Anybody get out to the reach? I fished North Richland last weekend for a few hours without so much as a bump. I imagine the fishing is better up higher, but not keen on launching my boat at Vernita.

Cooler water this year should result in more hookups, should it not?

Anyone, anyone?

Hi Adipose,

The hatchery Chinook run at Ringold has failed again. To all appearances there seems to have been little or no return this year from a three and one half million smolt release.

And in a year of big Steelhead returns for the Columbia, the Ringold return for Steelhead so far this year is very poor.

In the private sector there are consequences for management when programs fail. It would be nice to know that there was accountability when WDFW hatchery programs fail. Management accountability is the only way to get better results.

We've been hitting fish pretty regularly at Vernita but there are definitely fewer fish than usual around. But with the cool water the ones that are around are biting most days. Seems like the bite changes day to day so be sure to bring kwiks, eggs, mag warts, and herring or superbaits just in case!

Man, I brought all that stuff and got skunked! Makes me almost as crabby as JimmyD!

For those that are interested, Grant County PUD just started their annual "reverse flow" for Priest Rapids Dam. Unlike the last two years where the flow has been a total mess for testing, it appears they are back to the "old school" pattern of high water at night, with steady medium-low (60K) water all day... great flows for fishing IMHO. Could be a great finish to the season this week.

Anyone can you give me information on salmon fishing the Reach. Boat ramps,methods to use best times,etc thanks cass

The salmon fishing in the Reach is a September-October thing. It technically opens for fall chinook in August (and there's summer chinook available in July) but from the week after Labor Day until the season closes October 22 the fishing is at its best.

Boat launches are at Vernita Bridge, Wahluke (White Bluffs), Wooden Powerlines, Ringold, or Tri-Cities. The river can be run with a prop if you're careful (I run an outboard prop) but is easiest with a jet.

Best methods are backtrolling kwikfish, eggs, mag warts, or herring on divers, flatlines, downriggers, or backbouncers. Shoot me a PM next fall or post a fresh message and I can fill in more details.

Thanks for the info. Guess I had the wrong picture of the river at that location. From your reply sounds like the river has some nasty places. We are use to fishing down river near the Dalles. No problem with a prop. I'll take you up on the offer of more info next fall.... Thanks have a good holiday......C

Can one of you guys give me some advice on where I might get a good map of the upper Columbia(Hanford Reach area) thanks

There's a fold-up map put out by FishnMap Co that is actually very good. There are no official charts of the Reach because the navigable part (by commercial traffic) ends at the Port of Benton in north Richland.

You can get the map at most Tri-Cities area sporting good stores. I would guess they might have a website also.

Cass,
I too have fished the reach quite a bit over the last 20 years. I lived 20 minutes from there until 8 years ago and used to fish it then with a 14 ft 15hp outboard. Had a lot of fun and a lot of success in the early mid 90s. Back then I'd mostly drift fish with Vibrax spinners and when conditions didn't allow for that toll wiggle warts. The White Bluffs launch is very good. It's an old ferry landing so it's concrete. Right at the launch, you have a couple miles of good water where there are no real danger spots for props. Moving up stream to other areas is when you need to follow the channel. I go down for a 3 day weekend with a couple buddys each year and I've got an 18ft. with an outboard. Last year unfortunately on a very low water day, I missed the channel and now I have a new prop.

As for fishing the last few years, we haven't had much luck. Chartered with a guide a couple years ago and learned some new techniques. We cannonballed with kwickfish (sardine wrapped), back bounced eggs using a diver and I know that superbaits have been very popular as well.

I wish we could go back to the days of most people drift fishing spinners as that was the most fun and successful for me but when a number of boats are trolling, it's impossible to drift through them.

Good luck! I'm hoping to learn some more tricks as well. It's a bummer on the times we go down and only pick up 1 fish or none on a three day trip.

This is in response to JimmD's remark on the Ringold hatchery. I knew the guy that was in charge of that hatchery for about 20 years. Well 10 years ago they forced Frank into retirement, and completly changed that way that hatchery operates. A lot of the process is now computer driven.

According to an old friend of mine who used to work for the Departemnt of Figheries the Ringold hatchery used to have the best returnes of anywhere that far up river, and he commented that it WAS very well run.

It looks like those in Olympia have dropped the ball again by forcing out a great man and trying to fix what was not broken.

Got some questions on the spinner fishing technique--do you guys cast, let sink, and then slowly retrieve or do you actually rig the spinner with a drift weight and let is dirft below/with the boat? As a guy that's been chucking spinners from the bank all his life, the idea of "drifting" them sounds a little odd (although there is definately a element of "drift" to the proper spinner retreive).

Thanks,

Mark

E-mann,

Other ways will work but we always just drifted them naked behind the boat. About 45 degree angle ticking bottom every now and again. Occasionally to get them down we rigged them with a piece of hollow core crimped to the mainline tag at the swivel.

I've been known to pick up a salmon or two drifting spinners. Usually did not need weight when fishing Vibrax, but use a bottom walker with kwiks.

Used to take some steelhead that way too, drifting U-20 flatfish with a bottom walker. Caught my first steelie that way in fact. I guess that kind of fishing holds a special place in my heart. . .