Tag: Fall Chinook

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Hanford Reach Fall Chinook

Hanford Reach Fall Chinook

Often referred to as “The Reach,” this area of the Columbia River is the last “Free Flowing” section of the Columbia River and is home to some of the absolute best spawning habitat left in the main stem Columbia River.  This is where many of the fish we were targeting at Astoria are heading.  The Hanford Reach is where these fish will finally stop moving and hold up before they start to spawn.  We target “The Reach” starting the second week of September and fish here through the second week of October.  We often catch some of our biggest fish of the year here as the big males start to get aggressive in anticipation of spawning.  This is an action packed fishery targeting big Chinook in the desert of Eastern Washington.

We fish a number of different ways and have found that being diverse in our strategies has helped us to continually put good numbers of Fall Chinook in the boat for our customers.  We could be downstream trolling Super Baits in the morning and back trolling plugs and eggs in the afternoon.  The biggest key to success here is knowing where to fish depending on the flow coming out of Priest Rapids Dam.  This is also the most difficult thing about this fishery.  Where and how we fish can vary greatly depending on what flows are coming out of the Dam.  Our two favorite techniques here are trolling flashers and Super Baits, and back trolling bait wrapped plugs and eggs.  “The Reach” fishes like a real river with dynamic changes in holes and flows and anglers have to be willing to adapt to be successful.

We start most of our trips out of Vernita bridge, but if the fishing dictates we will drop down and fish out of Ringold.  We like the Vernita area as we feel it gives us the best access to a wide variety of water to consistently put our customers on fish.  We truly enjoy this fishery and we are excited to be able to share it with you.

Fishing the Hanford Reach is truly an amazing experience.  It is very normal for us to see lots of Mule Deer, including some really nice bucks, coyotes, waterfowl, and on occasion some of the Elk from the large herds that cross the nuclear site.

For a Google Map of our meeting locations click here.

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Astoria / Buoy 10 Fall Chinook and Coho

Buoy 10 Fall Chinook

Starting August 1st, and continuing until the end of the month, we turn our attention to the mouth of the Columbia River near Astoria. Oregon.  This is the famed Buoy 10 fishery!  There is nothing quite like the pull of a 20+ pound Chinook ripping line out on a hell bent run back to the Pacific Ocean.  To say that these fish are fresh is an understatement!  The fish you hook up with most likely just came into the river from the big pond on the last incoming tide.  This is an exciting fishery that is on many people’s bucket list, and is one of our most favorite fisheries of the entire year.  Bring the family out for a vacation on the coast, while you sneak out for some of the finest salmon fishing in the world.

This is without a doubt the most publicized fishery in the Northwest, and arguably the single most anticipated fishery of the year.  When you spend an August day chasing fresh from the previous tide Upriver Bright Fall Chinook, and Coho at the mouth of the Columbia River there is no doubt you are in a special place.  The buzz and feeling you get just being in this historic area makes a trip worth it.

We start our days out of the East Mooring Basin in Astoria, Oregon. From here we set out on the river to the best location for the days particular tides.  This is a dynamic fishery as we are always changing locations to put you on the best locations for the specific periods of the tides.  This is also a troll oriented fishery and we love to fish bait.  Fresh herring and anchovies pulled behind a flasher is our number one rig.

We suggest that you book early for this fishery as our available space tends to fill quickly.  Also this is a prime time for other tourist attractions on the coast and securing a hotel room can be a little difficult with short notice.   When booking we can offer suggestions on where to stay for a variety of different budgets and lodging needs.

To view a Google Map of our meeting locations click here.

 

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Hanford Reach Wrap up

Hanford Reach Fall Chinook

We just finished another great season on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River.  This is the last free flowing section of the Columbia River and is located between the Tri-Cities, WA and Priest Rapids Dam.  This section is the salmon factory of the Columbia and is the spawning habitat for the Columbia River’s Most prized fall Chinook.  We mostly fish out of the Vernita Bridge access area and our main technique is back trolling divers and cured eggs or bait wrapped plugs such as the Yakima Bait Maglip and the T-55 and T-60 Flat Fish.  We fish this section of river from the 15th of September through the 15th of October.  This is a great consistent fishery that should be enjoyed by all.  Check out a few of our pictures below and see just how we did.