I‘ve read several books about Lewis & Clark over the years, including a version of their Journals that was as thick as a Manhattan phone book. Not only was their journey one of history’s most epic road trips, but man, oh man, did they see some spectacular fishing! The numbers of salmon and steelhead they encountered on the Columbia-Clearwater-Snake river system were beyond imagination. When I finally get my jet boat time machine built, my first trip is going to be along much of the Lewis & Clark Trail!
Apparently, I am not alone in my fascination with the fishing that the dynamic duo and the Corps. of Discovery encountered…The Federation of Fly Fishers has created a virtual and physical exhibit on this very subject! Check this out: Undaunted Anglers: Fishing with Lewis & Clark
Chum Salmon reintroduced into the Columbia River
Chum salmon, long considered to be almost extinct on the Oregon side of the lower Columbia River, might again return to its tributaries if a cooperative effort of the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife proves successful.
The first week of April, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released 106,000 juvenile chum salmon into lower Big Creek in the first phase of project attempting to re-establish the species, which began to disappear from the Oregon side of the river more than 50 years ago. While the reason for their decline is not completely clear, biologists believe that severe habitat degradation, among other factors, played a key role. Click here to read more…
One Pan Striped Bass with Asparagus Recipe
Unless you're looking for extra fiber, it's probably best to fillet fish before cooking!
With striper season in full swing, I figured it was time to talk about one of my favorite aspects of these fish — and that’s eating ’em! Stripers have mild, white fillets that are absolutely delicious. In fact, I have a lot of clients tell me that they like ’em better than halibut. I’m not totally sure I’d go that far, but they’re pretty close.
To get some new ideas on how to cook ’em up, I talked to our man, Scott “The Sporting Chef” Leysath, the world’s leading authority on cooking stuff you catch and shoot (and also co-host of the popular TV show Hunt Fish Cook and he suggested his super easy One Pan Striper with Asparagus recipe.
“This one’s quick, easy, colorful and only requires a big skillet or wok and a handful of fresh ingredients,” he says. “When asparagus isn’t in season, substitute any green vegetable like broccoli, sugar snap peas or green beans. Check out your local Asian market for the best price on fresh vegetables!”Click here to read more…
Giant Lake Shasta Spotted Bass not far off World Record!
A new Lake Shasta record for spotts!
Our old friend Scott Green is one of the top bass anglers in all of California. If you ever see his name in a tournament you’re fishing at places like Clear Lake, Berryessa or Shasta, start thinking about second place! To prove my point, check out these massive spotted bass from Lake Shasta he just caught, including a new lake record 8.85 pounder, which is a pound and change off the World Record!
Nice work, dude!
2 Great Herring Rigs for Ocean Salmon Fishing
The Westport cut-plug is deadly
The California ocean salmon opener has, not surprisingly, sparked a lot of interest in saltwater salmon fishing and I’ve received quite a number of emails this weekend from folks asking about how to rig up for kings in the salt. Well, that’s a subject worthy of a book and I could literally go on for days, but here are a couple of my favorites. These two are super quick and easy — and effective!
Before I begin, a quick word on bait selection. Regardless of the rig, you need good, quality bait. Buy only the tray variety if it’s available! There are lots of trick things you can do with baits like brining and dyeing them, but this time around, let’s stick to the basics. The anchovies this year are pretty small, so herring or small sardines are going to be your best bets.
The rig above is a basic “Westport” cutplug rig. Starting with a whole fish, make a “double 45” cut just behind the gill plate. Place the knife on the fish and rotate your wrist so the blade is at a 45-degree angle to it’s body at the same time, remove the head with a cut that angles 45 degrees from top to bottom. Remove the guts and you’re ready to follow the instructions above.
Now, I have a single hook rig pictured…where legal, you can also got with two hooks in tandem and run one near the front of the bait. When trolled, a cutplug herring has a beautiful roll to it that kings love. Run it with or without flashers….You can also mooch with the Westport rig, but in California, be sure to switch to circle hooks (as per the law).
The Strip & Squid is a great searching tool
On the troll you can also use the Strip & Squid rig. This is best run behind a dodger or flasher as the rig itself doesn’t have much action on its own. Simply take a fillet of baitfish and add it to a Hootchie rig. It’s kinda goofy-looking in the water but you get a nice combination of flash, smell and color that sometimes is the hot ticket.
I’ll post more rigs as the season moves on, but these are kind of like a quick start guide to get ya going…
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