Local Lakes With Great Winter Action

February 25, 2010

With most of the local rivers shut down to steelheading, blackmouth being spotty at best, how do I get my fishing fix this weekend if I want to stay local?  Simple, head to Lakes Washington or Sammamish to get in on some of the great cutthroat fishing that's been going on. Both of these lakes offer some of the hottest […]

Summer Can’t Come Soon Enough

February 24, 2010

By Nick Barr. 2010 looks to be one heck of a year. The new year for me is filled of promises, obligations, and new adventures. My name is Nick Barr, I am 18 years old and a tournament bass angler/bass fishing guide here in the Pacific Northwest. Bass fishing is my passion, my lifestyle, and […]

“Dekes” Attract Walleye at Potholes

February 24, 2010

I'll keep this short and sweet folks. There's a net pen full of walleye decoys right next to the fishing pier at Mar Don Resort on Potholes Reservoir in Eastern Washington. Big walleye come to the pen every night to make googly-eyes at the pen full of decoys, which are actually bonker-sized rainbows, in hopes […]

Fresh Oysters, a Northwest Winter Treat

February 22, 2010

"You need to eat a couple of these honey…I've already eaten five of them," Nicole says several minutes after I gave her the green light to hit the bbq full of oysters we had just prepared on this sunny February afternoon. Sunny February afternoons are an oximoron here in Washington and we were definintely enjoying […]

The Mark of a Man

February 19, 2010

By Jeff Lund. There are certain watermarks in a male’s life that, once reached, can make him feel more like a man; events that validate existence, prove actual worth. In my Alaskan elementary school, students had to pass the Kindergarten salmon test in order to be admitted to first grade. The little pupils had to […]

Columbia River Spring Chinook Seasons Set

February 18, 2010

OLYMPIA – Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon today adopted fishing seasons for this year’s spring chinook fishery on the Columbia River, where the prized salmon are projected to return in the largest numbers since at least 1938.   Encouraged by a forecast of 559,900 returning fish, both states approved regulations that will provide Columbia […]

Rockfish Recovery Doesn’t Have to Take a Lifetime

February 18, 2010

Dr. Mike Rust of NOAA fisheries will be doing a presentation on culture of rockfish as a means of enhancement at 2pm Feb. 24 at the WDFW office in Mill Creek.  This will be an hour long presentation and will occur just before the Rockfish Advisory Board meets.  The public is welcome at both the […]

High Rate Of Juvenile Steelhead Mortality In Estuaries

February 17, 2010

From the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife News Bulletin: A new study by researchers at Oregon State University found that up to nearly half of the ocean-bound juvenile steelhead surveyed in two Oregon river systems appear to have died when they reached the estuaries — before they could reach the ocean. The scientists aren't sure […]

Halibut Season’s will be Severely Cut This Year

February 16, 2010

WDFW is proposing some changes to the halibut seasons for 2010. These proposals are preliminary until approved by NMFS. They are as follows: Marine Area 5: May 28-June 19, open three days per week.  The fishery will be open Memorial Day weekend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Starting May 31st the fishery will be open Thursday, […]

Winter Steelhead with Count Wormula

February 16, 2010

Pink rubber worms have been dubbed "Count Wormula" in my boat because they flat out hammer steelhead in medium to high water on Washington's westside rivers. I first used one of these gifts from our Canadian steelheading brethren, who have been using them for years, in 1996 on the Skagit River. After plugging a run […]