Although temperatures have cooled a bit throughout the region, salmon fishing continues to be hot in certain areas of the Columbia River. Anglers are having good success catching both kings and sockeye in the Brewster Pool, while the action has slowed at Chelan Falls and off the mouth of the Entiat River.

I was up at 1:30 last Wednesday morning and met my fishing partner James Lebow in Brewster. We launched the boat and arrived at the fishing grounds at about 4:30. There were a fair number of boats trolling off the mouth of the Okanogan River and in the channel below it. We could already see nets out and sockeye being landed. 

I saw Jerrod Gibbons at the launch, and he suggested that we focuse on getting kings to start. There was an old style Twisted Sister Super Bait on one downrigger, a plug cut style Hot Tamale on the other downrigger rod, and a plug cut style Mountain Dew out the back on a 12 ounce lead ball. All were stuffed with tuna mixed with Graybills Guide Formula Salmon, Tuna Belly and Garlic scent. 

We had a king on just after 5, and that was the first of three kings that we lost right at the boat. If there is a way to screw up netting a king, I did it. The king bite had slowed a bit, so we decided to put a sockeye rig on the back rod, on a four ounce lead ball. While we were working our way to a limit of sockeye we hooked another king, and James “changed the dynamic” by grabbing the net and landing the king. It was a frustrating but terrific day on the Brewster Pool. This week’s photo is of me holding the king that James netted for me. 

When it comes to salmon derbies here in Eastern Washington, the Brewster Salmon Derby is the granddaddy of them all. This year will be the 15th Annual, and it has always been conducted by folks from the local community and they have done an excellent job. I remember sitting down at a local restaurant to talk to the original organizer of the event. He had no experience, and I had my doubts, but they were put aside when I attended the first derby. 

This year’s event will be held the first weekend in August as usual—which is the 6th, 7th, and 8th. There will be over $20,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs this year. There is the King of the Pool cash prize of $2,000. The first place in the adult division will earn the winner $1,500. The top winner in the youth division will get $550 and the big fish in the under 8 category will win $100. Cash will be awarded for the top ten anglers in the adult division and the youth division and the top five in the under 8 division. You can get the rules and even register on-line by logging onto www.brewstersalmonderby.com. 

The first salmon derby this year is the 8th Annual Wenatchee Salmon Derby, which will take place on Friday, July 16th and Saturday, July 17th. There will be cash awarded to the Biggest Fish and Heaviest Boat Weight, and there will be lots of raffles for great prizes, too. 

There will be a mandatory Driver’s Meeting at the Eagles Hall in Wenatchee on Thursday, July 15th, starting at 5 p.m. The derby boundaries are from Rock Island to Wells Dams. Get tickets by going to www.wenatcheesalmonderby.com. 

Mark your calendars for a Red Barn event about invasive species in Washington waters on July 22nd from 6 to 8 p.m. in Leavenworth. Species like northern pike and zebra mussels threaten our local waterways salmon runs and you can learn more about your role in keeping them out of our waters. 

There will be details on the watercraft decontamination station that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife uses to keep zebra mussels at bay. My wife and I have passed through the inspection station at the Washington/Idaho border on our way back from Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho twice. Here we met “Puddles”, a Russel terrier mix breed that has been specially trained and that can sniff out zebra mussels. In May of this year the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) aquatic invasive watercraft inspection stations staff had already inspected over 5,500 watercraft; 11 of which were fouled with invasive zebra mussels. These mussels pose a serious threat to Washington’s waterways and utilities and could cause millions of dollars in damage.

You can also see the pike suppression boats that the Chelan PUD and the Coville Tribe use to capture northern pike on Lake Roosevelt. You can view a video I did aboard the Colville Tribe’s pike suppression boat when I joined them for a day of gillnetting pike earlier this year. It’s on the Dave Graybill You Tube channel. 

By May this year the combined effort of the tribes, Chelan PUD and the WDFW, over 16,000 northern pike have been removed from Lake Roosevelt. Sport anglers are also making a significant contribution through the Colville Tribe’s Rewards Program. Last year sport anglers turned in over 1,100 northern pike heads at the stations on Lake Roosevelt. They were paid $10.00 for each head through the program.

I also fished with guide Kevin Witte for pike on Lake Roosevelt, and I will be at the Red Barn event to share what I learned about sport fishing for northern pike, and the rewards program. This will all take place at the Wenatchee River Institute, 347 Division St. in Leavenworth. You can get more details at wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. 

A massive tiger trout pulled from Loon Lake in Stevens County in late June has set a new state record, state fishery managers have confirmed. The 24.49-pound tiger trout broke the previous record by a full 6 pounds. 

Angler Caylun Peterson caught the monster tiger trout on June 26, 2021, fishing in the early-morning hours in part to escape the triple-digit heat forecast for the day. Peterson said he’s been fishing Loon Lake -- located about 30 miles north of Spokane -- ever since he was a kid. 

I am headed by to Kettle Falls. This time to fish with guide Kevin Witte for sturgeon. I will let you know how I do.