Alaska

Petersburg

no report this week

Wrangell

no report this week

British Columbia

Alberni Inlet

It’s again a New Year for sport salt water fishing and many sport fishermen, guides and potential guests are beginning to think about the many sport fishing opportunities that await them in 2015. 2014 was a fairly memorable year on the scenic West Coast of Vancouver Island.  Chinook fishing for migratory salmon headed to distant southern watersheds began in late April and continued through the late spring and summer.  Salmon returning to local streams and rivers arrived in August and continued in relatively good numbers into September.  In the Alberni Inlet Sockeye returns were not as high as forecast but returns were still over 1.2 million.  The 2015 West Coast Vancouver Island sport fishing season which will begin in the late spring and continue into the summer and early fall months looks to be very similar to that of the 2014 season.  The Sockeye season in the Alberni Inlet will again once again be fairly good with numbers hopefully reaching 600,000.  The Inlet is a great spot to sport fish as the Alberni Inlet water is fairly quiet and pristine.  Barkley Sound and offshore Ucluelet should be strong as good numbers of Chinook and Coho migrate to those distant watersheds.

Vancouver Island is a destination on both coastlines of all five salmon species (Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, Pink, and Chum).  This gives all avid sport fishermen an opportunity to sport fish a choice of salmon he/she might enjoy to target.  Of course these species do arrive at certain times of the summer or fall and each species also peak at specific times.  This often means that fisher persons can fish the inlets, sounds and offshore waters for Chinook and Coho and also Sockeye and have opportunity to fish river mouths and various Vancouver Island beaches for Pinks and Coho.

Winter fishing for Winter Steelhead in the Stamp River has been steady and winter (feeder) Chinook fishing in Barkley Sound and around the quiet hamlet of Bamfield and also the Ucluelet Harbor has been off and on with some reasonable fishing opportunities on those days that the winter season offers.  The Stamp River had excellent returns in terms of the summer run of Steelhead and to date returns of winter Steelhead have been good with the peak of the current season expected in February.  There has been some good sized hatchery Winter Steelhead in the mid teens with a few reaching the Upper teens to date.

At times during the winter months a few schools of Winter Chinook will make their way up into the inlet and feed on bait fish in the Bells Bay and Nahmint-Franklin areas.  This happens periodically but most years the Alberni Inlet has the best sport fishing from mid June to mid September.  The Somass River Sockeye begin migrating into the river in May and usually begin to school in good numbers around the 10th of June.  When the Sockeye build up in big numbers the sport fishing action for the number one commercial salmon really heats up and is a lot of fun for all fisher persons young and old.

Sockeye fishing often can continue into the first ten days of August.  It is then that the first few Chinook salmon appear in the Inlet.  Chinook fishing is followed by Coho with the peak of the Chinook season often occurring around the Labor Day Weekend when the Port Alberni three day Labor Day Weekend fishing derby occurs.  The Port Alberni Inlet is a wonderful and very easy area to fish.  Many people worry about rough water but the Inlet waters for the most part are very calm.  The best fishing time for Sockeye is in the morning hours and the last two hours before dark.  Sockeye salmon do seem to be active at any time of the day which makes this sport fishery a very popular opportunity for everyone.

For more information and/or reservations, call Doug Lindores at Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing (250) 723-2435; (250)724-2502; cell (250)731-7389 or 1-877-214-7206 www.catchsalmon.ca or www.catchsalmon-ca.com; dlindy@shaw.ca

Bamfield

The Salmon fishing has been great for winter Chinook. Lots of fish right near Bamfield and most areas of Barkley Sound. Most of the keeper size are between 6 – 10 pounds but there are some nice ones in the teen’s. Small spoons like a Silver Horde cop car or small needle fish hootchies are working well. As always with these fish, find the feed and you will find the fish.

For more info call Ken Bodaly at Rocky Point Charters, Bamfield, B.C. 250-728-3678 or the boat cell phone 250-735-4224 www.rockypointcharters.ca email rockypointcharters@shaw.ca.

Barkley Sound

Barkley Sound waters are very much like the Port Alberni Inlet.  The Sound is protected on both the east and west coastlines.  Fishing in the Sound could occur every month of the year without fear of experiencing the big waters often found offshore in the winter and even during the summer months.  Winter Chinook fishing has been off and on.  Recently the Bamfield Wall and Samatao Bay has had some very good Winter Chinook fishing.  The 2015 mid winter months have had some good weather patterns and fairly productive fishing days.   The best fishing areas as mentioned have been the Bamfield Harbor mouth, the Bamfield Wall, Samatao Bay as well as Swale Rock, Vernon Bay, and the Canoe Pass outside entry points.  Pill Point, Sarita Bay and the Poett Nook area are also other spots worthwhile to fish in February and March.   The last few weeks has had some anglers fishing the Bamfield Wall.  Anglers have had opportunity to land a few Winter Chinook in the Fifteen pound range. There have been several feeders in the seven to nine pound range and many undersize salmon in the mix.   The feeders have been hitting cop car coyote spoons in the three and a half and four inch size.  Other coyote spoons that have worked are nasty boy the cop car glow and blue and green nickel.  Green Spatter back hootchies have been working as well.   Anchovy in Chartreuse Rhys Davis Teaser Heads are good but with lots of undersize feeders in the mix one can go through a lot of bait.

Winter Springs are in deep water.  It is not uncommon to find them in most areas of Barkley Sound from 100 to 145 feet.  The Winter Chinook will always be found where one finds go sized bait balls.  As mentioned Coyote Spoons in the three and a half to four inch size have been working.  Other great spoons to have on board are glow cop car, nasty boy, Green glow, and green and blue nickel.  These are good choices for fisher persons to have in the tackle box.  Hootchies are popular but use a shorter leader length than in the summer.  Leader lengths from 34 to 38 inches behind a glow green or glow red hotspot flasher are a good choice.  The Purple Haze hootchie as well as various whites and greens are also excellent choices.   Anchovy is also something all sport fisher persons should have on board.  There are days when the salmon will touch nothing else but anchovy.  Anchovy in chartreuse or a green glow Rhys Davis Teaser Head is a good choice.  Most of the current feeder Chinook landed has been in the 100 to 130 foot level.  The first salmon fishing derby on Vancouver Island’s West Coast will once again occur in Barkley Sound and is based out of Poett Nook.  The Sproat Loggers Derby will take place the first Saturday and Sunday of March.  The Derby is very popular and offers some great prizes and often some great weather and fishing.  The derby surprisingly has some good sized feeders landed.  It is not uncommon to have fish over twenty pounds entered.

Summer fishing in Barkley Sound especially on the surf line most years occurs from late May to early September and is expected in 2015 to be relatively good due to the migratory movement of salmon along the west coast.  Good numbers of Chinook, Coho and Pink Salmon will be moving to watersheds to the South.  The migratory flow of Chinook should predominately be 4 year olds.  The vast amounts of rich resources of bait fish in the Barkley Sound area during the summer months often bring the salmon into feed and rest before they continue their journey.   Some world class fishing usually occurs at Meares, Cree, Edward King, Beale and as far in as Kirby Point and Swale Rock.  We are really excited about the great sport salmon fishing opportunity we should have this summer in both the Sound and the Port Alberni Inlet.

For more information and/or reservations, call Doug Lindores at Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing (250) 723-2435; (250)724-2502; cell (250)731-7389 or 1-877-214-7206 www.catchsalmon.ca or www.catchsalmon-ca.com; dlindy@shaw.ca

Freshwater

Fishing is SLOW on most lakes in the South Island area due to the cold weather. Although not many fish are being caught, some of those are big ones. Winter run steelhead are in most rivers and streams now.  Remember that ALL wild trout (steelhead included) must be released on ALL streams in Region 1. Wild rainbows and cutthroats over 50 cm must be released in Cowichan Lake. Only single barb less hooks are allowed for all fishing on island streams and rivers.

Cowichan River: As of today, the river is “blown out”. The water level is at 2.4 meters by the lake and 2.2 meters downstream near Duncan. The steelhead fishing was good before the rains and some large fish were caught and released. The Riverbottom area has been the best area to fish, but there are steelies in all parts of the river now. For steelhead, good lures to fish are Spin ‘n Glo’s, Corkies, Gooey Bobs, Jigs and the always reliable Pink Worm. Although many anglers are successful catching winter runs on flies, most anglers chose to use floats and gear. The trout fishing in the upper river is excellent. We’ve also heard of some large wild sea run brown trout being picked up as incidental catches. There are rainbows, cutthroats and resident brown trout that are actively feeding on salmon eggs. Salmon egg imitations are the go to lures for trout.

Trout:  Trout fishing was SLOW on most lakes in the South Island area this past week. That said, some big trout have been caught this past month. Last week, Don Beauchamp caught and released a 9 lb rainbow trout at Elk Lake. Bank anglers are catching trout on Powerbait, Gulp Eggs, or worms while fishing from shore and right on the bottom. Yellow and Bubblegum have been good colours recently for Powerbait. Fly anglers are fishing Pumpkinheads, Wooly Buggers, Leeches and Micro Leech patterns on full sink fly lines. Trollers have been doing well with a variety of lures. The Rhys Davis Baitrix Trout lures and UV Mini Strip Teasers work well for larger fish too. Other good trolling lures are the Apex Trout Killers with the police car one of the best and the black with silver glitter spots taking second place. Flatfish and/or Kwikfish have also been effective in sizes 5 to 7 in Frog, Black with Silver Flake or Rainbow Pattern. Smaller Rapalas in Rainbow Trout or Brown Trout patterns also work well; the jointed Rapalas have also been great for larger fish. Larger Willow Leaf Lake trolls with a size 6 hook tipped with a small 1-2″ piece of worm always produce fish. The biggest trout usually come from Langford Lake and Elk Lake.

Bass: Bass fishing is VERY SLOW. Fishing drop shot style is your best bet now. Soft plastics rigged “Carolina Style “are also a good choice when fishing drop offs and reefs, and have been most productive in 4” Yum bait colors 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.

Carp: Carp fishing is DEAD SLOW at Elk Lake. Corn and carp Boilies have been the best bait recently.

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

Sooke

The fishing for winter springs was SLOW this past weekend. Not too many boats went out due to the weather but some nice springs up to 10 lbs were caught anyway. Most boats were fishing from the harbour entrance to the Sooke Bluffs. Choice of lures has stayed very similar to last week; Anchovies are working well with Green and Bloody Nose teaser heads being good colors choices. G-Force spoons in Irish Cream and No Bananas have been catching their fair number of fish. The most popular flashers recently have been the Gibbs Madi, the Outfitter and the Jellyfish UV.Halibut fishing was slow this past weekend.

Becher Bay:  Salmon fishing was GOOD in East Sooke. Over the weekend, chinooks as large as 17+ lbs were weighed in at Cheanuh Marina. Most of the fish were caught either in Whirl Bay, off the Bedfords or from inside Becher Bay not far from the marina. Most fish were caught trolling in 130 feet to 160 of water. Vern Storry had the best day of anyone this past weekend. Vern caught two winter springs weighing 17.4 lbs and 12.4 lbs inside Becher Bay.The most productive teaser heads for anchovies were the Bloody Nose and the Purple Haze. That said, spoons and plastic baits have also been working well. Spoons such as G-Force in the smaller sizes have been working as well, both in Cop Car or Glow/Green. Squirts are working too with Pistachio, Purple Haze and Glow white the best patterns. For flashers, the Madi and the Purple Onion have been very good lately.

Pedder Bay: Chinook salmon fishing was FAIR in Whirl Bay and near the Can Buoy by the entrance to the bay. Most of the keepers weighed from 6 to 8 lbs but a few larger ones up to 16 lbs were also caught. Anchovies were the most productive lure for springs with Purple Haze and Bloody Nose teaser heads being top choices in teaser heads. Anglers are also getting springs while trolling 3” to 3.5” spoons. Coho Killers and G-force spoons with both glow and green have been working the best. Squirts are working too with Pistachio, Purple Haze and Glow white the best patterns. The best flashers have been the Purple Onion, Green/Silver Hot Spot and Jellyfish UV.

Halibut: Halibut fishing was GOOD over the weekend. There were quite a few fish brought back to the marina, but no real big ones. Anglers that were fishing were using 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.

Ucuelet

This past summer had people all excited with expectations of  record returns of Chinook headed through Ucluelet for the Columbia River. While the Columbia River did get a record return, a little just over last years numbers, we didn’t see all these fish pass in front of us as expected.

There was a big silver lining to the season however. July was one of the most fun months I have had as a fishing guide with the whole month spent fishing within 15 minutes from the harbour in a semi protected/protected bay. We started the month trolling as we normally do but ended up fishing live squid near the end. Not only did we get protection from the weather, but we got what I think is the most sporty way to catch a salmon. While downriggers are efficient ways to catch salmon, many people would rather have a more hands-on way to start the battle of the scrappy Chinook. The Good news is that I think squid fishing is here to stay. We hadn’t done it in years previous and learned a ton about it this past summer. If squid numbers stay up as they are expected to, than we very well could have a repeat of last season. There is just one for thing to say about the fishery here during July: I must say our guides did an incredible job figuring out what the salmon were feeding on we ended up getting an average larger weight size per day than in 2012 and 13.

So what happened in May, June, August and September?

As not all of you came in July, we had some good fishing in all of these months. June was not quite as good as it was in 2013, but we still managed to get some good fish. I would say the larger runs of Chinook were a little late coming through and it didn’t really pick up until the last few days of June. During August the hotspots changed almost daily and we had to be ready to pick up and move or else get really good at guessing. The Chinook moved in close to shore near the end of the month and we mostly fished Little Beach near the end with just a couple runs to Big Bank. The inshore fishing in 2014 was much better, however it did keep us moving quite often as the fish didn’t stay long in each spot. We did have some good days at Big Bank but only ran out there a handful of times when fishing in close went slow.

Hailbut Fishing 2014 – Halibut fishing seemed to be on and off. One day we would get lots and the next it would be slow or two days hot and two days cold. We did get them consistently throughout the summer starting in late May right up to mid-September. We mostly bottom bounced for them in July about 2 miles from our salmon fishing spot and trolled for them in August when fishing 5-10 miles offshore.

Coho Fishing 2014 – The Coho mostly stayed way offshore, however we did get some good days with Coho during late June to early September. Our best Coho days were in early September and we also go a few Chinook in the mix as well. Since we were fishing in close to shore in early September, if we caught a Chinook while Coho fishing it usually was a nice one.

For more info, call Sam Vandervalk, 877-777-4344 Salmon Eye Fishing Charters salmoneye.net.

Vancouver

It has been a ridiculous stretch of spring like weather over the last couple weeks! We have enjoyed some fantastic weather and some continued solid winter chinook/blackmouth fishing!

All of our trips over the last 10 days have been to the western side of Georgia Strait. The fishing has been very consistent with most trips hooking 10 to 20 winter chinook salmon per outing. There has been a mix of legal and undersize fish. The stable weather patterns looks like they are going to continue for the coming week. We are looking forward to continued good fishing and good weather!

We have been primarily using spoons as per usual this time of year. Our favourites this week have been the G Force Bon Chovy and Trailhead as well as the Silver Horde Homeland Security. We have been running our favourite Guide Series Flashers. (Madi, STS, Bon Chovy, Lemon Lime) As per usual, finding bait is quite often key to find the fish. Look for sandy flats from 100 to 200 feet and keep your gear close to bottom.

Crabbing is really starting to pick up now as well! Prawning has been good as well in the open areas.

For our neighbors to the south in US, now is the time to take advantage of the exchange rate. The Canadian dollar is now at .80 cents. You can basically knock 20 percent off our rates! If you are looking for a day trip or an overnight trip to the Gulf Island’s for winter chinook/blackmouth now is the time! Our Gulf Island’s are adjacent to the San Juan Islands and offer some very consistent winter chinook fishing! We have some great 2 day packages with seaside accommodations and 10 hours of guided fishing per day from $450.00 USD per person. Please give us a call or email to inquire!

For more info call Jeff or Jason at Bon Chovy Fishing Charters (604) 763-5460 bonchovy.com email: info@bonchovy.com.

Victoria

Fishing for winter springs was GOOD off Victoria. Anglers have been catching chinooks both close to shore and out at Constance Bank. However, the bank has been more consistent when the currents aren’t too strong. At other times, Esquimalt, Brotchie and Clover Point have produced some nice fish. Most of the fish were less than 10 lbs in size this past week. Anchovies have been working well in glow colors outside the harbour. Good choices in plastic baits are the Cloverleaf, Purple Haze and the Glo Below. Gibbs Coho Killer, Kingfisher and Coyote spoons in green and glow colours have been very effective.  Seals are still a problem, but their location has been changing from day to day.

Halibut fishing was FAIR over the weekend. Halibut up to 40+ lbs were caught off the waterfront, mostly at Constance Bank. Joe Haggett, from Whitehorse YT, caught 35 & 17 lb halibut from the northeast corner of Constance Bank in 295 feet of water on fresh Greenling head with salmon belly strip.  Anglers that were fishing were using 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.

Oak Bay: Salmon fishing was GOOD for those trolling out on the Flats and in the Gap. Winter springs up to 10 lbs are being caught on a regular basis. Anglers were using squirts, spoons, or tiny strip. The fish that were being caught trolling were caught on Coho Killer spoons and 3” to 4” G-Force & Gypsy spoons. Good squirts were the Pickle Green, J-79 and Jellyfish. Good flashers have been the Purple Onion, Green/silver or Green Jellyfish. Halibut fishing was FAIR over the weekend. Anglers that were fishing were using 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.

Sidney: Salmon fishing was GOOD near Sidney this past weekend. Coal Island, Sidney Spit and the Sidney Channel were the best spots again this past week. Many anglers are fishing using anchovies in UV Green teaser heads. Squirts have been out producing hootchies recently and the hot patterns for springs now are Purple Haze, J-79 and Electric Chair. Coho Killer spoons have also been working well, especially in double glow and 50/50 colors.

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

Great Lakes

no report this week

Oregon

Oregon Coast

no report this week

Washington

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

no report this week

Marine Area 2 (Westport)

Life in Westport during the Winter months can be some of the most relaxing that you can find. Coming down, digging Razor Clams, enjoying a nice dinner, and watching the surf just does something to relieve all those stresses life throws at you. You will get another chance to do just that starting on February 15th. WDFW just posted the next scheduled dig on their website so get ready and come on down bring the kids and enjoy the coast.

Other news around town.  The traditional opening of Fishing season for the Charter boats commences March 14th with the opening of Lingcod fishing. There is a lot of activity around the docks and Commercial Crab season is in full swing. Now is the time to grab your Crab rings and try your luck in the marina or bring your pots and give the bay a try. Check your regs because crabbing rules are slightly different in the ocean areas than in the sound.

We added a new member to our family this past week, well, not exactly but we did take delivery on our new vessel and fishing platform. A 2003, 34 foot Luhrs 320 open, powered by Yanmar diesels. It is parked on float 12 so stop by and check her out. She will be named the Fishin’ Luhrs. Rigging is in progress as we speak.

Reports submitted by Kevin Lanier,VP PSA State Board, Owner MV Fishin’ Luhrs and KC Sportfishing; Photography by Cyndi Lanier, Owner Dockside Art Studio, Westport, WA 425-328-8559

Marina Area 3 (LaPush and Forks)

no report this week

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)

no report this week

Marine Area 5 (Sekiu)

no report this week

Marine Area 6

I’m not a guide, just a regular dude that loves to fish.  At the Seattle Boat Show, I picked up the last Fetha Styx Chrome Salmon University 10’6 Rod, plus a few Herring Aide 3.5″ spoons.  Today I headed out at sunrise for some Area 6 fishing.  The result was two lost, one barely legal hatch released, and these 2 beauties retained. They weighed in at 9 and 13 lbs. I wanted to share my picture of the fish, new rod, and my modified lures. That is my first super nice rod, and I’m not sure I could go back to anything else.

Submitted by Christian Hiatt

Marine Area 7

The 2015 Roche Harbor Salmon Classic last weekend saw some pretty good fishing amid unsettled weather.  Overall, it was a very fun event. Dave Reep brought in this 22.03lber to trump Eric Reynolds on day one. Eric had weighed in a 21.13lb fish first thing in the morning Friday. That sounded like a Salmon that could hold up for the win, but congrats to Dave and team for bringing in the bigger fish and taking the $10,000 first prize. The leader board never changed after day one, and some very nice hatchery Blackmouth hit the scales this year.

A huge thanks to Salmon for Soldiers, Roche Harbor, and  the local boats that took out returning veterans to fish the derby. The young servicemen received a standing ovation, after a great time on the water catching fish. It was a pleasure and an honor to meet them.

Submitted by Kevin Klein, Fidalgo-SanJuan Islands Chapter PSA , CCA Northsound

Marine Area 8.1

Areas 8.1 is starting to heat up.  Reports from Elger Bay, Cama Beach, and East Point are starting to flow in from Area 8-1.

Submitted by Nelson “Spud” Goodsell,  FISHTALE 2, PSA Sno-King Chapter, IGFA Lifetime Member, 2015 President “Salmon For Soldiers,” SalmonforSoldiers.com.

Marine Area 8.2

Areas 8.2 is starting to heat up.

Submitted by Nelson “Spud” Goodsell,  FISHTALE 2, PSA Sno-King Chapter, IGFA Lifetime Member, 2015 President “Salmon For Soldiers,” SalmonforSoldiers.com.

Marine Area 9

STILL SLOW in Area 9.  Not too much fishing pressure and very few “catches” reported from Possession to Mid-Channel Bank. Areas 8-1 and 8-2 are starting to heat up.  Reports from Elger Bay, Cama Beach, and East Point are starting to flow in from Area 8-1.

The weather this weekend looks promising so we will see you on the water!

Submitted by Nelson “Spud” Goodsell,  FISHTALE 2, PSA Sno-King Chapter, IGFA Lifetime Member, 2015 President “Salmon For Soldiers,” SalmonforSoldiers.com.

Maine Area 10

no report this week

Marine Area 11

The salmon fishing opened in Area 11 on 2/1/15 and the fishing was slow and still is with a few Chinook to 12 lbs. coming from the Clay Bank area trolling flasher and spoons in about 120′ to 150′ of water about 10′ off of bottom. There is still squid in the area to be caught as well.

The Basic Boating Courses are the traditional civic service of the United States Power Squadrons. The courses are designed as an introduction to legal and safe power and sail boating.  The instruction given in our basic public boating course is the best way to learn the basics of safe boating and meet the requirements for mandatory Washington State Boaters Education card.  There is a charge to cover costs, including a student workbook, chart and other materials.  Many insurance companies will give a discount to boat owners who have successfully completed the course.  Instructors are knowledgeable volunteer members of USPS who have taken advanced squadron courses.

Instructor:    Stanley Wolfe,
Tacoma Power Squadron/Tacoma Yacht Club
Dates:            Thursdays 7 – 9 pm on March 26, April 2, April 9, April 16
Location:      Point Defiance Marina
5912 North Waterfront Drive, Tacoma, WA 98407
Cost:             $50.00 Pre-Registration Required by March 20, 2015 (03670831-347600) (Includes a student manual, CD, and an introductory navigation software CD from RosePoint Navigation)

Point Defiance Marina, For more information contact:  Art Tachell, 253.591.5325  art@tacomaparks.com www.pointdefiancemarina.com

Marine Area 12

no report this week

Marine Area 13

no report this week

Freshwater – Chehalis River system

Steelhead fishing was excellent right up until the rivers blew out. Expect the fishing to be very good for the next few weeks.  The rain that we have got will for sure bring more fish our way. There have been good numbers of Hatchery fish around with a few of those scrappy natives, we all love.

I have some midweek dates open in February, Don’t miss out!

Come see us at the Central Washington Sportsman Show February 20th-22nd!

Riverside Guide Service; 206-533-4105; seattlefishingtrips@yahoo.com; www.seattlefishingtrips.com

Freshwater – Cowlitz River

Well, if you failed to make the first of two opening days of Smelt Dipping on the Cowlitz River, you’re still in luck.  What a great way to impress your significant other with a bucket of smelt on the next opener – February 14th!

A friend and I drove 2 hours from Seattle to Kelso, Washington where, within a matter of minutes we had our 10 lb limit of smelt.  All you’ll need is a dip net with a long handle, a bucket and a pair of boots or waders (should you slip from the bank).  A fishing license is not needed for smelt netting.

The fishery is open from 6am until noon on February 14th.

The Cowlitz River has a run of several million smelt that have returned to the river to spawn and eventually die.  Smelt are delicious fried whole, smoked and even pickled.  Save a few for the freezer for bait. I’ve used them like herring trolling for cutthroat trout and even salmon.

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

Freshwater – Lake Washington

no report this week

Freshwater – Potholes Resevoir

Retirement for me is becoming a reality. No need to get up and head to work on a schedule. Last week I forgot just what day it was and did not file a report. Here in my neck of the woods we have seen springtime weather with no mornings below 35 degrees. Water temperatures are rising and fishing can be good in any one of the year-round lakes. In the fishing rule book unless a lake has a listed opening it is open year around. You are missing a good opportunity.

I am seeing increased fishing on the Potholes with mixed success on Walleye, Perch of good sizes and Trout. Each day brings wind conditions, but usually it is flat calm. Nothing special but most are vertically fishing with blade baits in 30 to 40 feet of water out from the dunes. Beach fishing from the shore at Medicare Beach or up in Linn Coulee would be just where to start.

Submitted by Tom Pollack

Trying to time the small weather window for fishing, my fishing partner and I headed to the Potholes Reservoir for a day of fishing.  Our target – winter Walleye and Yellow Perch. Tuesday was the only break in the weather window before the nastiness rolled in. The weather was 32 degrees and the water 36. We launched out of the public boat launch and paddled the three miles to The Dunes. Fish were holding in depths 25 to 45 feet. Using our GPS and Lake Map Chip we were able to find pinnacles in the lake. It was also essential to navigate through the thick fog that had blanketed the lake. Walleye were holding on these slopes – anticipating an easy meal to come their way. We skipped using the bottom walker/ worm harness set up that was successful in the fall to fishing blade baits. A slow retrieve and small twitch provided us with several hook ups of both walleye and perch.

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

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