New Water; Lake Merwin

Generally, I am a creature of habit and when I find something I like, such as go to fishing holes, it's hard to pull away. With that said, I do love exploring new lakes but sometimes find it a little daunting. One of the lakes I've had on my short list near the Portland area has been Lake Merwin. The beautiful reservoir located on Southwest Washington's Lewis River is packed full of Kokanee. To add to the angling fun, a few Tiger Musky were introduced there in the mid 90's.

From what I've read (and viewed on a few fishing shows), Merwin tends to be more popular and productive in the spring. However, Papa Dave was in town for the 4th of July this year and we wanted to do a Kokanee warm up trip before we headed to East Lake a bit later in the month. Well, that was just an excuse to pull away from the norm, try out some new water and just spend time in the outdoors with my two boys.

After a fun filled night of eating (& drinking) too much while staying up* too late trying to impress the neighborhood kids with fireworks, we trailered the boat at the crack of 7am on the 5th and headed to Merwin.

Despite only fishing for a few hours (not consecutive), we were able to put a few fish in the boat. I let Gavin work the downriggers for the first time on this trip and in 120' of water, he made the rookie mistake of sending the 8lb ball down instead of up. The result was 200' of cable backlash and 45 minutes of idle time while we got the rigger fixed. That's fishing!

After fishing for a bit, we headed to shore so the boys could play in the water and have a smoked salmon lunch. It was a quick 4 hours on the water but just enough to wet the appetite for heading back up there next spring when the springer salmon bite slows.

*Next time, the boys will get a bit more sleep. Fishing takes patience... and the only remote chance a 5 and 3 year old have a shot at patience is when they are a.)well rested and b.)well fed.

Father's Day at Diamond Lake

Last Father's Day, I was learning first hand that my trailer's spare tire operated appropriately as I made the solo 300+ mile boat haul up to central Washington to meet up with the family. This year, I had better luck (well, on the road, not the water) as my 5 and 3 yr. old boys and I pulled the boat 235 miles south to Diamond Lake for a guys only Father's Day weekend.

I've wanted to return to Diamond Lake for several years now and was excited to get the chance this month with my two boys.  My first, and only, trip to Diamond was in July of 2009 when I had my 15' Smokercraft and my oldest (and only at the time) son Gavin was just 10 months old.

Diamond Lake is well known for their large rainbows and often times large amounts of mosquitos. On the mosquito front, June is noticeably better than July as we didn't really have any problems. Fishing was tough this year, especially with a 5 year old and 3 year old on the boat and their indecisiveness on whether they wanted to be on the water, playing in the woods, or riding bikes. It's a good thing the resort has good moorage as I think we came and went from the dock a half dozen plus times each day.

Even though the fishing was really tough, the trip ended up being a great father / sons time and I feel very blessed for the experience and memories. Diamond is just the perfect place for families as there is a great 13 mile paved bike path around the lake that provides for great exercise and stunning views.  Likely in 2015, it will be a whole family ordeal.

Rewind to 2009
We had a great first trip to Diamond Lake in July of 2009.  My family of 3 was joined by my buddy JLaw and his family of 3.

JLaw with some fat rainbows

My 1st Boat - 15' Smokercraft Tracer, 40hp

A much smaller Gavin in a much smaller boat!

Washington Warm Water

Memorial Day weekend 2014 took us up to Moses Lake, WA for some family time and a transition from the salmonids to a couple warm water species; walleye and perch. For the past several years, we've made the 320 mile boat haul up to the land of my in-laws at least once a summer in search of dryer weather and memory making. It's always been a great transition from the intense salmon hunt of the Lower Columbia and Willamette Rivers, to the easy going of a lake.

Mid size Walleye

In 2013, we had a mixed bag of both weather and fish landing walleye, perch, trout, and bass in rain, wind, and sunshine. The previous year, I caught an unforgettable trophy size walleye with a homemade worm harness on Potholes Reservoir. And in 2011, Papa Dave and I hooked into some tasty monster triploid trout.   Okay, so the quick trip down memory lane helps to paint the picture that heading east of the cascades is a little nostalgic and 2014 followed suit.

Fat Perch!

Gavin taking a break to cool off

Over the holiday weekend, we targeted walleye exclusively and ended with several nice eyes along with a few fat perch for the grill. I'd forgotten how crazy the lake can get over Memorial Day weekend with all the added pressure and the massive amount of ski boats that hit the water making some of my favorite trolling lanes tough to fish. We made the necessary adjustments and found some success in somewhat uncharted waters. As much time as I've spent on Moses over the years, it's cool to still be able to find new places and learn new techniques.

Minimalist bait box this time around

I just like live well shots, so get used to it.  

Another fat Perch on ice

Lemon Peppered!

Productive Spring

I suppose my theme for spring 2014 should be quality over quantity... of springer outings that is. I put the boat in the river only 3 times this spring in pursuit of the all to elusive spring Chinook. The result was 3 fish to the boat followed by some tasty grilled fillets.

Well, if we're talking serious springer fishing outings, I'd really have to call it only 2 trips that resulted in 3 fish. The first trip was a 2 hour warm-up troll on the Willamette in early April with my 5 year old as my co-captain. Great time with my son while we worked out the kinks for 2014 and as he got to witness the whole herring cutting, baiting, and rolling show for the first time.... We fished one rod and no runs, hits, or errors to speak of that day.

Let's pause for a minute... Yes, I did say a "warm-up trip in April", not February or March as I shared in a 2011 post titled Warmed Up... But Frozen!!. As an analytical person in my day job, I've carried that proficiency over to my fishing in more ways than I'll admit here on the world wide web. So, instead of me blabbing for 3 or 4 paragraphs making excuses, the picture/graph below will tell a better story why serious go time really happens starting in April.

*If you're too distracted by the blue line, see my note at bottom of post.

The next two trips both came on Columbia River season extension days. As always, the Lower Columbia season is set to close before the fish show in any numbers to allow for targeted passage (before the April / May spikes in the graph above). However, this year, they threw us a bone and we received two extension days just before the fish started crossing Bonneville dam in large numbers.

AM view of Mt. Hood that never gets old

My daughter wanting to help fillet

Day 2 on the water this spring was a solo trip out of Chinook Landing, one of my secret fishing holes. I worked the incoming tide from the PDX airport all the way back up past Chinook Landing and hooked into 2 fish, both on perfectly spinning, plain (brined but not dyed) herring. At the time, I thought this was going to be the last day of the season and after hooking into a couple fish, I really wanted more.

EP with his springer for the day

Day 3 really was a surprise, not only because it was a last minute (earlier that week) extension day provided by the government fishing powers, but my buddy Erik and I didn't make the call to head out on the river until late the night before. Good call! Erik's bonked a few spring salmon on my boat previously (lucky?) and this day was no exception. Given the tide prediction for the day, we fished further down river, out of another secret fishing hole, an area of the river that was new to Erik and one that is always an exciting experience just getting out to the fishing grounds.

*Okay, so the blue bar in the graph above sticks out like a sore thumb.  That's the fall Chinook run from last year and it might explain why my crew and I did so well at Buoy 10 last year.  What's even crazier is that the projection for 2014 is expected to be as good, if not better.

Kids & "Fishing"

Author Steve Chapman wrote, “If you want to be with your kids, take them fishing…but, if you want to go fishing, don’t take the kids”.   Coincidentally, I read this while on a business trip during the week leading up to planned fishing of Canby Pond with my two boys. As I've shared previously, Canby Pond is an ODFW stocked pond legal to fish only for kids 17 and under*. Over the past 3 years the pond, located just 15 miles south of our home, has become an annual kick off to the fishing season for my boys.

Ready for 2014 fishing!

My Google Calendar had the week of March 10th high-lighted since mid-January as it was a scheduled stocking week for Canby Pond. Both boys have seen a lake stocking first hand and are well aware of the fact that the number of rainbow trout in a lake or pond can vary. Add to that their attention span of... well, a 5 year old and a 3 year old, and an abundance of fish under the surface is an advantage.  

Bogs on the bank!

Time on the bank early Saturday morning the 15th was a quick 30 to 45 minutes, satisfying the desire to catch a fish and be in the outdoors. At 7:30am, the boys and I packed the gear in the truck and headed for breakfast. Secretly, I think their favorite part of "fishing with dad" is that we always end up with a big appetite and dining out to fill that void. A stop to Home Depot for yard supplies followed breakfast and the perfect morning was complete and I guess I can claim that the lines are wet for 2014.  

I suppose I could claimed to have "gone fishing" and been disappointed with no fish to clean. However, the time spent outdoors with two adventurous little boys was priceless.  Come to find out, the lake wasn't able to be stocked that week as planned.  It's interesting  how ones outlook evolves as just a few years ago, I would have found myself upset... but as I sit here documenting the experience, I realize it wasn't the fish the 3 of us were after.   

"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after" ~Henry David Thoreau

*Interestingly, on one occasion, I saw an angler smoking a cigarette on the other side of the pond. I so badly wanted to ask for ID...as either he was too hold to fish the pond or too young to smoke. At the time, I didn't say anything as I didn't want to raise further awareness of the infraction to my boy. Looking back, I kind of wish I had...and will likely do so if given the opportunity again.  If he has the guts to break one of the laws, I have the guts to ask him about it...

The Arrival of Spring

Less than two weeks ago, we had 8 to 10 inches of snow on the ground. Just this weekend, I was applying moss treatment to my lawn and noticed that all of the tulips were beginning to sprout. Can it be spring time already? According to Punxsutawney Phil, we're supposed to still be knee deep in winter and I should have several extra weeks to get my fishing trip plans and tackle organized for the 2014 campaign. Most of the US is still under winter advisories but contrary to what Accuweather is predicting, here in the Beaver State, we're getting ready for a fast transition to an early spring I guess.

Now don't get me wrong, weather doesn't generally dictate my fishing schedule as long as water conditions are somewhat suitable*. As previously noted, half the fun of coming down with springer fever is fighting the full spectrum of elements from season start to finish. Tracking the weather very early in the season is just a data point that may or may not indicate an early / late push of fish into the system.

Regardless of weather, spring always seems to come too fast... yes I said too fast, that's not a typo. Each year, I fall just a bit short of my grand plans to spend the cold winter months getting all my tackle cleaned, organized, replaced and ready to grab and go when the rivers come into shape and the fish show. Somehow, I never feel ready and find myself stressing out about getting everything ready to go**.  Looking back at notes, I am batting .1000 with starting my salmon and trout fishing off in the month of March... And last I checked, March, happens right about the same time every year so excuses for not being ready are hard to come by.

Fresh P-line CXX

Okay, so on to 2014 fishing preparations which is really what's on my mind and why I sat down with my laptop and opened a new post. The professionals admit that most of their fish are not caught by actions or decisions on the water but rather in their preparations and organization leading up to the boat leaving the dock. I'am not a full time guide that spends countless hours on the water and uses time "on the clock" preparing boat, tackle, etc... Instead, I am part of the common folk that have a day job totally unrelated to the outdoors. As a result, it's critical that people like me strategically setup an extended calendar of preparation events to get out in front of everything needed in order to maximize time on the water.

Soooo... as an often too busy, stressed out guy, I am using this opportunity to brag... um... I mean share my progress through my own stress reducing calendar of "get ready early and gradually" to-dos for the upcoming springer season.

1. Stocked my freezer full with more than a year's worth of herring as I've done since my very first post in 2011 (which has been a stress reducing, life changing event)
2. Outsourced my boat motor maintenance, an experience I shared in a post early last year. Having this checked off since the first week in January coupled with the added confidence my motors are in top performing shape equals a whole lot less to worry about.
3. Cleaned and re-spooled the salmon reels. Every year, this gets checked off at the end of fall when Fisherman's Marine puts P-line CXX on-sale.

Oh, BTW, I failed to mention a few weeks ago that this year's Columbia River spring Chinook run is expected to be the 5th largest run in history... Soooo... there's that!!! Anybody making plans yet?

*I think I just came up with another good post idea

**I realize that my idea of ready to go is a little obsessive, maybe to the point of OCD but half the fun for me is getting ready for a fishing trip.  Maybe it goes back to my old baseball playing days where I spent way more time practicing and preparing than there were games to play

Springer Fever

Spring is an amazing time of year, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. Like most places in the northern United States and Canada, all 5 of the human senses let you know when winter is loosening its cold, wet grip to make way for the easy going, calm warmth of summer. Although, one aspect of spring in the northwest that is vastly different than other locations is the opportunity to chase salmon up the Columbia and Willamette Rivers… an obsessive addiction better known as “Springer Fishing”.  

It’s obvious, spring salmon fishing is having a positive economic impact, with the potential for significantly more, but why all the hype? Judging by the number of boats and bank anglers out on the water earlier and earlier each spring, it’s apparent that the popularity and passion of springer fishing continues to grow. Is it the desire for a trophy size fish? Or is it that by the time spring rolls around, the freezer shelves once full with fall fish are empty and spring is the first opportunity to fill that nutritious void?  

Tabasco Todhunter fighting the elements - spring 2011

The spring Chinook run is not known to produce an abundance of the trophy size fish anglers might see during the fall salmon runs. So, is this springer fever mystery solved by the simple fact that due to their high fatty oil content, spring Chinook are the finest tasting salmon in the world and it’s just that everyone wants in on the action for table fare? Well, I think the oil has a lot to do with it… but I believe the other half of the obsession comes from the significant amount of variables that change and play out during the course of a season that’s just a handful of weeks long, making the quest for these prized fish extremely challenging yet amazingly rewarding.  

The true reward of Springer fishing comes more from defeating the various elements, conditions, and corresponding decrease in odds. There is something just a little extra special about spring fish because of how hard one has to work for them. The frost bit hands, and the countless skunked hours leading up to that moment seem to vanish into a faint memory as soon as Mr. Chrome Bright Chinook is secure in the landing net and you know you’ve put all the puzzle pieces together at the perfect time.  

Mid season 2010 springer - First springer in my Hewescraft

The changing weather conditions alone should be enough to scare would be springer fisherman away.  What other season is there where anglers have to adapt to river temperatures in the upper 30’s to start the season off and in the 50’s when the season comes to a close.   The weather patterns generally start with snow flurries attempting to stick to any surface possible and successfully pounding the face of the guy who drew the shortest straw and has to run the kicker.    A few short weeks into the springer season, the canvas boat top which seems priceless early in the season, starts its 6+ month task of gathering dust in the garage.   The gale-force wind/rain proof parka and bibs get packed in the attic and are replaced by shorts and t-shirts as the standard uniform to finish off the season.  

These rapid changes from late February / early March through April and into May translate into a dynamic game plan to catch fish that literally changes by the day.  Locations fish were caught and what worked early rarely works late season, and what couldn’t get a sniff early might be all you can do to get a bite late.  The challenges are extreme and as northwest anglers, I don’t believe we’d have it any other way as putting the puzzle pieces of springer fishing together are as enjoyable as hearing the sizzle of a fresh springer hit the BBQ grill.

Late season 2012 springer