I had a very busy week again. I fished for trout, walleye, and bass. I spent some time at Pybus Market for an event and then finished the weekend at the weigh in and awards ceremony at the Pike Minnow Derby.
The annual Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce Pike Minnow Derby wrapped up on Sunday. Anglers had to deal with high winds, and many fished in areas that weren’t their favorite spots but were easier places to manage their boats. In spite of the conditions, spirits were high at the weigh in station, where anglers lined up to have their catches measured, counted, and weighed.
Organizers said that registrations were great this year, and especially pleasing was the highest number of youngsters participating over previous derbies. The adults turned in 1,379 pike minnows weighing a total of 884 pounds. In the youth division, the kids caught 119 fish, weighing a total of 65 pounds. There are two goals for this event. One is to remove as many pike minnows from the Columbia River as possible, and the other is to provide a quality event that the whole family can enjoy. This year they met these goals, removing a total 1498 pike minnows from the Columbia and the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce conducted an excellent event.
The amount of cash and prizes that was handed out was amazing. Grant County PUD is the major sponsor for the derby every year, and this year Bob Feil Boats and Motors and Quincy Hardware Lumber were mentioned for their generous contributions to the event. It was nice hear the loudest clapping and shouts of congratulations was for the youngsters as they came forward to receive their prizes. Everyone had a great time at the Pike Minnow Derby, and they are looking forward to next year’s event. A very special thanks to Cari Mathews at the Quincy Chamber and her crew of volunteers, and MC Ryan. This week’s photo is of all the Youth Division winners.
I got a note a while back from Nichole Jordon with the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board. She was putting together an Invasive Species educational event at Pybus Market, and wanted to know if I would like to participate. Sure thing, I told her. The event took place last Saturday. I have attended the “all hands on deck” northern pike suppression efforts on Lake Roosevelt and have gone out on both the Spokane and Colville tribal boats to see how they are removing these predators from the lake. There were folks from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at the event, and they brought along one of the “cleaning stations” that remove mussels from contaminated boats. They also brought “Fin” a dog that can sniff out zebra mussels on boats. Nichole and Bill Towey were on hand to talk to people about the northern pike efforts. I took my boat and got to talk to a lot of people, more about the fishing opportunities in the area. I was very pleased to see how many people came by to learn more about these threats to our fish and waterways. There is good information available, and this helped spread the word.
My friend Jim Passage treated me to a trip to private a lake near Mansfield last Thursday. The lake has been known as Isaac’s for many years and is now called the Hole in the Wall. Jim towed his 14-foot Lund to the lake, equipped with an electric motor. Joining us at the lake was Rollie Schmitten and his grandson Noah. Darc Knobel, owner of the Desert Fly Angler in Ephrata and manager of the lake, greeted us and made sure we had everything we needed for our adventure. One thing we did need was a plug for Rollie’s boat, which Darc was able to find. We all trolled Wooly Bugger type flies and were busy the whole time we were on the water. I was lagging behind Jim, getting lots of hits but not hooking up, and when I checked my fly I found that my hook had broken off! I replaced the fly and was back in business. The trout we landed ranged in size from about 14 inches up to 20 inches and were very healthy and strong. Jim released at least 20 and I a few less, due to my “tackle issues”. Rollie and Noah released close to 30 in their boat. Thanks Jim, it was a wonderful day.
I just couldn’t help myself. I had two terrific days fishing for walleye on Moses Lake, and I wanted to put some more of these quality fish in my freezer. On my last two trips the days were sunny and hot, and the walleye were biting. We put 11 in the boat one day and 18 in the live well the second day, and we quit at noon. Then the weather changed. The temperatures dropped and the walleye action tanked. A friend fished for a few hours on Saturday and only got two fish. The forecast for last Wednesday was for the mid-70s and I hoped that would put the walleye back on the bite. Well, it didn’t, and the fishing sucked. Tom Verschuren and I called it quits for walleye and tried for smallmouth bass. We sure got to see a lot of bass. They were moving onto their beds and would scatter when they saw the boat. We did land a few, and I think the bass bite will improve with warmer weather. I am going to keep an eye on the walleye fishing on Moses Lake. I hope it comes back. I sure like fishing Moses Lake.
I had a chance to fish at Crescent bar in early May. This is when Tom Verschuren and I like to troll crank baits in the channel between the island and the cliffs. We hugged the shoreline and have had some tremendous days catching big smallmouth bass. I jumped the gun this year, and we encountered cool water temperatures and water clouded with the runoff from the Columbia. We did get a couple of very nice fish, but now would be the time to return to this spot. The warmer weather will have the bass ready to smack our lures.
If I don’t get to Crescent Bar first, the next adventure I plan will be to Banks Lake and try for some walleye.
Dave Graybill
"The Outdoor Insider"
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