End of record sockeye season finally in sight

Fishing boats are gathering in huge numbers to troll for the record number of sockeye that are moving up the Columbia and entering the Okanogan River. Even on a weekday there will be a hundred boats in the Brewster Pool, and on the weekend over 250 boats are found here.

The numbers of sockeye passing over Bonneville Dam have dropped to just a few hundred a day, so the end of this historic run is in sight.

If you want to put some of these prime fish in the freezer better get at it soon.

I made another trip to the Brewster Pool. This time the Evenhus clan, including Whitey, Stan, his daughter Tessa and son-in-law Adam Bromley were on board the Jetcraft.

We were in position just after 5 a.m., and I was surprised to see that bite came on so late. It was after 6 a.m. that our first rod went down and we saw nets come out on other boats.

There was a slow, but steady bite through the morning, lasting longer than I had experienced on previous trips. We had a busy morning, landing eight sockeye and losing four.

We got our last fish after 10 a.m., when I am usually headed for the ramp. I think we could have picked up a few more, but the intervals between bites would have been long, and it was getting hot.

We were all pleased with what we had in the cooler, and having "batted around the order" twice were happy to call it a day.

Once again the Macks Lure Cha Cha Sockeye rig was a winner.

The light pink-and-white or light pink mini hoochie models were both working, and a red or silver Smile Blade accounted for fish.

I did a couple of things different this time. I shortened my leaders for one. I also tried a white dodger and it worked great. If I haven't mentioned before I have been baiting the lead hook with just the tail of the bottled shrimp, and this time I also had along some of the Kokanee flavor Graybill's Guide formula scent.

After you've launched at Brewster and made the corner after passing under the bridge and followed the channel to the bend, you will find boats trolling from the large pump and all the way up to the area off the mouth of the Okanogan. Fish are being caught all along this shore, and off the mouth. We did lose a fish off the mouth of the Okanogan on this trip, but I have my best success in the channel below the point, where the water begins to get shallow. I have tried to keep my speed to about 1 mph going up stream and I let the boat go with the current going down stream. I am often going 2 mph or better on the down stream pass. I caught fish going up stream and down last time.

I should mention that the Okanogan is dumping a lot of warm water into the Columbia, which was as warm as 65 degrees in some areas last week. I always take a cooler with lots of ice when fishing, and it is really important this time of year.

These sockeye are the best eating of all the salmon we catch in our region. They are small and have a high fat content and can spoil or go soft very quickly. Getting them on ice and keeping them cold makes a huge difference in their table quality.

I see a lot of folks dragging their fish beside the boat on a rope. Did you know that bacteria start growing when temperatures reach above 40 degrees? Imagine how spoiled a fish is that was caught at 6 a.m. and has been dragged around in 65 degree water after several hours?

Please bring a cooler and plenty of ice along for the best results when you serve up these great fish.

There is still time if you want to register for the Budweiser-Lowrance King Salmon Derby in Brewster. They will take registrations up to 9 p.m. on Thursday, August 2nd. You'll want to be in Brewster before then, though, to take in the seminar on how to catch kings in the Brewster Pool. I think organizers will set a record for ticket sales this year, and I expect the fishing to be very good.

There is another seminar coming up at Bob Feil Boats and Motors. Mike Campbell from Lowrance will be there, and this is going to be special. Campbell will be bringing his personal boat, and it's a floating showroom of all the latest and greatest in electronic gear from Lowrance.

People will be able to see all this and have Mike explain it, and he will also be on hand to answer questions about Lowrance products.

The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, August 22nd, and will start at 6 p.m. There will be plenty of parking available at the dealership.

I got a great e-letter this week from a local angler that just got back from Loreto. He had "tremendous fishing," catching dorado to 47 pounds, yellowtail to almost 30, lots of big pargo and even his first sailfish.

I have added some new information about the trip I have planned to Loreto in November, and you should visit my Home Page and click on the Travel button on the bottom left to see it.

I made a quick trip up the Icicle with my fly rod. The water is still too high for wading, but I did get some small rainbow. It should be really good in a week or two.

Man, do we live in a great area or what?