Salt2Summit Guide Service - With 25 + years of experience pursuing these Columbia River fish from buoy 10 to Hanford reach and up the Snake River. Fishing every tributary in between these places, I have learned certain spots and techniques used to catch more fish.In 2012 we went 49 days straight catching fish everyday. That is why I am confident enough to offer you a “catch-fish-guarantee” on full day trips. If we do not bring a fish to the boat you only pay half price or receive 50% off of the full price on your next visit.
The annual fall fishing vacation finally rolled around. We normally fish in Minnesota but thought we'd stay in-state for the first time ever. The first week we fished Curlew Lake in Ferry County and the second week September 26-October 3rd we fished Newman Lake.
We stayed in a vacation rental and loved the look of the lake. We always relish the fall temperatures, but don't you know we ran in to Indian Summer with 80+ degree temps! The locals were happy but we weren't. But at least we weren't in our Guidewear like in MN, too.
The lake was beautiful, but fishing was S-L-O-W. We fished every day no less than six hours and some 10 hour days. We threw crank baits, bobber fished, drop shotted worms, trolled etc.
Our main targets were LMB and tiger muskies. I boated a total of only 16 fish for the week, and K. boated a total of 33 fish for the week. Wow, what hard work for so few fish.
But the good news is that at least K. boated a small 26" tiger muskie and two 12.5" crappie. I boated a 19" LMB and two 15.5 LMB. So there was some quality among the sparse fish.
We had so looked forward to this lake and were really disappointed. But, a bad day fishing is still better than a good day at work.
Hi, Thanks for reading our report and writing. Yes, the water was very stained with algae on the surface. And the clarity was about 2' maximum. Is both "normal" for this lake?
CarpMouth, that is normal for only about 2 periods of the year. This just happens to be one of them, I am afraid to say. I have not fished Newman for over a month because of it. I have been on Silver, and that has some excellent water quality right now. Haven't been there for a few weeks, but the fish were cooperating the last time. Believe it or not, the crappie hit husky jerks out there more than the muskies. I thow a Rapala Husky Jerk about 1/2 the time for the muskies, and have bagged quite a few very nice crappie. One pushing 16-17". Numerous fish in the 12-16" range... Yeeper, all on the husky jerk. A friend and I were out, and I caught them on the HJ, and he tried the crappie jigs... No luck for him, on 1/2 a dozen casts to the same spot I pulled 3 crappie in 4 casts......
The crappie in our photo came on a black Salmo Hornet crankbait while slow trolling, so I can understand the Huskie Jerks being popular. However, we couldn't get any more to bite that evening. On a different day K. was just fishing with a worm and a split shot and drifting and hit another 12.5" crappie. I can't even imagine one at 15-16".
I don't think it usually gets that bad CarpMouth. About a month ago Newman got a toxic Blue-Green algae bloom.
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Salt2Summit Guide Service - With 25 + years of experience pursuing these Columbia River fish from buoy 10 to Hanford reach and up the Snake River. Fishing every tributary in between these places, I have learned certain spots and techniques used to catch more fish.In 2012 we went 49 days straight catching fish everyday. That is why I am confident enough to offer you a “catch-fish-guarantee” on full day trips. If we do not bring a fish to the boat you only pay half price or receive 50% off of the full price on your next visit.