Fishing for king salmon and sockeye continues to be good off the mouth of the Okanogan River in the Brewster Pool. Sockeye anglers are also watching the counts over Tumwater Dam climb daily, and an opening of the season should be announced soon.

We are just a couple of weeks away from the biggest salmon derby in Eastern Washington. It’s the 17th Annual Brewster King Salmon Derby starting August 4th, and it’s shaping up to be a good one. The thermal barrier at the mouth of the Okanogan River is keeping kings and sockeye in the cooler water of the Columbia River, and more and more fish are showing up every day. This accounts for the fact that derby anglers have the best success of any salmon derby in the state. Once again, derby organizers have attracted a long list of sponsors for the event, and that’s what makes it possible for the big cash prizes and the huge amounts of tackle and other products that people can win. Also, there continues to be an emphasis on making sure the kids that participate don’t go home empty handed. Fishing families can really appreciate this. There is still time to get tickets and register for the derby. Just log onto www.brewsterkingsalmonderby.com and you can learn all about getting your tickets and read the rules. I expect to see lots of big kings and sockeye weighed in this year, so come and join the fun!

I have had some video projects that have kept me in the field but not on the water lately. Grant County PUD had me do videos of five of their Recreation Areas. I knew of some of them but found some real gems that I wasn’t aware of. I learned a lot about what they have created along the Columbia River. Then the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce assigned me the task of doing a video “tour” of the lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area. For the Quincy Chamber I did separate videos of each lake, and then combined them all into one short eight minute piece. People can pick the lake they are interested in and watch a short “clip” or watch the whole tour in just eight minutes. These are all available on the Dave Graybill channel on YouTube. Right after I finished the Quincy videos, Grant County asked me to do eleven more of their Recreation Areas. There were several of these areas that I hadn’t visited before, and I know people will enjoy learning about them. This video project is pretty much complete. People will be able to view them soon.

Sockeye fishing on the Columbia River has been great, with limit catches coming from below Wells Dam and in the Brewster Pool. I haven’t been able to get to either of these fishing locations yet, but I have been busy getting ready for Lake Wenatchee. I have high hopes for the season this year. The sockeye numbers over Tumwater Dam are very encouraging. When I checked the count last Sunday morning it was 25,106. The bulk of the run is just now hitting our area. Meanwhile I have been helping get the dock ready at my friend Rollie’s house on Lake Wenatchee. Just the usual anchoring adjustments after he and his wife Barbara moved the docks down from the head of the lake. The ramp also needed some work, so I helped carry it up and load it onto a flatbed trailer for repairs. It looks like everything will be ready in time for sockeye season. All we need now is fish. This week’s photo is of the sign with the sockeye count at Tumwater Dam. Biologist want to see 23,000 past the dam for escapement, and a cushion of a few thousand fish before they can open Lake Wenatchee to sockeye fishing.

I have been making regular trips up the Tumwater Canyon to check on the sockeye numbers over the dam. On one of these jaunts, I continued up the canyon to a place below the bridge at the closed campground. There is a pull out there and I cross the highway, hop over the guard rail, and walk up a ways to a very deep hole. There I can see late-run spring salmon and the fresh sockeye resting in the deep, cold water. This is also a terrific spot to see large numbers of kings in the fall. I also noticed people pulling over at the dam and walking down to the fence. Right now, you can see both spring salmon and sockeye leaping in the froth below the dam. It’s quite a sight.

While I am waiting for the sockeye season to open at Lake Wenatchee, there are some other fisheries that I enjoy in July. My wife Eileen and I have had some spectacular days fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass on Evergreen Reservoir. We cast plastic worms or Senkos along the south shore, looking for large rocks or shale slides. It can be very good at times, and we don’t see many other boats this time of year.

The walleye fishing on Banks Lake can be quite good in July. The days are hot, and I always take my portable mister along to help keep us cool. I lather on the sunscreen and fill the cooler with lots of water, too. When I fish Banks Lake or Potholes this time of year I bring my bass gear along. If the walleye aren’t biting I know we can have a fun catching bass.

When I look back at some of the photos I took in July, I also find shots of fishing Rufus Woods Reservoir, in the vicinity of the upper net pen. I either flat line plugs at the edge of Nespelem Bar, or troll downstream with bottom bouncers. We have had good success in the past, catching both walleye and triploid rainbow using this technique.

My brother in law Tom Verschuren and I had great fun on Roses Lake in the summer. It is known for good trout fishing, but we are looking for big bluegill and perch. The bluegill in Roses are the biggest you can find anywhere, and the perch can be good size, too. The last time we got into the perch we threw back anything under 10 inches, and we took home 25.