FishwithJD

The web's best fishing magazine

Alternative commercial fishing gear to be tested on lower Columbia River

By 1 Comment

Back then, we thought the resource was limitless...now we know better! (Photo: www.nwcouncil.org)

Okay, I guess this is a positive thing that they’re trying to modify commercial fishing gear on the lower Columbia….but I do have one question to ask before you read on: WTF?? They can still commercially fish on the Columbia? I’m not into messing with person’s livelihood, but can somebody explain to me how netting salmon in a river is a good thing in the Big Picture?

I’m off the soap box now…go ahead and read on…

Starting this week, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon will test the feasibility of five types of alternative commercial fishing gears on the lower Columbia River. Expanding on a pilot project conducted last year, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will work with commercial salmon fishers to test purse seines, beach seines and trap nets.

In addition, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will work with a team of commercial fishers to test commercial troll gear and tangle nets during fall chinook and coho salmon runs. Click here to read more…

Largest sockeye run since 1947 swimming up the Columbia River

By Leave a Comment

Something good’s up with the Columbia River. I’m not sure if it has to do with those spring pulse flows to flush out smolts that they’ve been doing recently…good ocean conditions…or a combination thereof, but the river’s been stuffed with fish the past couple years. If you’ll recall, the summer run steelhead numbers were through the roof in 2009 and the coho run was also massive. Now you can add sockeye to the list.

So far this year, over 350,000 sockeye salmon have made it over Bonneville Dam, three times the amount predicted by biologists and a modern-day record. And the run’s not over yet. Read more HERE

Fishing Trivia: Impress the Ladies with these nuggets!

By 4 Comments

Okay, so in this age of informational overdose, you probably already have way too much stuff rattling inside in deep recesses of your brain and don’t need anything else jammed in there, but I’m going to load you up with a good dose of totally useless and random fish trivia anyway.

I guess “useless” may be a little strong of a word — you may be able to impress the ladies at cocktail party by busting out one of these little nuggets (highly unlikely) or perhaps at least make your fishing pals think you’re smart (didn’t work for me, but give ‘er a go anyway).

So, without further adieu, here are some things you may or may not already know…Click here to read more…

Shad Fishing Starter Kit

By 22 Comments

shad-man

Okay it’s spring and that means many West Coast rivers are getting invaded, at this very minute, by big waves of jumbo-sized, fresh from the sea mutant herring…American Shad.

If you’ve never caught these scrappy bad boys, you owe it to yourself to give it a try this year! You won’t find too many 1- to 6-pound fish that fight any better. Here’s a super basic look at how to get in on the fun…

Tackle

One of the true beauties of shad fishing is the simplicity. Grab a light-action spinning rod (I like 7 footers) and a reel with a smooth drag system and load it up with 4-pound mono. All you really need for shad fishing in the terminal gear department is a few different sizes of shot, some 1/32-ounce jig heads and a few colors of 1- to 2-inch grubs. Keep it simple!

Take a look at my personal shad box and you’ll get the idea…

Keep 'er simple...don't over-think shad too much!

Keep ‘er simple…don’t over-think shad too much!

My all-around favorite shad rig…

Just add enough splitshot to get near the bottom and you're good to go.

Just add enough splitshot to get near the bottom and you’re good to go.

Technique

From an anchored boat or the bank, the down-and-across swing is the best method:
shad-bite-zone

As your lure drifts, give the rod tip an occasional “pop” just to give the bait a little extra action.

Where to look

Shad aren’t big fans of whitewater, so try fishing below any sort of barrier in the river — dams, rapids and falls. They also really like nice slow flats that are 6-12 feet deep.

Fish here!

Fish here!

Generally, shad fishing is best early and late in the day, but you can also whack ’em pretty good in the afternoon too. For the most action, hit the river in the late afternoon and fish right until dark.