Steve's Guided Adventures Fishing report as of 2-23-10

Dear fellow anglers,

Finally Washington and Oregon has set the season for the Columbia River. We will not be fishing above I-205 Bridge this year only bank fishing due to the pressure from the Native Indians upstream above Bonneville Dam. The last couple years the states prediction for returning fish was lower then predicted which means that Sport and Commercial fisherman took more then they should have due to a smaller run returning and the State gave us a quota on a higher return. We will be paying for this for the next couple years I am sure. On the good note we will be able to fish the Columbia for Spring Chinook before they enter the tributaries. I have added the news release below for you so you will know what the season is and from what points on the river. I am booking trips right now for this season and the dates are going fast so please contact me if you want to fish the Columbia. The Spring season will run through May in all the tributaries that get Springer's. I will be fishing The Wind River and Drano Lake up in the Columbia River Gorge in April and May which both areas are predicting huge record returns. Along the I-5 corridor I will be fishing the North Fork Lewis River and the Cowlitz river which are both Jet Sled rivers. If you can't get out on the Columbia there is still plenty of season left in the other rivers to fish through May with a two fish limit where as the Columbia is a one fish limit.

Sturgeon has closed above Bonneville Dam on Sunday. I fished the last couple days of the season and was great fishing. We ended up with our limits on both days with the average of 40 fish to the boat for the day. Due to the unusual warmer weather this time of year the river temperature was 41 degrees which put them on the bite. The season in the past has run into June and they doubled the quota this year in this area and it still closed early. I will be fishing below Bonneville Dam now through May for keepers. The days that we can keep them are Thursday-Saturday.

I will start Walleye fishing tomorrow up East of the mountains. They are starting to come onto the bite and it is in the Prespawn meaning you have a chance of catching that big world record female that lurks in these waters. I would be great to have your name under the World record Walleye. I will fish the prespawn until the end of April then I will get back on them after the spawn starting in June.

The Cowlitz River is starting to get there second run of Steelhead. the big "B" run Steelhead are coming in and I will fishing there on Thursday and will have a better report. This season will run into the end of March. I am fishing from my sled side drifting with eggs, yarn balls and corky& Yarn.


Columbia River spring chinook seasons
Action: Sets fishing regulations for spring chinook salmon in the mainstem Columbia River.
Locations:
The mainstem Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to the I-5 Bridge.
Effective date: Through April 18, 2010, fishing for salmonids and shad is open 7 days per week, except closed on March 9, 16, 23, 30.
Effective March 1, 2010: Daily salmonid limit is 6 fish (hatchery chinook or hatchery steelhead), of which no more than 2 may be adults and no more than one may be an adult chinook. Release all wild chinook.
The mainstem Columbia River from the I-5 Bridge to the I-205 Bridge.
Effective date: March 1 through March 14, 2010, fishing for salmonids and shad is open 7 days per week, except closed on March 9.
Effective date: March 15 through April 3, fishing for salmonids and shad is open only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Daily salmonid limit is 6 fish (hatchery chinook or hatchery steelhead), of which no more than 2 may be adults and no more than one may be an adult chinook. Release all wild chinook.
The mainstem Columbia River from the I-205 Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam.
Bank fishing only - closed to fishing for salmonids and shad from boats.
Effective date: March 1 through March 14, 2010. Fishing for salmonids and shad is open 7 days per week, except closed on March 9.
Effective date: March 15 through April 3, 2010. Fishing for salmonids and shad is open only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Daily salmonid limit is 6 fish (hatchery chinook or hatchery steelhead), of which no more than 2 may be adults and no more than one may be an adult chinook. Release all wild chinook.
Tower Island power lines (located about 6 miles downstream from the Dalles Dam) upstream to McNary Dam, plus Washington bank between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island powerlines.
Effective date: March 16 through May 31, 2010. Fishing for salmon, steelhead and shad is open seven days per week.
Daily salmonid limit 6 fish, of which no more than 2 adult chinook salmon or hatchery steelhead or one of each. Release all wild chinook.
Species affected: Spring chinook, steelhead and shad
Reason for action: Harvestable numbers of salmon are available based on the forecasts and associated management agreements.
Other information: Additional fishing opportunity may be available after the run size is updated in early May. A news release describing the 2010 spring chinook season is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/ 
Information contact: (360) 696-6211. For latest information press *1010.

If you would like to book a trip with my service I can be contacted by phone or email which ever works for you.
Quit wishin and let's go fishin! You can't catch the big one if you don't give it a try.

Tight lines,
Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
Office 1-360-835-7995
Cell 1-360-609-1902
Sponsors: Three Rivers Marine, Alumaweld, Gamakatsu,
Mustang Survival, Clackacraft drift boats, Pro-Cure bait scents,
Leupold optics, Sitka hunting gear,
Proud Sponsor of Fish First & CCA
 

Fishing report by Steve's Guided Adventures December 23, 2009


Happy Holiday's to everyone and this is one of my favorite times of year. Why because the winter Steelhead are in and the fishing has been good. I have been fishing the Cowlitz from my sled in December which was producing some nice fish and has dropped off this past week a little. It will continue to fish good through January then the late run of Steelhead will be coming in February and March. You will have some slower days but over all it is good fishing for Steelhead. The Washougal River and East Fork of the Lewis have been producing fish also for the smaller rivers. I have been doing Drift boat trips on the Washougal and have been catching limits. The water has been good this year which plays a big part of how good the fishing can be. Some years we have high water when the fish are in and it makes for tougher fishing. This year we had the cold weather move in which dropped the rivers and they froze over in some spots. Since the rain has came and the rivers thawed it has been fish on with red hot fishing. I looked at the river today and it is perfect. It has great color and the flow is right. The good fishing should continue for the next couple weeks so if you want to catch a fish don't wait to long, you could miss out on the action. I will be back out on the water tomorrow and can't wait for that steelhead to hit my clients rod. I haven't heard how the Oregon coastal rivers have been doing. Last I checked they were high and blown out due to all the rain that hit the coast.

The Sturgeon fishing below Bonneville and in the Gorge area had dropped off due to the cold weather. Last I checked when I was on the river the Columbia was running 37 degrees. That is cool for Sturgeon and depending on the area can shut off the bite. I have been fishing the Willamette and will be fishing above Bonneville when it opens January 1st. I was at a meeting this week in kelso,WA regarding the Sturgeon fishery and smelt fishery. It looks like we are going to see more regulation changes for Sturgeon this next year. The changes will be out in March after they have all the meeting sand get public input. They are going to reduce the quota from 41,000 to 36,500 for the annual quota for the lower Columbia River. The river is broken up into two sections the Lower Columbia below Wanna powerlines and above to Bonneville dam. They say that the number of sturgeon is dropping and they are concerned. The major problem that I see right now is the Sea lion damage that they are doing to our keeper size and our Brood stock( 7'-10' spawners) below Bonneville Dam. The life cycle of a Sturgeon is that it doesn't start to spawn until they are at least 6' in length and the average age of that fish is 26 years old. This will take decades to fix if the Federal and State agencies don't act quickly. The Washington State Game department estimates that between 1,700-2,000 Sturgeon are killed each year from sea Lions in the Spring. that is just a estimate and it can be worse. Let's hope that the Sturgeon survive this and will continue to give us Sport fisherman a fishery for years to come. The state department is talking about increasing the minimum size to 41" from 38" and from 5 fish to 2 fish for the year. I would like to see them reduce the maximum size a couple inches rather then the minimum size. Reason being is because when they changed the way that we measure sturgeon from the tip of the tail to the inside fork we actually gained a couple inches on the big end. A 60" fish was the old measurement to the tip of tail, now it is 54" to the inside fork and I have landed several 54" in my boat and the average size of the fish is 62-63" to the tip of tail. We need these fish to survive for Spawning in years to come. Overall the Columbia River still produces some of the best sturgeon fishing in the World right here local.

Salmon are slow right now and think that is pretty much over. There may be some on the Oregon Coastal rivers but I would think that they would be gone after the rains. The Fall Salmon run was really good this year with big numbers of silvers and Chinooks on the Columbia river. Tillamook Bay and The Nehalem Bay was slow this year. The silvers are doing well but the Chinooks have dropped off the last year. They closed the Nehalem this year for Chinooks to help protect the run and make sure they had enough adults return to spawn. The prediction for next years spring run is the biggest in years for the Columbia River. They are estimating that over 400,000 Spring Chinooks are going to enter the Columbia River heading to there Tributaries to Spawn. last year we had a huge return of jack Chinooks which are under 24" in size. They are all male fish and a percentage of them return early to help fertilize the eggs incase not enough adult males returned that season. So with that being said the States game departments figure that we are going to get a huge return because they have a formula that they do for the numbers of Jacks that return to predict the next years run. Let's hope they are right and that the jacks last season weren't suppose to be coming this year as adults.

It is about time to dig out the Jigging rods and go bounce a jig through some good Walleye spawning areas in search of a big trophy female. January can be early but I do know that February is a good month when everything else has slowed down. It is a great time to be on the water looking for trophy Walleye in the early Spring before they go on the Spawn in May.Last season my big fish in the boat was 13 pounds and we are looking to break that number this year with the World record I hope.

There is a Razor clam dig coming up in Washington. dec 31st, Jan 1-3. 15 clam limit

Digging Days and times:

Thursday dec 31 (6:16pm. -1.1ft)
Friday, Jan 1st (7:01 pm. -1.8ft)
Saturday, Jan 2nd (7:45pm. -1.6)
Sunday, Jan 3rd (8:29pm -1.2ft) Twin harbors only

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday season!
I have gift certificates too which makes a great gift!

Tight Lines,
Steve Leonard,
Steve's Guided Adventures
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
Office 1-360-835-7995
Cell 1-360-609-1902
Sponsors: Three Rivers Marine, Alumaweld, Gamakatsu,
Mustang Survival, Clackacraft drift boats, Pro-Cure bait scents,
Leupold optics, Sitka hunting gear,
Proud Sponsor of Fish First & CCA
 

Fishing report for November 12th, 2009

Wow I can't believe it is now Fall already and most of the Fall Salmon fishing is over except for the Oregon coastal rivers, the Klickitat, Cowlitz and NF Lewis. The Oregon rivers have a later run of Kings that will run through December. The Washington rivers will be done by the end of November except for the NF Lewis that gets a run of the December Kings. These fish are nice and bright and put up a great fight. I was over there Friday and we landed four Kings and one Silvers along with some other bites that we didn't get. The river was running at 4,000 and the weather was good. I will be fishing for the Kings in December along with Winter Steelhead. The Columbia River Salmon return was great this year in the Fall. There wasn't as many Silvers as they excepted but there was still good numbers to give us some great days of fishing. We were averaging 20-30 fish a day at Buoy 10 and ending up with our limit. I fished the NSIA Salmon tournament with Fred Meyer Reps along with Brad's Tackle and my team took 4th place, not bad. Top 5 will work and there was some great weights turned in. We had a limit of nice Kings along with Silvers to make up a nice bag. We were using Brad's new Plug cut Super bait, Spinners and some Herring in my secret brine. We caught fish on all of it at different times of the tide.
Sturgeon fishing opened back up in October for retention and will stay open through the winter. Fishing in the Gorge is usually best this time of year and this year has been slower them most. We are having to work harder to get limits and some days just a couple keepers. One thing about Sturgeon fishing is there always seems to be some good action for the day of fishing. We had lower water flows then ever this year in the Columbia and I think that may have been a part of why the fish didn't make it all the way to the Dam. I have been having to fish holes farther down stream then normal this time of year. I will continue to fish the Columbia for a couple more weeks then I will be doing my trips in the Willamette through the rest of the winter.
Winter Steelheading will start real soon as Thanksgiving is around the corner. It is Always a good day to start fishing for them around Thanksgiving. Some rivers start earlier then others and every year is different. I will be doing trips on the Cowlitz and NF Lewis from my sled which I can fish 4 guys. My Drift boat trips will be on the Kalama, East Fork of the Lewis and my home town river the Washougal which I can fish two guys. My favorite Steelhead trip is Drift boating the smaller rivers in the winter. These runs will go through February with the best months being December and January. If you would like to do a trip please contact me so I can get your contact information so we can get a trip together for you when the river is best. Due to weather and high water we never know what that day may bring.
The Walleye were on the bite in the lower Columbia in October. The fishing was good from Bonneville down to Portland. The water flows were low and with the water starting to cool the fish feed heavy to put on some fat before the cold dormant season. I will start fishing again for them in February-April before the spawn on the East side of the Cascades.

CCA is still fighter to get better control of the gill netting in the Columbia River. A lot of people have no idea what is going on out in the night when they give these guys there season. They have taken over 200,000 Silvers from the Columbia River alone this fall season. I have had several clients this year that live in the area and had no idea that this is going on in there back yard. These are people that love to fish and have a hard time catching them. To join go to www.joincca.org and it only cost $20.00 ( a lunch for the day) to help.

There is a 11th Annual NSIA Banquet dinner Saturday December 5th at the Sheraton Portland Airport. This is a fund raiser dinner and we need all your support. If you would like to go to the dinner call NSIA at 1-503-631-8859. There is live auction, silent auction and great raffle prizes.


To book a trip, be added to my call list, or you need some information regarding my service feel free to call me @ 1-360-609-1902 or shoot me a email. stevesguideservice@comcast.net 

Tight Lines,

Steve Leonard,
Steve's Guided Adventures
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
Office 1-360-835-7995
Cell 1-360-609-1902
 

Fishing report as of June 22, 2009 by Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures

June 22nd was the start of the Summer Chinook season on the Columbia River and it will run until July 5th. This is a great chance to catch a Chinook in the 40 pound range. I did a trip today and we landed one right at 30 pounds and was chrome bright fish with sea lice on it. The Spring Chinook run didn't materialize to 300,00 like first predicted and end up with a total of around 180,000 that passed over Bonneville dam. It was still a great number of fish that offered some great fishing on the Columbia River. After the Columbia closed I moved into Drano Lake and the Wind River with good success. The Fall Salmon season starting August at the mouth of the Columbia is predicted to have a big run of silver salmon along with good numbers of Chinooks mixed in. If you have never fished this fishery it is worth the trip at least once. The best time to be down there is Middle of August to the end of the month until it closes. The Fall salmon season will last into November.

Spring Steelhead are in the rivers right now. It has been good fishing and starting to slow down due to the rivers dropping. the Columbia river opened on June 12th and will be real good through July. I will be fishing the NF Lewis, Columbia, Drano Lake and the Klickitat for Summer Steelhead and will fish through August.

Keeper Sturgeon is open at the Estuary until July 4th and it has been producing some nice fish. I have been down there the last two weeks picking up nice limits. It is a fun trip for these fish fishing the shallow mud flats where they are feeding on shrimp and clams. I use a heavy salmon rod which is light tackle for these fish that makes it even more fun and they fight even harder due to the good feed. I am doing Oversize Sturgeon trips in the Columbia Gorge and will continue until the middle of August. I am averaging 3-4 big fish per day on these trips. if you are looking for a challenge these fish will give you one.

The Walleye are back on the bite during the post spawn. I did a trip last week and land 5 fish with a 8 pounder being the biggest. As the water warms up the fish will get more aggressive while on the feed. Now is the time to book your trip for a great summer walleye trip. I am fishing from Vancouver to john Day at this time and will concentrate on the lower Columbia in July and August.

If you would like to book a trip for one of these fisheries I can be contacted by email or phone. Thanks for stopping by and reading my fishing report. See you on the river!

"Quit wishin and let's go fishin!"

Tight Lines,
Steve Leonard,
Steve's Guided Adventures
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
Office 1-360-835-7995
Cell 1-360-609-1902
Sponsors: Three Rivers Marine, Alumaweld, Gamakatsu,
Mustang Survival, Clackacraft drift boats, Pro-Cure bait scents,
Leupold optics, Sitka hunting gear,
Proud Sponsor of Fish First & CCA

Fishing report as of 12-7-08
by Steve's Guided Adventures

2008 was another season with no accidents and a lot of fun times. It is that time of year when most of the fishing seasons are over except for the Winter Steelhead season that is happening right now. 2008 was a great year for fishing and I would like all my customers that made it happen. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be in business. We shared some great stories and had good times while out on the water fishing for Steelhead, Salmon, Sturgeon, Kokanee, Shad and Walleye.

This next year is looking promising for Salmon primarily which the runs have been up and down over the past couple of years. The last Spring and Fall salmon seasons on the Columbia River was one of the best ones I have fished in a long time. Let's hope that they keep coming like they did in 2008. Salmon is one of the most prized fish in the Northwest and the next run will be our Spring run Starting in March. April and May would be the best months to fish but last year the fish were in when the river when it opened March 15th. After Buoy 10 closed on the Columbia I fished Tillamook Bay and the Nehalem Bay this Fall for Salmon and it was a tough year this Fall down there. I started out on the Nehalem and had some good days and then you would have a slow one when you thought that they were showing up. The good thing is that these fish are big and very tasty since you are fishing for them in the cold salt water. We landed a 40 pounder this year and fish in the 30 pound range is not uncommon. If you like to catch big Chinooks this is the place you will want to be from September through November.

Steelhead fishing this year was good all over for the Spring and Summer runs. The Steelhead runs have been real healthy with good numbers returning to the Columbia and the tributaries. I fished Drano Lake this year in July and August with some 20 fish days on light tackle. These fish are hard fighting fish and they like to jump. We had one fish jump in the boat this year while the kid was fighting him. All the guys around us wanted to fish in my boat because they said they were jumping in boat so we want to join you! I fished the NF Lewis river also out of my sled and did some drift boat trips in the smaller rivers. Right now I am Winter Steelhead fishing and this will continue through March. If you would like to catch a Steelhead this winter you need to book a trip now while I have days left.
The Sturgeon season this year was slow in the beginning due to all the cold weather and snow we had in the spring. Water temperature is everything when it comes to Sturgeon fishing in the Spring and late Fall. When the water falls below 50 degrees the fish quit biting or slow way down which was the case this spring. I fish the Estuary in June for Keepers and it was very slow until the end of June. They closed it early this year because we ran over the quota in 2007 but then they reopened it this year because the fish showed up in late June. They never migrated down there due to the high cold water and when they did it was fish on. If you have never fished the Estuary for keeper Sturgeon you need to do trip. We are fishing with light tackle and shallow water for the most part. These fish fight much harder then up stream because of the food they are feeding on in the area and salt water. Oversize trophy fishing was great this year after the Shad showed up in May. We landed several in the 10 foot range and weighing in at 400 to 500 pounds. These are the biggest fresh water fish in the World and they are right here in the Columbia River. If you want a challenge catching a big fish you have to try one of these trips. These fish will put you to the test with the average fight taking 30-45 minutes.
Walleye fishing is pretty much over until February of 2009. We had some great fishing in the early spring before they spawned and then we were back on them in June & July. Our biggest fish this Spring was 15 pounds which is a nice Trophy Walleye. If you are looking for a wall hanger then the Spring fishery is when you want to be out there. I will be fishing the east side during the Spring season.
Kokanee fishing was great this year on Merwin and Yale Reservoirs. The fish were averaging 12-14 inches in size which are nice for Kokanee. I like this fishery because we are fishing for them in the Summer time and on two of the most beautiful lakes around the Mt. ST Helens area. We are trolling for these fish so there is always something to do or look at if your not reeling in a fish.

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday season! Thank you to everyone who has made me have another fun and successful year. I am looking forward to 2009!

Fishing report August 4th, 2008
by Steve's Guided Adventures

 
   This year so far has given us some great fishing seasons and there are still more to come. At this time the Summer Steelhead season is at it's peak with a great run returning this year coming through the Columbia River. The Columbia, Klickitat and Drano Lake have been producing great fishing for me so far this year and it will continue through the month of August. I will be doing drift boat trips on the Klickitat for Steelhead through October if any one is looking for a Drift boat trip away from the crowds.
   Trophy Sturgeon fishing is going strong right now and the restricted area below Bonneville opened on August 1st which gives us a lot of water that hasn't been touched for 3 months. The game department opened a Keeper Sturgeon season this month for retention every day. The quota never was met in the Spring due to to high water so they are opening it up early in the fall to help fill the quota. The best time for Keepers will be in September - November once the fish have migrated back up stream from the mouth of the Columbia. A big percentage of fish travel to the mouth of the river June - August then work there way back up stream.
   Walleye fishing is on right now and the bite has started on the West side of the Cascades with some nice big fish being caught. The west side is typically slow in the Spring when the East side is fishing during the early months before they spawn. Due to all the rain and low pressure the fish just don't like to bite. Now since it is summer and the high pressure is here the fish are active and feeding heavy. I am fishing from Bonneville down stream to Portland and Rufus area by Biggs for Walleye this time of year. They predict the next World Record will be coming from the Columbia River! It could be you.
  Fall Salmon season is getting close with the season now open at the mouth of the Columbia . This fishery is called "Buoy 10"  and is best from mid August through the closure at the end of the month. Then the river will be open from just down stream of Longview/Rainier area upstream from September 1-15 and then the Game department will look at the numbers to see if there will be a late opener. I will be fishing Tillamook Bay in November and the Nehalem Bay in October for Big Kings. If you like to have a chance a Big King these fisheries are for you and the quality of fish is the best you will get in the Northwest. There will be some Chinook and Silver fishing on the upper Columbia above Bonneville Dam even though they have closed it in the lower river. This fishery is best from Late September - October. So if the coast is to far for you try a trip with me on the upper Columbia. I think you might like this fishery.
   Since we are in the middle of Summer and heading into the Fall there is all kinds of fishing to do. I am booking trips at this time for all the fisheries I have talked about and some of the shorter seasons will fill up fast so give me a call ASAP so we can get you booked in for one of these great trips. Quit wishin' and let's go fishin! See you on the water and be safe.
  
Tight Lines,
 Steve Leonard,
Steve's Guided Adventures
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
Office 1-360-835-7995
Cell 1-360-609-1902
Sponsors: Three Rivers Marine, Alumaweld, Gamakatsu,
Mustang Survival, Clackacraft drift boats, Pro-Cure bait scents 
Proud Sponsor of Fish First & CCA

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

December fishing report

With 2007 almost coming to a end I would like to thank all of you that fished with me this year for making it another successful year and sharing all the fishing stories while we were making more. There was some great fishing seasons this year with some nice fish that were caught whether it was a Salmon, Steelhead Sturgeon or a Walleye. Some seasons took a while to get started but if you hit it right when they were in I am sure that you experienced some great fishing. Fall Chinook was great this year for me on the Columbia above Bonneville in September and early October. I also fished the Nehalem River in Oregon during October which was good while September was a little slow unlike years past. If you have never fished this river it is definitely one to take a trip on for these Big Chinooks and the quality is fantastic. For Silvers I fished the NF of the Lewis which was great during the end of October through mid November. I had a lady catch a 17 pounder one day which was a big fish for a Silver. I also spent some time on the Columbia for Silvers which produced some nice limits.
It is now that time of year when the Salmon are mostly done running except for some of the Oregon coastal rivers and before we know it the Spring Chinook will be showing up in a month or two. My last meeting I attended for the fish and wildlife they gave out a forecast for most of the runs that will be coming back this next season in 2008. The Willamette river run is not going to be good this year with a forecast of only 37,000 fish to return. This should keep the commercial gillnets out of the Columbia until mid April which will help with the wild Steelhead and upper river Spring Chinook runs that would be coming through the Columbia in March and early April when they would be netting during that time. The total for the Columbia is looking like 260,000 fish which is up from last year and they should open the Columbia to Rooster Rock. It is also being talked about to may be open it for a few days to fish below Bonneville Dam. For sure they should let us fish above the I-5 bridge which will help increase the sport fishermen's success. Drano Lake in Washington is expected to have a great return this year and the Wind River in Washington is forecasted to be good which last year it was a little slow. They didn't have numbers for the Cowlitz, Kalama or the NF Lewis yet and they should be out shortly. Last year the COWLITZ was very slow but in return the Kalama and NF Lewis fished very well.
Winter Steelhead are now coming in the rivers with a small number of them already making there way to the hatcheries during our high water that we experienced during the big storm. When we have conditions like this, these fish will travel just as the water starts to clear and drop and usually make there way up river before we are on the river to have a chance at them. The good thing is that there is still more fish that have started to come in and some rivers have a later run that go through February which helps us have a longer season. I am mainly running drift boat trips right now for Steelhead in SW Washington tributaries on the Washougal, Kalama and the East Fork of the Lewis with a average of 2-4 fish being caught per trip. I do have jet sled trips available on the Cowlitz river which is starting to produce some fish also. Last year the river was high and muddy and didn't fish well but it looks like it could be a good year this Steelhead season.
Walleye fishing is slow right now and will start to pick up starting February. I will be fishing for them from February through April until they go on the spawn in May. This early fishery is your best opportunity if you want to have a chance at catching the State Record or possibly the World record which is expected to come off the Columbia River. Last year a new Washington State record was set at 19.3 pounds. This early season is a great quality fishery with some nice fish being caught unlike the summer months where you will catch more but are usually smaller in size on the average. I did a film shoot last year on the upper Columbia for these fish and I have a short clip of the video on my website that you can take a look at if walleye fishing may interest you. I think Walleye are the best tasting fish on the Columbia if you want my opinion.
This past fall offered some great Keeper Sturgeon fishing with some nice keepers being caught. The Fish and Wildlife Dept opened the season earlier this year starting in September due to the quota not being filled the past spring. Usually it doesn't open until October and only on Thursday-Sunday but with the low numbers of fish being caught they decided to open it up early. The next season will start in March of 2008 and will go through June. The best fishing early will be in the Willamette River and from the mouth of the Cowlitz to Bonneville. the estuary will start to get good in early June and the best fishing will be from mid June to the closure which may not last to the end of the month. It normally will run to the end of the month and into July but this past season they over ran the quota by 3,000 fish so they will be taking it off of 2008 quota which will make the season shorter. This is a great fishery fishing the shallow water in the sand flats with light tackle. When you hook one of these fish they will give you the best fight peeling line off your reel like you have never imagined.
With 2008 going to offer us another great year of fishing it is never to early to book the trip or trips that you know you would like to do before I get booked up and possibly not have that date that you wish to fish. There may be a trip that you haven't done with me that I talked about that you may want to do so book early to assure the dates that you may wish. I can be contacted by email at stevesguideservice@comcast.net  or by phone on my cell 1-360-609-1902 or my office 1-360-835-7995. My website is www.stevesguidedadventures.com  So quit wishin and lets go fishin!

Fishing report as of 8-18-07
by Steve Leonard with Steve’s guided Adventures.

The past few weeks the Steelhead fishing has been real good in Drano Lake and the Big White Salmon River. The dam counts have been 6,000 to 8,000 per day which is great numbers of fish heading up stream. Fishing for them in the Columbia has been good some days if you can get into the right spot where the fish are running heading up stream. Most guys get to there spot so early just to reserve it that you don’t get much sleep unless you want to sleep in the boat and not in your bed in order to get the hot spots especially below Bonneville Dam. The NF Lewis has been averaging 3 to 4 fish a day per boat and you have to work it hard to get them in order to get the average. These fish will be in the river all month and the Salmon will be coming soon as this run will slow down.

Sturgeon fishing has opened back up from Wanna powerlines to Bonneville for keepers and you can retain them everyday. We are low on the quota of fish so the game department opened it back up to allow u to catch some more. We were restricted to fish from the 85 channel marker below Bonneville since May 1st until August 1st which has taken us out of a lot of good Sturgeon keeper water in the best months in the spring so there was less keepers caught in this area and as the result the quota was never filled for the second year. Now you can fish all the way to Bonneville deadline so it will offer some better fishing. There are still some Oversize Sturgeon around if you want to try your strength on fighting a big one.

Salmon fishing is under way now for the fall season and the mouth of the Columbia is closed for Chinook salmon until the 22nd when it opens but it is open for Silvers. It will be open from the 22nd to September 3rd from the mouth to the mouth of the Lewis River then it will close and be open from the Lewis river upstream to Bonneville for September and October or unless they have a early closure. Anytime these Salmon will be starting to enter the tributaries in SW Washington making there way to there spawning grounds.

Walleye have been on the bite since the spawn in May. The whole Columbia River system would be a good bet right now for fishing these tasty fish. The water is warm and we are starting to enter the Fall season so they are very aggressive feeding before the water starts to cool for winter. Trolling crank baits, jigging and worm harnesses are all good methods to try to catch a nice Walleye.

Good luck fishing and if you would like to book a trip we can be contacted by phone or email.

Tight Lines,

Steve Leonard

Fishing report as of June 8th, 2007
by Steve Leonard

We are now through our Spring season and the Spring Chinooks fishing is pretty much done at this time. I did my last trip on the NF Lewis June 1st and had only one bite but previous days at the end of May we were averaging 4 fish a day. The Columbia was slower this year then the past due to the fish coming in a little later then normal. There was some great fishing days and then there were some slow days which is normal for this fishery on the Columbia for Spring Chinook. Everybody seems to think that the season is over when they close the Columbia but this is not the case. Years past we couldn't fish the Columbia River after March 15th and the area was I-5 bridge down stream like it is now so it is a bonus when we can fish it longer. The Willamette produced great fishing in Oregon along with the Clackamas and Sandy rivers which were much slower this year. I seen a lot more Oregon guides in my areas in Washington due to slower fishing in oregon tributaries. In Washington, Drano Lake was the hot spot. Prawn rigs, Shrimp and pulling plugs was the way to catch them. Flat fish came out with a new M2 deep dive plug that will dive up to 20 feet which worked great trolling around in the lake.
The Columbia just opened a couple of days ago for Salmon up to Bonneville Dam. We have to release all Wild Salmon until June 16th then they are considered a Summer Chinook not as a Spring Chinook which are not endangered. The Summer Chinook run has increased in big numbers so the Fish and Game is giving us Sports fishermen a season to harvest 1,000 fish. This will be the 3rd year we have been able to fish for them. I am booking trips right now and still have some openings during the first two weeks of July.
Spring Steelhead are now in the SW Washington rivers and will continue into the Summer. The Kalama, NF lewis, East Fork Lewis and the Washougal river are all producing fish. The Columbia River will open in July for Steelhead and I will be catching them while Salmon fishing with sp[inners. I will be fishing the NF Lewis from my sled for Summer Steelhead until the end of May. This is a great rip and the fish fight hard due to the cool water coming out of Merwin reservoir. This is my favorite fish to catch out of all species due to there fighter for there weight and are acrobactic. I run light 10' GLoomis Spinning rods in the 4-8 weight for these fish so you can only imagine what that feels like. These fish run between 8 -20 pounds. I am also running drift boat trips on the Kalama and Klickitat rivers for Summer Steelhead.
Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia is going very well right now for Keepers and Trophy Oversize. I have been fishing the Gorge below Bonneville and have boated some nice keepers. I started fishing for the Trophies last Saturday and so far the biggest is 10 1/2 feet weighing around 450 pounds. I will be posting some of my current photos from these trips on my website. You can go to my Sturgeon photo album and take a look at these Big Trophies. Next week I will be heading down to Astoria to do some keeper Sturgeon trips in the estuary. A lot of the keeper size fish move back down stream to this area to feed on anchovies and bugs that live in the sand and mud in this area. We are fishing shallow water on the sand flats with Salmon rods that can handle these fish. These are tough fighting fish in the brackish water we are fishing in 5 miles from the Ocean. This a trip to do if you like fishing for keeper Sturgeon.
The Walleye are starting to come back on the bite since the spawn is over. I did a trip yesterday with a couple of guys and we landed four nice Walleye with two twins weighing 6 pounds. There is a great fishery on the Columbia for Walleye which I think are the best eating fish on the Columbia. They predict that the next World record will come from the Columbia River system. It will have to be just over 22 pounds. A new Washington state record was just set again in March with the fish weighing 19.30 pounds. There will be good fishing starting right now all the way through October. I have several photos on my website you can take a look at.

If you would like to book a trip or need more information you can contact me by email @ stevesguideservice@comcast.net or on my cell phone at 1-360-609-1902.

I have some other important information I would like to share with you regarding removing the gill nets from the Columbia River which is the only river left in the USA where you can still gill net. Gary Loomis and Fish First from the lewis River has endorsed a organization called Coastal conservation Association(CCA) which has a remarkable record in saving game fish and winning against commercial fishers. In Texas alone they helped prohibit trawling for trout in 1980; outlaw single- strand monofilament nets1980;outlaw gill and trammel nets1990- it goes on and on. They have similar records in a total of 15 coastal states. For more information and to join our chapter here in the Pacific NW which only cost $25.00 go to http://www.joincca.org and sign up today. It is up to us Sport fishermen to make the difference.


Always remember that boats are a great place for a party just don't go overboard. Be safe and good fishing.

Quit wishin and let's go fishing!

Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures

 

Fishing report as of May 2nd, 2007
by Pro Guide Steve Leonard

Hey Guys, I finally was able to take some time to get this report submitted so I could let you guys know what is going on right now and what to expect for the seasons coming. I am going to try and keep this current for you so it will be helpful tool for you to plan your next fishing trip. I have a news letter that I have been sending out on a Monthly basis which has some good information in it. If you have not received one from me and would like to please send me your email address and I will add you to my list. I only send it out by email so if you don't have a email address I apologize for not being able to get one to you. My email address is stevesguideservice@comcast.net to send it to.
With in a couple weeks we will be at the peak of the Spring Salmon season in most of the local rivers so if you want to have a springer for the barbeque you will want to go fishing with in the next couple of weeks. I have been fishing in SW Washington since the Columbia closed and have been averaging 2-4 fish per trip the last two weeks. Anytime the big numbers of fish should arrive and we will be catching limits for the boat. The month of May is a great time to fish for these tasty fish. The Willamette river has been producing about the same with a average of a couple fish per boat and some days better. Drano Lake in Washington is fishing well also and is expected to get a return of 7,000 fish back which is good numbers. I will be fishing there tomorrow to see how good the fishing really is.
It is time to get out the light tackle and go fishing for the Spring steelhead that starting to show up in the local rivers. April 15 was the opener for the East Fork Lewis and the Washougal river for the Spring Steelhead. These are great fighting fishing for there size. The Spring fish tend to run larger in size and fight harder due to the water being much warmer then in the winter months. I will be running drift boat trips and Jet sled trips for the Steelhead. July, August and September I will be fishing the Summer run Steelhead on the Columbia, NF Lewis of the Lewis and Drano Lake out of the Jet sled only.
Sturgeon fishing for keeper size Sturgeon is going on right now and will continue until late June. I will be fishing the Columbia River Gorge until the first part of June then I will be fishing out of Astoria in the Estuary( the mouth of the Columbia) where the fishing is best at that time of year for keepers. We are fishing shallow water and light tackle for these fish. It is definitely a trip to try sometime if you like a good fighting fish. These fish fight much harder down in this area due to feed and water temperatures. The bite in the Gorge just started last week which is later then normal. I fished Friday - Sunday below Bonneville Dam and was able to get my clients limits every day. It was fast water that we were fishing but it paid off for all the work when you would catch a nice 50 inch plus size keeper to take home. We landed two oversize in the three days of fishing also which was a bonus. One was 8 feet long and the other one was just over 10 feet. My oversize Trophy Sturgeon Season will run from May until the first part of August in the Columbia Gorge.
The Walleye season for the big Trophy size fish is almost coming to a end. It was a great season with several nice fish being caught before the spawn. The Walleye will spawn in May which will slow the bite down a little and then it will pick back up by the first of June. These fish are the best tasting fish on the river as far as my opinion. Most people are not aware of the fishery that we have on the Columbia river for Walleye. The Washington State new Record was set last month with the fish weighing 19.3 pounds and they predict the next World record to come from the Columbia River. I did a film shoot on the Columbia in March for Trophy Walleye. We hooked 7 fish and landed 5 with the biggest being 7 pounds. We lost a fish that was much larger in size which came off right at the net. It would have tipped the scale at over 10 pounds.

Summer Chinook Season
There will be a Summer Chinook Season again this year on the Columbia river for two weeks only. These are big Kings that are heading up to the Upper Columbia to spawn late summer. This is a special season to be able and fish for these Salmon. It is only our third year we have been able to fish for these Kings since the early 70's. They are allowing us to catch 1,000 fish. Are some of them going to be yours. Book your trip today will there are still some trips available.

I am booking fishing trips right now for Salmon, Sturgeon, Steelhead, Sturgeon and Shad. There is some great fishing going on right now and will continue thru the year into the Fall.

Quit wishing and let's go fishing!
Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
Fishing & Hunting Adventures
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
(360) 609-1902
1-360-835-7995
Cell 1-360-609-1902
Three Rivers Pro Staff
Alumaweld Pro Staff
Mustang Survival
Clackacraft Drift Boats
Gamakatsu hooks

Fishing report by Steve's Guided Adventures March 13, 2007

Well guys here we are already coming upon spring time and there are already been some Spring Chinooks picked up in the Willamette and Columbia River. The fishing is going to start getting better every day as we get closer to the end of March. The Columbia will shut down April the 15th and the I-5 bridge is the cut off. There will be no fishing from I-5 to Bonneville for Salmon this Spring. There is still a lot of good water down stream from the bridge to Cathlamet Puget Island area. April and May is the two peak months to get serious about catching these Salmon. I will be fishing the Columbia and Willamette until mid April then I will be fishing the NF Lewis, Wind River and Drano Lake. Drano Lake is expecting almost 7,000 fish which is a great return. The Wind River is expecting 3,500 fish to return which can be good fishing when it is at it's peak around the 1st of May. There will be a Summer Chinook season that will follow the Springer's that will open June 15th and run through July. these are big bright Kings and we get to fish in the summer for them. It doesn't get any better then this to be able and fish Summer Kings in the Columbia. This is a trip to go on for a 30 plus pound King before the Fall season.
Sturgeon fishing has been good in the Willamette the past couple of weeks. G I Joes put on a Sturgeon derby Saturday the 3rd of March and there was a lot of fish caught during the tournament. Most of the fish came from the Willamette river. The Columbia will start to pick up at the end of March and will be good until the closure around the 1st of July. Fishermen's marine will be putting on there Sturgeon Derby March 31st so if you would like to fish in the derby you need to get signed up. I will be fishing in the Columbia Gorge April & May for Keepers and then I will move down to Astoria to fish the Estuary for Keepers in June until the closure which is set for July 4th. This Estuary trip is a good trip if you have never fished it you may want to book a trip and come down. We will be fishing the sand flats in shallow water with light tackle most of the time. Oversize will be Mid May through October in the Columbia Gorge if you are looking for a fish that will test your strength these fish will do it.
Winter Steelhead fishing this winter was decent year in SW Washington. The biggest problem was fishing the river when it was at it's best. We had a lot of high water days this season which made it difficult to plan a trip. It would rain 1-2" of rain over night and blow out the river. The Sandy, Wilson, Trask and the Nestucca are all fishing very well right now. The rivers are a little high this week but as soon as they drop it will be excellent fishing for Brood Stock and Wild fish. Most of the SW Washington rivers will be closed for fishing until April 15th to protect the Wild Steelhead runs. So if you are heading out fishing make sure that you check the fishing regulations for the section of river you plan to fish.
Trophy Walleye fishing is going on right now and what I mean by trophy are big pre-spawned Females that could weigh over 10 pounds and up to 18-19 pounds. The Washington State record was caught two weeks ago that weighed 19.30 pounds. they predict the next world Record will come from the Columbia River System. I will be running trips for these fish March and April. The Spawn will be in May which will slow the fishing a bit and then it will pick up in June. I am fishing on the Eastside for these fish Starting at Rufus, OR (John Day Dam Area) and up to Umatilla, Or. These fish are also great tasting fish. I encourage any client that catches a big female over 8 pounds to release her for spawning. We can take measurements, photos and celebrate!. Then you can take this info to a Taxidermist like my self and have a nice replica mount done which is a nicer mount and will last a lot longer for display. You will catch some nice males that range from 2-6 pounds that are good eating also on a Trophy Walleye trip. You just have a better chance of catching a heavier female due to the fact that she has 500,000 eggs inside of her which is a lot of weight.

If you would like to book a trip for Spring, Summer or Fall seasons please give our office a call or shoot us a email which ever works best for you. We would like to have you onboard with us for some great fishing this year.

Tight Lines,

Steve Leonard
 

Fishing report by Steve's Guided Adventures as of 8-29-06

 
     Salmon fishing on the Columbia and the Coastal rivers in Oregon have been producing some great fishing for the past two weeks. I have been fishing the Nehalem river and Buoy 10 Fishery on the Columbia River at the mouth. Buoy 10 is slower then last year so far due to having bad tides for the past 10 days and the fish have been moving at night. This week the tides are better and we are starting to catch a lot more fish with some nice Big Kings. Up in the river around Longview and up stream there has been some great fishing the past week and will continue through the month of September and into October. 
    The Summer Steelhead run on the Columbia has been outstanding fishing with Spinners. All the guys I have been talking to are catching fish every time they go out onto the Columbia. Up East in the Columbia River Gorge Drano Lake is a popular spot this time of year but the water temperature in the Columbia never made it to 70 degrees which pushes the fish into Drano lake that are heading up the River to Idaho.  This has made the fishing slower this year. The Big White Salmon River has been better for the past month. They are trolling U20 Flat fish which seems to be the best.
     Oversize Sturgeon fishing was good this year and the first of August was offering some good fishing after they opened the area below Bonneville Dam. The next Sturgeon Keeper season opens October 1st and you can only keep the fish on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. So if you would like to fish this season with me you need to book early due to the dates go fast. We are fishing in the Columbia River Gorge for this season which offers the best fishing.
   Walleye fishing has been hot since July below Bonneville and all the way to Umatilla. I have been fishing for them in July and the 1st part of August with the average fish weighing 6 pounds. This time of year in the Columbia River Gorge below Bonneville these fish get real active. I did some night trips and we averaged two nice walleye per trip for 3 rods. The day time trips we were averaging 4 fish for the trip and these are nice walleye. I have some of the pictures posted on my website so take a look..
For bookings you can email our office or call (360) 609-1902 to book your Adventure today. So Quit wishin and let's go fishin!
 
Tight Lines,
 
Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
World Class Sport Fishing
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
1-360-835-7995
(360) 609-1902
cell 1-360-609-1902
Three Rivers Marine Pro Staff
Mustang Survival
GLoomis
Gamakatsu
Alumaweld Power Boats
Clackacraft drift Boats
 

Fishing report as of July 28, 2006

It is a great time of year for fishing all around the NW right now. I have been fishing the Columbia Since June 15th for the Summer Chinook and it has been a banner year for them. There was double the run that they had predicted with a total of around 90,000 fish which is huge compared to years in the past. These fish have been averaging 20 to 35 pounds with a occational 40 plus pounder caught. Kwik fish and Flat fish were working well in the high water and cooler water temperatures. Since they have lowered the spill at the Dams it decreased the water flow and brought the temperature up in the Columbia river to a point where spinners work better.
Summer steelhead having been running at the same time as the Chinooks so you never know what you may catch. July and August are the two best months to catch Steelhead in the Columbia. Later in August we have a run of fish heading to the Clearwater River in Idaho that they call the "B" run which stands for BIG Steelhead that will push the scale at 20 pounds plus. Drano lake and the big White salmon is your best place to fish for a oppurtunity at these quality Steelhead. The John Day river in Oregon is also a great place in December through March. The NF lewis has been producing fish with the run lower then last year. The Cowlitz River has been the best river so far this Summer with a average of 2 fish per rod. It has been a real early morning bite then you have to work hard for the rest of the day to fill the limit.
This is my favorite time to fish for the big eyed walleye that get real active this time of year with warm water temperatures. I have been running trips during the day and at night for these fish from Bonneville dam to Portland, OR on the Columbia River this time of year. They predict the World record will come from this stretch of river. I am averaging a fish per rod and these fish are running around 6 pounds which are the best for eating. Night fishing is my favorite because you have the whole river to yourself and walleye feed heavy at night more then during the day. On July 4th I had a client catch a 14 1/2 pounder measuring 34 inches long.
Keeper Sturgeon fishing is over until the fall starting October first below Bonnevill Dam down stream. You can retain fish on Thursday, Friday and Saturday only in this stretch of river. This October season is great with a lot of nice 50" fish being caught. If you have never done one of these trips and you like Sturgeon fish for keepers this trip is for you. I had a great season in March- May in the Gorge and then I went to Astoria in the estuary for trips in June for keepers. We fish shallow water and use light rods which makes it a blast reeling these fish in. Oversize Trophy Sturgeon fishing is going on right now in the Gorge. There has been a 5 mile stretch of river that has been closed for Sturgeon fishing since May 1st and will reopen on August 1st all the way to Bonneville dam. If you want a challenge of reeling in a fish these fish are for you. They average 7-12 feet in length and can weigh up to 500 to 600 pounds. These are the biggest fresh water fish in the world.

If you would like to book or atrip or need more information you can go to my website and email me or call my office Toll free anytime.

Tight Lines,

Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
World Class Sport Fishing
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
1-360-835-7995
(360) 609-1902
cell 1-360-609-1902
Three Rivers Marine Pro Staff
Mustang Survival
Gamakatsu Hooks

Fishing Report as of June 14, 2006 by Steve Leonard

It has been a busy season since the Spring Chinook showed up late and in big numbers. It wasn't until the first of May until the Salmon started to show in big numbers and the fishing was good in all the tributaries and the Willamette. The Spring run is almost done in most areas with some late runs returning to the Sandy river in Oregon and the Columbia since they reopened it for the whole system. Last week the Columbia below Bonneville was producing very well with 3,000 fish a day on the average crossing over the Dam. We are starting to see some Summer Chinooks show up that are running in the 30 to 40 pound range. This season will run all the way through July on the Columbia. If you like big Chinooks you need to book a trip for this fishery.
Steelhead fishing this Spring has been excellent so far. There has been some big fish showing up on Washington's SW Tributaries and they have been plenty full. There is nothing more thrilling then a 12 pound Steelhead peeling line off your reel faster the you could imagine as it is acrobatically jumping down river. Steelhead are my favorite fish to catch with the best fight. This season will run until the first of August. I have drift boat and Jet Sled trips available for Steelhead.
The Walleye are back on the bite with the Spawn over with. We are dealing with higher water this year due to all the snow pack and run off. There is some excellent fishing from now until October for these great eating fish. My last trip we put six nice walleyes in the box all in the good eating size. Trolling and jigging is your best method to use this time of year.
Sturgeon fishing is going strong right now on the Columbia River. I have been fishing for keepers and Oversize Trophy fish. The Keepers are slowing down in the Gorge with the Mouth of the Columbia doing very well for nice keepers. Oversize fishing is ON in the Columbia Gorge with all the fresh shad running up the river bringing the Big fish with them. Sunday we landed three fish and one was 12 feet in length weighing in at nearly 500 pounds caught by Bill Readick of California. The keeper fishing will run until apprx. July 4th and will reopen for retention on October 1st, 2006. Oversize fishing will be good until the end on August mid September.

So stop wishin' and let's go fishin! Book your next fishing Adventure today with Steve's Guided Adventures World Class Sportfishing and Hunting tours. www.stevesguidedadventures.com  or call toll free
(360) 609-1902

 

Fishing report by Steve Leonard on April 29, 2006

The fishing is starting to pick up now since the water is warming and the rain has let up so we have great water conditions. Spring Chinook fishing had a slow start in March and most of April but has recently picked up considerably the past two weeks. The Willamette has been producing great along with the Cowlitz, Kalama and the NF Lewis River. The Dam counts have finally started to increase after they removed the metal gate they installed at the Dam to keep the Sea lions out of the fish latter's where they don't belong. With these good fish count numbers across Bonneville Dam the Wind River and Drano Lake will start to produce fish.
Sturgeon fishing is great right now in the Columbia River Gorge the past two weeks and will continue through May. Astoria estuary fishery will start to pick up in May with the peak being in June. This is a great trip in that area for the Keeper Sturgeon using lite tackle and shallow water. The upper Bonneville pool is still open and will be probably through May into the first of June before the quota is filled. The Dalles pool shut down on April 8, 2006 with only a 100 fish being allowed to be retained. Oversize Sturgeon fishing will start in the middle of May.
The Walleye fishing has been good until the past week with the Spawn starting to happen. With the water being 48 degrees, the sun is out and a full moon this will make any Walleye spawn. I did a trip on Thursday and boated seven Walleye. It was slow in the morning and then the bite turned on around 11 am for a couple of hours. After the Spawn in Mid May they will start to get active and the bite will be on all the way through the Summer months.
Spring Steelhead have started to show up on many of the rivers in SW Washington and NW Oregon. There will be some great fishing all the way through the summer from now on. These are great trips with a lot of action and tough fighting acrobatic fish. I have drift boat and Jet Sled trips available. We landed a nice fourteen pounder on Friday while we were fishing for Chinooks. We ended up with five Chinooks and one steelhead for the day.

If you would like to book a great Adventure today give us a call or email us through our website. Remember to keep your hooks sharp and your line tight!

Tight Lines,

Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
World Class Sport Fishing
 www.stevesguidedadventures.com
1-360-835-7995
(360) 609-1902
cell 1-360-609-1902
Three Rivers Marine Pro Staff
Mustang Survival

Fishing report by  Steve's Guided Adventures as of 4-16-06

 

It is that time of year when everything starts to bite. Sturgeon, Steelhead, Spring Salmon, Kokanee  and Trophy Walleye are all on the bite this time of year for some great fishing action.

 

The Spring Chinook Salmon run is off to a slower start then the past years with colder water conditions due to the snow pack in the mountains and a Seal problem in the Columbia River that needs to be dealt with. I have been fishing the Columbia until it closed on April 13th and  the Willamette river which has been producing some nice fish and will all the way through May. The water is running around 50 degrees in the Willamette which helps the bite compared to the Columbia at 45 degrees. The Wind River and Drano have not started up yet but should take off shortly when there are bigger numbers of fish crossing the Dam.

I started fishing  the NF Lewis river on Friday and we boated two nice hatchery Springer for the day. Saturday was slower with one bite and we had a big cold front move in on Friday night that shut the bite down. There will be some great fishing through the first of June in the Kalama, Cowlitz and NF Lewis  with great runs expected to return to these rivers.

 

Sturgeon has picked up in the Lower Columbia River and up in the Gorge. I did a trip on Wednesday and boated around thirty Sturgeon for the day. Thursday we did about the same and ended up with three nice keepers which the photos are posted on my website. With the water warming up the bite will only get better. There will be some high water conditions due to the snow melt and the Dams flooding the river to wash the  Salmon smolts down river. So use extreme caution if you are going out with out a experienced Guide or operator in the Gorge area. May first the river will be closed for Sturgeon fishing only from the 85 marker on the Washington shore up to Bonneville Dam to protect the Spawning Sturgeon. It will reopen August 1st. The slot limit size is 42-60" inches.

 

If you want to catch a Trophy Walleye on the Columbia River or possibly the next World Record now is the time. The bite is on with some excellent fishing available and quality fish. I did a trip on Monday April 10th and we had thirteen bites and put nine fish in the net. The largest being 25 1/2 " that hit 8 pounds on the scale. These fish are great eating and they come from the pike family. The bite has been primarily on the East side of the Cascades but don't count out the Gorge or the Lower Columbia. Walleye fishing is available all through the summer months. 

 

There are still some nice Wild Steelhead being caught on the local tributaries in Oregon and Washington. The spring hatchery runs are just starting to show up and will be running better May through June. There are Jet sled and drift boat trips available for these runs. The Kalama, Cowlitz and NF Lewis offers Spring Chinooks and Steelhead at the same time if this interest you.

 

If you would like to book a trip or need more information you can go to my website or call me at my office. Keep your lines tight and remember to sharpen your hooks!

 

Tight Lines,

 

Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
World Class Sport Fishing
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
1-360-835-7995
(360) 609-1902
Three Rivers Marine Pro Staff

Mustang Survival

Gamakatsu Hooks
 

February 27, 2006 Fishing Report by Pro Guide Steve Leonard with Steve's Guided Adventures

 

     The rain has finally let up since our previous two prior month of December and January letting the rivers come back into shape so we could go catch some Winter Steelhead. All the tributaries from the Oregon coast, Portland area, and SW Washington produced some great fishing from the middle of January until now. Most of the rivers have slowed down for hatchery fish with Native Steelhead still trickling in. The Oregon coast rivers are still producing some good fishing with hatchery fish still coming in. There is nothing wrong with catching a Big Native Steelhead that could push 20 pounds, take a picture and let them go. Remember to try not to net them due to it will take their protective slim off of them that protects them from bacteria in the water and handle them with care by leaving them in the water while releasing them so there is no harm.

    There has been some Spring Chinook showing the last week in the Willamette up by the Mouth of the Clackamas river mainly. I haven't heard of much happening any where else yet. The commercial boats were out this last week and netted approximately 30 fish for all the boats. So they are on there way in right now. By the first week of March they should start showing in bigger numbers. The Columbia River main stem is open this year from I-5 bridge that crosses over from Portland, OR to Vancouver, WA until April 19th for two hatchery fin clipped Salmon per day. All other rivers are open after this time and check the regulations for the area you will be fishing due to some restrictions that only allow you one Salmon per day. The Wind River and Drano Lake fisheries in Washington just above the Bonneville Dam have changed from any fish to fin clipped salmon only. All other fish MUST be released due to the hatchery has been clipping fish now for the past four years and they predict that 90% of this return will be clipped fish. The Fish and Game changed the rules to protect any Wild Salmon that may enter these waters. They are predicting great returns for these two fisheries. If you would like to book a trip for Spring Chinook do it quickly because my calendar is filling up for these tasty fish.

   The Sturgeon fishing has been a little slow on the Columbia River so far below Bonneville Dam down stream. There has been a lot of wind blowing down the Gorge to make it almost impossible to fish and can be dangerous. Typically March is the month where the bite will come on and will stay good through May for keepers. They have moved the Sturgeon boundary this year down to the 85 marker on the Washington side starting May 1st until the end of July. Fishing above Bonneville has been fair and will pick up when the water temperature starts to rise. The best place right now would be the Willamette River if I was heading out to do a Sturgeon trip for the best chance at a good keeper. We have a BIG PROBLEM with the Seals on the Columbia River eating our Sturgeon. The Game department is turning there backs on us about this issue and if something isn't done in the future quickly the Seals will consume our Sturgeon population. They are showing up earlier the past two years and are targeting our Sturgeon population eating the Oversize brood stock that spawn and smaller fish too. If you would like more info on a petition we are having people sign feel free to email me at stevesguideservice @comcast.net and I will send you a copy to sign.

    Walleye are starting to come on the bite after the colder temperatures we had this past month on the Columbia. March and April are the two good month to catch a Trophy Walleye over ten pounds or the World Record that is predicted to come off the Columbia River before the spawn. I urge you to release any prespawned female that weighs over 8 pounds go so she can spawn her hundreds of thousands of eggs for our fishery. There is no hatchery raising these fish for us, we are the hatchery. If you want her certified weighed keep her in your live well take her to a certified scale then take her back to the river and let her go. Don't forget to take lots of pictures and take some measurements so you can have a reproduction fish mount made if you want. Jigging, trolling crank baits and worm harnesses are a good choice this time of year.  

 

If you would like to book a Fishing Adventure today,  you can email me  through my website @ www.stevesguidedadventures.com or  call my office Toll free @ (360) 609-1902. I would like to have you on board.

 

Tight Lines,

 

Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
World Class Sport Fishing
www.stevesguidedadventures.com
1-360-835-7995
(360) 609-1902
Three Rivers Marine Pro Staff

GLoomis Pro Staff

Fishing report as of January 30th, 2006

Steelhead fishing has been slower the past months due to all the record rain fall we have had this winter which has made it a tough year for all the local rivers to offer good water conditions. Early in the season it was cold with very little water in the rivers which doesn't help to draw the fish up into the rivers. When you get a good rain fall it helps bring in the fish due to good water flows and the scents in the rivers which will draw them in. To much rain though will make high dirty water like we have been experiencing is not fishable. We still have one more good month coming up for Steelhead as long as the weather cooperates.

Salmon fishing will start up again in March for Springer's in the Columbia River. It is looking like they will keep the Columbia open until April 19th from I-5 Bridge down stream every day with a two fin clipped fish limit. If you would like to fish the Columbia I need to have you booked by Mid April to assure a trip on the river. The Wind River and Drano Lake will have good runs this year and the good time to be there is Mid April through May for great fishing. I will also be fishing the NF of the Lewis for Springer's which is another great trip for those of you that like fishing the smaller rivers out of the Jet sled. Last fall was a great season for Fall Salmon starting at the mouth of the Columbia in the Buoy 10 area by Astoria, OR upstream to Bonneville dam ending in October. If you like fishing in the estuary book soon so you will get the dates you wish for that area. I will be fishing the mouth of the Cowlitz in September.

Sturgeon fishing is starting to pick up due to warmer water temps with all the rain. We have fresh smelt all ready to go which will assure you a great trip. I will be fishing in the Columbia Gorge until the first of June for keepers then I will be moving down to Astoria, Or until the first of July. For the oversize I will be fishing the below Bonneville from mid May through the first August then I will be pulling out and going to Astoria for Salmon season.

Walleye Fishing is already starting for the Big Trophy size Walleye. March and April is the two good months if you are looking for a Trophy Walleye. After the spawn in the last part of April and the first of May we will be catching quantities due to warmer water temperatures and the spawn is over.

I have two more Sportsmen's shows to do. I will be in Portland, OR February 8-12 and Redmond, OR March 2-5, 2006. If you are in the area for either show stop in and say hello. All Sports fishermen we need your help showing up to fish and game meetings and writing letters to our Governors and Legislators to help keep our seasons open. NW Guides & Anglers Associations is a great place to start. If you need more info please email me and I will get the information to you. We need to stand together and make our voice heard. Good Fishin'!

Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
Three Rivers Pro Staff

SW Washington & NW Oregon
Fishing Report October 17, 2005

Salmon fishing on Oregon's Tillamook bay & the Nehalem River has been producing some very nice fish the past couple of weeks. There have been good days and some slow days during the last month. In SW Washington the Cowlitz & NF Lewis has been producing some nice Silvers and Kings the past month. Backbouncing eggs and pulling plugs has paid off for me this month to catch these fish on these rivers. Up in the Columbia Gorge the mouth of the Big White Salmon and the Klickitat are good bets for catching some nice Silvers trolling plugs has been the best method for catching these fish. The Columbia has had the third biggest Salmon run since 1938 and the Fish &Game dept shuts down the river for us sport fishermen but leave it open for the Commercial Gillnetters. We had only a one king daily limit for the season and they shut us down in late September. There has been already 408,000 fish go over Bonneville Dam so you would think there is enough fish for us sport fishermen.

Sturgeon on the Columbia River opened for Sturgeon retention on October 1st from Wauna powerlines up stream to Bonneville Dam. Thursday, Friday & Saturday are the only days you can keep these fish and the slot size is 42"-60" in length with a one fish daily limit . The other days are catch & release only. Some of the best fishing has been from Vancouver to Bonneville. If you anchor in the channel watch out for barge traffic and allow yourself enough time to pull your anchor and get out of there way. Squid, smelt, rollmop, shrimp & nightcrawlers are all a good choice's of bait.

Steelhead fishing is slow around SW Washington and NW Oregon's rivers until mid November when the winter runs will start to work there way into the tributaries. The Snake River and the Clearwater river up on the east side is your best bet for late Summer Steelhead with some fantastic fishing going on up on these two rivers. It is always a good time to do a cast & blast trip with my clients which means we will Steelhead fish until we get our limit and then go shoot Chukars the rest of the trip. This makes a awesome trip for some guys that need to get away for a couple of days.

If you like to catch Walleye's this is the month to fill your needs. We have a full moon coming on and thw Walleye's feed heavy this month getting ready for the cooler temperatures that are not that far off this winter. Early morning and late evenings are your best bet for catching these toothy critters. Night fishing is always fun this time of year with the bright moon giving you good light for your crankbaits or Jigs. Trolling a Worm Harness or Crankbait's & Jigging are the best methods to catch these fish this time of year. The best bite has been from Camas/ Washougal area up river to Umatilla, OR in 12 to 40 feet of water.

This report is given to you by Steve Leonard with Steve's Guided Adventures. If you need more information or would like to book a trip you can go to my website @ www.stevesguidedadventures.com  or call my office @ 1.360.835.7995. Tight Lines and remember to sharpen your hooks!!

Steve

Steve's Guided Adventures Fishing Report as of 6-13-05

Salmon: Spring Chinook salmon are still hanging around in the NF Lewis in Washington and the Sandy river in Oregon. The Spring run was not what they predicted but there was some good fishing at times when you found them. They have opened a summer Chinook salmon season on the Columbia River. These are not considered Spring Chinook due to the time of year when they run in June. They can weigh up to 40 pounds and larger which can be a bonus when you hook one. I would run at least a 40# leader since they have large adult teeth which can cut your line. These fish are not leader shy and spinners would be a choice tackle to use. I have heard of several being caught from the I-205 bridge to Bonneville Dam.

Steelhead: Summer Steelhead are now showing up in the local tributaries around the NW Oregon and SW Washington. The peak for most of the rivers is around the 1st of July so they are right on time. I have been on the NF Lewis in Washington and have caught some nice fish on both trips. We landed a 18 pounder on Sunday that was a beautiful fish. There has been good reports of some larger fish this year showing up which means these are a 4 year fish. Pro Cured eggs and bobber and jig is a two good methods to use for these fish. Summer steelhead will run through the first week of August then they will start to taper off.

Sturgeon: The Great White Sturgeon have finally started to bite after a long cold winter. It took a while for them to start biting due to the cold water temperatures. After the water warmed up they started to feed heavily in the Columbia Gorge area. Keeper fishing was spectacular in April and May with some nice 50" plus fish being caught. The Shad season has opened which makes great bait for the Oversize if they interest you. There has been a great deal of oversize fish in the area which makes good fishing. If you need to test your tackle these fish will do it for you. The biggest fish to my boat this year is 11 feet with a estimating weight of 400 pounds. These are the biggest fresh water fish in the world right hear in the Columbia River.

Walleye: The Walleye fishery these year was good up the Gorge from Rufus at the John Day Dam up to Umatilla, Or. In early Spring during march and April we caught some nice trophy fish and released all the females that were prespawned over 8 pounds in size. This is my policy on my boat and this practice will help stock the future with more nice walleye. I encourage everyone to do this and keep the smaller good eating size fish in the 1 to 6 pound range. After they spawn in late April early may they will slow down through May until June due to the spawn. From June on hold on to your rod because the Walleye are on the feed with warmer water and the spawn is over. The winds can be blowing up to 35 mph in the summer months which can make boat control harder making fishing tougher. Get on the water early in the Morning and late evening for better fishing on the windy days. Worm harnesses, Jigs, and crankbaits are all a good choice this time of year.

Good Fishin!

Steve Leonard

Fishing Report as of March 28, 2005

Sturgeon: Sturgeon fishing has picked up the last week with some rain helping out. It helps bring up the water temperature so they will be more active and it will help draw some fresh fish from the mouth of the Columbia up river. Some of the best fishing below Bonneville Dam has been in the Willamette River or near it's mouth. Above the dam it has been great fishing since last month with some nice keepers being caught. Roll Mop, Shrimp, Squid and Night Crawlers are a good choice of bait above and below the Dam. April and May are two good months to get some nice fish below the Dam. The smelt are not here and it looks like they are not going to come in. I received a report yesterday that there is a big ball of them just out side the mouth of the Columbia so maybe this rain will be enough to draw them in. It would really help the Sturgeon bite in the lower Gorge and Columbia.

Salmon: The past two weeks there has been some good days for the Spring Salmon. I fished last Thursday at the mouth of the Cowlitz and we had four hook ups and we landed two wild fish. One was aprx 18lbs and the other was over 20lbs. Saturday We picked up two more up by French Mens Bar area on the Washington side of river below Vancouver. There has been a better bite in this area. I like to troll a plug cut herring and if I anchor up I will run some K14 or a K15 Kwikfish depending on how much current. The fish have already started to enter the North Fork Lewis ,Cowlitz and the Willamette so it will not be long for them to be here in good numbers.

Steelhead: There are some early Spring Steelhead starting to trickle in at this time. I know for sure that the Cowlitz and the NF Lewis both have some Steelhead in. With this big rain we are getting at this time will really help the runs coming into like the East Fork Lewis, Washougal, and the Kalama rivers are all drift boat rivers that needed water real bad if we were going to have a chance to fish them from a boat. They all have excellent Steelhead runs and the Kalama is expecting a good run of 5,000 Spring Salmon at the same time.

Walleye: This year the fish have been spawning a little early due to the low water flows and the river water temperature on the East side of the Cascades. The fishing has been excellent with some nice fish being caught. I fished the Spring Classic Walleye tournament out of Umatilla, OR March 19th & 20th and I didn't win but we had some great chances, just not enough weight in the bag. The winners was a first time tournament team that won with luck which was great. They had 40.88 in two days and there big fish was 12lbs. There was some in the14 to 15 lb range being caught in the tournament. I am heading up there for ten days to guide a couple of groups that want to fish for these Trophy fish. After the spawn in April they will start biting again in May with the bite lasting all the way through the summer months with some great fishing available. Pulling worm harnesses and jigging is your best bet for these big eyed critters. Good fishin!

Keep your hooks sharp!

Steve Leonard
Steve's Guided Adventures
(360) 609-1902

March 11, 2005

Sturgeon: Sturgeon fishing has been slow in the Columbia Gorge down to Longview due to water temperatures and no rain to help bring the Smelt into the Cowlitz and other tributaries. Some smelt have just came into the Cowlitz and you can dip only on Saturday from 6am to 10pm for a 10 pound limit per day. Above the Bonneville Dam in pool the fishing has been pretty good. There has been a lot of sublegals caught with some keepers for some good action for a days fishing. Fishing will progressively get better as the water warms up.

Salmon: Spring Chinook season is now under way with fish being caught in the lower Columbia and the Willamette River. By the end of March they will be in the rivers in good numbers. It is open below I-5 Bridge until March 15 then it will open all the way to Rooster Rock every day for a daily limit of two hatchery fin clipped Chinooks. Rooster Rock to Bonneville Dam is open on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday only with a daily limit of one fin clipped Chinook. Most all other tributaries are open every day with a daily limit of two fin clipped Chinook but check your regulations for the area you are going to fish.

Steelhead: The Spring run is starting to show up with the Salmon in the local tributaries in NW Oregon and SW Washington with bigger numbers showing up next month. The East Fork, Washougal, Kalama in Washington and the Sandy & Clackamas in Oregon can all use some water for drift boat trips. The Cowlitz and the North Fork of the Lewis both have Steelhead for Jet sled trips.

Walleye: Trophy Walleye are now on the bite. The water temperature has finally warmed up into the low 40's which has helped the bite. There has been some activity below Bonneville with the warmer weather but the best bite has been from Rufus, OR up to Umatilla, OR. Crank baits and jigging is your best bet for a trophy Walleye. March and April is when you will have that chance to catch the new World Record or at least a nice 10 to 18 lb trophy at best. They will spawn in early May and will start biting again in the end of May first part of June.

Book you trip early to ensure the dates you wish
See you on the water,
Steve

February 13th

Fishing Report as of February 9, 2005
 

Steelhead:  The Steelhead runs have been a little slow the past few weeks. With high dirty water on the Cowlitz it has made the fishing a little tougher and the North Fork of the Lewis looks good but has little  numbers of fish. East Fork Lewis and the Kalama rivers has been steady with good water conditions for drift boating. February and March the Sandy River in Oregon will be getting there run of Winter fish and it has a good forecast. The Clackamas is in good shape with some fish being caught the past few weeks.
 

Salmon: Spring Chinook are on the way with a few already been caught. I heard of one being caught at the mouth of the Clackamas River in Oregon and the Cowlitz River has had a couple show up at the hatchery. One of my sponsor sent me a email with a picture of a guy holding a Springer at the  Blue Creek Ramp a week ago. The new regulations in the Columbia are from Rooster Rock in Oregon up stream to Bonneville is one fish per day and only open on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Below Rooster Rock it is two fish limit and open every day.
 

Sturgeon: Sturgeon fishing has been real slow below Bonneville all the way to Portland/ Vancouver area. I have been fishing above the dam the past two weeks and have been picking up some keepers on these trips. The bite is very lite and the water temperature is 38.5 degrees which makes them very lethargic and move slow. Some bites are so lite you would miss them and when you would real in  your bait to check it, it would be flat from them sucking on it with out even moving the bait, that is slow biting. As the water warms and March draws near the fishing will improve dramatically. With some luck, maybe we will have some fresh smelt to fish with to.
 

Walleye: Walleye will start getting very active next month as they prepare themselves for the spawn in mid April. The best areas to fish would be the East side from the Dalles Dam up to McNary Dam. Most of the big fish caught will be on jigs which has a slow presentation that they like this time of year. Worm harnesses work well to and especially for trying to locate them so you can go back and jig. If you want a Big Trophy Walleye March and April is the months to fish
 

Keep your hooks sharp!..
 

Steve Leonard

Steve's Guided Adventures.   

January 10th, 2005 Fishing report
Steelhead: The Cowlitz river is starting to get bigger numbers of fish this past week. The rain fall has helped get the fish moving up into the tributaries. The East Fork, Kalama, And the Washougal have all been producing fish. The water level is the big thing because it can raise and lower the water levels so fast with the freezing temperatures that slow down the run off out of the mountains and then the warmer fronts that bring the rain will create more run off this will help the fish go on the bite.

Sturgeon: The Sturgeon bite has slowed down in the Columbia Gorge but there is still some biters out there. Around the mouth of the Willamette down stream would be your best bet. Above the Dam in the Bonneville pool the season opened on the 1st of January for retention and will last until they receive their quota which usually will run into June before shutting it down. In early spring it is a great place to fish with a lot of keepers available. Roll Mop and Night crawlers would be my bait of choice up there.

Salmon: Not here yet but any day you will hear or read it in the paper that the first Springer has been caught. Later part of this month is when they will start showing up.

Walleye: With the right weather pattern that is clear and steady for a couple of days is ideal for catching Walleye's this time of year. They are out there it is just a matter of boat control with the wind and the road conditions allowing you to get there. I heard of a 15 1/2 pounder being caught last week on the East side by McNary dam. Blade baits would be the lure of choice this time of year. Very Slow..... presentation this time of year. With the water temperature in the high 30's they are not aggressive so slow it down.

Keep your hooks sharp!...
Steve Leonard

Fishing report for January 1st, 2005
Winter Steelhead are in the rivers now but not in big numbers yet. The low water conditions has slowed down the fish runs from entering the rivers as they should be coming in big numbers this time of year. We are starting to get some good rain fall this first week of the New Year so this will help draw these fish from the Columbia up into the tributaries where they are heading for the spawning grounds. The Washougal river has been putting out good numbers of Steelhead, East Fork of the Lewis has been slow the past two weeks since the water dropped, The NF Lewis is slow for winter fish but there is some winter Chinook Kings still around in the river, Kalama river has been steady, Cowlitz river has good days and bad days, the bank fishermen have been doing good at Blue Creek and the boats are averaging about three fish per day. I fished Wednesday with two guys and landed two fish and Thursday I had two more guys and we landed three fish. In Oregon the Sandy and Clackamas are producing small numbers of fish and it will pick up soon with the rain.

Sturgeon fishing is slow in the Columbia Gorge due to the dropping water temperature. Once it starts getting into the 30's they will move down river by the Willamette and St. Helens area waiting for the smelt to show up.
Walleye fishing slows down this time of year due to weather and water temperatures. They will still bite with the right weather and river conditions and the east side would be the best bet for getting those bites. They will start to get more active in late February as they are feeding getting ready to spawn in April.

Salmon fishing is slow due to the fact that we are in between the fall runs that have ended and the great prized fish the Spring Chinook which will start showing up late this month into the Columbia. So if you want a early Springer I would start by St Helens trolling Herring or Spinners of your choice.

Set the Hook,
Steve

Fishing Report October 19, 2004
Sturgeon fishing has opened as of October 1st from Wauna power lines upstream to Bonneville Dam Deadline with Thursday, Friday, Saturday being the retention days and the season will be open for the rest of the year. The slot size is 42" to 60" with one fish per day and five for the year. The best fishing has been from Vancouver to the Dam. October is the best month in the fall for catching keeper size Sturgeon since they migrate up stream from the mouth of the Columbia. Fishing is so good right now.

Salmon is starting to slow down now out in the Columbia and the tributaries. We are still getting a few Chinooks up by Bonneville Dam back trolling but they are few and far between. The North Fork of the Lewis river is starting to get their late run of Silver Salmon showing right now. I was over there on Friday and seen several nice fresh fish moving through the river. The Klickitat river is also producing the late run of Silvers which will go all the way through November.

Steelhead are in the Klickitat right now in good numbers. The river gets a late run of Summer Steelhead that enter the river with the King Chinooks in September and will run through October. Bobber and jig is a good bet for the Klickitat. The other rivers will start showing a few Winter Steelhead by Thanksgiving with bigger numbers by early December.

Walleye are on the last bite up the Columbia from the Dalles to McNary Dam. Below the Bonneville Dam it has been slow all summer with the bite not turning on like it does in the past few years. So if you want a Big Eyed Walleye you will have to travel farther east but it is worth the drive. Trolling Worm harnesses or Crank Baits , and Jigging will produce Walleyes this time of year.