Northwest Fishing Reports

Quick report for lake Wa. We hit the lake at 10:30am looking for crappies up shallow. After trolling cranks and jigs for about two hours with not much to show for it we decided to hit a hole I have not fished in about three seasons. We starting working jigs in 17' of water bouncing the jigs off sunken pilings. It started to pay off in short order.



By 3pm we had 41 fish in the boat and not one was under 12". The smallest fish weighted in at 1.2lbs and the big girl for the day was 15.5" and 2.2lbs. Not a bad way to spend the day :D. We tossed about 60 fish back into the lake so they could spawn.



These fish are not ready to spawn yet...maybe another two weeks or so. We're going to try it again this morning so I'll have another report. Tight lines fellas.

You are the man Slabking! Love to see the Crappie catch. I'll be looking out for ya this year. I'm new to Crappie fishing this side of the state but can't wait to start hooking into them. My favorite fish by far all the way around. Keep the posts coming!

Nice fish man!
We've been out about four times in Lake Washington, and havnt even seen a crappie!

So where's the fish fry?

Nice catch Slabking! I haven't sought out crappie in the NW yet (primarily in Mo,Ky,& Tn) but with slab's like that I may have to give it a go.

I had a chance to go crappie/bluegill fishing in Kentucky about 15 years ago. I thought to myself now why would I go all the way to Kentucky when I can catch a ton of Crappie in Iowa. They came back with pics and ive been kicking myself ever since. 15 inch crappies were the norm down there and the bluegills were like frying pans. If I ever get down south I will be doing that.

I caught 1 13 inch crappie the other night but that was it. Not one other crappie. Caught 4 the night before that. Not doing a very good job of locating them. Nobodys fault but mine.

dude those are huge crappie. you have lake washington dialed in for sure.

Thanks guys. Haven't been back out there yet but will be out there bright and early on Sat or Sun. I'll have reports for Lake Wa and Kapowsin this weekend for sure.

We checked out Dolloff yesterday but didn't find the crappies. I did nail two really nice largemouths on Zoom lizards and a bunch of dink males though. The bass are just getting settled in on their beds.

I am only crappiemaster by name. You are truly the king. Come to this side of the state and show me how to be crappieking. We can find those 12-15 inch badboys in many areas on this side. I know they are there. Great fish, KING!

Slabking wrote:Quick report for lake Wa. We hit the lake at 10:30am looking for crappies up shallow. After trolling cranks and jigs for about two hours with not much to show for it we decided to hit a hole I have not fished in about three seasons. We starting working jigs in 17' of water bouncing the jigs off sunken pilings. It started to pay off in short order.



By 3pm we had 41 fish in the boat and not one was under 12". The smallest fish weighted in at 1.2lbs and the big girl for the day was 15.5" and 2.2lbs. Not a bad way to spend the day :D. We tossed about 60 fish back into the lake so they could spawn.



These fish are not ready to spawn yet...maybe another two weeks or so. We're going to try it again this morning so I'll have another report. Tight lines fellas.

Where do you launch your boat? Or where is good spots to launch a boat. I have a huge map of lake washington, but my Dad and Bro have no idea where to launch. I always fish behind Husky Stadium on the dock. But, I have yet to discover Crappie. We went out to Oregon last week and caught about 150 crappie, but not that size. Any help would be appreciated. We don't want to launch way far away from areas that we want to fish.

Thanks

topdawg47 wrote: Where do you launch your boat? Or where is good spots to launch a boat. I have a huge map of lake washington, but my Dad and Bro have no idea where to launch. I always fish behind Husky Stadium on the dock. But, I have yet to discover Crappie. We went out to Oregon last week and caught about 150 crappie, but not that size. Any help would be appreciated. We don't want to launch way far away from areas that we want to fish.

Thanks

Launch out of the Sunnyside Ramp on the north side of Lake Union. It's only a short ride to some pretty good waters from there.


Crappiemaster,
You guys have some huge fish out there around Lyons Ferry. They should be spawning now if not very soon. Moses has some nice slabs too around the sunken island and out in front of crab creek. Potholes is good up in Lind Coulee and Frenchmens.

Those are tanks! Nice!

Thanks SlabKing-
I have heard that about Lyon's Ferry. I have not been up there yet. We have found them on the beaver dams at Crow Butte last weekend.. Not huge, but good fillets. I think I will head to Lyon's this weekend and explore. Not a long trip from here and I love finding new areas. Paterson Sloughs down here should start producing monsters anytime now as well. Sent my first report last week, with pics, but didn't post it right or something. Mike is working on it to get it in the right place. I will post report for this weekend...it truly is.....crapppietime!!!!

SlabKing, you are the man dude !! I think I may have to used that ramp someday. Driving the boat from Coulon to Lake Union is $$$$$$$

crappiemaster wrote:Thanks SlabKing-
I have heard that about Lyon's Ferry. I have not been up there yet. We have found them on the beaver dams at Crow Butte last weekend.. Not huge, but good fillets. I think I will head to Lyon's this weekend and explore. Not a long trip from here and I love finding new areas. Paterson Sloughs down here should start producing monsters anytime now as well. Sent my first report last week, with pics, but didn't post it right or something. Mike is working on it to get it in the right place. I will post report for this weekend...it truly is.....crapppietime!!!!

Yeah, Lyons is good. As you head up the Palouse, look for the huge bluff on your left side. Head towards the bluff but watch your finder. The schools will either be out off the bluff, right against it, or in the cove north of the bluff. The Marina hold tons of them too under the docks. All of the coves and culverts above the dam hold large schools too. You'll see them on your finder.


Chris, that ramp is a good ramp man. Best place to launch if there's a bass tourney going on the big lake and you want to fish Union for bass. You can launch from that ramp at 5:45am and have fish in the boat before the tourney guys can get over there lol .

Thats great to know !!! Thanks alot !!!!!

I know the Palouse dumps into the Snake. Is the bluff you are talking about on the Palouse or the Snake? If it is at Lyons Ferry, I am assuming it is the Snake, right? I didn't get up there this weekend, I went back to Crow Butte and caught a limit of smallies and some bluegill and some small crappie. I hope to go up there later this week or this weekend.

crappiemaster wrote:I know the Palouse dumps into the Snake. Is the bluff you are talking about on the Palouse or the Snake? If it is at Lyons Ferry, I am assuming it is the Snake, right? I didn't get up there this weekend, I went back to Crow Butte and caught a limit of smallies and some bluegill and some small crappie. I hope to go up there later this week or this weekend.

I call it the Palouse but it could still be the Snake .....it is off the main river though and just upstream from the park. On the google maps it looks like a point just upstream (heading toward the Palouse) from the breakwater at the park. That buff and the big cove just upstream from it are good. If you don't find anythere (unlikey but it does happen) try the docks around the marina.....if nothing there....drive up above the dam and fish the dock at the boat launch or launch out of there and fish the backs of all the coves you'll find on your right hand side. There are a bunch of them but they all hold fish. There's a large one with a stream/slough in the back of it that holds tons of bass and crappies this time of year.

The place he is talking about is on the Palouse river. If you launch at the marina, go across the snake to where you see the jetty with all the trees on it. You will see an opening on the right side between the jetty and a large bluff. Once inside, you will see the hills he is pointing out on your left. This sucker is SHALLOW after the last few years of big runoff, so the sediment is making the water only a few feet deep in many areas in the river. Good for the slabs though.

Speaking of, how many of those were filled with eggs? When we pick up the monsters out here in Spokane this time of year, they typically are pre-spawn females that are packed with eggs.

E

Yeah, they were all loaded with eggs. We did catch two up shallow that had spawned but all of the rest were in pre-spawn mode and hanging out in deeper water.