Fishing Forum

Well Avery, Duck Slayer and myself made it over to the Big C for 3 days of intense fishing. We fished Sunday through Tuesday as may hours as possible. The spring fishery was pretty much what I was expecting. Lots of long hours on the water looking for a few opportunities. We never found the big ones that brings people thousand of miles but some fish were caught. Just nothing on my pole! Matt smoked me and came home with 3 fish. Biggest one was 4 lb 10 oz and a beautiful fish. Avery managed one 9" fish and I got flat skunked. I had a blast trying and I'll be going back next year for another try. Hats off to you Matt - nicely done!! And hats off to Avery for hanging with the big guys and not giving up. It wasn't easy and not a kid friendly fishery but you managed to out fish me again!
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I have wanted to go over there and try my luck but I get side tracked. Sounded like a fun trip. Ron
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Nice! Looks like you had a good trip. The area in the background looks familiar. My guess is between Umatilla and Irrigon maybe toward Boardman..Made that trip last year with about the same results. Long days with few fish but when you caught them they were usually nice. How was the wind? We got blown off 3 out of the 5 days we were there. 5 to 6 foot waves, like nothing i've seen here.
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Glad you caught some good fish. Way to go Avery.
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Bummer. Not certain what I had to offer for lures and tips would have made a difference but in that tough fishery you've got to play all the angles. Oh well, at least you got out there and gave it your best shot. That 4-pounder was a nice fish and will be good eating.
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Results for tourney held last weekend at Umatilla, OR. on the big C

[url "http://www.northwestwalleye.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=37842#p37842"]http://www.northwestwalleye.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=37842#p37842[/url]
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Yeah Dean I just ran out of time to stop by before we left town. Blade baits seem to be the thing over there. Tackle store didn't open until Tuesday morning so we could get some. Overall we held our own as we only ran into a few guys that had caught a couple fish.

Weather was great and the river was calm. Thinking maybe too calm.. We fished from Umatilla to Irrigon. Much easier fishing as you get down river from the dam some.
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I was wondering how the pro's would do. Big fish over 12#. That was the one I was looking for.
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Spring fishing had best luck with modified jigs with worms.
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The trip in my opinion was a great success...... the weather was even better, maybe too nice for walleye's.... which = more snow runoff which = colder water temps.... all the fish that were caught were male's, so I believe the females had not moved up yet or they moved up than water temps dropped and went back deep and inactive..... like Rod said the tackle shop we wanted too get our tackle at was closed, luckily I called a friend that lives in Boardman that came over too the Motel and gave us some pointers and a jigging blade..... we also got another contact while we were on the river which was nice, we just need another day or two, it took us a day and half too get the spots that hold walleye's figured out.... once we did that and concentrated on those area's we caught fish.... I also caught a decent carp and 2 salmon/steelhead smolts,

Avery was a trooper, have never seen a 9 year old fish as hard as he did and not complain.... but his dad kept him busy trying everything in the tackle box which helped, that boy can come up with some interesting combinations of lures/jigs, I hope too make this a yearly adventure, thanks for the invite Rod, your welcome on my boat anytime.....
Matt
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Those were some great eyes, especially for males. The Ol'Crestliner is in the shop for it's yearly checkup. Hope to have it on the water within a week or so.
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The trip was a huge success in my book. Learned a bunch and fish were caught. It was a team effort. I was wishing we had one more day also. Next year we need to make it a week and get a few more people to join us. Wife would really like to bring home one of those sturgeon also. It would make a nice yearly spring camp out. We'll fish again Matt and your welcome on my boat anytime as well - in fact I insist!
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Sorry I couldn't make it with you guys. I will schedule it in for sure next year. It sounds like you worked hard and learned a lot so that spells success in my book. I would be thrilled to catch a walleye of that size. It must have been tough fishing unless Avery has lost his touch which I don't believe is possible.

Congratulations on a cool trip and thanks for the update.

E
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Still time for another run over to Big C if anyone wants to go [fishin] Just got back from 4 days over there about a week ago. Spring bite continues into April.
Seems lots of the local guys are moving up above the Dam and fishing out of Kennewick up and down river from there. Down towards where Snake river comes in. Several fish between 15# to recent caught Wa state record 20.3 # caught in the last few weeks.

Not a high # of fish but usually a good one when it happens.

DonC
Twin Falls, id
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I've been paying attention for sometime to the fishery behind McNary. We saw some guys run up through the locks but they were back in a few hours. Never fished there yet but from what I understand the eye's hang in some potential dangerous areas of the lake. I've heard of 3 or 4 fish being caught in the last few weeks running 18#'s and that doesn't include the new state record fish. I would love to make another trip with someone that knows that part of the river. But as much as would like too I just can't. Bear is getting his nutz cut off on my next rotation of 4 days off before I end up with more pups. As the saying goes "Maybe next year". Oh by the way how did you guys do on your trip?

Rod
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Fished the Big C out of Kennewick above the McNary dam, where the Snake River comes in. Four guys only 4 eyes..... 8.5#, 7.5# and 2 @ 3#. Pretty slow but have to be there. Caught the 8# in the first 30 seconds fishing set the mood but not to be this year :-(

A new Or. state record was caught 2 weeks ago 20.3 #

Here is a web site that covers most of the fishing in that area.

[url "http://www.northwestwalleye.com/phpBB3/"]http://www.northwestwalleye.com/phpBB3/[/url]
[url "http://nwsportsmanmag.com/editors-blog/how-john-grubenhoff-caught-a-20-plus-pound-columbia-river-walleye/"]http://nwsportsmanmag.com/...umbia-river-walleye/[/url]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=103532"]IMG_20140315_202726.jpg[/url] (85.4 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=103533"]IMG_20140315_203058.jpg[/url] (69.3 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=103534"]20 # eye.jpg[/url] (53.6 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=103535"]walleye_zps9ed6a992.jpg[/url] (36.9 KB)
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we had about the same luck as you below the McNary Dam...... like Rod said there's always next year......
Matt
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Hey Don, Thanks for the info. I can't make it this month - I have a trip scheduled to go to Westport to fish for Lings.

Let's plan to have a walleye wing ding next spring.

Eric
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You bet lets plan on a trip next spring. Get a bunch of folks to go and we can spread out and look for the hot bite......... a few folks here have experience in the area so it should be fun :-)
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