Wanapum sockeye

[metlhead]

I'll be spending Independance week at Vantage with the boat. Plenty of tubing and swimming for sure. Is there a troll fishery in the lower reservoir? Could run up to Rock Island if needed but don't wanna trailer elsewhere.

[nwwanderer]

Bunch on the move, looks like a July 1 opener, is it 4 or 6?, very confusing regs. 

[Mfowl]

You need to target them below one of the dams. They do not like to bite in the lower pool. You can see them porpoising and mark them on your finder pretty easily but they are on the move. Just gotta get in the crowd and circle the toilet bowl.

[Machias]

290,000 over the dams so far.  Banner year!!!

[bigdub257]

Has anyone tried below Rock Island dam?  I was preparing to try and fish Wanapum pool this year to see if I could catch any kings or sockeye to avoid the crowds, but fishing below one of the dams does make more sense.  Still may try it though.  Might even book a guide for that area to learn the ropes if anybody has any suggestions or references.

[HillHound]

Not sure why they do well in lake Wenatchee but not the wanapum pool. But I guess that would explain the lack of fisherman there by vantage. Below wanapum can be interesting with more than a few boats. Your line is never going the way it should with the torrent of water coming out of the damn and there can be lots of tangled lines. And getting the boat out without bashing it into the cement blocks that line the launch is fun

[TSLPE]

Would a 22-23 foot northriver boat be too big for there? What about the launch on the west side of river?

[Kola16]

Would a 22-23 foot northriver boat be too big for there? What about the launch on the west side of river?

No not too big, but it is definitely on the big side. Just pay attention to your steering and you will be "okay." "Okay" meaning you will only piss off 30 boats, so nothing out of the ordinary for that spot Unless you have a jet, do not launch at the west boat launch without experience. It is shallow getting up river.

[metlhead]

Since I got plenty of time, I will motor down to Wanapum early AM and troll light gear nearest the fish outlet. Was also thinking the area under the I90 bridge is a nice funnel. Gotta be spots in the pool that are still secrets.

[Kola16]

Since I got plenty of time, I will motor down to Wanapum early AM and troll light gear nearest the fish outlet. Was also thinking the area under the I90 bridge is a nice funnel. Gotta be spots in the pool that are still secrets.

People have caught kings near the fish outlet. I would have a rod out for kings as well.

[bigdub257]

Is the fish outlet on the West side?

[nwwanderer]

Looks like a major number above the 400,000 predicted is on the way.

[Mfowl]

Is the fish outlet on the West side?

There are 2, one on the Westside and one east of the center. When I fished there the east/center one was getting all of the action. The fish come out, but the riprap over to the Eastside of the river and bomb upstream.

[cjc23]

We fish the high side of Wanapum every year. It's a decent kings fishery but the sockeye tend to run right past it. You'll see them surfacing and on the sonar all day long but haven't gotten one to bite.

[cjc23]

Has anyone tried below Rock Island dam?  I was preparing to try and fish Wanapum pool this year to see if I could catch any kings or sockeye to avoid the crowds, but fishing below one of the dams does make more sense.  Still may try it though.  Might even book a guide for that area to learn the ropes if anybody has any suggestions or references.

I drive past the dam everyday on my commute and have never seen someone out there salmon fishing. A few boats will anchor up for sturgeon there including a few guides but never seen someone fish salmon there.

[bigdub257]

Has anyone tried below Rock Island dam?  I was preparing to try and fish Wanapum pool this year to see if I could catch any kings or sockeye to avoid the crowds, but fishing below one of the dams does make more sense.  Still may try it though.  Might even book a guide for that area to learn the ropes if anybody has any suggestions or references.

I drive past the dam everyday on my commute and have never seen someone out there salmon fishing. A few boats will anchor up for sturgeon there including a few guides but never seen someone fish salmon there.

OK. Good to know.  Sounds like the stretch below Wanapum or directly above the dam are the places to try.  I'm going to take the old duck boat out there and give it a go. I have a buddy that does really well for sockeye and the occasional king up by Brewster.  Will probably employ similar techniques he uses and also some more "king" specific lures near the dam and some other areas.  I'll probably be running downriver from Sunland Estates.

[pickardjw]

Was gonna fish at McNary the weekend of the 4th for socks but with the rule change as of yesterday I'm thinking I might head up river that weekend. Or go scout for deer. We'll see.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/emergency-rules/lower-columbia-river-salmon-and-steelhead-fishery-update-2024-06-1

[Machias]

Quick question for anyone familiar with Wanapum Dam area, can you fish from the shore up near the dam?  If so, how likely are you to hook into a sockeye from shore with a float and bait?  I was kicking around the idea of hitting it the afternoon of the 12th before I head up to Brewster for a guided trip the following morning?  Thanks for any thoughts.

[Kola16]

If I remember correctly, people do fish from the bank. I could be remembering incorrectly. I am not sure that your bait under a float idea would work though. Sockeye are a very niche fish. You have a chance of casting and retrieving lures for kings on the bottom though. Brad's superbaits packed with tuna are what I would start with.

[C-Money]

I hear chinook is closed in the Brewster Pool...anyone hear why? Low summer chinook numbers?

[TommyH]

Yes closed in the pool. Juvenile die off from flooding if I recall correctly..

[huntnnw]

Yes closed in the pool. Juvenile die off from flooding if I recall correctly..

  its still open for bridgeport fishery and below the pool to wells July 16.

[huntnnw]

Quick question for anyone familiar with Wanapum Dam area, can you fish from the shore up near the dam?  If so, how likely are you to hook into a sockeye from shore with a float and bait?  I was kicking around the idea of hitting it the afternoon of the 12th before I head up to Brewster for a guided trip the following morning?  Thanks for any thoughts.

 I would say that would be a very low success to catch sockeye from shore there

[pickardjw]

Well they closed king retention at the reach…second time this season they’ve closed a season the day before I’m planning on being there.

Never fished this stretch of the big river. Should go higher up and focus on kings or stick with the reach for socks?

[Kola16]

Based on the dam counts, from Rocky Reach to Wanapum should all produce good king and sockeye fishing if they're biting. The numbers are there for all three dams, just fish whatever one you're most comfortable with. I've never fished below Priest Rapids, but the counts there aren't bad compared to other years so not sure on that.

[dilleytech]

If I remember correctly, people do fish from the bank. I could be remembering incorrectly. I am not sure that your bait under a float idea would work though. Sockeye are a very niche fish. You have a chance of casting and retrieving lures for kings on the bottom though. Brad's superbaits packed with tuna are what I would start with.

Bobber fishing certainly works.

[bigdub257]

Bobber fishing certainly works.
[/quote]

With a shrimp dangling?

[pickardjw]

Well struck out at Ringold, struck out above Wanapum last night, and struck out below Priest River today. Wind is too much to fish above Wanapum tonight, gonna try in the AM for kings. If I don’t at least get one bite…might just go home. Boat is too small to fish below Wanapum unless there’s anchor spots downstream a bit.

[metlhead]

Lots of fish above the dam. One school after another this morning but like it was said earlier, non biters. Even the fellas floating shrimp in their faces struck out. You could net them.

[pickardjw]

Lots of fish above the dam. One school after another this morning but like it was said earlier, non biters. Even the fellas floating shrimp in their faces struck out. You could net them.

Yeah a kayaker last night picked a sock up if I remember correctly. Or had it and lost it. Then he picked up a pike minnow. I marked kings, lost another kwikfish in the rocks (3 in a week for me now) and couldn’t buy a bite. Was out from 6pm to 9:45pm or so.

[metlhead]

Trolled kokanee gear, no weight back and forth along the east wall. Solid fish all the way to I90. Just porpoising.

[bigdub257]

Perplexing that they'll bite pretty well below the dam but not above and then bite again below the other dams they encounter. Gets a guy thinking about trying some oddball offerings to entice them. 

[pickardjw]

Too windy above the dam for my little boat this morning. Huge bummer. Bailed down to Ringold and struck out again. Sockeye in the Reach might just elude me until I can get a seat with someone that knows what they’re doing.

[WSU]

Never been there but I’d bet money they are moving fast above the dam, which is why they are purposing all over and not biting.

[metlhead]

They seem to be moving less than walking speed. Noticed years back that silver and king jacks in the river would bite lite like crazy when tide was going out. When it stopped and came in they would swim in circles avoiding everything. Same with shad. Really liked current

[Machias]

Almost 700K sockeye so far!!  They were projecting a banner year at just over 400K.  Anyone know what the record is?

[Machias]

Never mind, I found it, 2022 had 663,253 sockeye over the Bonneville Dam.  We are at 682K.  Smashing the record this year!!

[MeepDog]

Too windy above the dam for my little boat this morning. Huge bummer. Bailed down to Ringold and struck out again. Sockeye in the Reach might just elude me until I can get a seat with someone that knows what they’re doing.

I thought it was as simple as anchor in 14 feet of water by the edge until I had a guy try to explain flow rates and bottom contour based on water level. It's the strangest thing in the reach. Youll see a pocket where the sockeye are constantly surfacing and piled up in the eddies just out of the current. If you try to fish that same pocket the conventional way at anchor with shrimp and dodgers youre wasting your time. I'd love to understand why they just wont hit anything when theyre all bunched up. The dodgers dont even function right in the slack current and if you troll they still dont want it. If theres a way to get the fish in that scenario to bite, I would love to know it.

[bigdub257]

Too windy above the dam for my little boat this morning. Huge bummer. Bailed down to Ringold and struck out again. Sockeye in the Reach might just elude me until I can get a seat with someone that knows what they’re doing.

I thought it was as simple as anchor in 14 feet of water by the edge until I had a guy try to explain flow rates and bottom contour based on water level. It's the strangest thing in the reach. Youll see a pocket where the sockeye are constantly surfacing and piled up in the eddies just out of the current. If you try to fish that same pocket the conventional way at anchor with shrimp and dodgers youre wasting your time. I'd love to understand why they just wont hit anything when theyre all bunched up. The dodgers dont even function right in the slack current and if you troll they still dont want it. If theres a way to get the fish in that scenario to bite, I would love to know it.

I'm assuming you were above the dam?  Hoping to try over there next week and see if I can figure it out myself.  I'm totally unfamiliar with the water and currents below the dam, but may give that a try if it's not too crazy! 

[RockChuck]

I fished below wanapum Sunday 4 hrs with no bites.. it was pretty slow, seen a few caught but not like normal wanapum action, maybe I  was doing something wrong or just unlucky!

[Machias]

697707  Going to be well over 700K