fishing is making it fun. Being able to show them nature, such as an osprey or eagle flying over, or a deer walking along the shore, helps break the monotony of a slow day. Teach them
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FISHING The father-son duo of Roger and Nathan Lee enjoyed a fun day chasing kokanee, as well as spent some quality time relaxing aboard the Schnells’ boat. (TOM SCHNELL)
about the anatomy of a kokanee by dissecting one with them. Help them learn how to properly care for the fish, how bleeding it and putting it on ice helps maintain the flavor of the fish. And then there’s one of my favorite parts, being able to cook and enjoy eating it. There is nothing like a fresh kokanee right off the grill. And who can resist some smoked kokanee with cheese and crackers? They will be begging to go catch some more. Speaking of food, bring extra snacks along. Having some of their favorite food on board can help alleviate boredom and actually make the trip more enjoyable. I still remember when I was growing up 98 Northwest Sportsman
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how my dad would stop by the store to pick up some jerky, corn nuts and a Dr Pepper just for me for the trip. It was something little but it made the trip that much more special for me. Part of having fun is to have your camera ready too. Even the most camera-shy youngster will have a smile on their face as they try and hold on to a squirming kokanee they just caught. These photos will bring a lifetime of memories to them as they share it with their friends and possibly even later with their own children. One of my favorite childhood photos is of me holding a fish I had caught at the ripe old age of two, along with my two older brothers. Now mind
you, it was a carp, but nonetheless, it was my first fish. I have been an avid fisherman ever since.
PREPARATION Take some time and talk to your young angler about where you want to take them fishing. Let them be part of doing the research on the various lakes and methods to catch kokanee. They will feel like a part of the process and you both can learn some valuable information along the way. Before heading out, make sure you have the proper licenses needed for fishing. Each state has its own laws around youth fishing licenses. Some have free fishing weekends
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to encourage people who may not normally fish to go out and give it a try. Many also allow youth under a certain age to fish for free. Check your state fishing regulations to ensure you are staying within the law.
LASTING MEMORIES Passing on the joy of fishing can make a difference in a child’s life. It was a sport that my father taught me. I am now blessed with a wife who enjoys fishing as much – if not more – than I do. We raised our daughters to enjoy fishing and look forward to taking our grandchildren out when they are old enough to go. It is a family tradition that we were taught by our parents and one we are handing down to our kids and grandkids. One of my favorite memories is taking my father-in-law kokanee fishing with his daughter, now my wife. He would take her fishing when she was just a little girl, and to see the two of them fish together again brought back a lot of memories for both of them. It was time well spent on his part to take the time to show her how to catch a fish as a young child. Something they still share together to this day. I am just lucky that I can now enjoy kokanee fishing with both of them. My wife and I also share being able to take parents and their children kokanee fishing. The ironic part is that it is often the parents who seem to be having the most fun! The smile and excitement they express as they see their young angler land a fish makes up for any of the hassle of taking them out fishing. For us it is worth every penny and every second taking a youth fishing. We have been blessed beyond measure in helping teach young children how to fish. Kokanee fishing is a sport that is worth sharing with a kid. 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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wner BJ Cross first started working on outboard engines in a small Yamaha dealership, rebuilding carbs and installing impellers. Years later, The Boat Doc, LLC was opened and specializes in Engines and Drive systems small and large and electronics. All makes of Inboard / outboard, Inboard V-drive and direct drive, Jet drive, Outboards of all makes both prop lowers and jet pumps. We offer a full service repair shop from a simple impeller swap to a complete repowers. We are proud and excited to announce that we now offer custom aluminum offshore conversion kits, built one-off per application, and custom towers and accessories. Also, we will be soon adding prop repair and full marine audio installations. We have the latest versions of tech scan equipment and on-site test tank so all jobs are done right the first time. We back up our work 100% and strive for customer satisfaction. The Boat Doc, LLC has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been an accredited business for over 7 years. You can find me on Yellowbook.com and Facebook.
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FISHING
Road Trip: Hebgen Hosts Big Trout The Yellowstone-area lake is home to challenging rainbows and browns known as ‘gulpers’ for their surface feeding, but also excellent nymphing.
By Mike Wright
O
ne of the very best trout fishing destinations in the entire country is where Southwest Montana and Southeast Idaho come together. The region boasts several outstanding blue-ribbon streams, such as the Madison, Henrys Fork and South Fork Snake Rivers, plus a multitude of smaller, but highly productive streams.
However, as good as these flowing waters are, probably the best trophy fishing in this area lies in the stillwater fisheries within roughly an hour’s drive of West Yellowstone, Montana. That includes two outstanding trophy fishing lakes in Idaho, Island Park Reservoir and Henrys Lake (Northwest Sportsman, November 2020), and four lakes, Hebgen, Quake, Cliff and Wade, in Montana.
Henrys Lake is managed specifically as a trophy fishery, but the other five do not have any special regulations. However, each does contain a considerable number of trophy-sized fish. Although most anglers would consider Henrys to be the top trophy lake in the area, all of these other bodies of water offer excellent fishing opportunities for large trout. As an example, the Treasure State’s
It’s a fair pedal from our region, but the Yellowstone area’s Hebgen Lake is a trophy trout destination that shines in late spring and summer. (MWEST85, WIKIPEDIA, CC BY-3.0) nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
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FISHING
Hebgen’s rainbows grow big, with many north of 20 inches, thanks to prolific insect life. The bugs lead to an interesting behavior in the lake’s trout, in which they feed off the surface, often in a straight line, which can make it easy to predict where to cast a matching pattern – though whether a “gulper” takes the cue is another matter entirely. (MIKE WRIGHT)
current state record brown trout was taken from Wade, while the former state record rainbow (just over 20 pounds) was caught in Cliff. However, of the other lakes, none contain more trout in the 16- to 18-inch range than Hebgen. It probably also grows more rainbows and browns in excess of 20 inches than other lakes in the vicinity.
HEBGEN LAKE IS without argument one of the finest dry fly fishing lakes in Montana, or for that matter the entire Northwest. Located not far from West Yellowstone, it is a very large lake, covering 6,500 acres, over 16 miles in length and 4 miles in width. Although fish and insect hatches are found in all parts of the lake, the vast majority of angling pressure is centered on the upper arms and small bays. A major reason for this is the fact that Hebgen, like Henrys Lake, lies on a high-altitude plateau subject to very strong winds that occur on a near106 Northwest Sportsman
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daily basis. These bays can provide at least some semblance of protection from these relentless midday winds. In addition, the arms also contain larger concentrations of submerged vegetation, which in turn attracts aquatic insects in prolific numbers. There are three major arms on Hebgen: the Madison Arm, the South Fork of the Madison Arm and the Grayling Arm, each of which contain smaller bays that mitigate some of the severe wind conditions on the lake. Nutrient-rich feeder streams flow into each arm, resulting in huge hatches of midges, tricos and callibaetis, along with lesser amounts of damsel and caddis. During certain times of the summer, the surface of the water is literally covered with dead trico and callibaetis spinners.
THIS CORNUCOPIA OF insect life leads to a unique feeding habit on the part of the trout. With the massive amount
of feed carpeting the water, fish will leisurely surface several times in a somewhat straight line to devour the dead or dying insects. In doing so, the fish make a clearly audible gulping sound. The noise helped coin the term “gulpers” for the fish and in turn has made Hebgen world-renowned for its dry fly opportunities. Although the emergence of the gulpers, which ordinarily occurs sometime in July and reaches its peak in August, is the most popular and highly anticipated time of the year for many anglers, it is most definitely not the most productive time of the season. Indeed, it can often be one of the most frustrating tasks any angler will experience. It may appear to be a rather easy proposition to simply put a fly a few feet in front of a gulper and wait a short time for a fish to suck it down. Unfortunately, many times this is not a very successful strategy. Sometimes, it seems, these fish
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FISHING possess advanced degrees in artificial fly avoidance. Often a gulper will surface two or three times in a straight line, then after the cast is made, the fish will next appear moving in a completely different direction. The angler will then row or kick out in front of the fish, only to have it surface again moving away from the fisherman’s offering. This game of “cat and mouse” can go on for hours, with the angler hoping that he or she has brought enough beer to soothe a shattered ego. Another problem is that even if an angler has made a perfect cast and not spooked the fish, there are so many natural bugs on the water that a fish can take one right next to an artificial fly. There are a couple strategies that can improve your chances of catching fish during gulper times. The first would be to use longer tapered leaders, usually around 14
or 15 feet. Since the water is usually crystal clear and the fish are closer to the surface, it might be advisable to use fluorocarbon leaders and tippet, which are far less visible to the fish. Another tip would be to get on the water early and employ nymphs, emergers or trico patterns. Since the trico hatch starts rather early, it is quite possible to do well on a dry fly, but it will require the use of very light tippet because of the size of the fly. This means it is very easy to experience breakoffs. The trout on Hebgen tend to be very healthy and very strong fighters. A Parachute Adams or a Purple Haze can prove to be productive during this earlier time period and will not require the lighter tippet. Since the gulpers generally don’t start appearing until closer to the noon hour, for some anglers it is quite possible to do very well in the morning and then head for shore to
wait for the evening fishing.
WHILE GULPERS DRAW the most attention and popularity, there is also some good dry fly fishing before and after that angling period occurs. The primary food source during this time are the tricos and callibaetis adults, but another major hatch on Hebgen is the midge hatch, which generally occurs in mid-May and continues into July. Midge adults are the first major dry fly to appear on the lake and a Griffith’s Gnat or a Renegade, in sizes 14 down to size 20, will usually provide excellent results. Early in the season the midges tend to be rather large, but become considerably smaller as the season progresses. After the rainbows have spawned and reentered the lake, they usually remain in shallow water and begin cruising the shoreline in small schools. This is the time when wade fishing
Some of the best fishing occurs in the shallower upper arms of the Madison River reservoir, and they also offer “some semblance of protection” from the area’s strong midday winds, though not always. The morning and evening can be calmer and provide good fishing. (MIKE WRIGHT)
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FISHING
Along with a self-sustaining rainbow population, you’ll find brown trout, along with westslope cutthroat, brook trout and whitefish. (MIKE WRIGHT)
can be most successful, especially along the north shore. Wade fishing in the Madison Arm can also be highly productive. A midge adult or a midge emerger are the preferred fly pattern during this particular time. A popular early-season strategy is to use a chironomid dropper tied 1 or 2 feet below the dry fly. This is most frequently employed in the Grayling Arm and the South Fork Arm with a good deal of success. If there is little or no rising fish, there really is not much of a need for a dry, but a black or red chironomid under a strike indicator will still work well, especially if there is a light breeze present, causing a chop on the surface. Since chironomids slowly move their way to the surface in order to hatch, the chop on the water adds additional movement to the fly and helps attract the fish.
WHILE HEBGEN’S KNOWN best for its dry fly fishing, a number of anglers 110 Northwest Sportsman
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find the nymph fishing on the lake to actually be more productive. A hardcore fly fisherman can spend an entire day for one or two trout, while a nympher can often produce doubledigit numbers of trout. It is probably safe to say that most anglers prefer the excitement and challenge of using a dry fly, but if catching more fish is your primary goal, then nymphs or streamers on intermediate or sink-tip line is your best strategy. A damsel hatch takes place in late June and early July, which coincides with the early stages of the callibaetis hatch, which means there will be a sizable number of callibaetis nymphs in the water. Since both types of nymphs are present at roughly the same time, a very effective strategy is to tie a damsel nymph pattern onto your line, then add a callibaetis imitation as a dropper a foot or so in back of the lead fly. A marabou damsel works well as a lead fly, but several
other patterns have also proven to be effective, including a green and black soft hackle mini-leech, an olive or brown leech, a Sheep Creek, and a black, olive or brown Woolly Bugger. A flashback Pheasant Tail or a slenderbodied callibaetis nymph in black or light olive are very effective patterns for the dropper. It would be advisable to plan on fishing with nymphs before 11 a.m., which is roughly around the time the dry flies begin to appear in large enough numbers to trigger the gulper action, with the winds usually starting a couple hours later.
IN AUGUST 1959, an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Hebgen and the upper Madison River area. It was the most powerful earthquake recorded in Montana and the most noticeable impact can be seen in the canyon just downstream from Hebgen Dam. A landslide of
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FISHING
Hebgen Lake is not limited to fly fishing only, but if that’s your preference, a good selection of patterns would include: a black, brown or olive Pumpkin Head; a beadhead soft hackle leech; a couple damsel patterns; Sheep Creek; flashback Pheasant Tail; black and red chironomids; callibaetis nymph and an emerger; Goddard and Elk Hair Caddis; Parachute Adams; Purple Haze; Griffith’s Gnat; and Rusty and Trico Spinners. (MIKE WRIGHT)
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some 80 million tons of rock and debris covered the Madison River near the mouth of the canyon, instantly creating Quake Lake, a 6-mile-long body of water with depths up to 180 feet. Large stands of dead trees stand like silent sentinels over the 28 people buried by the slide. Although not as visibly, Hebgen Lake was also heavily impacted by the quake. The lake bottom actually dropped some 20 feet in places, and the tsunami, or seiche as they are known in lakes, created by the temblor swept over the 42-year-old dam, causing considerable damage to the structure. For some time, it was feared that the dam would give way; luckily it withstood both the quake and the big wave. Because of the serious damage to the dam, the structure is closely monitored and periodic repairs are made to ensure its integrity. When that work occurs, lake levels are lowered, resulting in the stranding
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FISHING and killing of a large number of insect eggs, which in turn reduces the feed available for the fish the next spring and summer. Fortunately, this situation does not happen often, but it does take some time for certain insect populations to rebound. About five years ago a drawdown is suspected in the less productive season the following summer. In the last three summers, however, Hebgen has returned to its usual excellence.
BEGINNING IN 1931, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks began to stock Hebgen with rainbow and brown trout to augment the native population. An average of 20,000 to 30,000 were released annually, but in 1955 browns were discontinued and the last stocking of rainbows occurred in 2016. According to Travis Horton, state fisheries manager for the lake, FWP’s
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annual studies have shown that the trout populations have remained very stable, indicating that natural reproduction should be sufficient to maintain healthy numbers of both rainbow and browns. In addition, there is also a smaller number of cutthroat, brook trout and whitefish in the lake. Unfortunately, chubs are also present, but not in large enough numbers to negatively affect the trout population. The cutts and brookies generally average in the 12- to 14-inch range, with the rainbows, browns and whitefish often exceeding 20 inches. If you catch 10 fish in a day, chances are very good that at least five of them will be 20 inches or more. Frequently a fisherman can catch one exceeding 25 inches. Granted, the chances of landing a 20-pound brown or rainbow is remote to nonexistent, but catching half a dozen or more 20inch fish in a day is enough to excite
almost any angler. If this sounds good to you, Hebgen is an ideal place to try your luck.
ACCESSING HEBGEN LAKE is rather easy, since Highway 287 parallels it from the dam to the junction leading to West Yellowstone. To access the lake’s three arms, head toward West Yellowstone and turn onto Rainbow Road for the Grayling Arm; Madison Arm Resort Road for the Madison Arm; and Ranger Station Road off Highway 20, heading west out of town, to find the South Fork Arm. West Yellowstone is a tourist hub, so you can find groceries and more there, along with fly shops in town and between Quake and Hebgen Lakes. There are also numerous campgrounds around Hebgen, but if you intend to camp out, it would be advisable to reserve a spot, since they tend to fill up early during the summer. NS
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HUNTING FISHING
No doubt the Northwest is a bastion for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon, but there are spinyrays to be caught as well. This monster 15-plus-inch, 2.36-pound black crappie was caught last summer by Brad Hole at a lake in the greater Tacoma area. “I swore I had a bass on the line,” he said. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
Summer’s Made For Spinyrays Plenty of fast action to be had on the Northwest’s crappie, bluegill, perch and other panfish. By MD Johnson
B
y the time you folks read this, I will have turned 57. Not old, I reckon, but certainly older than I was 30 years ago. Makes mathematical sense, eh? So anyway, as I’m now older, I seem to forget things more frequently. Not the really, really important things,
like where I live, who I am, and pants – always wear pants, Grandma said – but, well, I guess you could say the littler things. Where I left my keys and wallet are standards. Found my seeing glasses in the refrigerator here a while back after looking for quite some time. Writing damn near everything down so I don’t forget. Do this. Go here. Meeting on Tuesday at blah, blah,
blah. Well, y’all get it, I’m sure. But I forget other things, too; things having to do with the Great Outdoors, and which go in both directions across the nation. That is from Washington where I live now to the Midwest – Ohio and Iowa – where I spent 46 of my now 57 years. How so, you ask? Take for instance the picture of two white sturgeon my nwsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021
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FISHING wife, Julie, and I caught. Sent it to a friend in Iowa expecting a “Wow!” and instead got a “What are those damn things? Sharks?” Kinda, yeah, they’re sharks. I send pictures of black brant from Willapa Bay back East, and in return get questions. What are those? How do you hunt them? Good to eat? How many decoys? And more. Conversely, I’m sure I’m guilty
of more than one Midwestern-ism with folks out here when it comes to speaking on the outdoors. Rather, I will from time to time forget that maybe, just maybe, the folks to whom I’m speaking aren’t well schooled, if schooled a’tall, in the practices about which I’m talking. Maybe they don’t know turkeys. Or suburban whitetails. Or sora rails and Wilson snipe. Or
Jigs might be the common denominator when it comes to catching crappie, bluegill, yellow perch and other panfish, often paired with minnow-imitating tubes or twist-tail grubs. And while scented artificial offerings will hold up better, good old worms – whether fat store-bought ’crawlers or slimmer garden hackle – work well too. (ANDY WALGAMOTT) 120 Northwest Sportsman
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the fact that grey squirrels are early risers, while fox squirrels are partial to sleeping in, especially if it’s cold out. Which – and finally – brings me to my point: spinyrays. Honestly? I can’t hardly bring myself to call them spinyrays. It sounds … well, to me it sounds degrading. Like calling snow geese sky carp. Or squirrels limb rats. Disrespectful, I reckon. Descriptive? I’ll give you that. And, given it’s the Pacific Northwest, the phrase does differentiate this particular freshwater clan from the better-known glamour species, the salmon and steelhead. The trout, kokanee and sturgeon. But the reason behind my soapbox here is this. Several times over the past six years, I’ve written about these socalled spinyrays – walleye, largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegills, yellow perch, and others – with an emphasis on where, as in where to go. Yet what I might be forgetting – and there’s that word again – is that not everyone, no matter how well-versed in the ways of anadromous fish, might not know how to go about catching a crappie. Or a bluegill. Or a rock bass. And I mean purposely catching these fish; not tossing a Mepps for a planter trout and lucking into a hand-sized bluegill. I’m OK with luck, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. So, and with all that behind us, this month, let’s take a look at the gear and tactics used to target these Pacific Northwest spinyrays. And yes, with a little bit of where-to thrown in for good measure.
CRAPPIE ARE THE most popular panfish in the U.S. They’re found from East to West, with some of the best fishing being south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Texas. Mississippi. Alabama. They all grow big crappies. California does, too. And Eastern Oregon. And Washington, especially in some of the warmer lakes east of the Cascades. Two subspecies exist – the darker mottled black crappie, and the lighter more pale white crappie. A good crappie measures from, say, 9 to 12
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FISHING HUNTING floats small and sensitive, as crappies can be notoriously light biters. As for tackle, again, a light or, better yet, ultralight spinning outfit and 2-pound-test monofilament. Heavy isn’t necessary, and in fact can spoil the action of a 1/32-ounce jig that otherwise would have worked tremendously. And finally, structure. Crappies love structure. Standing timber. Bridge abutments. Docks. Oh, but how they love docks. Where: In Western Washington, I’d head to Lake Washington or Cowlitz County’s Silver Lake. Eastside, and it would be Bonnie Lake near Spokane or Potholes Reservoir. Oregon, and I’d head to a personal bucket list fishery, Brownlee Reservoir. The destination in Idaho would be CJ Strike Reservoir near Grandview; California, and my truck would be pointed at Clear Lake.
Where salmon rigs can be super complex, sometimes all it takes is a worm and a size 6 baitholder hook to coax a bluegill into a bite. That’s what Austin Han used on Potholes Reservoir late last summer. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
inches. A 14-inch speck, as they’re sometimes called, is a dandy. My grandfather had a 19.5-inch black crappie on the wall. That’s just obscene. But there are bigger; I’ve just not personally caught one bigger. The best part? Any size, and they’re incredible to eat. Live minnows are by far the best crappie bait, hands down. The bad news is live minnows aren’t allowed out West for the most part. So we improvise using a variety of jigs, small spinners, twist-tail grubs and little crankbaits. The frontrunner? Jigs. Feathery marabou jigs. Leadheads 122 Northwest Sportsman
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with tiny grubs. Tube jigs. Think minnow, and match the jig profile. Color can be awfully important, with standards being chartreuse, yellow, white, red, red/white and, in some situations, black. Weight, too, with the lightest of light – 1/16, 1/32, and 1/64 ounce – all getting the nod. I prefer to fish these tiny baits on a tightline. Cast, sink, retrieve. Find the depth, and you’ve found the fish, as crappies, even big crappies, tend to travel in school of similarly sized brethren. Bobbers work too and can help those who haven’t yet developed the tightline “touch.” But keep the
TO CATCH BLUEGILLS – and I mean really catch some beautiful fine-eating ’gills – plan a trip to northwest Tennessee’s Reelfoot Lake ’round about the first week of May. Cane poles. Live crickets. Light floats. And Billy Blakely, a lifelong local who knows more about catching bluegills than Carter does about Little Liver Pills. Sorry, lost most of you there. Let’s just say Blakely knows a lot about ’gills. But there are some decent places to catch bluegills in the Northwest, and we’ll get to that in a minute. In addition, there are shellcrackers/redears, pumpkinseeds, green sunfish, and hybrids of all four, to catch. Many of the same lures and jigs used for crappie are perfect for bluegills, but we’ll add worms to the mix here. Not those big honkin’ ’crawlers, but the feisty little redworms you find in your compost pile. You do have a compost pile, right? Waxworms, mealworms, crickets, grasshoppers – all will also work great threaded on a long shank light wire Aberdeen-style No. 6 hook and hung under an über-sensitive Thill quill float. Or Snoopy bobber. And that’s one of the nice things about bluegills and their kin. They’re often not real
FISHING HUNTING
Kiran Walgamott, the editor’s son, shows off a pair of nice-sized Lake Washington yellow perch caught last September. Idaho’s Lake Cascade is the hot spot for jumbos, and similar to Midwesterners hitting the Columbia for trophy walleye, one Wisconsinite caught a new state record 3-pounder there this past winter. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
fussy about the gear one uses to capture them. Speaking of ’gill gear, if you want a really fun experience, take a 4-weight fly rod with a selection of nymphs, dry and wet flies, and surface poppers, and
give that a go. It’s a hoot, and works well on lakes with an abundance of emergent vegetation. Spinning tackle more your speed? Go with ultralight gear, something like Shakespeare’s Micro Series, or a 5-foot Ugly Stik
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Elite Combo and 1-pound, maybe 2-pound test. But probably 1. Oh, and Beetle Spins from Johnson/Pure Fishing, as well as very, very small spinnerbaits similar to those made popular by the bass fishing
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FISHING crowd, only tiny. Bass Pro/Cabela’s and Strike King, both, offer a 1/16-ounce spinnerbait perfect for big ’gills. Where: Again, Lake Washington gets a nod on the Westside, as does Fazon Lake above Bellingham. Over in Eastern Washington, Moses, Potholes or Soda Lakes would do you well, as would Rowland or Horsethief Lakes down in the Columbia Gorge’s Klickitat County. Brownlee on the Oregon/ Idaho line comes to mind again; so too does Halverson Lake south of Melba just off the Snake. Friend of mine told me about that last one. And in California, it’s a bluegill/crappie one-two at Clear Lake, especially during the spring.
THIS WINTER, MARK my words, I’m going to go to Idaho’s Lake Cascade and catch huge yellow perch through the ice. Why Cascade? Some time ago, I wrote about the Gem State’s record perch, an enormous fish caught in 2016 by Sky Coulter that weighed –
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ready? – an astonishing 2.96 pounds. Well, it seems that record has been broken; nay, it has been beaten down and kicked under the carpet, thanks to Andy Mann and his 3.22-pound yellow behemoth measuring an unheard-of 16.25 inches. Mann, by the way, is from Wisconsin, and made the 1,700-mile one-way trip in March specifically to fish for trophy perch. Now that’s dedication. Hell, it’s not even a third as far from my home base on the Lower Columbia. But you don’t have endure bitter cold to catch nice yellow perch, which, IMHO, are one of the best eating freshwater fish to swim the planet, right up there with walleye, bluegill, crappie and sturgeon. Summer, too, can be a great time to fill a bucket with yellows. Broken record alert, but it’s ultralight to light tackle, 2-pound-test mono, and a selection of artificials, with jigs and soft plastics leading the
pack. Danny Garrett, a warmwater fisheries biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and avid tournament bass fisherman, is a huge fan of drop-shotting Senkos and other small plastic worm imitations for perch in Lake Washington. Any number of Berkley Gulp! or PowerBait patterns, e.g. angle worms, minnows, leeches, shad, pinched ’crawlers, Hollow Belly, and others, will work well for perch, either under a bobber, tightlined, or, as Garrett does, fished as a drop-shot rig. Live bait, too, accounts for its share of yellow perch. Minnows, the very best, are out; however, ’crawler sections, redworms, mealworms and waxworms work well. So, too, do some “novel” live/dead baits, such as perch eyeballs, strips of perch meat cut from the belly of a previously harvested fish, old-school pork rind and – ready? – small hunks of bacon fat. I wouldn’t be opposed to trying
FISHING With spinyrays, the rewards are two-fold: the often good fishing that can keep kiddos and adults alike happy and smiling, and when breaded and fried, their fillets are tasty! (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
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pieces of smelt or anchovy on what the YouTube heroes call a “fish finder rig,” consisting of a 1/2-ounce sinker under two short droppers armed with size 6 Aberdeen hooks, one at 12 inches and the other at 18. In fact, I’m sure it would catch fish. Where: Don’t have to mention Idaho’s Lake Cascade again. A young friend of mine was going to lineman school in Meridian during the winter of ’20, and some classmates of his took him to Cascade to fish through the ice. “The beer never got warm,” he said with a grin. “And the perch fishing was incredible.” I say, count me in! Lake Washington gets the green light, along with Sammamish, Moses, Potholes and Curlew. Oregon’s Brownlee can produce, while on the Westside, Tenmile and Henry Hagg are good bets. Northern California’s Iron Gate Reservoir, just south of the Oregon border east of I-5, has a reputation as exceptional perch water, as does Copco Reservoir to the east. NS
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COLUMN
The ‘Gauntlet Of Bad Casts’
L
earning to bobber fish has a distinct and steep curve, but one that is easy to conquer. But to CHEF IN conquer the curve, THE WILD every new fisherman By Randy King must run the Gauntlet of Bad Casts. What are these bad casts? Well, I am glad you asked! But first a little backstory …
THE WEE LASS was casting her pole much better now. A smooth “blooop” would sound off as she tossed her bobber out into the lake. She had found a school of bluegill and was catching them left and right. I could hear a squeal each time the bobber would disappear under the water. Her dad, a buddy of mine from work, was beaming. Neither he nor his children had ever caught a fish up until then. Heck, they had never even been fishing. This adventure was not smooth sailing from the start, however. Teaching someone to cast a fishing pole is remarkably complicated. To me, not having any sort of idea what to do with a pole is a baffling concept. I do not remember the first fish I ever caught – the memories fade into one big blur of outdoor activities – but casting a spinning reel is like breathing to me. More and more I realize what a different upbringing I had from most everyone else. When we had arrived at the lake, I commenced a quick lesson with the group. I walked them through “bobber fishing 101.” We talked about casting, where to cast, when to set the hook and how to reel in a fish. It was a solid lecture on fishing, if I don’t say so myself. On my demo cast I actually managed to hook a bluegill. The group seemed impressed. My lesson seemingly had no determinable effect on the actual fishing, however. As with most of life, the difference between someone telling you, showing you and letting you do something is huge. No matter how many times I demonstrated
In short order, casting a fishing rod becomes old hat, but when you’re first starting out, it can lead to all sorts of wayward tosses, some of which even land in the water where the fish live. (RANDY KING)
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COLUMN
HAVE YOUR FISH AND EAT IT TOO
I
t is an uncertainty just how long fishcakes have been around. The first known recipe comes from the 19th century. I’d assume they have been around much longer than that, but recipes from much before then are few and far between. That said, fishcakes are a simple and easy way to make the most out of small panfish. Bluegill are a great example of the usefulness of fishcakes. After you fillet, bone and skin a bluegill you have about ½ to 1 ounce of meat per side – and that can be off a nice-sized panfish too! In recent years I have begun to make the most of my panfish by roasting them whole and picking the bones out. What is left is quality white meat that can be used in several different applications. It can be the starting point for a chowder, a nice “tuna” salad and even fishcakes, which is why we’re here today. The flaky white and mild taste is perfect for a warm summer evening.
Picked Fish 8 decent-sized bluegills 1 lemon Cut off the head and gut the bluegill, then rinse clean the chest cavity. Turn the oven onto broil. Line two baking pans with tinfoil and spray them with pan spray. Next add the fish in a single layer. Zest the lemon and reserve the zest. Slice the lemon into
Fishcakes with broiled lemon garnish and mustard for dipping. (RANDY KING) three sections. Place on tray with fish. Broil the fish for 10-ish minutes, or until all the fish are completely cooked. The skin facing the top of the oven will be nearly black. This is OK, as the skin protects the meat from too much heat. Remove fish from oven when cooked. Let cool until you are able to touch them, then remove the top layer of skin and pick the meat into a medium-sized bowl. When the top layer is complete, grab the fish by the backbone and pull. This should allow one whole boneless fillet to remain on the tinfoil below. Pick that meat and
Cooked picked fish sits in a bowl with dill and other ingredients prior to being formed into fishcakes for frying. (RANDY KING) 134 Northwest Sportsman
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add to the bowl. All told, you need about ½ pound of cooked fish for this recipe. Reserve the broiled lemon for garnish.
Fishcakes ½ pound cooked fish ½ cup smashed Ritz Crackers (make them look like breadcrumbs) 2 tablespoons yellow mustard 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill (or 1 tablespoon dried dill) 1 egg 1 tablespoon garlic powder Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons of canola oil In the same bowl as the picked fish from above, add the crackers, dill, mustard, garlic powder and egg. Incorporate fully. It should have a ground meat texture. Cool the bowl in the fridge for half an hour. (The hot fish allows the egg to cook slightly and become a binding agent for the fish; it also allows the flavors to meld together well.) When cool, patty the mix into eight fishcakes. Press them about ¾ inch thick. Fry in the canola oil on medium heat, two at a time, until one side is golden brown. Serve with the broiled lemon slice as garnish. For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK
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I ASSIGNED MY two younger boys to help
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the father and other sons with fishing and casting. This left me with the wee lass. Her first cast, and second, started the Gauntlet of Bad Casts. The first cast is known as the “doublehanded water slap’r.” This is a smooth, fluid action followed by a “crack” as the bobber and line hit the water at the end of the kid’s feet. “Remember,” I said, “hold the line, open the bail … then cast. Do you need a new worm?” The next cast I witnessed was of the “Mission to Mars” variety. True, it’s a powerful cast – directly over her head, in this case, and basically straight into the sky – but usually lands about 5 feet away from the caster. Sometimes it’s to the left, sometimes behind. Its orbit is as unpredictable as a Chinese rocket reentering Earth’s atmosphere. “Remember to point the end of the pole at the location you want to hit, cool?” Then came the “bungled line cast.” Somehow, some way, she (like all new fishermen I have ever witnessed) messed up and got line tangled in the reel. Then it got wrapped around the handle of the reel, her hand and snagged on some bush. Before I knew it she got out a pocket knife and – oh god, my poles! No stitches today! A lot of effort goes into “the pole toss.” Equal amounts of energy need to be applied to holding the pole and casting it. Thankfully, this lesson is generally easy to fix with a little bit of wading into the lake. “The tree ringer” – the perfect tree tangle – is just unavoidable. I tell them not to cast that way, but they cast that way. I liken it to trying to herd a cat. “The settled-in cast” is my favorite of them all. This cast shows that the lesson, trial and error, and effort have paid off. Breathe a sigh of relief. While it might be a pain in the butt to take a new person fishing, watching them successfully cast a bobber – then catch a fish – makes it all worthwhile.
AT THE END of the day the gauntlet had been run. The wee lass kept eight bluegill . When my buddy asked me what to make with them, I gave him instructions much like those on the previous page. NS
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COLUMN
Cracking Open New Taste Buds F
or me, the thrill that is fishing very much has to do with the bite; better yet, feeling the FOR THE LOVE bite. When those wild OF THE TUG creatures beneath the By Sara Ichtertz water reach out and choose me, it is pretty much the best of the best in things that bring me pleasure in life! Yet as my devoted readers know, I wasn’t the fondest of fish flavors when I first started dragging fish out of the river eight runs ago. Yes, I was beyond proud to provide a fresh, protein-packed dinner, though it did not taste good to me. My own mind would flash back to gagging-filled seafood memories as a child, and so I’d only take a bite and call it good on my harvest. From day one, however, my babes always ate and ate the fish, loving it regardless of my fear of eating it. I absolutely loved that Nate and Ava ate it like they did as it somewhat justified the thrill I felt within the catch, which was pretty much addictive!
THINKING BACK TO the first time I actually loved the bountiful seafood in front of me, it was about five years ago. All it took was a couple-few beers and somehow I managed to muster up the courage and get crazy enough to try a crustacean. The smell of them boiling was always too much for me, so I had always steered clear of crabs if they ever came my way. I am not going to lie: Before I ever tasted Dungeness crab I had very little desire to hunt for them. There was no adrenalinepacked action to be found in hunting for these rather grouchy-looking creatures, so why should I bother? But after my buzz-
Ava Ichtertz admires a Dungeness caught off an Oregon Coast dock. Summer marks the start of the most productive time to catch crabs here and while Ava’s mom Sara once had no interest in crabbing, she now loves it and eating them and can be found working inside and outside the bays in search of dinner. (SARA ICHTERTZ)
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COLUMN FISHING filled night, I had a different perspective on crab and it honestly opened up my palate to fish in a way that I 100 percent needed. I instantly realized how much I liked cracking fresh crab and dipping it into clarified butter infused with fresh garlic. It was amazing; these creatures went from gag me to gourmet in one single night. I loved the way the crab tasted and was amazed how I could remove these perfect pieces of meat from such a skeleton. It was wild and fun to me. To this day, cracking them is still more fun than the hunting itself, but the balance of it all has its worth.
A tiny young Dungie sits atop the bottom of an older male’s shell. Crabbing lacks the feel of the bite that Sara so loves with steelhead, but it makes up for that in how good the meat tastes to her. (SARA ICHTERTZ)
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AFTER THAT NIGHT, whenever I headed to the coast I started making time to crab off the docks. Even though I haven’t had the most bountiful of harvests, we’ve always had fun and always walked away with at least one delicious meal. The joy the babes feel when pulling our pots in the wonder of it all is pretty cute too. And no matter where it might be – from a boat or the dock – we have had many a good time that led to dinners of deliciousness.
COLUMN
“It was amazing; these creatures went from gag me to gourmet in one single night,” writes the author. (SARA ICHTERTZ) Providing for my family is something I have always desired to do, so I will embrace the pots and that freshest of fresh found during Oregon’s Dungeness crab season. We are allowed 12 keeper-sized (5¾-inch carapace width) males each. If you have checked the price of just one crab in the supermarket – not to mention, those aren’t the freshest of fresh – you will do yourself a favor finding a little time to hunt for the grumpy critters of the ocean floor. Once the commercial crabbers are not hard after them beyond the bar, I find crabbing season for the sport fisherman to be by far the most productive. I’m not sure what produced that incredible Dungeness season last year in Southern Oregon, but I felt beyond thankful the stars aligned for us to reap the benefits. No, it wasn’t in a summer steelhead shakes kind of way, more like “let’s cook these babies in as many scrumptious ways as we can in the next couple days.” I am not fond of frozen 142 Northwest Sportsman
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fish. I love it fresh and I find joy in sharing perfectly prepped and cooked bags of crab with those I love most. I have enjoyed days spent pulling hefty pots over the bar while watching families of whales migrate past. The waiting game of crabbing isn’t for me, so it’s pretty rad being able to troll for salmon and watch the pods in a close-up, nerve-racking way, forgetting we are even hunting crabs. Never have I been so close to the whales, and to see so many thriving families gives me hope and was priceless for us to share as a family. I have pulled hefty pots from inside of the bay as well – so hefty, in fact, I was throwing back incredible keepers even with four limits to harvest. It was unreal how thick the crab were despite the dozens of pots inside the bay.
THERE ARE MEALS in life that mean so much more and taste a whole lot better when
love is put into them. When you put down your electronics and pursue something as a team, as a family, you become a better person. Not only in the hunt itself but the cleaning, cooking and creating of your harvest. Share that harvest, share your time, because you never really know how much time you have left. Things in life might be rapidly developing one new app at a time, or in the fastest 4G available, but truly it’s up to us what we buy into. Who and what we give our time to is so important. My children deserve a life that is full of memories, not snaps or updates. Real memories, ones that need no device, only a heart to store them in. I am thankful in realizing that when you embrace nature and the sport of fishing together you are winning. Not only are you providing the freshest of meat for your family, you are creating memories that will last a lifetime. My heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried. NS
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FISHING
Laundry Hamper Crabbin’ Catching Dungies and red rocks off the beach isn’t as productive as from a boat or pier, but it’s not impossible either.
By Andy Walgamott
A
funny thing happened last summer as I attempted to catch crabs with what I was billing to others as the “least effective way possible.” It worked. There I was in my waders, pulling our laundry hamper behind me as I essentially trolled the eel grass, seaweed patches, cobble fields and sand flats for Dungeness and red rocks on a Central Sound beach during a -2.5-foot late morning low tide last July. When I found a crab, I jousted it with one of my sons’ plastic telescopic pincer toys to try and get a hold and lift it into the basket for further inspection. The device didn’t work that great for grabbing the crabs, as their claws could still slip through the gap behind the pincers, but it had me officially retiring the chicken wire/ broomstick getup I had used during the previous day’s minus tide.
THE PREVIOUS DAY was when I had decided that wading for crabs was the least effective method ever. After a milelong wade-athon down the beach and then back up it, all I had to show for it was 1) a pair of female Dungies – one of which was in softshell form and both were released, of course – 2) another that disappeared into thick eelgrass before I could check its privates, and 3) the dawning realization that my waders were no longer waterproof in the area of my own privates.
A red rock crab pinches the pincer that editor Andy Walgamott used to prod it out of the nearshore shallows of a Puget Sound beach last summer. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
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FISHING
FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES
Which is to say that I went home crabby on multiple fronts. So much for my brilliant idea of scoring from shore. In hindsight, however, I think that that fail was related more to the day’s murky water conditions. Between a strong north wind, boats out chasing salmon and crabs and big old container ships all sending nonstop waves into the shallows, and surface schmutz and subsurface goo further clouding my vision, crabs and everything else for that matter were tough to see. Ugh, excuses, excuses … So, on Monday, with my spirit as low as the tide, I almost didn’t go back to the beach. It was a workday, I had an interview to do, I was on deadline for this magazine and others, the blog needed feeding. My wife Amy would have probably been fine if I’d given up. Let us just say that she has not shared my excitement about how easy it is to pull the well-ventilated laundry hamper through the shallows, or its high potential crab storage capacity. But this was also my big chance for the summer. We don’t have a boat and the annual crabbing adventure that my son Kiran and I go on in the San Juans was a no-go during that summer of Covid-19. Our retired hosts and myself didn’t know how we could make it work in their Bayliner. Frankly, it was an unnecessary risk for them and us, and we could wait another year until we were all vaccinated. No biggie. So with the abbreviated SundayMonday-only crabbing schedule for Marine Area 10 last summer lining up with just a few really low tides, it was go-time for loopy Plan LEWP.
can’t say for absolute certain that minus tides are required for shore crabbing, but I do know from fishing off the beach for salmon during other tidal stages that I haven’t observed any Dungeness or red rocks scuttling around at those times. So, looking at this summer’s tides, these four series are the lowest of the low: July 8-12, 22-26 (peak lows: 10-12, -2 feet; 22-24, -3-plus feet) Aug 6-9, 19-23 (peak lows: 8-9, -1.7 feet; 20-21, -2 feet) If those dates overlap with days that crabs are open for harvest in your waters, I’d try them out. –AW
INSTEAD OF HEADING south like I had the day before, I decided to go north. The wind and boat traffic were lighter, and once I rounded a wavekneaded point, the visibility actually increased markedly. Still, I ended up worrying either a
Where Dungeness blend in with sandy and muddy bottoms, red rocks stand out better. This one was lurking between eel grass patches. With how important the plant is for salmon and other marine species, the editor worked his way around the grass instead of barging through it. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
I
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FISHING Laundry hamper crabbin’, it’s a thing! The editor was excited how easy it was to pull the container along behind him as he wandered through the shallows of a Puget Sound beach, though his wife was less enthusiastic and for some reason insisted it be rinsed out afterwards. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
dead red rock or a molted shell of one with my pincer for an embarrassingly long time before I realized nobody was home, and then when I spotted the next mottled orange shape on the edge of an eelgrass patch, I assumed it too was a dead crab or a molt because it was so blatantly out in the open.
That one, however, turned out to be the biggest red rock of the day, about as wide as a keeper Dungie. It had been unwilling to give up the clam it was hugging, so the greedy bugger went right into the hamper. A couple other crabs were well out in the open too, but others sat
at the edge of eelgrass. It really was like trolling because I was covering ground and zigzagging between patches while using my polarized sunglasses to sweep the 2- to 31/2-foot-deep waters for signs of life. As the tide just began to come back in, I called it a day with five 5 1/2-plus-inch keeper red rockies, all males, in my hamper. I had turned a handful more loose because they were a bit smaller than that.
BACK ON SHORE a mom and son were curious about what the heck I’d been up to. Putting on my ambassador hat, I answered their questions and talked about the Whulge’s different kinds of crabs and harvesting rules. Crabs can be taken by hand but their shells can’t be penetrated by the instrument you use. A dip net or rake might work better than my kid’s pincer. See the sidebar below for daily limits, license requirements and other pertinent regulations.
SOUND SUMMER CRAB SEASONS SET
C
rabbing gets cracking July 1 in most of Puget Sound, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced last month. “We expect good crabbing this year in several areas of Puget Sound,” said Don Velasquez, agency crustacean biologist, in a press release. “Still, some areas with continued low abundance will have a limited season or remain closed this year to promote population growth.” According to WDFW, seasons are: In Marine Areas 4 (Neah Bay waters east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (Port Angeles), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan, Port Gardner) and 9 (Port Gamble, Admiralty Inlet), July 1-September 6, Thursdays through Mondays; In Area 7 South (San Juan Islands, Bellingham Bay), July 15-September 30, Thursdays through Mondays; In Area 7 North (Gulf of Georgia, Point Roberts), August 19-September 30, Thursdays through Mondays;
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In Area 10 (Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton), July 11-September 6, Sundays and Mondays only; In Area 11 (Tacoma, Vashon Island), July 11-August 30, Sundays and Mondays only; And in Area 12 (Hood Canal) north of Ayock Point, July 1-September 6, Thursdays through Mondays. However, Area 12 south of Ayock Point (Hoodsport, The Great Bend) and all of Area 13 (Olympia, Fox Island, Steilacoom) will again be closed “to allow weak Dungeness crab populations to increase,” per WDFW. PUGET SOUND CRABBING REGS Dungeness crabs Daily limit: Five, males only Minimum carapace width: 6¼ inches Red rock crabs Daily limit: Six, either sex Minimum carapace width: 5 inches Tanner crabs Daily limit: Six, either sex Minimum shell width: 4½ inches
Other rules Release soft-shelled crabs: Keepers must be in hard-shell condition; pinch edge of shell or upper walking arms to test. Gear: See “Statewide Gear Rules” section of the sportfishing pamphlet for buoy, marking, mesh size, etc., requirements. Hours: Gear can’t be set or pulled via boat from an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise. Possession: Shell backs must be retained while in the field. License: Crabbers need a Puget Sound Crab Endorsement ($8.75 when purchased alone; comes bundled with the Annual Fish Washington license) and a summer catch card. Cards must be turned in or reported by October 1, 2021, as the info is “crucial” to managing the fishery. Failure to do so results in a $10 penalty added to the cost of your next crab endorsement. Harvest recording: Keeper Dungeness must be marked on a crabber’s catch card before redeploying pots, traps, etc. –NWS
FISHING And while there are 2,500 miles of shoreline in Puget Sound, note that some beaches are closed to the harvest of shellfish because they’re marine reserves, preserves or other set-asides. Others may have pollution issues. Check the state Department of Health’s Shellfish Safety Information map (fortress.wa.gov/doh/biotoxin/ biotoxin.html) before you go.
Like Rodney Dangerfield, red rocks may not get a lot of respect, but their claws are meaty and delicious. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
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YEAH, YEAH, RED rocks are kinda the pink salmon of the crabbing world – not as cool or coveted as Dungeness. And I was disappointed not to find any of the latter species. But I really do like the taste of and amount of meat inside red rocks’ big claws, so it was a win in my book. And sure, I would much prefer to go crabbing with friends in their boat or throw rings off a pier, but it turns out that the least effective way possible to crab is to stay home, and I’m glad I didn’t, and instead added a new way to catch them to my arsenal. NS
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Too Early To Prep For Deer? Nope, 6 Things You Should Do Now
A pair of whitetail look out from the side of Steptoe Butte, on far Eastern Washington’s Palouse. Deer season will be here before you know it, so it’s time to get cracking on preparing your gear for fall. (BRIAN WALKER) 164 Northwest Sportsman
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COLUMN
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hen it comes to getting ready for hunting season, there’s no such thing as “jumping the ON TARGET gun.” By Dave Workman Summer is here and that affords lots of time to start your preparations for deer hunting, and a bit later, elk hunting. Be happy that Washington’s October 16 opener is still almost three months out because you may discover that’s just enough time to get everything in order. Here are six things you need to do while the temperatures are high and the days are long:
WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, break out your sleeping bag(s) and give them a good cleaning. I’m serious about this because chances are you’ve left the bag rolled up or jammed into a stuffing bag over the winter, in a closet or out in the garage. It needs to be cleaned out. If you can wash it in the laundry, hang it outside to dry in the sun. Air it completely out. Look for any rips and repair them. Let’s face it, people stink and they can sometimes get pretty rank after a few days in a hunting camp. Remember, I said “bag(s).” Many years ago, I found out just how comfy one can sleep in a doubled-up sleeping bag. It can be freezing outside, but inside, you’ll be toasty warm.
Check your sleeping pad or air mattress. A foam pad should not be falling apart and an air mattress needs to hold air. I’ve slept without a pad in a hunting camp and it was a miserable experience, and I was much younger. Now’s a good time to repair or replace such items.
YOUR COOK STOVE should be checked to make sure it still works. I’ve got an old Coleman and a larger Wind River, and before August gets here, you can rest assured I will have cleaned both of them inside and out. Make sure the controls work, that your burners fire up properly. And get a supply of propane canisters to make sure
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COLUMN you’ll have enough to fuel your stove and lanterns. In the process, buy some spare mantles for your lanterns because it’s almost certain you’re going to need them sometime this fall.
Sleeping bags need an annual cleaning and air-drying to keep them fresh. Open them up completely and check inside and out for rips that can be repaired. (DAVE WORKMAN)
BREAK OUT YOUR hunting boots and warm them up outside some hot weekend afternoon. Apply a new coat of oil or SnoSeal or some other leather treatmentpreservative. Pay special attention to the seams. I managed to get more than two decades out of a pair of hunting boots by taking care of them. Once the grease/oil is applied, put your boots back out in the sunshine and allow that heat to do its job. While boots are still Daypacks need to be cleaned out because during the hunting season, you’re always doing this: stuffing something in them, usually accompanied by some dirt. (DAVE WORKMAN)
warm, put them on with a pair of heavy hunting socks and walk around for a while.
CLEAN YOUR DAYPACK or backpack out. That means turn them upside down or inside out and get rid of all the gunk that might be inside there. Do a resupply of necessities, such as a small first aid kit, toilet paper, a small packet of baby wipe towels, a bit of hand soap, and whatever else you carry in there, such as a small rope and fire starters in case you wind up stuck overnight away from camp. Nobody plans for such an eventuality, so prepare for it. And if you camp in a tent, set it up now. Let it air out. Check for mildew, rips and holes, and fix them. If you use a wood stove for heat, make sure it’s working properly. Clean out the stovepipe or replace it. SCOUT YOUR HUNTING area. I’ve said it before in these pages and will say it again now: You need to physically/visually inspect the area you plan to hunt. This principle never changes because game populations, animal movement and other conditions do change. For instance, maybe there was a bad winter that moved game elsewhere, or maybe there was a fire in your hunting area that messed up the habitat. Maybe there’s been some logging and roadwork this summer, or other changes have happened since last fall. You need to know these things now so you can plan – or change
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COLUMN
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eaver, one of the top names in optics and rings, has expanded its lineup of popular Grand Slam scope rings to include two additional sizes. I happen to use rings from Weaver (weaveroptics.com) on several of my rifles, and they have never let me down. Now, consumers have the option of adding a new 30mm low matte steel ring or a 30mm medium matte steel ring to their favorite firearm setup, the company said in a news release. Each Grand Slam ring starts as a piece of solid steel bar stock and is slowly and meticulously machined into a solid steel ring, the company said. Each ring features an integrated square recoil lug for superior ring-to-base contact and maximum recoil resistance. Each ring also uses no-slip Torx
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plans – accordingly. Of course you should also spend time at the range, making sure you’re zeroed. Remember, you’ll be firing a cold bore shot, so make sure you know where that bullet will strike at 100, 200 or even 300 yards.
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hunting regulations. Keep one in the house and one in your vehicle. Here’s a roundup of Washington rifle deer seasons, as they appear online: High Buck Hunt, September 15-25 Three-point minimum: Alpine Lakes, Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Pasayten, Olympic Peninsula (Buckhorn, Brother’s, Wonder Mountain, Mount Skokomish and Colonel Bob) and Henry M. Jackson Wildernesses and Lake Chelan Recreation Area. General blacktail, October 16-31 Any buck: Game Management Units 407, 418, 426, 437, 448, 450, 454, 460, 466, 501 through 505, 506, 510 through 520, 524 through 556, 560, 568, 572, 574, 601 through 621, 624 (except Deer Area 6020), 627 through 654 and 658 through 699; Any deer: GMUs 410 through 417, 419 through 424, 564, 655 and Deer Area 6020; Three-point minimum: GMU 578. General whitetail, October 16-29 Any buck: GMUs 101, 105, 108, 111, 113, 117, 121 and 124. General whitetail, October 16-26 Any buck: GMUs 203 through 284. General whitetail, October 16-26 Three-point minimum: GMUs 127 through 145, 149, 154, 162 through 186. General mule deer, October 16-26 Three-point minimum: GMUs 101 through 145, 149, 154, 162 through 186, 203 through 272, 278, 284, 328, 330 through 368, 372, 373, 379, 381, 382 (except closed in Deer Area 5382), 388. Late Westside blacktail, November 18-21 Any buck: GMUs 407, 454, 466, 501 through 505, 506a, 510 through 520, 524, 530, 550 through 560, 568, 572, 601 through 621, 624 (except Deer Area 6020), 627 through 654, 658 through 684, 699; Any deer: GMUs 410 through 417, 419 through 424, 564, 655, Deer Area 6020. Late Eastside whitetail, November 6-19 Any buck: GMUs 105, 108, 111, 113, 117, 121, 124.1 NS
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COLUMN
Noted dog trainer Jess Spradley works with his wife Tifanee Spradley – also a veteran trainer – to get a pair of Labs tuned up. Each trainer closely watches and controls their dog in order to optimize training time and curtail any conflicts. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
Dog Fight Prevention I
opened the door, my pup shot through my legs, and before I knew it, there was a dog fight. I broke it up as quickly as I could, but GUN DOGGIN’ 101 it wasn’t easy, or pretty. By Scott Haugen My pup suffered some bad bruising and hair loss on his chest and front shoulder, but fortunately, no stitches were needed.
The door I’d opened led into our garage, where I was temporarily housing a buddy’s stud dog, which had just finished eating. The bonehead mistake was one I’ll never forget, and goes to show that most dog fights are the result of their owners not paying attention; guilty as charged. Fortunately my male pup, a strong-headed 8-month-old at the time, bounced back. “Regardless if you have a male or a female dog, a fight can happen,”
states noted professional trainer Jess Spradley of Cabin Creek Gun Dogs (cabincreekgundogs.com) and who is a familiar name to these pages. Spradley trains year-round and is around a lot of dogs, not just his own, but those of fellow trainers and clients, too. One time I joined him on a two-day training session where he had nearly a dozen dogs, and brought along two handlers to help change out dogs, feed, water and kennel them.
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COLUMN Following a hunt or training session, it’s a good idea to leash your dog if other dogs are around. Get it water or food, then kennel it, in order to avoid a potential fight. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
“Own a dog long enough and there will be a fight, and you should always assume there’ll be a fight, even if your dog has never been aggressive,” is what Spradley tells folks. “Your dog might be easygoing and never edgy, but if your buddy has an aggressive dog, it can cause a fight. Be very watchful in these situations because it could change your dog’s demeanor for the rest of its life.”
RULE NUMBER ONE: Don’t ever let a dog run out the door ahead of you. They’re jacked up to get outside, and if they meet another dog face to face, it could turn ugly real fast. Rule number two: When letting your dog out of the truck, make sure it exits slowly, not bursting out the kennel or truck door. This is a common mistake at hunting locations where people gather, as well as campgrounds, parking lots and public parks. “If you have a type-A-personality dog, always keep a close eye on it,” continues Spradley. “You’ll recognize the personality type as soon as they come home, and you’re not going to change a strong-
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COLUMN Author Scott Haugen trained his two pudelpointers, Echo and Kona, to hunt together, and they do so for upland birds, waterfowl, shed antlers and more. Here they enjoyed a day in the sooty grouse woods. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
headed dog, but you can easily manage it. There will be times you need to get physical with type-A dogs because if you don’t, they’ll continually push to gain that alpha position. If you don’t think you’re in command of your dog, you’re probably not, and that’s not a good thing.” Something you’ll notice early on, and Spradley agrees, is that when you’re in charge of a well-trained dog, it’ll submit to not only your verbal commands, but your body language and even your facial expressions. But you must establish this leadership role early, as it’s the best way to control a dog and prevent future fights.
WHEN HUNTING YOUR dog with other dogs, keep a close watch. “If I’m hunting with someone and I don’t like how their dog acts, I’ll either go hunt on my own or put my dog away for a while,” offers Spradley. “After so many kills, we trade out. This takes time, but is easy because the last thing you want is a fight on a hunt.” After a hunt is when Spradley sees the
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highest number of dog fights. “These fights are the result of dog owners letting their guard down, letting the dogs run around the trucks, mingling freely like the hunters do, and that’s a big mistake. After a hunt dogs are tired, hungry, thirsty, often sore, and sometimes irritable, and those are ingredients for a fight. Keep your dog at heel all the way to the truck and immediately put it in the kennel.” With the pandemic, a growing number of people have gotten dogs and are taking them on walks in public areas. I no longer go to some of my favorite public training areas because so many people have dogs off-leash. It’s a catastrophe waiting to happen, but they don’t know it. “A strange dog should never loosely interact with your gun dog,” advises Spradley. “Socializing is important, but advocating that dogs should run up to one another and start playing is a recipe for disaster. I never let strange dogs approach my gun dogs, not even if they are on a leash because those aren’t relationships I want my dogs to develop.” It’s worth noting that some dogs can be even more possessive while leashed.
DON’T TAKE SPRADLEY wrong; he’ll be the first to tell you dogs need socialization, but be smart about it. “Get your dog with a buddy’s dog, never a strange dog,” he offers. “Start socializing when the pup is young because they need to know and be able to trust other dogs. Be smart; keep them around same-size and age-class dogs, and make the introductions slowly while both dogs are on leash.” Spradley devotes serious time to training his dogs with other dogs they’ll be hunting with, so they get to know one another. “I’ve never seen a gun dog puppy that was born to fight,” Spradley concludes. “If they do pick a fight, it’s likely because they had something bad happen to them at some point and simply don’t want to be around another dog. And when there is a fight, break it up right away because the last thing you want is a dog getting away with this type of aggression.” As I learned the hard way when my pup ran out the door, make absolutely certain there’s no opportunity for a chance encounter with another dog. This applies when letting your dog out at home, walking it on the beach or running in a park. Watch those blind corners, be mindful of other owners letting dogs out of their vehicles and always have your dog on a leash whenever there’s the slightest chance for an encounter. By paying close attention and anticipating situations you find you and your dog in, you can avoid the majority of potential fights. Then again, be ready to quickly break up a fight, because the more you train and hunt around other dogs, the more likely it is to happen. That’s just part of being a dog owner. 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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