Drano/Wind River Updates

[rudedawg1085]

Any reports from the Wind or Drano yet? ill be heading down there on May 4-6. I wanted to go the 2nd week of May  due to the numbers still being low on Bonneville but we planed this trip months ago.

[huntnnw]

hit and miss. they are catching them tho I see pics everyday on fb. Ill be there May 7-12. Big jump in numbers over Bonny on saturday.

[Hilltophustler]

Fish here and there...Main river was pretty muddy...Water levels on the way down...Heading down Wednesday morning for the rest of the week

[deerlick]

drano is hot hot hot. tell all your friends gettem before word gets out on the internet..... 

[rudedawg1085]

if anyone needs a bone thrown at them, last year around the the 5th of may we have real good success with prawn spinner and a 3.5 maglip, yes those are the lures we used but ill leave you color scheme and sent to use up to you! both color and scent seem to be a big factor down there.

[huntnnw]

scent and color is a non factor as it always changing. I have caught equal amount of fish on about everything I have fished there with confidence. KCP has been our best tho, but I have used every scent I own and hooked fish. Last season we went 50/50 on 4 rods with brads KCP and prawn/coon spinner

[Houndhunter]

You guys ever troll wicked lures?

[rudedawg1085]

scent and color is a non factor as it always changing. I have caught equal amount of fish on about everything I have fished there with confidence. KCP has been our best tho, but I have used every scent I own and hooked fish. Last season we went 50/50 on 4 rods with brads KCP and prawn/coon spinner

Sounds like a challenge! you troll around with a dark black KCP with no scent, and ill use everything else. Meet ya back at the dock around noon to compare each other catches   Scent and color matter, hence why 30% of the fisherman seem to always catch 70% of the fish down there. Guides and locals always seem to find the right color/scent/lure scheme first and do well.

[huntnnw]

I do just fine there on everything I use and no I dont use dark black anything. There are certain lures that produce day in day out at drano. Theres more to scent and color there is also depth,speed, bumper length and leader length all matter. I have watched the people who dont catch anything or very few and they lack situational awareness pay attention to whats working. I have started not putting tuna in my superbaits and just scenting them with 0 change in hookups

[allen]

Wind River today - Saw 7 caught, 8 counting a guy leaving as I was launching at 6:30.  It was very windy, spent a couple hours outside, mostly alone.  Moved inside where most of the boats were.  All the fish I saw were inside.  Didn't talk to the fish checker so don't know the totals or how Drano was doing

[rudedawg1085]

Dam counts looking good last two days, todays numbers aren't out yet but hopefully still climbing, ill be there for the next three days and will post updates for anyone wondering.

[slowhand]

tag

[shadowless_nite]

I'll be on the bank tomorrow chucking plugs! Hoping for some decent numbers and action out there!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Rough week at Drano. Only one I gots a 748 size 8lb'er. Fingers crossed for better action towards the end of the month? The lack of little to no action here in the first of the month is lack luster to say the least. Looks like Hershall is eating well at the Dam again.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

This is real tasty! Just sayin...... Good luck out there in the Combat Zone!

[rudedawg1085]

Fishing partner picked up one today in the wind right in that big hole off the point of the shore fisherman. Was tough fishing only saw a few caught and they were all after 2pm. Was in the water at 6am so that’s alot of time without seeing or having any action.

Yesterday was in Drano, loooots of boats in the bowl, seen a good dozen or so fish picked up in there buts it’s soo crowded it takes the fun out of it for me.

[shadowless_nite]

spent the last day and a  half on the bank with almost no action. saturday i was out there 530am-4pm. only seen on fish hit the bank that whole time from the one old dude plunking. Did him a favor and netted it for him. Boats had fish here and there most of the day with the exception of a good slow down in the bite from about 11am-2pm. Overall it was pretty slow fishing.

Spent today out there and it was even slower with stronger AM wind that tapered down as the sun got higher. Not much for fish though. Same old dude that caught one saturday managed to scrape up the only one we saw on the bank today. Didnt see anyone get a hit on a plug. The fish dont seem to be hitting close to the bank spot very much. Overall its pretty slow. Hoping it picks up by next weekend and the 5k fish over the dam the other day wasnt all there was for  the season.

[huntnnw]

last night there was a good bite. Buddy I know went 14-15 the last 4 days in a boat. I am headed down tomorrow for a week

[codybear]

Any more reports from this week?

[rudedawg1085]

Angler West posted a teaser trailer for a episode being filmed down there earlier this week. ill post link below  Hopefully the full episode is out soon.

[WSU]

That looks like a major CF.  Fishing would have to be really damn good for that to be fun.

[deerlick]

its one of those places that people either love or completely hate.

[allen]

Wow, showed up there there this morn about 6:30.  There was no lineup to launch, but the lake was so full you had tp take a number.  Parking was 1/2 mile away, 75 years old & bad knees, I turned around & went to the wind

[hhack]

Anyone catching at Drano outside the toilet bowl. What’s the ticket?

[Magnum_Willys]

Wow, showed up there there this morn about 6:30.  There was no lineup to launch, but the lake was so full you had tp take a number.  Parking was 1/2 mile away, 75 years old & bad knees, I turned around & went to the wind

Yea they built that launch knowing they were short 200 parking spots - just have to dump rock and expand but won’t. 

[huntnnw]

Anyone catching at Drano outside the toilet bowl. What’s the ticket?

not alot going on outside the bowl. We only picked 1 up in the lake and many people I talked to saw very few fish caught in the lake.

[huntnnw]

Couple of the better ones from last week. Limited at wind on Wednesday in 2 hours. Then limited at drano and shoulda limited another day going 2-5

[TommyH]

 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

@huntnw- Glad you and your partner had a great trip! Real nice Salmons!

[Crunchy]

Angler West posted a teaser trailer for a episode being filmed down there earlier this week. ill post link below  Hopefully the full episode is out soon.

that is crazy combat fishing.  No thanks i couldnt do it

[codybear]

Any 2020 updates thus far?

[Mfowl]

Do you need a Skamania county permit to launch at Wind River? Or just Drano?

[codybear]

Both launches require that pass is my understanding.

[Mfowl]

Both launches require that pass is my understanding.

Copy that, thanks!

[D-Rock425]

Anyone fishing this week.

[WSU]

I heard it was very slow over the weekend.  I'm heading down later.

[D-Rock425]

 Was thinking about coming down for the weekend.

[huntnnw]

Just got back from there Sunday . Really slow marking lots on finder . Some guys that fish that allot were getting nothing some days or taking all day to limit.  We went 3-5 over 3 full days

[Alchase]

Couple of the better ones from last week. Limited at wind on Wednesday in 2 hours. Then limited at drano and shoulda limited another day going 2-5

Those are pretty fish! 

[shadowless_nite]

I too have been debating on going down there to toss plugs from the bank as usual, but haven't been hearing much report wise from anyone.

[D-Rock425]

Numbers over the dam dropped.  I was hoping for a steady increase this week.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Was thinking about coming down for the weekend.

Save your gas money.

Just to add looks like they are opening the Skagit for spring chinook........... I'd rather be fishing the Skagit than Drano any day of the week. Up another 

Good luck whenever you go!

[dilleytech]

I too have been debating on going down there to toss plugs from the bank as usual, but haven't been hearing much report wise from anyone.

Waiting for good reports is a failing strategy IMO. If there’s more then 500 fish coming over the damn then there will be fish to catch. Best advice as an experienced local is just go.

[rudedawg1085]

Was down there this last weekend, first night fished Drano in the evening and there was a decent bite in the bowl. Saw about 10 fish landed between 1800-1930. Second day fished the Wind all day and fishing was hot.....temperature wise, i think it peaked out at 85 degrees. Never saw a fish caught in 7ish hours, but the temperature/wind/and rough water didn't help. At one point only 7 boats were out there fishing. Never seen so many few boats in spring season.

[dilleytech]

Was down there this last weekend, first night fished Drano in the evening and there was a decent bite in the bowl. Saw about 10 fish landed between 1800-1930. Second day fished the Wind all day and fishing was hot.....temperature wise, i think it peaked out at 85 degrees. Never saw a fish caught in 7ish hours, but the temperature/wind/and rough water didn't help. At one point only 7 boats were out there fishing. Never seen so many few boats in spring season.

The lack of people fishing this season has been great!

[rudedawg1085]

How's everyone doing down by Drano? Dam numbers are looking awesome but I keep seeing reports of "it was a grind today" Ill be down there fri/sat/sun looking for some keepers. Say hi if you see me, older 16' Smoker Craft named "Insufishient Funds".

[Badhabit]

The guides are tearing it up at the mouth of the Deshutes according to FB- Eastern WA Fishing group. lots of photos with limits.

[carpsniperg2]

The deshutes has been stacked up as much as I have ever seen it with boats this last week must indeed be pretty hot.

[rudedawg1085]

We got blown off the mouth of the Klick on Saturday, so ended up going to Drano where we picked two hatchery Kings. There was a hot bite out there all day and an ever hotter bite out in the main channel outside of Drano. Sunday we ended up back at the mouth of the Klick and the bite was slow to decent. We got lucky and ended up with two more before noon. Small spinners either red or yellow/green with a 26-30 inch leader to a pro toll was the ticket for us.