Author: Rick Lawrence

Posted: 12/9/2019

Pack away your ice fishing tip-ups. Grab a jigging rod in one hand, a box of lures in the other and set off for a day of pike action. No bait necessary. Whether you’re fishing out of a boat or on the ice, jigging for winter Pike can be a very productive method of catching some toothy critters. With a basic understanding of the movement of pike throughout the winter season and a few simple jigg...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 11/29/2019

THE WASHINGTON OUTDOORS REPORT November 22 – November 29, 2019 BLACK FRIDAY IS FOR FISHING Tens of thousands of one to three-pound trout, primarily rainbows averaging 15-inches or longer, are being stocked in lakes all over the state. This gives you a great reason so skip a hectic trip to a big box store or mall on Black Friday and instead, head out for a relaxing day on the water to c...

Author: Jason Brooks

Posted: 11/4/2019

Last November I took a friend and my son down a coastal river for some fishing. The friend moved to the Pacific Northwest from Texas and had never caught a salmon before. He was an avid angler and whitewater rafter so being on a river was no big deal to him but catching his first salmon turned out to be one of the best experiences he had while floating down a river. Pulling into a backwater slough...

Author: Hannah Pennebaker

Posted: 11/4/2019

When asked to identify the types of Pacific salmon, most Northwesterners can readily name the feisty coho, the red sockeye, the plentiful pink, and, of course, the mighty chinook salmon. Fewer can name the chum, or dog, salmon. The lesser known fifth species of Pacific salmon gets its place in the spotlight starting in November. This is the least pressured salmon run in the state, but those who kn...

Author: Jo Starling for Fix.com

Posted: 11/4/2019

The thought of fighting big fish from a kayak is enough to raise the pulse of any angler. However, you should never pick such a fight without a battle plan, especially when your battleground is not open terrain because any hooked fish will run for cover. Fishing from a boat or land provides fairly solid anchorage, but what do you do when you are fishing from a very “towable” vessel, like a kayak? ...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 11/3/2019

You’ve heard of schooling fish, but how about a school for walleye? Yes, that’s a thing and it’s now being offered in Washington State. The Pacific Northwest Walleye School is the brainchild of Johnnie Candle. Candle is a guide who lives at Devils Lake in South Dakota, arguably one of the best walleye fisheries in the nation. In addition to being a guide Candle is also a tournament angler, co...

Author: Mike Carey

Posted: 11/3/2019

For salmon anglers in the Pacific Northwest, November heralds the final transition from targeting open saltwater to focusing on tidewaters and rivers. Yes, there are some saltwater opportunities (for example, blackmouth, when open), but the vast majority of anglers have put away their boats and are pursuing salmon in the rivers. That said, there are some prime opportunities to target and catch sal...

Author: Rick Lawrence

Posted: 10/5/2019

One of my favorite lures to fish for Bass and especially Pike is the old Silver Minnow Johnson spoon. This is a very over looked bait by about 90% of all Bass fisherman and many Pike anglers as well. The key to catching fish on the Johnson spoon is they require a little tweaking to work properly. The other type of spoon I use a lot is the Daredevil. The Daredevil works pretty well out of the...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 10/5/2019

It’s no secret fishing opportunities in Puget Sound have taken a big hit in recent years. First, rockfish populations plummeted and the opportunity to catch and keep them ended. Lingcod seasons are short in duration (May 1st through June 15th) and salmon seasons open and close in the various marine areas on a continual basis these days due to low abundances of Chinook salmon in much of the Sali...

Author: Hannah Pennebaker

Posted: 10/5/2019

October is here. For most Puget Sound anglers, this means coho salmon. But for dozens of fishermen lined up along every saltwater pier, fall means squid fishing! Puget Sound market squid live in the depths in warmer weather, but come in shallow during the fall and winter months in massive schools to spawn. These squid are small, less than 12 inches, but incredibly tasty. They make for great seafoo...

Author: Jason Brooks

Posted: 10/5/2019

The downrigger has accounted for increased catch rates for a good reason and if you fish waters where they can be used then you will have the advantage once you learn how to use them. Using a downrigger allows you to keep your lure in the zone of the fish. They are a tool to be used in open water, bays, estuaries and large rivers and very effective. Salmon anglers have been using them for years an...

Author: Mike Carey

Posted: 10/5/2019

The shadows stretched over the river, causing an ever-changing view of one of the Pacific Northwest’s greatest treasures, Hells Canyon, on the Snake River bordering Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Around us canyon walls of basalt lava climbed over one mile to the west rim on the Oregon side and 7,400 feet below the peaks of the Seven Devils Mountain range to the east. Hells Canyon began being carv...