Northwest Fishing Reports

Edit; Changing it to pretty much the same as the Winter Steel Thread.
Jus dont get this one locked !

Fish_Bait111397 wrote:Before I go back to Arizona in a month, i want to "check" steelhead off the list of fish I have caught.
Any body know any rivers on the OP that will be good for summer runs here shortly?
If not, ill just go to the Cowlitz.
Thanks !

Uhh, the Cow is always a good bet but if it were me id head to Wynoochie, the Sky(around or in the wallace, or reiter if it opens in time...), the Lewis, the Humptulips, or the Wind and Klickitat rivers. Any of the OP usual rivers will be great, i dont know where you live or if your limited to the bank... but you can PM me if you have any Q's. And the Steelhead is the most important check on any washington state anglers list, they are incredible fish!

bassinassasin wrote:

Fish_Bait111397 wrote:Before I go back to Arizona in a month, i want to "check" steelhead off the list of fish I have caught.
Any body know any rivers on the OP that will be good for summer runs here shortly?
If not, ill just go to the Cowlitz.
Thanks !

Uhh, the Cow is always a good bet but if it were me id head to Wynoochie, the Sky(around or in the wallace, or reiter if it opens in time...), the Lewis, the Humptulips, or the Wind and Klickitat rivers. Any of the OP usual rivers will be great, i dont know where you live or if your limited to the bank... but you can PM me if you have any Q's. And the Steelhead is the most important check on any washington state anglers list, they are incredible fish!

Where on the Wynoochie would you recommend?

jens wrote:

bassinassasin wrote:

Fish_Bait111397 wrote:Before I go back to Arizona in a month, i want to "check" steelhead off the list of fish I have caught.
Any body know any rivers on the OP that will be good for summer runs here shortly?
If not, ill just go to the Cowlitz.
Thanks !

Uhh, the Cow is always a good bet but if it were me id head to Wynoochie, the Sky(around or in the wallace, or reiter if it opens in time...), the Lewis, the Humptulips, or the Wind and Klickitat rivers. Any of the OP usual rivers will be great, i dont know where you live or if your limited to the bank... but you can PM me if you have any Q's. And the Steelhead is the most important check on any washington state anglers list, they are incredible fish!

Where on the Wynoochie would you recommend?

I love the Nooch. It pretty much dries up into a trickle in the summer months. Personally I like to head to the 7400 bridge and start around there. Ill head up from there using forest access roads/ hiking and ill usually go up to the big creek mouth. The mouth of save creek can be really good. From 7400 access/bridge up the river is a canyon and can be kinda dangerous to access spots. Look for riffles(low water), pools, tailouts, and nice walking-jogging paced runs(early morning/cloudy days).

Stealth is key! I like micro jigs(light florocarbon leaders), silver(early morning/cloudy days) or flat black(anytime else) Pentac or RVRFSHR spoons in 2/5 ounce, blue fox spinners (same as spoons).

The fish are usually in thick by june with june being the most productive month. Dont plan on drifting the river in a aluminum drift boat unless youve got some big cahones and the river flow is above 700. The nooch is one of the few rivers ive caught limits of summer runs from the bank and it is a darn fun river to fish.

The Wynoochie is a hot river to fish.Always has been. The Wynoochee,the Chehalis, The Willapa. All good rivers.

Picked up this beauty this morning.. the leaping ability of a Summer Run is breath taking that will make any angler a tad bit nervous with their arial display.. she jumped well over 5 times trying to spit my jig..

....and so it begins.

Nice work Jens!

Hopefully this thread goes half as well as the winter steel thread..... [lol] [lol]

Matt wrote:Hopefully this thread goes half as well as the winter steel thread..... [lol] [lol]

probably not
nice fish jens!

Hit the Sky for the 1st time since it opened. Fun day! Went 2 for 6. Brought to hand were a 10# native winter (released) and a little 6# summer hen to take home for dinner. 5 of the 6 were caught on jigs that I tied myself. Got my 1st steelhead hit on a spoon (came unbuttoned). And got spooled by a monster that took me into the rapids. Good way to start the summer run!

Did you see the fish that took off on you? Likely a springer

Gringo Pescador wrote:Hit the Sky for the 1st time since it opened. Fun day! Went 2 for 6. Brought to hand were a 10# native winter (released) and a little 6# summer hen to take home for dinner. 5 of the 6 were caught on jigs that I tied myself. Got my 1st steelhead hit on a spoon (came unbuttoned). And got spooled by a monster that took me into the rapids. Good way to start the summer run!

Where were you fishing at? I've missed 'em both times I've been out.

Matt wrote:Did you see the fish that took off on you? Likely a springer

Could have been. All I saw was a flash of white when he rolled, bobber went down, took off across the river, slowed, rolled, then blasted downstream into the rapids. I only had an 8# leader. Tried running downstream to see if I could get him turned before it was too late but the river level was too high (runnning through water over the bank - not so easy) so it was a futile attempt at best. I finally just thumbed the spool and broke it off. If I am going to lose a fish, that is the way I want to do it:bball: Not at the net (like I did with another one):-({|=

Or worse yet let him ACTUALLY spool you and take all your line off. haha

Hate putting the thumbs to a fish. Bawk Bawk knows how to do that really well.

This is kind of a gamble Gringo, but when you have a fish run away like that, open your bail. Hopefully the fish will think it's not hooked and begin to relax.. I've done this before with a pig Silver, but after watching all my line spool off, I decided to tightent the drag and pray..the fish won.

jens wrote:This is kind of a gamble Gringo, but when you have a fish run away like that, open your bail. Hopefully the fish will think it's not hooked and begin to relax.. I've done this before with a pig Silver, but after watching all my line spool off, I decided to tightent the drag and pray..the fish won.

Interesting idea, the problem is having the wits about me to actually think of it in time to do it! I will keep it in mind for next time though. I am a bit of a gambler after all[thumbup]

What color jigs are you guys throwing? Thumb to the spool has ruined my day a few times, thanks Matt.

Not my fault you were born with 10 thumbs.

[lol]

Bawk Bawk wrote:What color jigs are you guys throwing? Thumb to the spool has ruined my day a few times, thanks Matt.

Any color as long as it is pink :thumright

Spent a few hours today on the sky around the wallace up to high bridge with my buddy, he was swinging flies while i threw everything else pretty much, i hate one little take on a spoon and that was it for us, heard of one native steelhead and saw a trout caught but that was all, river is still a little high but color is fine