Salmon fishing remains the biggest news in the region. Short week openings of fishing for salmon, including an area open for Chinook, has anglers switching out their sockeye gear for more heavy duty action. People are also very excited about the sockeye season on Lake Wenatchee.
Last week fishing for Chinook opened to fishing above Priest Rapids Dam in several areas. Fishing is allowed from Wednesdays through Saturdays and is closed Sundays through Tuesdays. The season is planned to remain open through August 31st with these short weeks. The areas that are open to fishing are from Priest Rapids Dam to Rocky Reach Dam, Rocky Reach Dam to Wells Dam (where the retention of one adult hatchery Chinook is allowed), Wells Dam to the Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster, and the Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster to the Corps of Engineers safety marker on the Douglas County shore, to the rock jetty at the upstream shoreline of Foster Creek. All of these areas are open for the retention of sockeye, with a limit of two per day. Please refer to the Emergency Regulation announcement on the WDFW website and read all the details.
What great news to hear that Lake Wenatchee is opening for sockeye. Better yet, with a four-fish limit! Everyone was watching the counts with high hopes that enough fish would make it up to the lake. Even though the updated forecast was well below the original one done this spring, there will be plenty of sockeye available for harvest. I know the WDFW monitors the catch at Lake Wenatchee closely and based on what they have learned about angler success, they are confident that there is no threat to closing the season early. I had a couple of not so great days on the lake last year, but they were very rare. I had to make some adjustments to maintain my good catches. I had to make some hook color changes and went to double dodgers when it got slow. I will be tying a variety of leaders to be ready for the tough days. Also, I wanted folks to know that there is road construction work going on in Tumwater Canyon, of course. So, I would plan on taking the road up through the Chumstick to avoid delays. Can’t wait. See you on the water!
There’s a lot to do to get prepared for the sockeye season on Lake Wenatchee. Before I even open my tackle bins to see what I have left in terms of leaders and dodgers and such, I have to get my boat tied to my friend Rollie Schmitten’s dock. We are currently trying to coordinate schedules to move both our boats to his dock. As you know, Lake Wenatchee is famous for high winds, and getting the Bob Feil Boats and Motors Smoker Craft moored securely is critical. One of the best things I did last year was get a shock absorbing mooring line. This prevented the bow line from banging against the cleat, and I could easily remove it from the bow where the winch strap attaches. This worked so well that I am going to add one to my stern. I use some oversized bumpers at three locations along the side of the boat, too. All of these steps are really necessary to keep the boat secure and not be damaged when tied to a dock on Lake Wenatchee. You can find everything you need to moor your boat at Bob Feil Boats and Motors in East Wenatchee.
Calder Fiske’s first free Kids Fishing Day at Blackbird Island Pond in Leavenworth last Sunday was a big success. He had thought of everything, and his family turned out help register anglers, and help them catch a fish. The evening prior to the event Calder called me saying that there was a big problem. The pump that feeds the cool water and fills the Pond wasn’t running! I talked to Bob Stroup and Mike Wyant, with the local Trout Unlimited chapter that manages the Pond, and they got right on it and got it running. By the morning of the event the Pond was full, and fish were jumping. A Cashmere Mom was there at eight sharp with two young anglers ready to go. People trickled in throughout the morning at a pace that the crew easily handled. Bait was provided and TU gave him some loaner rods to use, so everyone got to fish. It turned out that there were as many young girls as boys that caught fish and claimed prizes. All the people that attended were impressed that a 13-year-old could put together a “derby” as good as this one and were all looking forward to next year’s. This week’s photo is of the Fiske family after getting everything set up for the event.
I have been doing a large video project for Okanogan County Tourism and have posted videos on 19 lakes in Okanogan County. I had one to go. I needed to complete the last assignment, which was “Rufus Woods Reservoir from Chief Joseph Dam to Grand Coulee Dam”. You may not know that’s 51 miles of river! I decided that the best way to do it would be by boat, and with my schedule it took me two trips. I did from Grand Coulee Dam down to the third net pens on the first trip and then did from Chief Joseph Dam to Lone Pine Island on the second one. Rufus Woods is hugely popular with anglers, primarily due to the releases of triploid rainbow trout into the reservoir. Each year the Colville Tribe puts between forty and fifty thousand of them into Rufus. They have a terrific growth rate and fish weighing in the mid-teens aren’t a big deal and fish to around 20 pounds are caught every year. I point out the boat launches, shore fishing accesses and some of my favorite fishing spots in the video. I just posted it on the Dave Graybill YouTube channel.
