Surprise Springers On The “Big C” 8

Decisions, decisions…

Outdoor Line co-host Robbie Tobeck and I had been just dying to hit the Columbia, but by all reports fishing was just BRUTAL! Flush with our success last week on the saltwater, we had decided to just stay home, work the blackmouth over and let the big river wait a week.

Enter my friend Ryan Bennett of Reel Deal Guide Service and his "finger on the pulse" of the Columbia River.

I had been planning to fish with Ryan and we had picked March 10th as the date, but with nonexistent Bonneville dam counts and low angler success despite very good angler turn out, blackmouth fishing seemed a better bet….

Then the phone rang.

Or, rather a picture in a text that said "The Columbia just turned on". The picture was a beautiful springer in the net. When I saw it I got that sick feeling in my stomach…

Now I had a call to make:
"Tobeck! We had better stick with plan A and hit the Columbia"
Robbie didn't argue… "Ok, if that's the call, let's do it!"

Our decision to bag the blackmouthing was made easier by the total fishing closure on Tuesday March 9. Tuesdays are closed to sport fishing, allowing the commercial gillnetters to take their share of the allocation. However, due to the large number of steelhead and low numbers of springers the Columbia commercials agreed to take the day off. 

In other words… there was NO FISHING at all and I was hoping for a mini "opening day" effect on the big river and we weren't disappointed!

Ryan readies the Reel Deal Red Rocket and we can't wait to get started! 

A short run up the river has us on the mark and after beheading half a dozen herring we've got gear in the water and the downhill trolling drill begins!  

I'm glad I got my licks in on his "Birthday Bashing" show because this was Tobeck's day with the rod. After missing a savage strike, Robbie comes right back with the first fish of the day and it's a DANDY!

Robbie and Ryan Bennett are all smiles with the first fish of the day which put the scare into the 17 pound mark!

Bennett and his "Way more than a Deck Hand" Scott Salmon show off the second slab of the day which brings us to a .500 batting average: 2 fish for 4 fish on! 

Nate Fenton came right back from a "knot failure" loss of a nice fish by getting an even nicer one!!! Nate can't help but grin with this flawless specimen!  

The day ended with these four beauties in the box, six fish on total and a couple of "drive by's".  

All in all it was a great day, thanks to Ryan Bennett of Reel Deal Guide Service! Ryan is the only guy I know that charters the salt water, steelhead fishes the rivers and works the Columbia, all in the same boat and motor! He has the "Swap the pump for the prop" drill down to 45 minutes flat! If I can ever pin him down to watch that procedure… I'll put that up on a blog too!!!

The bottom line is that despite low dam counts, mid-March is no time to bail out on this year's springer run. To be completely honest, I was blown away by our numbers on this outing. Tobeck and I made this drive for the chance at a fish or two. It just goes to show you that if you wait for a good report, you can miss out on the best fishing.

Get out there and make your own report and when you do, post it on theoutdoorline.com's new Report Page! Thanks and good luck!