no report this week

Marine Area 11

Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal)

Marine Area 13

no report this week

Freshwater – Columbia River (Ringold)

Good fishing continues for “Upriver Brights” on the Hanford Reach! Last week, my friend Scott, from the Renton Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers, and I had the chance to fish for “Upriver Brights” (URB’s) at Ringold, Wash.

If you are not familiar with URBs, these are King salmon that predominantly spawn at or above the Hanford Reach area of the Columbia. These fish are known for their extremely large size, some reaching over 50 pounds! Additionally, these Kings are extremely strong because they have to fight their way back up Columbia all the way to their spawning grounds. Genetically, they have adapted to this long journey from the ocean and while their skin colors up; their meat stays in prime shape into October.

One of Scott’s URBs in the net!

Our “go to gear” is a Pro-Troll flasher with Agitator Fin (it is called a Pro-Chip 11- inch flasher) and a Brad’s Super Bait. I believe the Pro-Chip flasher with the Agitator Fin is the key because it will rotate at speeds as slow as mile an hour, while other flashers will only rotate at speeds at or above 1.8 MPH. On this trip, we used a number of colors of the Pro-Chip- 11- inch flashers and they all produced fish, models with chrome or glow white seemed to produce a little better!

The other important component for our rig was the Brad’s Original Super Bait. It was developed especially for the Columbia River and it really worked for us. Part of the reason that this lure works so well is that you open the lure and fill it with your choice of baits. In our case it was canned tuna that was packed in oil. The “Lady Bug” color pattern was our top producer but other colors were catching fish too.

Fishing this method is really pretty simple. You start with a sliding cannonball weight on your mainline. 10 ounces on your front rods and 8 ounces on your back rods are good amounts to start with and then adjust the amount based on river flow.

A solo angler fishing two of the Pro-Troll flasher rigs legally with a two-rod endorsement.

Next you add a 2-foot “bumper line” of 40# mono between your flasher and weight stop. This allows your flasher to rotate freely while also separating it from the weight. However, even with the “bumper line”, you still need to let the gear out slowly to avoid tangles.

Then you attach the Pro-Chip flasher with the Agitator Fin. To the flasher, you attach a Brad’s Original Super Bait filled with Tuna packed in oil. We fished it with a 42-48 leader of 30 # mono with two barbless hooks. There is no mistaking when a fish hits, because they just bury the rod!

Most of the time we trolled this rig downstream with just enough speed for the pulsing action from the flashers to show on the tip of your rod. You want to keep your gear very close to the bottom because that is where the fish usually are! But do not drag the bottom or you will get snagged up! Check for weeds often as even a small will ruin the action. Also, if you to take the opportunity the “refresh” tuna bait frequently, the number of hits you get will go up dramatically!

Note: This rig works equally well when fishing the lower Columbia River for fall salmon either at Buoy 10 in August and September, or later as they move up the river toward Bonneville Dam. Plus, it also extremely effective for Springer fishing in the spring.

The “dredged up” rig (top) & one of our rigs (with the Spots)!

The “go to” rig of Pro-Troll Pro-Chip flasher with the Agitator Fin and Brad’s Original Super Bait was used by the vast majority of the successful anglers we saw on our trip. It is so widely used that I even “dredged up” a nearly identical rig from the bottom once when it thought I was snagged.

If you have not been to Ringold before, it is advisable to take a look at the map before you. The basic route is I-90 to Vantage and then east on State Route (SR) 26 until Othello. There you go south on SR-24 and then go further south on Sagehill Road which changes its name to Road 170. Then you turn right on Ringold Road, which takes you to the hatchery. A couple of words of caution about the route. We never saw a sign on Road 170 for the Hatchery. Also, once you leave Othello there are no services, so buy whatever you need there. However, the good news is that you camp for free for 3 days at the WDFW hatchery.

The Ringold area is open for salmon angling to the end of the month and good fishing is expected to continue. However, the Vernita Bridge and White Bluffs areas are already closed with one exception. This coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when you can fish these areas by participating in the “Live Capture King of the Reach Derby.” The Derby’s goal is capture “wild fish” to enhance the gene stock of hatchery program. My son and I fished it last year and caught a large number of really big fish. The folks from the Tri-Cities Chapter of CCA run the Derby and are extremely helpful. Hope to see you there supporting this great cause!

A fish that we caught in last year’s ”Live Capture King of the Reach 2014 Derby.”

Mark Gavin is a Salmon University staff member and an active member of several Puget Sound Anglers chapters.

Freshwater – Humptulips River

Patrick with one of the many Kings we hooked on the trip!

Last Saturday my son Patrick and I fished the “Hump” with Todd Girtz of Todd’s Extreme Fishing. Todd and I are both members of a number of chapters of the Puget Sound Anglers.  However, that is where the similarity ends.  Todd is a much better fisherman and generously shares his knowledge with other anglers.

We launched at Highway 101 at “zero dark thirty” and proceeded down river until we reached the first hole that we were going to fish.  We set-up and waited for daylight to begin fishing. Once we started, the Kings quickly followed.  We were primarily fishing eggs under a sliding float.  However, spinners, jigs and bait divers also proved effective.

A happy angler with “Todd’s loaner rod!”

After we caught several very nice kings, two bank anglers arrived at the hole.  On his very first cast, one of these gentlemen hooked a big King.  We all reeled in to watch the fight.  Unfortunately, just as he was beaching it, his rod broke and the fish got away.

His partner continued fishing while the unlucky angler sat on a bank.  After a short time, Todd asked him if he wanted to borrow a rod.  The angler accepted Todd’s generous offer and was soon able to land his king.

After that, we floated down stream fishing many more spots until dark.  We ended up landing a dozen kings between 10 and 20 pounds.  Plus, we broke off or lost about a half a dozen well hooked fish.   Additionally, we had at least ten more chances that just failed to hook up.

We had a great day on the river with Todd and learned a great deal.  If you’d like to fish with Todd, call him at 253-208-9142, or visit his website.

Mark Gavin is a Salmon University staff member and an active member of several Puget Sound Anglers chapters.

Freshwater – Lake Chelan

Jeremy Coleman of Renton and Steve Bourdage of Enumclaw with their days catch of Lake Chelan Mackinaw.

Freshwater – Potholes Reservoir

Keith Lewis with a nice Potholes Walleye

Water levels at Potholes are very slow and creeping up. This is keeping most duck hunters from getting back in the dunes for the best hunting. Also the northern flights have not arrived. We have not seen freezing temperatures here yet and none are forecast for the near future. Still, the walleye catch is going strong. Friends from the Western Walleye came over this weekend and fishing was good off the dunes fishing in waters 25 to 35 feet deep. The lake has a growing population of catfish; most that get caught are released back into the lake. They are pests to most of us who do not keep them. Walleye to six-pounds have been caught and kept which is not good as these are the spawners for future fishing. Those under 20-inches are the best eaters. The dam face continues to be the best for a mixture of small and large mouth bass. I choose to drop shot or split shot fish small plastics.

Report submitted by Tom Pollack.

British Columbia

Vancouver

no report this week

Vancouver Island (Saltwater)

no report this week

Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound

no report this week

Bamfield

Becher Bay

Salmon fishing was SLOW in East Sooke. You had to work hard to find the coho and keep on the schools. The best fishing has been in 550 feet of water and way out in the strait. The best depths to fish have been between 60 – 150 feet on the downrigger. There are some fin clipped coho being caught but most were unclipped fish. There were a few winter springs caught, just not too many. G-force spoons were the most productive lure. However, plastic baits have been popular as well. The Glow/Green Stripe hootchy has been effective for springs this past week. Spoons, such as the G-Force and Skinny G, in the Bon Chovy or Irish Cream colours were effective. For flashers, the Lemon Lime, Super Betsey and the Purple Onion have been good.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Pedder Bay

Jelle DeBruykere, Kingsley Grant, Joe Haggett and JJ O’Donnell hold up 48, 32, 52, 55 lb halibut taken on a day charter from both Race Rocks and the 17 Fathom Reef.

Salmon fishing was FAIR this past week. Most anglers are catching coho out in the tide lines past Race Rocks and averaging 1 to 2 fish per boat and you had to work hard to find the coho and keep on the schools. The 400-600 foot depth has produced the best results this past week. Most coho have been caught between 70 to 90 feet on the downrigger but the fish are sometimes a little deeper and it’s a good idea to have one line down at 120 feet. The coho have mostly been ranging from 3-6 lbs, with a mixture of marked and unmarked fish being caught. That said, a couple of 10 to 12 lb coho have been caught. There is also a lot of shaker chinook out in the strait now. Anchovy was the most productive bait when trolling for springs with Glow Green and Bloody Nose being top choices in teaser heads Spoons, such as the G-Force and Skinny G, in the Bon Chovy or Irish Cream colours were effective Flashers that remain popular include Super Betsey, Lemon-Lime and Purple Onion.

Halibut fishing was GOOD this past week. Jelle DeBruykere, Kingsley Grant, Joe Haggett and JJ O’Donnell caught 48, 32, 52, 55 lb halibut from both Race Rocks and the 17 Fathom reef in front of Peddler Bay. Depths were from 245 feet to 295 feet down with fresh herring, salmon belly and octopus all on the same hook to try and fend off the dogfish and leave something for the halibut to take. Anglers that were fishing were using mackerel, extra large herring, salmon bellies and/or octopus for bait. Berkley Gulp and Powerbait soft plastics also work very well. You can also use a large spoon fished off a spreader bar, Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or other large Jigs if you want to stay away from the dogfish.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Sidney

Salmon fishing was SLOW near Sidney. The Pender Bluffs have really slowed down and we’ve only heard of one coho from there. There are a lot of feeder springs in the Sidney Channel, but they are almost all 1” to 4” short of the minimum size for retention. Many boats are not catching anything. Many anglers are fishing using anchovies in Bloody Nose and UV Green teaser heads. Coho Killer spoons have also been working well, especially in double glow and Gold Nugget. Prawning has been quite slow in Saanich Inlet.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Sooke

The salmon fishing was SLOW to FAIR this past week. It’s mostly coho that are being caught, usually out in the shipping lanes and in 400+ feet of water. The second and third tide lines have been producing most of the fish. Most boats are getting about 1-2 fish per day. A few Chums have been caught as well. Shore casters at Kaltasin Spit are catching chum salmon at the mouth of the river. The 3.5-4” G-Force spoons, as well as hoochies, are the top choices for Sooke anglers. G-Force spoons in Outfitters, Irish Cream and No Bananas and Hoochies in White Glow, Army Truck and Tiger Prawn are the go to colours that have been catching their fair number of fish. The most popular flashers recently have been the Ok’i Betsey, the Gibbs Outfitter and the Madi.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Ucuelet

Victoria

Fishing for salmon was SLOW along the waterfront. Coho anglers were finding some success in 300 ft of water off Albert Head but most of the fish were coming from of Constance Bank. The coho are scattered along the Victoria Area. Anchovies, spoons and squirts were successful in getting hook ups. Chartreuse and Purple Haze have been the most popular colors for teaser heads. Good choices in plastic baits are the Electric Chair, Purple Haze and Glow white. Gibbs Coho Killers, AP Needlefish and Coyote spoons in green, moon glow and silver colours have been very effective. The Purple Onion and Bon Chovy flashers have been very effective recently. The Glow Green Splatter Back Coho Killer has been a very effective out at the Constance Bank.

Halibut fishing was GOOD this past week. Most anglers that were fishing were using mackerel, extra large herring, salmon bellies and/or octopus for bait. Berkley Gulp and Powerbait soft plastics also work very well. You can also use a large spoon fished off a spreader bar, Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or other large Jigs if you want to stay away from the dogfish.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Lakes

Fishing is GOOD on most lakes. Wild rainbows and cutthroats over 50 cm must be released in Cowichan Lake. Trout fishing was GOOD on most lakes in the South Island area this past week. The Vancouver Island Fish hatchery is doing the fall stocking program of catchable rainbow trout. Bass fishing is SLOWER. Soft plastics rigged Carolina style are working well and crank baits too. Soft plastics rigged “Carolina Style “is also a good choice when fishing drop offs and docks. The most productive colors in 4” Yum baits are Smoke or Pumpkinseed. Langford Lake, Shawnigan Lake, Prospect Lake and Elk and Beaver Lakes are the best local bass lakes. St. Mary’s Lake on Salt Spring Island is also a great lake for bass fishing.

Idaho

Freshwater – Lake Pend Oreille

Every fisherman has a bucket list of fish they would like to target in their lifetime. I’ve been fortunate to have checked a few of these species off my list over the past couple of years (Trophy Tiger Muskie, Tiger Trout, Walleye and even a Halibut off of my Hobie Kayak). Still left unchecked off that list is the Gerrard / Kamloops Rainbow Trout.

There’s a few lakes in the states that hold these giant trout and Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho is one them. Having never visited the lake I was in awe of it’s beauty driving into Sandpoint. The lake stretches over 41 miles long and is over 1300 feet deep! The Gerrard Rainbow Trout were introduced into the lake in 1941 and have thrived on a diet of kokanee salmon; sometimes growing 4 to 5 pounds per year. The lake record – an astounding 37 lbs! Pend Oreille also holds the state record Mackinaw Lake Trout – 43 lbs!

It wasn’t but a couple of years ago that the kokanee population of the lake declined and the state put out a $15 bounty on all rainbows and macks caught in the lake. That, combined with gill netting in parts of the lake may have helped the kokanee population more than rebound, though the mackinaw bounty of $15 per fish still stands.

I researched the lake the best I could and even have a friend that fishes the lake regularly give me a few pointers. Though fish in the teens to mid 20’s are not uncommon, I gave myself low expectations of catching one of these beauties over a three day period from my kayak.

Most power boats are trolling Frisky Jennie Flies on the surface off of planer boards. The planer boards help them skip and horizontally jig across the surface of the water. The Gerrards seem to prefer them. They can also be taken on 4.5 to 5.5 inch long Apex lures and Rapalas run off of down riggers or lead core. Stories of drags screaming from huge fish are told by those fisherman that have been fortunate to hook into these “unicorns”. Oh and forget Washington State’s single or two rod endorsement – there is no limit on number of rods you can troll.

I wish I had a better fishing report to give. The weather was too nice, the lake was too calm and the water is a bit too warm at 58 degrees. Locals say that 50 degrees is the ideal temperature to get these fish to bite. I did hook into one fish while trolling that I never did see. Day two I switched things up for a while choosing to jig a Candlefish bar jig in 120 feet of water nearly landing an 7 to 8 pound Mackinaw. I marked several fish and many schools of kokanee – getting them to bite was another story. While still in town, I did hear that a couple of charter boat guys did land a 24, 19 and 17 pound Gerrard Rainbow Trout the days I was there.

Think you have what it takes to catch a Gerrard Rainbow? Take a drive to Sandpoint and check it out.

Submitted by Brad Hole, Kayak Fishing Washington, 206-313-5567–kayakfishingwashington.com

Oregon

no report this week

Tillamook Bay

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) reports that fishing for Chinook and hatchery coho is fair to good. Trolling herring or spinners are the two most popular techniques. Fish are being caught throughout the bay. Casting spinners for hatchery coho can be productive at times in some of the mid-bay channels. The bay is open to wild coho retention (1 adult wild coho for the season) on Fridays and Saturdays only, through Oct. 31.

Great Lakes

Lake Michigan

no report this week