Tag Archives: outdoor

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

Banks Heating up for the Anacortes Derby
Anacortes Derby chairman Jay Field says the banks in the Strait of Juan de Fuca have been putting out good numbers of fish lately. Anglers have been scoring blackmouth on the banks the last couple of weeks on whole and cut plug herring. He also recommended hitting the north end of Orcas and the west side of Orcas for a chance at a bigger blackmouth. Field reported that Rosario Strait has slowed down from what it was a month ago, but there are still a few to be in there too.

7 Percent of Springer Quota Taken by Sporties on Columbia
Thru last Sunday anglers have taken just 7 percent of the anticipated spring Chinook quota on the lower Columbia River. Despite favorable conditions fishing has been quite slow on the Columbia River for spring Chinook so far this season. The quota is set at 6,100 fish and the season is set to close on April 5 with closures on March 27th and April 2nd to allow for gillnetting.

Wolf Management Costs to Rise to $2.3 Million for 2013-2014
In wolf management related testimony in Olympia this past week WDFW wildlife manager Dave Ware told legislators that the cost of managing wolves in the state of Washington will rise to approximately $2.3 million dollars in 2013 and 2014. He said the cost for last year’s work alone was $750,000, but with an increase in the states wolf population those costs are expected to rise significantly. The cost to remove the Wedge Pack in Northeastern Washington was $77,000 alone. There are 51 confirmed wolves in Washington and the total population is likely just over 100.

Razor Dig Scheduled for Easter Weekend
WDFW just announced yet another razor clam dig for the Washington coast for next weekend. Twin Harbors will be open Thursday, March 28th and Sunday March 31st, and Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis, and Mocrocks beaches will all be open on March 29th and 30th. These are perhaps the best tides of the entire winter for digging razor clams with low tides between 7:57 a.m. on Thursday and 10:16 a.m. on Sunday.

Surf Perch Hitting Clam Necks at Ocean Shores
Ben Rogers at Defiance Marine in Bremerton says razor clam diggers should bring their surf perch gear along with them when they head to the coast next weekend. He and a buddy have done really well on surf perch at Ocean Shores on the last couple of razor dig weekends. Rogers likes to use a two hook rig and run a clam neck on one hook and a sandshrimp on the other hook. Rogers likes to use bigger 2/0 baitholder hooks as they tend to hook bigger perch and he’ll run a 2 ounce pyramid sinker and a perch spreader rig. He says most of the tackle shops on the coast have perch spreader rigs which are really easy to use and keep the gear from getting tangled up in the surf. Next weekend’s clam tides are in the morning giving surf fishers plenty of time to catch perch in the afternoon.

Halibut and Lingcod Seminar at Three Rivers Marine
Don’t miss the halibut and lingcod seminar on April 6th at Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville featuring John Beath. John will be discussing the benefits of using UV lures and techniques for catching trophy halibut and lingcod. Three Rivers Marine will be raffling off fishing gear at the event and smoking deals on halibut and lingcod gear. Mini-clinics start at 10:00 a.m. at the store and John Beath’s seminar begins at noon. Three Rivers Marine suggest you RSVP to get a seat at this event.

Muzzleloading Pioneer Tony Knight Dies at 67
Muzzleloading rifle innovator Tony Knight of Knight Rifles passed away last Monday at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Knight modernized the muzzleloader rifle when he introduced the in-line muzzleloader in 1985. This endeavor would eventually earn him the distinction as the “father of in-line muzzleloading.” Knight is survived by his wife, two children, and four grand children.

Man Sends WDFW $6,000 Check for Poaching
Northwest Sportsman – Washington fish and wildlife officers say they’ve never seen anything like it: A $6,000 check out of the blue from a man who needed to clear his conscience about poaching three deer out of season more than 40 years ago. Apparently the man known only as Roy contacted WDFW officials in Spokane recently to ask how much the fine would be for illegally killing three deer. Officers told him the fine had gone up from around $200 in the late 60’s to approximately $2,000 per violation now. A week, or so, later WDFW recieved a check for $6,000 from the man who apparently was trying to clear his conscious after years of guilt. WDFW officials say they’ve never seen anything like and that it’s never too late to do the right thing.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

Jerry Thomas Wins Oly Pen Salmon Derby

A record catch of 351 hatchery Chinook were weighed in at the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby last weekend setting a new record for the 40 year old derby. 820 anglers fished in the event compared to 650 last year. Mount Vernon native Jerry Thomas took first place and $10,000 with a 15.90 pound blackmouth, Lauren Selvig from Port Orchard took second with a 14.80 pound blackmouth, and Don White of Hansville took 3rd place with a 14.35 pounder. Thomas hooked the winning fish first thing in the morning on Saturday near Protection Island on an orange label herring. It’s the first time he’s fished the Olympic Peninsula Derby and he says he’ll be back next year.

Lake Roosevelt Producing Limits of Rainbows

Don Talbot at Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee says the rainbow fishing is still good on Lake Roosevelt. He recommends trolling small Apex lures in either purple or bright red with anywhere from a half ounce to an ounce of lead. Talbot says the fish are cruising in the top 20 feet of the water column and anglers should set the gear as much as 200 feet back from the boat to get strikes. Talbot also recommends using a K-Fly tipped with a nightcrawler if the Apex’s aren’t working. Talbot says to launch at Spring Canyon boat launch and fish the lower six to eight of the lake just above Grand Coulee Dam.

Steelhead Showing in the Cowlitz

Derek Anderson from Screamin’ Reels Guide Service reports that a few of the “B” run steelhead are starting to show up in the Cowlitz. He said a friend of his caught three the other day and there were some fish being caught by the bank anglers at Blue Creek, as well. Anderson thinks that things will pick up the first week of March when the run typically starts to show up. The majority of the hatchery steelhead planted in the Cowlitz River now show up in the river as a late “B” run that starts in late February and goes all the way thru the end of April. These fish are big too…averaging around twelve pounds and steelhead into the upper teens aren’t uncommon.

Razor Clam Dig Scheduled for this Weekend

WDFW approved another razor clam dig for this weekend at Long Beach and Twin Harbors on the Washington coast. Today’s tide is at 5:12 p.m. and tomorrows tide is at 5:47 p.m.. Clam diggers are limited to 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig. Check out the WDFW website for more details.

Spring Chinook Seminar at Three Rivers Marine

Northwest salmon fishing expert Josh Hughes will be doing a spring Chinook seminar at Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville on March 9th. Hughes will cover in detail where to fish on the Columbia River for springers and exactly how to rig up to catch these prized fish. Three Rivers will also be conducting mini-clinics starting at 10:00 a.m. on everything from how to rig a cut plug herring to wrapping and tuning a Kwikfish. If you’re at all interested in fishing the Columbia and its tributaries for Chinook this spring this seminar is a must. There’s bbq’d hot dogs and soda at the event and please RSVP to let them know you’re coming.

100,000 Descend on Tulsa for the Bassmaster Classic

Approximately 100,000 people are expected at both Grand Lake and in the city of Tulsa this weekend for the 43rd annual Bassmaster Classic. It’s the first time the Bassmaster Classic has ever been held in Oklahoma and the farthest west the Classic has been in more than 30 years. The angler with the best three day bass total in the Classic wins an impressive $500,000 and much, much more in endorsements. The big story at the Classic this year is the weather. There was snow on the ground for practice during the week and temperatures are supposed to drop below freezing every night.  The cold weather didn’t slow down Mike Iaconelli and Cliff Price though, who are both tied for 1st place after day one with 21 pounds, 8 ounces apiece. 4 time Classic champion Kevin VanDam is in a very close 4th place with 19 pounds 12 ounces.

Wolf Population Doubles in Washington

According to a survey just released by WDFW the number of gray wolves in Washington has nearly doubled in the past year. The survey found at least 51 wolves in 9 packs in Washington state. In 2011 there was just 27 wolves in the state. Bioligists suspect that there are two additional wolf packs in the state and think there could be as many as 100 wolves in Washington state.

Russian’s Crowned Ice Fishing Champions

From the A.P. – The Russian’s just took the gold medal in the World Ice Fishing Championships in Central Wisconsin last weekend. Eleven teams from around the world competed Saturday and Sunday on Beg Eau Pleine Reservoir near Wausau. The Finland ice fishing team took 2nd place, Lithuania took 3rd, and the the U.S. team took fourth place despite having the “home ice” advantage. Last year the ice fishing championships were held in Khazahkstan where the U.S. team took 11th place.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

Hit Lake Washington for Winter Cutthroat
Tom Pollock from the fishing counter at Sportco (253-922-2222) says he’s been hearing really good reports about the cutthroat fishing on Lake Washington. Customers have been catching cutthroat to 17 inches and one customer landed a 4 and a half pound cutty on the lake last week. Pollocks go-to trolling rig is a pink mini-hoochie 10 to 12 inches behind a mini Sling Blade. He tips the hooks with as many as four Berkley Gulp Maggots and also adds Smelly Jelly Crawfish scent to the dodger. Pollock says to troll 15 to 20 feet down on the downrigger and get the gear at least 100 feet behind the boat before clipping it in. The best fishing on Lake Washington this time of year for cutthroat is the south side of Mercer Island in 100 to 120 feet of water.

Travis Brewer Banded Hunts
Travis Brewer from Banded Hunts Washington (360-333-2488) said the field hunting in Skagit County has been lights out this past week. They’ve been taking limits of greenheads and widgeon in the fields close to Samish Bay. Brewer says  there’s thousands of ducks wintering on Samish Bay and they are pouring into nearby fields to feed in the mornings. He expects this next week to provide some exceptional hunting as North winds push birds down from BC. Brewer says to hunt the fields closest the the bay fronts for the most consistent action.

Forks Area Rivers Fishable This Weekend
Bill Myer from Angler’s Guide Service (206-697-2055) in Forks, Washington thinks the Olympic Peninsula rivers will be in shape and fishable just in time for the weekend. Myer says theres already been a couple of 20 plus pound steelhead caught on the Sol Duc and Bogachiel and either one of those would be his choice this weekend. Bill says the tribal nets weren’t in all week because of high water and this weekend could be a telltale of how the run is shaping up.

Whitetail Buck Crashes into Ohio Classroom
From the Associated Press. Early Monday morning a 10 point whitetail buck jumped through a window at Kings Junior High School in Warren County, Ohio. When officials arrived at the school at around 7:00 a.m. they found the deer trapped in the classroom. Administrators had to have students wait in the auditorium while firefighters and the local game warden tranquilized the deer and removed it from the building. The buck was removed at approximately 8:45 and classes started on schedule at 9:00 a.m..

Spurned Woman Sells Ex-Boyfriends Secret Fishing Spots
This drama actually went down in January of 2012, but it’s just now getting play in the media.  New Zealand’s Stuff magazine reports that an un-named boyfriend had hightailed it to Australia without giving his girlfriend notice. The only problem is that he forgot to grab his GPS containing all of his secret fishing spots out of the garage. When she found it in the garage she immediately placed it up for auction  on the web and was surprised to get more than 90,000 hits on the secret fishing spots. The GPS coordinates went for $3,000, which she spent on herself.  Stuff magazine reports that she’s now dating a new fisherman, but she says she won’t share her ex’s fishing spots with him. She is more honorable than that.

Bluefin Tuna Sells for $1.7 million in Japan
A single bluefin tuna just set a record at Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji fish market, fetching over 1.7 million dollars. The 489 pound bluefin was caught in the North Atlantic and sold in Tokyo for a whopping  $3,476 a pound. The “New Year Tuna” was purchased by representatives from Tokyo Zanmai, which is a popular Japanese sushi restaurant chain. The tuna more than doubled last year’s record purchase of a 593 that fetched $736,000 dollars. Bluefin tuna have become increasingly rare as stocks worldwide have been overharvested to keep up with demand, which is one of the reasons why they fetch such a high price on the sushi market.

Pro 2nd Amendment March on January 19th
The group “Guns Across America” is holding a peaceful pro 2nd Amendment rally at the state capitol building in Olympia on January 19th at high noon. The group is asking anyone and everyone that’s interested wants to retain their right to bear arms to show up at the rally. Hunters, pistol shooters, gun collectors, and patriots are asked to show up at the rally and show their support of the 2nd Amendment. Rallies are taking place on the steps of every state capitol building across the country on January 19th.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com 

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

Kester and McCulloch Scoring Blackmouth in Area 10

Matt McCulloch from Tyee Charters (206-799-2530) on Bainbridge Island has been hitting blackmouth all the way up to 16 pounds at Jefferson Head, Kingston, and Skiff Point. He says the south side of Jeff Head has been really good on the outgoing tide, but the seals have been a real issue there lately. McCulloch’s also been finding quite a few fish feeding on spawning herring and anchovies in as shallow as 40 to 50 feet of water around Kingston. His go-to trolling setup lately has been a glow in the dark Hot Spot with a 4 inch Irish flag Kingfisher Lite spoon. He thinks the stellar blackmouth fishing should hold up all the way thru the month of January.

Nick Kester from All Star Charters (425-327-2421) says he’s been kicking back a lot of shakers in the 21 inch range in the south end of Area 10 this past week to find his keepers. Kester has been scoring his legal blackmouth at Tyee Shoal near Eagle Harbor and he says there’s plenty of blackmouth at Jefferson Head too, but the seals have been horrible there lately. He’s been scoring most of his fish trolling either Cookie’s and Cream or Irish Cream spoons 45 inches behind a Gibb’s glow in the dark flasher.

Humptulips Cranking out Hatchery Steelhead

Joe Superfisky from Superfly’s Guide Service (360-888-7772) says the bank anglers have been outfishing the driftboaters by a longshot on the Humptulips River this past week. Superfisky says the area around Stevens Creek Hatchery has been hot for hatchery steelhead as they bomb upstream in the recent high flows. He was on the river on Friday and says he saw at least a dozen steelhead laying on the beach when he floated by with his customers. He’s been picking off a few nice fish in the boat, but his advice is to hit the bank at Steven’s Creek for your best shot at a nice Humpulips hatchery steelhead.

New Years Razor Dig Underway

Razor clammers will have this weekend and Monday to dig clams on the Washington coast. Twin Harbors, Long Beach, and Mocrocks will be open tonight. Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks, and Copalis Beaches will all be open tomorrow and Monday for digging. The razor clam limit is 15 per person and the best digging usually occurs one to two hours before low tide.

Steelhead Cruising the Green

Daniel Bravo from Auburn Sports and Marine (253-833-1440) says the Green River has been kicking out a few hatchery steelhead above Flaming Geyser Park. Bravo says the word on the street is that sand shrimp, sand shrimp, or sand shrimp hs been the go-to bait on the Green lately. He says he’s heard of a few reports of wild fish in the Green already, as well. The Green received a plant of 116,000 steelhead smolts in 2011 and should provide decent steelhead fishing into January.

Chad Belding at Holiday Sports

Chad Belding of the popular and entertaining hunting show The Fowl Life on the Sportsman’s Channel will be at Holiday Sports in Burlington on December 29th from 2 to 4 p.m. to sign autographs and talk waterfowl hunting with fans of the show.

Pennsylvania Deer Hunter $50 Million Richer

From the Levittown Patch. Roger Custer of Levittown, Pennsylvania bought a Powerball lottery ticket while picking up supplies for a week long hunting trip with some friends in early December. When he returned home from his hunting trip five days later he pulled the ticket from his pocket and handed it to his wife and said, “Check this and tell me how many millions we’ve won.” After checking the numbers his wife began crying with joy. While he was away hunting Custer had hit the Powerball jackpot, winning $50 million before taxes. The Custer’s after-tax winnings amounts to just over $33 million. Custer says he plans on doing a lot more hunting and fishing in the near future.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

WDFW Announces Razor Clam Dig
Clam diggers can look forward to some of the best tides of the year when Twin Harbors opens on December 11th for 6 days, followed by Mocrocks, Long Beach, and Copalis that will open up on Friday December 14th. All four beaches will remain open thru Sundays tide, which is set for 8:47 p.m..

Bogachiel Heating Up
Mike Zavadlov from Mike Z’s Guide Service (360-640-8109) in Forks reported decent fishing on the Bogachiel River on Thursday of this past week. The river had four feet of visibility and Mike said they had hooked a few fish but the river was still fairly high at the time. He felt like the Bogey should fish well over the weekend as it dropped into prime fishable shape. The Bogachiel River was the only river in the immediate Forks area to receive a steelhead plant in 2011 because of an outbreak of the IHN virus. For hatchery steelhead the Bogachiel will be the only game in town until the wild fish show up.

Cowlitz Hit and Miss for Steelhead
Todd Daniels from Tall Tails Guide Service  (206-437-8766) is reporting fairly tough fishing conditions on the Cowlitz River so far this winter. He says they’ve been catching one to three steelhead a day just below the Blue Creek HatcheryHit or miss, but overall it’s been very hit or miss. Daniels says the size of the fish has been great though with most of the fish weighing from ten pounds up to the mid teens. Daniels has been drifting yarnies on a four foot leader tipped with an EZ Egg and he says with the high flows you’ve got to get tight to the bank where the steelhead are holding. The Cowlitz has been flowing at 14,000 cfs and the Northwest River Forecast Center predicts that the Cowlitz will drop down to around 11,000 cfs by mid week.

Weather Needed to get Skagit Ducks Moving
Travis Brewer from Banded Hunts (360-333-2488) in Mount Vernon says there’s a ton of ducks on Skagit Bay, but they haven’t been flying much the last couple of days. He thinks if the snow level and the barometer drops this weekend like it’s supposed to the ducks will likely hit the flooded fields in the Skagit Valley to feed. Otherwise weekend hunters should concentrate their efforts on the bay for their best chance at a good shoot. Brewer also recommends doing as much scouting as possible before heading out.

San Juan Blackmouth Fishing Off to a Good Start
Blackmouth fishing in the San Juan Islands seems to be off to a good start. Winter blackmouth into the mid-teens have been reported from the Rosario Strait and also on the west side of Orcas Island. 75 angling teams descended on Friday Harbor this weekend for the 3rd Annual Resurrection Blackmouth Derby. A 15.5 pound blackmouth is on top of the derby board right now followed by a 14.5 pounder. With one more day to go it’s anybody’s derby at this point. The Outdoor Line is broadcasting live from Friday Harbor this weekend and don’t forget to check out TheOutdoorLine.com for a full derby report.

Minnesota Twins Target Free Agents with Venison Jerky
The Minnesota Twins have come up with a unique way to entice free agents to upgrade their ailing rotation: the gift of venison jerky. Says General Manager Tim Ryan, “We know we’re not going to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox of the world as far as the money we can put up, so we have to spend smarter and add value where we can. And if you want to convince a potential free agent or another club to strike a deal, who’s going to say no to some of Glen Perkins homemade venison jerky? Probably no one.” The Twins closer and outdoors enthusiast is thrilled that his venison jerky, or “Perkins Jerkins is an integral part of the team’s attempt to improve their chances to compete in the competitive AL Central.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

Humptulips and Satsop Kicking out Coho
Patient anglers that waited until the end of the season to fill their freezers with coho were rewarded with great fishing this past week on the Humptulips and Satsop Rivers. Scott Sypher from Canyon Man’s Guide Service (206-518-4982) and Phil Stephens from Mystical Legends Guide Service (206-940-0052) both reported excellent silver fishing on both rivers. They both got quick limits on the Humptulips fishing eggs under a float two days ago and the fish have been big…running between 10 and 15 pounds. Over on the Satsop several fish in the 18 to 20 pound range have been reported the last couple of days, as well. These fish are often called the Christmas coho because the fishing usually remains good right up until Santa Claus rolls into town. The only problem is that the Northwest River Forecast Center is predicting that these rivers will be well out of fishable shape until as late as next weekend.

Cowlitz Slow for Steelhead
Outside of just a few winter steelhead being caught on the Cowlitz River fishing has been really slow there this past week. Derek Anderson from Screamin’ Reels Guide Service (206-849-2574) thinks the next high water should bring some fish into the system in the next week or so. The Northwest River Forecast Center is calling for the Cowlitz to ramp up to over 16,000 cfs by mid next week after a series of wet weather systems hits Western Washington, which is much too high to effectively fish for steelhead.

Blackmouth Still Holding off South Whidbey
When the weather allows for it Derek Floyd from Angler’s Choice Charters (425-239-5740) has been stroking the blackmouth at Possession Bar off the South end of Whidbey Island. Derek said he landed 13 legal blackmouth last Saturday on the bar and released another 5 wild fish before calling it a day. Floyd said it’s been tough to fish lately with all the wind, but when it lay’s he thinks the fishing will remain good. The Floyd fishing team will be heading to Friday Harbor the middle of this next week to compete with 70 other fishing teams and $15,000 in cash prizes in the Resurrection Salmon Derby.

Gillnet Removal on Tap for Columbia River
Sportsman may soon get their wish to have non-tribal gillnets removed entirely from the lower Columbia River. The Oregon and Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissions will meet at the Holiday Inn in Portland on December 7th and on January 11th and 12th in Olympia to vote on a plan to push gillnets off the mainstem of the lower Columbia and into designated off-channel netting areas. If the plan goes thru the sportfishing quota on runs like summer Chinook would be increase to 100% of the non-tribal catch. Sportsman would also see an increase in spring Chinook, fall Chinook, coho, and sockeye quota if the plan is approved. While the plan is very complicated many are hopeful that the gillnets will be removed and that a new era in sportfishing will dawn on the Columbia River.

Resurrection and Roche Harbor Derby Tickets on Sale
Tickets are still on sale for the Resurrection Blackmouth Derby in Friday Harbor next weekend. The Outdoor Line crew will be fishing in this derby and broadcasting live from the derby on Saturday. The derby is December 7th and 8th and boasts $15,000 in cash with $10,000 for 1st place. Log on to www.resurrectionderby.com for more information about this event. The next  big derby in the series is the Roche Harbor Derby held February 7th thru the 9th at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. The Roche boasts $25,000 in guaranteed cash prizes and this year the resort will kick in an additional $30,000 for a winning blackmouth over 30 pounds. Tickets are $700 per boat for the Roche and registration forms can be found at www.rocheharbor.com.

Arizona Fish and Game Corrects False Press Release
Television, radio, newspaper and online news outlets carried a story this past week that elk hunters who hadn’t filled their bull elk tag at the end of the season would get a weeklong extension to their season. The Associated Press released the article without checking credentials and now Arizona Fish and Game officials are scurrying to clarify the situation. Officials aren’t quite sure where the press release came from, but suspect that an elk hunter with media access is behind the hoax.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

Razor Clam Dig This Weekend
The second razor clam dig of the season will take place on the Washington coast October 27th thru the 30th. Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, and Mocrocks beaches will be open over the weekend of October 27th and 28th and Twin Harbor’s beach will remain open thru Tuesday. The digs are scheduled for evening tides, so don’t forget your LED Lensor headlamp and check the WDFW regulations before you hit the beach.

Bayside Marine Blackmouth Derby Next Weekend
Tickets are on sale now for the Bayside Marine Blackmouth Derby next weekend in Everett. Glenn Helton took first place and $2000 in last year’s Bayside Derby with a 15.52 pounder and Dave Buckley and Dave Pitcher from Sims Honda took the two-day team weight prize with 31.1 pounds of winter blackmouth. Tickets are $30 per angler and can be purchased at Bayside Marine in Everett. Anglers can get 5 dollars off the ticket price by donating 5 cans of food.

Chums Prowling Minter Creek
Tom Pollock from Sportco in Fife (253-922-2222) reports that the chums are starting to show up in front of Minter Creek near Purdy. He says the fishing has picked up there this past week and he expects it to get really good in the coming weeks. He recommends fishing a whole green label herring under a slip float at the mouth of the creek for cruising chums and he also said to bring along some Vibrax spinners and purple and pink jigs. Anglers have been catching a lot of Minter Creek chums the last couple of years twitching jigs at the mouth of the creek.

Snohomish System Pumping Out Chums
Derek Anderson from Screamin’ Reels Guide Service (206-849-2574) has been tearing up the chums on both the Snohomish River and the lower Skykomish this past week. He’s been catching woofers into the double digits almost daily backtrolling Kwikfish with a sardine wrap. He says the best colors have been the Double Trouble Kwikfish and any Kwiky’s with pink on them. Anderson has also been catching a handful of silvers every day casting Wiggle Warts on the lower Skykomish. He expects the chum fishing to hold up into early December and commented that he’s already heard of at least one winter steelhead being caught on the Skykomish.

Skokomish and Chico Creek Festooned with Chums
Ben Rogers at Defiance Marine (360-813-3600) in Bremerton says theres plenty of chums and a few silvers in the Skokomish River right now. The bulk of the fish are being caught driftfishing Corkies and yarn.  He’s also reporting excellent chum fishing in front of Chico Creek near Silverdale. The Chico chums have been hitting an anchovy under a float so well that he’s had to order more bait at the store to restock their freezer, which got cleaned out last week because of the good fishing.

Black Bear Trapped in Entryway
Alaska State Troopers responded to the call of a black bear trapped in the entry way of a home last Sunday in Ketchikan, Alaska. The bear had snuck into the entryway of the home during the night looking for food when it tipped over a garbage can that blocked the door. The bear knocked over a freezer and did $1000 in damage before troopers showed up to free the bear in the morning. The bear fled the scene immediately and they are hoping it learned its lesson. Unfortunately it won’t be able to repair the damages to the entryway.

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

Squid Showing Up in the Sound Already
Tim Bush at Outdoor Emporium (206-624-6550) says the squid fishing in Puget Sound has been excellent since late August. Bush says Pier 86 is the best place to target squid because they have power plug-ins built right into the dock for lights. He also recommends Seacrest Pier, Des Moines Pier, Edmonds Pier, and the A Dock in Ballard for squid. The hot squid jig lately has been a Colman glow in the dark squid jig and they’ve got plenty of them ready to go at Outdoor Emporium down on 4th Street just south of Safeco Field.

Skagit River Levels Yo-Yo’ing
John Koenig at Johns Guide Service (360-708-3166) is reporting great numbers of silver salmon in the Skagit River. He says the only thing keeping him from getting limits every day is river flows, which have been yo-yo’ing up and down this past week with the heavy rain fall. John’s been getting all of his silvers twitching a 3/8th ounce Warnie jig in pink and purple in the back eddy areas on the upper Skagit. John has also seen quite a few chums in the Skagit already this month. Bank fisherman should take a look at the Cascade River, which Koenig says is “stuffed” with coho right now.

Skagit Good, Samish Slow on Waterfowl Opener
Kevin John at Holiday Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361) reported good numbers of ducks on Skagit Bay for the hunt opener last weekend, but very poor shooting on Samish Bay just to the north. He said most of the action has taken place on the bay front because nearby fields have yet to accumulate any water. Kevin said the water level in the Skagit River came up enough with the rains to allow hunters to access the Skagit River delta from the Conway boat ramp. 5,000 to 6,000 snow geese were in the Skagit Valley prior to the opener and Kevin reports a lot of Canada geese are also in the valley right now. The migration will bring thousands more snow geese into the Skagit Valley in the coming months. Kevin mentioned that Holiday Sports has cases of Federal Powershok waterfowl loads on sale right for $100, which is a $30 savings over the regular box price.

Potholes Opener Solid for Local Ducks
Levi Meseberg at Mar Don Resort (509-346-2651) on Potholes Reservoir reported very good hunting on the lake on the opener last weekend. He said hunters had really good shooting last weekend for both mallards and pintails. Meseberg said he’s never seen so many local pintail this early in the season. Ducks Unlimited is reporting a 58% increase in northern pintails this year and we should see an increase in just about all the other duck species in the Pacific Flyway this year also. If Washington gets any foul weather this winter the duck hunting could be some of the best in years.

Humptulips River Slow, Slow, Slow for Salmon
Phil Stephens of Mystical Legends Guide Service says the salmon fishing on the Hump has been far from spectacular this past week. He says there are very few coho in the river and he’s been spending all of his time targeting king salmon. Stephens has been catching a few king salmon every day backbouncing eggs cured with Pro Glow and says his biggest king so far on the Hump has been 36 pounds. In regards to the slow fishing he thinks the silver fishing should improve dramatically in November when the late run of hatchery silvers hits the river.

Deer Harvest Similar to Last Year
The rains helped deer hunters sneak around the woods a lot quieter last weekend, but it didn’t exactly translate into a lot more deer tags being filled. State game check stations saw about the same number of deer being this year as they did last year. The Winthrop game station in popular Okanogan County checked 127 hunters with 17 deer. These numbers are almost the same as last year. WDFW staff noticed a drop in the numbers of hunters again this year. High fuel prices may be keeping some hunters from going to their traditional hunting areas. The Deer Park check station in Northeastern Washington checked 114 hunters with 12 deer last Sunday, which was very similar to last year’s numbers. A 4 point minimum requirement in GMU’s 117 and 121 are keeping a lot of hunters out of those areas.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

Posted on by
Reply

Westport Wide Open for Silvers
Darin Koob from Outer Escape called in yesterday with a hot coho report from Westport. He was fishing with Bret Ferris of Ferris’s Guide Service and said they couldn’t keep the silvers off in 175 feet of water in front of the Quinault Casino. Darin said most of the fish were hitting a Wicked spinner and they were also getting quite a few silvers to hit cut plug herring. Captain Ferris said the bite has also picked up around Buoy 6 and 8 along the south jetty.  It looks like the huge silver salmon forecast for the Chehalis River system just may come to fruition.

Sekiu Cranking out Silvers
The fishing report on the front page of Olson’s Resort website says the fishing there is “hot, hot, hot!” Last weekend. Tara Hergert at Olson’s says anglers are catching a lot of silvers right now on spoons, bait, hoochies, flies, and just about anything that might catch a salmon. She also said the beach fishing has been outstanding right off the jetty in front of Olson’s and off the mouth of the Clallam River. Anglers are casting Buzz Bombs off the beach and having plenty of success.

Silver Action Hot on Puget Sound
Anglers are flat our hammering the silvers on Puget Sound right now. Most of the action is occurring between Mukilteo and Edmonds, but there’s also been plenty of fish down at Redondo and Point Robinson. Tom Nelson from the Outdoor Line has been getting his limit every day trolling a Black Ace Hi Needlefish behind a “O” or “OO” Luhr Jensen dodger and in the early morning hours a cut plug herring behind a 4 ounce sinker has also been working great. At Everett on Thursday of this past week WDFW staff checked 51 boats with 188 coho. That’s good fishing folks!
 
Silvers Cruising Shoreline in Hood Canal
Ben Rogers from Defiance Marine (360-813-3600) in Bremerton is reporting good silver fishing at Salisbury Point on the Hood Canal. He says the guys from the shop have been getting limits of coho at Salisbury fishing herring under a float or casting pink and silver Flying C spinners off the beach. He says the fish are right up on the beach  right now and very accessible to bank fisherman. Don’t forget to hit Defiance Marine on October 6th for their fall river kick off day. They’ll have seminars all day long, tackle reps on hand, lots of good food, and a tackle swap meet. Duane Inglin and Rob Endsley from the Outdoor Line will also be at the event.

Sea Run Cutty’s Patrolling Beaches in South Sound
Anil Sravastava from Puget Sound Fly Company says the sea run cutthroat fishing in the south sound is the best he’s ever seen it. He’s had great reports in the fly shop from beaches in Olympia, Shelton, and around both Harsteen and Anderson Islands. He recommends using small baitfish patterns 1 to 3 inches long and don’t be surprised if you hook into a coho. Anil says there’s quite a few of them around also.

Buy a Ring, Get a Rifle
A jeweler in Atlanta, Georgia just found an interesting way to get hunters to propose to their girlfriends. D. Geller and Son Jeweler’s is giving away a Thompson Center rifle with the purchase of an engagement ring worth $2499 or more. That’s right…now you don’t have to choose between buying a new rifle or getting married. Owner Mike Geller says business has been slow lately and well, what better way to get hunters into the store to buy their sweetie that diamond ring. The promotion runs from September 20th thru the 22nd. For more information about this promotion log onto www.dgeller.com.

The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Rigging a Slip Float for Low Water Winter Steelhead

Posted on by
1

We're in the middle of our second La Nina winter in a row here in Washington and the weather maelstrom that many of the meteorologists predicted, well, it hasn't materialized yet. Knock on wood!

This has been the driest December on record and that's dropped many of the cricks in Western Washington to near summer lows, which means you've got to switch tactics a little to tickle the fancy of a winter steelhead and get them to bite. One of the deadliest techniques for bagging these low water steelhead is fishing with a jig and a slip float.
Rob Endsley from the Outdoor Line radio show on 710 ESPN Seattle with a dime bright Bogachiel River steelhead caught on a jig with Bill Meyer from Anglers Guide Service in Forks, Washington

I like to use a 9'6" to 10'6" light drift or spinning rod that has a slow action to cushion my 8 or 10 pound test Seaguar flourocarbon leader. For mainline I like to run 10 to 12 pound monofilament and if you like to run braided line tie in an eight to ten foot bumper of monofilament onto the business end of the braid. That bumper of mono allows small slip floats to slide up and down the line more easily. 

In the winter months you can get away with a 1/2 to 3/4 ounce slip float and there are many excellent brands out there. Steelhead Stalker, Cleardrift, Thill, and Danielson all make great slip floats for low water winter steelhead fishing. I use a lot of the Danielson's because they are easy on my pocket book, but in reeeeeally low water it's tough to beat the Cleardrift slip float. At seven bucks apiece they are spendy, but well worth it if you need to be super sneaky. In summer months you may need to use a much smaller float and you can tweak your setup accordingly.

You're going to add a bobber stop to the mainline above the slip float and then slide on a small bead to keep the knot from passing thru the center of the float. I like the knot-style bobber stops because I can see them and know when my knot is right down on the float, meaning my jig is down there it needs to be. Below the slip float use either split shot or egg sinkers to weight down the float and keep your jig in the hammer zone, then tie in a small swivel between the mainline and leader. 

Attach two to three feet of 8 or 10 pound test Seaguar flourocarbon leader to the swivel and finish it all off with a 1/8th to 1/4 ounce jig. For steelhead I never fish a jig larger than 1/4 ounce and I rarely go below an 1/8th ounce jig in the winter months, although a 1/6th ounce jig will sometimes produce when nothing else does. Just ask Ryan, who bagged his limit of steelhead on the Skykomish River last weekend on a 1/16th ounce jig while listening to the Outdoor Line on his cell phone. Here's his report in the Outdoor Line Fishing Reports Forum. Nice work man!

The key to this whole floatfishing set up is to have just enough weight so that roughly 3/4 of the float is underwater. Set your jig so that it's within a foot, or so, of the bottom and for the ultimate presentation hold back on the float slightly as it's drifting thru juicy steelhead holding water. The water on the bottom of the river is actually slower than it is on the surface and this keeps your jig below the float where it needs to be. 

A great jig color to start with is pink and white, but other kick ass colors include pink/purple, the Nightmare pattern, red/black, peach/white, cerise/chartruese, and cerise.  

Lastly, tip your jig with a small piece of prawn meat for the ultimate hammer time action. Steelhead will hit a jig without it, but when things get tough a little prawn meat will coax'em into biting. The 50 to 60 count prawns you find at your local grocery store work great for this. 

If you're into the whole video thang check out one of the Outdoor Line videos that I posted a couple weeks back describing how to rig up a float for winter steelheading. Here's that video and there's a whole lot more where that came from on the Outdoor Line Video Page. 

You're now ready to hit one of our super low rivers and schwack-out some dime bright winter steelhead. This is definitely a basic floatfishing rig and this set up can be tweaked any number of ways to suit your needs. You can certainly get a whole lot lighter than this with some of the light rods, lines, and floats on the market nowadays. Don't be afraid to share some of your floatfishing strategies on the Outdoor Line Forums. It's where all the cool kids are hanging out!

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com