Salmon fishing is going great guns on the upper Columbia River. Lake Wenatchee opened to sockeye fishing this week, and the area above Wells Dam is also open to fish for Chinook. The Annual Brewster King Salmon Derby is just around the corner. Better get out there and hone your skills for a chance at big money and prizes at this year’s derby.

The return of sockeye to the Columbia has passed the 750,000 mark at Bonneville and over 300,000 have passed over Wells Dam. Fishing for sockeye in the Brewster Pool has been great, and there are more fish arriving every day. The next big thing this salmon season was the opening of sockeye fishing on Lake Wenatchee. On July 18th, the last update posted at Tumwater Dam prior to the July 22nd opener, over 50,000 sockeye had passed through on their way to the lake. I had been up to Lake Wenatchee almost daily the week prior, helping my friend Rollie get his dock ready and moving boats. When I drove my boat up the lake to Rollie’s, I slowed down a couple of times to look for fish. I saw fish below West Point, but only out in the middle in deep water. There were fish in more shallow water off of Crescent Beach. We’re hoping to find lots of fish between West Point and at the top end of the lake, especially if the wind blows as forecast. I plan to start with two rods on riggers, if the fish are deep, and two on lead ball rigs. Remember anglers, bait is not allowed on Lake Wenatchee to protect spring Chinook and bull trout.

The opening day of sockeye fishing on Lake Wenatchee is a family affair. On board my Smoker Craft Phantom will be my brother Rick, my cousin Greg Preston and his son Tim. Rick and Greg and I have had many fishing adventures over the years, but I haven’t had Greg out for years. Having him and his son out on the same day is special.

I plan to take my crew from the dock down lake on a line with West Point. Depending on how many fish we mark and hook, I may slide out into deeper water. Rollie did some scouting and said that he saw lots of fish in the 220 foot depth of the lake. Also, if the wind blows as predicted, I may have to troll up lake to the top end, where it usually isn’t so bad. If you fish Lake Wenatchee for sockeye, you have fished in the wind. There have been times when it was blowing so hard that I had the big motor going, steered with the bow mount electric and used the kicker in reverse to get the right speed. Driving is a full time job, but we still got limits for everyone on board.

Last Thursday was moving day for me. I took the Smoker Craft from my home in Leavenworth to Lake Wenatchee State Park and helped Rollie Schmitten put his boat in the water. I drove his truck and trailer to his place and met Jim Passage, who helped me put my boat in. Jim has been helping me launch for a few years now. It’s great to have a friend who is always willing to help. Rollie Schmitten and I have been busy repairing the winter damage to his dock to be ready in time for the opening day of the season. For years now I can take off from my friend’s home on “Sockeye Point”. I want to remind boaters who will be using the launch at the State Park at the bottom end of the lake that the boat ramp will be open starting at 4 a.m., no earlier. By my estimate, based on the counts at Tumwater Dam that I have been tracking daily, there should be around 70,000 sockeye waiting for anglers in Lake Wenatchee for the opener. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a calm and windless day. Please observe proper boat launch etiquette and have everything loaded in your boat ready to go when it’s your turn. Be patient and have fun! This week’s photo is of Rollie Schmitten in the back of his Whaler a few years ago.

The 18th Annual Brewster King Salmon Derby is coming up the first weekend in August as usual. It falls on August 2nd through the 4th this year. I have talked to the organizer, Mike Mauk, a few times this summer, and although there are some changes in the fishing area this year, there is no doubt that there will be a good turnout and lots of big kings caught. This is the biggest derby in Eastern Washington, and the success rate of anglers who fish this derby rivals that of the ones that take place on the west side. If you don’t have your tickets yet, it’s easy to do. Just go to my website at www. FishingMagician.com and click on the salmon derby log on the right hand side of the Home Page. You find instructions on how to get your tickets and the derby rules.

Sockeye fishing is dominating the fishing scene here on the upper Columbia River. The record run is attracting record numbers of anglers to the region to take advantage of the unprecedented numbers of fish that are available this season. I have received a record number of requests for my free E-Letter, too. It is dedicated to sockeye fishing, from a boat or from shore and is loaded with maps, photos and instructions on how to catch these prized fish. If you want to get a free copy, go to my website at FishingMagician.com and click on the E-Letter button at the top left hand side of the Home Page. I will get one out to you right away. I fished with Austin Moser last week on the Brewster Pool and while on the water I shot a video of the action. We also took the time in the midst of all the reeling in and netting fish to give very good details on exactly how Austin puts limit numbers of sockeye in his boat. You will want to go to YouTube and search for the Dave Graybill channel to view it to make the most of this season.