This is a good week for boaters and potential anglers. The Free Fishing Weekend is this coming Saturday and Sunday. This is an opportunity for people to try fishing and maybe add it to their family activities. There is a big event at Bob Feil Boats and Motors that the whole family will enjoy.

The Free Fishing Weekend from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is scheduled for June 8th and 9th this year, anglers across the state can fish without a license. Every year people take advantage of this opportunity to fish the lakes in the state that have been planted with rainbow trout and also fish for the spiny ray species that are abundant in many of them. Every year families enjoy the experience and many make fishing part of their regular outdoor activities. Those who turn out for the Free Fishing Weekend can also participate in the WDFW’s Annual Trout Derby and catch a tagged trout that is worth a prize. All rules for size limits, daily limits and area closures are still in effect. It’s a good idea to pick up the Washington Sportfishing Rules pamphlet when you visit your local sporting goods stores to get what you need to fish during the Free Fishing Weekend. This will give you all you need to know about the rules and any special regulations that may apply to the lake you are going to fish. You can get more information about this special event on the WDFW’s website.

Christine Lee, the office manager at Bob Feil Boats and Motors, asked me to take her and her mother, Brenda Wallace fishing when she was visiting from Alberta, Canada. I had taken the pair sockeye fishing on Lake Wenatchee last summer and we had a great time. This year Brenda was coming in May, so we planned a trip to Lake Chelan to fish for kokanee. When we left the launch at Mill Bay we saw a bunch of boats there and got a couple of nice fish right away. I kept trolling down to Rocky Point and got a couple more. The bite slowed so I pulled the gear and ran across to the area above Lakeside Park, where many anglers were trolling. We got a few more fish here before the wind came up and we headed back to the dock. Kokabow Tackle pink and orange spinners and hoochies worked, and my favorite Ravisher spinner, too. Fish were mostly at 70 feet on the riggers and lead ball rigs and ranged in size from just under 12 inches to just under 15. A great morning on Chelan. I am eager to get back to Chelan for these big kokanee. This week’s photo is of Christine and her Mom Brenda on Lake Chelan.

The Bob Feil Boats and Motors Summer Kick Off event continues on the 8th, and there are a variety of things going on that recreational boaters and anglers will not want to miss. Like serious discounts on a variety of products throughout the store. Plus, there is a seminar on sockeye salmon and Chinook salmon fishing by Austin Moser. I will be giving one on where to find the biggest trout in our region, and Cody from the Central Washington Bass Club will be talking about how to catch bass. Reps from both Yamaha and Mercury will be on hand to answer technical questions. There is going to be the D’s Beans food truck at the dealership. Also included is the opportunity to get some important information on boating safety. The event will be going on from 9 to 5 on Saturday. Bob Feil is offering special Boat Show pricing on their new boats, too. Be sure to check out their Facebook Page for details and more updates prior to the event.

There are some big changes in the Chinook salmon fishing areas this year in the Brewster Pool. I had forgotten about the 1,000 year flood event that impacted the Similkameen and Okanogan Rivers back in 2020 that wiped out the spawning grounds in these rivers. The return to the Colville Hatchery is expected to be just a small fraction of what they need for brood stock gathering. Knowing all this the Colville Tribe shared this with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and they agreed that measured needed to be taken to maximize the return to the hatchery. As many of you know the Colville Hatchery at Bridgeport is a major contributor of Upriver Summer Salmon, Spring Salmon and even Steelhead smolts every year. It’s one of the reasons our summer run returns have been consistently good. To help get as many fish as possible back to the hatchery, the Brewster Pool will be closed to fishing for Chinook salmon this year, but will be open for sockeye, with a big return forecast. Fishing will be allowed for Chinook above Pelican Point. Please refer to the graphic on my Facebook page to see the detail of this year’s fishing area.

I know there will be a lot of questions about the closure of Chinook fishing in the Brewster Pool, and many of them will be about the Brewster King Salmon Derby. It’s scheduled for August 2nd, 3rd and 4th this year. So, I called derby organizer Mike Mauk and asked him about this year’s derby. “We have a great bunch of sponsors again this year, and the prize money will be the same as previously awarded at the derby”, he said. “Rain or shine, the derby will happen, and anglers will deal with whatever to fish for Chinook wherever they can to win.” Mauk knows a lot of anglers already fish above Pelican Point to the bridge in Bridgeport and use the two launches up there. The stretch of the Columbia above Wells Dam to the Brewster Bridge opens on July 16th, and he says he has caught a lot of kings himself in this area. He also knows that many anglers are fishing the Brewster Pool for sockeye, and there is supposed to be a lot of them coming up the Columbia again this year. The preseason forecast is bigger than last year with over 400,000 sockeye expected.

This is a jam packed weekend, and I am looking forward to seeing some of you at the Bob Feil event for my seminar.