Where does the time go? I guess when you're moving fast and having fun, the summer just flies on by. 2014's Buoy 10 fish camp was our longest to-date at 5 days but came and went all too fast. Last year's B10 camp was a highly productive 3 days of fishing and with an even larger number of fish expected to pass through the estuary this year, expectations going into the 2014 campaign were very high.
My 6th year fishing the saltwater of the estuary and 4th year setting up "camp" was extra special as we decided to bring the family along and stay in a phat beach house. Dave, Todhunter and I chased salmon during the day while the family played in the Seaside sand. At the end of each day, it was great to head to a home near the water vs. the "elegant" Astoria motel of years past. The home also had a gigantic sub-zero freezer which allowed us to vacuum pack and freeze each day's catch right away.
We kicked things off with a 3:15am departure Sunday the 17th from the Portland area and headed to the Hammond Boat Basin. Arriving around 5 or 5:15 usually puts me in a good spot to quickly get my boat on the water. That would not be the case this year as we were welcomed with a long launch line and a 1.5 hour wait to launch. In the days that followed, we arrived pre-5:00am but still had at least a 30min launch wait… next year, the boat will be moored.
With the increased boat traffic, we tried to set a game plan and stick with it regardless of where the monkey see monkey do boat traffic went. This year, we found most of our success hugging bottom in 28 to 32 feet of water. Even though surface water temps on the outgoing tide were 70 degrees, this year was a herring bite with 90% of our fish coming on headless green label*.
Overall, catching was great and for us, exceeded 2013’s success. However, it’s fishing and some days are hot while others are beyond slow. We had one day with a full boat limit* (8/21), another day where we were 1 fish shy of a limit, and another where nothing went right and we broke a rod while not able to even bring a keeper home. It sounds like a lot of people were struggling so we’re feeling blessed with the volume of fish we were able to hook into and bring home.
Coho / Silver (white jaw)
Chinook / King (black jaw)
Weather and water conditions this year were just as variable as the catching (hmmm…). Earlier in the week, we had to fight the fog in the AM and some pretty rough water where later in the week, it was gorgeous from the get go. All days brought afternoon sun and t-shirt and shorts conditions… so much so, Todhunter decided to jump over board and go for a swim before heading to port one day.
When the fishing is slow...
It’s always heartbreaking when a great trip final has to come to an end. You know it’s a success when you’re already planning next year’s trip before the boat and gear is washed and stored.
*If I could only use one flasher, this trip made it crystal clear on which one I’d choose. The statistics of fish caught while using it over the week was mind boggling.
**A limit is one chinook/king and one coho/silver per person.
Following our family tradition of going to the farmers market on summer Saturdays (when we’re in town and w/out company), Gavin made the left field comment that he wanted to go fishing. I’d pretty much put away all the trout, kokanee, etc… gear I’d had in the boat for our East Lake and earlier summer trips in preparation for August salmon in Astoria (excited, but ug… summer is flying by). However, the bow mount electric motor was still on so we grabbed a couple bass rods, a few crank baits, and ton of plastic worms, lizards, etc… that I have neatly organized in the garage for such quick retrieval occasions.
A quick 2 hours of casting for bass on the Willamette near our house and it was 12:30pm, we’d caught a few smallies, and the wakeboard / ski boats were making their way out to enjoy the sun. It’s impressive to see how far my oldest has come since his first attempt at casting for bass. The heat and the waves kicked in so he was ready to go home, eat some lunch, and play in the sprinklers with his siblings so we called it a day.
Zoom worm, Texas style
Looking back at old posts and pictures, I've realized that I haven’t hooked into a bass in nearly 2 years. Maybe it’s just because trolling for salmon, walleye, etc… is easier than the constant casting and retrieving necessary to lure in a small or largemouth bass. Whatever the reason for the gap, I’d forgotten how much I like it, so I think I’ll have to make more of an effort to kill a few hours here and there with a bass rod and some plastic worms.
I'll admit, East Lake isn't the most catchy name for a family destination lake. Whenever I mention the central Oregon lake that sits at 6,400 feet above sea level I usually receive a "where?" reply. Overly simplistic lake naming aside, East Lake is one of the most beautiful, family friendly places I am blessed to have been able to take my family to for the past two summers. The lake is filled with Kokanee, Trophy Brown Trout, massive Rainbow Trout, and a few Atlantic Salmon (landlocked of course). With a boat speed limit of 10mph, East Lake is all about the fishing... Well sort of...
For my family, fishing is just an excuse to be together and enjoy the outdoors and it's awesome that Papa Dave joined us again this year. Yes, we caught plenty of fish... and no, this is not another fish don't matter as much post because catching was tough like my Father's Day Diamond Lake post. This now annual trip really is about the smaller things like Gavin learning to steer the kicker tiller, Garrett calling the shots on when it's time to beach the boat to swim, and letting my daughter Grace bitch and moan about her life jacket just like her older brothers did at her age.
Most of the fishing this year was targeted at Kokanee as the kids really enjoy the fast action and tasty table fair. The majority of our fishing was done by down riggers out each side of the boat with one or two additional flatlines out the back. However, this year, we also spent a fair amount of time jigging for kokanee while anchored in around 50' of water which was a kick in the pants. I couldn't tell you just how many fish we boated but it was more than enough to keep us entertained.
East Lake and the Newberry Caldera provide magnificent scenery along with the chance for some amazing thunder and lighting... like you've never seen before. At the high elevation, you're literally right in the middle of the storm and for the second year, we were on the far end of the lake when the storm rolled in. With a frightened 5 and 3 year old we booked it to the cabin to enjoy the show in safety. I really wish we'd taken some pictures and video but I guess just too distracted.
Just like the previous year, our trip to East Lake exceeded expectations. Our time with Papa Dave along with BWild and his family made the trip even better. It's awesome to see how all the kids grow both in size as well as their desire to spend time in the outdoors together.
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.
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.
