The Fishin Magician

I want to be sure everyone is aware of the big seminar coming up at Town Ford on January 12th. For the first time ever Buzz Ramsey is coming to Wenatchee to share his insights on steelhead fishing. Buzz has been named to the Hall of Fame with the Association of Northwest Steelheaders and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. He is also a Pro-Staffer for a variety of very big name makers of fishing products, including Berkley, Abu Garcia, Minn Kota, Willie Boats, Mercury Motors and others. I am happy to also announce that Anton Jones, Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service, has agreed to be at the seminar, too. He guides on Rufus Woods and will provide information on how to fish for the triploid rainbow up there. He has been fishing Rufus Woods for many years and will have current information on the fishing up there. The seminar is going to be a very special one and I hope you all can make it. I also want to remind everyone that my Signature Salmon Spread is now available at Mike's Meat and Farmers Market on North Wenatchee Avenue. Get some for your New Year's Party!

Wednesday, Dec. 29

Steelhead fishing on the upper Columbia continues to be very productive. My fishing buddy Rollie Schmitten, of Lake Wenatchee, got me away from my computer for an afternoon's fishing off the mouth of the Entiat River. He had a hot tip that the fishing here can be very good at times and neither one of us had ever tried this area. We launched at the park above the mouth and motored the short distance to the bar that spreads out just below the Highway 97A Bridge. We dropped anchor and began casting. Schmitten was tossing a Maxi Jig below his bobber and I had grabbed a rod that had a black and red Rocky Dancer on it. We had been on station for about 20 minutes when his bobber went down and a small wild steelhead was brought to the boat and released. About 20 minutes later my bobber went down and I hooked and released a very bright, wild 7-pounder. After that the action died. Schmitten has said that something had seemed to change, and he was right, the current went dead. Just like other productive steelhead spots on the Columbia, when the current falls off, so does the bite.

Friday, Dec. 31

It's time to say goodbye to 2010, and it sure was a great year. I am really looking forward to 2011. I have a bunch of fishing adventures planned and I'll be sure to share what I learn and do with you. I know that the New Year is going to be a great one from and I hope you share that outlook. I have several items that will be coming up early in the coming year that I want to let you know about. The first is the big seminar at Town Ford on Wednesday, January 12th, starting at 6 p.m. The featured speaker will be Buzz Ramsey on steelhead fishing, and he will be joined by Anton Jones, Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service, on fishing for triploids at Rufus Woods Reservoir. If you have youngsters that are ready to get into the field with a firearm, there are some Hunter Education Classes that you can sign up for. Classes are being offered on January 25th and 27th and on February 1st and 3rd at High Mountain Hunting Supply in Wenatchee. The classes start at 5 p.m. You can call the store at 509-665-9362, to reserve a seat in one of these classes. 

Monday, Jan. 3

Happy New Year everyone! A whole new fishing year ahead of us, and am I excited. There is some great steelhead fishing going on right now. The upper Columbia continues to be excellent, with anglers catching really good numbers of fish and there are some big ones being taken this year, too. If you haven't ever tried steelhead fishing, this would be a good year to get out there. There are fish in the tributaries, and fishing off the mouths of these rivers has been great, too. If you want to learn about steelhead fishing from a real expert, plan on attending the free seminar at Town Ford in Wenatchee on Wednesday, Jan. 12, staring at 6 p.m. Famed Northwest angler Buzz Ramsey is the featured speaker, and he has a Power Point presentation on steelhead fishing that you don't want to miss. Ramsey is a pro staffer for a variety of tackle and boating manufacturers and is a hall of famer for both the Northwest Steelhead Association and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. Appearing with Ramsey at the seminar will be Anton Jones, Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service. He also has a Power Point presentation, this one on triploid fishing at Rufus Woods Reservoir.

Wednesday, Jan. 5

Ice fishing for perch is off and running this season! The first spot to light up was the Coulee City Marina. There has been a safe cap of ice on the sheltered marina water for a while now, and anglers are taking advantage of a good bite for yellow perch. Most of the perch being caught are smallish, but there are enough 9-10 inchers being taken to keep people coming back for more. The limit on perch here, which is at the bottom end of Banks Lake, is 25 and people aren't having a problem getting limits. When I fished it I drilled a hole over eight feet of water and used jigs tipped with worm for my fish. I drilled one hole and never had to move. I checked out Winchester Wasteway near the bridge on Road 5 NW on my way up to Coulee City. The only anglers, and there were just two of them, were not fishing for perch, but carp. It looks like it may be another bleak year for perch fishing on the Wasteway. Perch anglers are watching the ice on Moses Lake closely. The jumbo perch started showing up again last year and they can't wait for the ice to get thick enough to get out after them.