Drano lake fishing and a bear.

[huntergreg]

Lots of salmon in  there right now. I ended up catching 2 on Friday. Biggest one was a 33 lbs. Big old toulie I think is how you spell it. Got him off a jig out in the main Columbia.     Also on Friday night we were anchored up settling in for a night of fishing when I her something on the hill behind us. I looked over and saw a small black bear walk down to the water, he took a drink and ended up finding a dead salmon and went back up the hill. Cool thing to see.

[FC]

Holy cow! That thing looks PRE-smoked! 

Teasing aside, how long do you have to put a fish like that in the brine for?

[t6]

On the nasty old tule's... your just wasting brine.

[losdaddy7]

You don't even need to smoke her.

[beagledog]

Mmmmm! Tuley the other white meat
Probably a good fight though

[cannon-master]

them things are nasty i wont even net one in my net or boat noway no how nope huh uh!!!!

[buglebuster]

 

[huntergreg]

Yeah I know they are no good to eat but I had to bring it home to show my son.    It is my biggest fish to date. 

I gave it to my neighbor.    I will let you know what he says it taste like as soon as he eats it. 

That thing stunk!!!

[huntnnw]

I have heard about the tules... what are they? and why wouldnt be good to eat?

[270Shooter]

I have heard about the tules... what are they? and why wouldnt be good to eat?

Just look at it 

I don't know anything about salmon but from what i understand they are a chinook that is going to spawn in the lower columbia river system, therefore they aren't very bright when you catch them on the columbia, in this case drano. Whereas a fish that is headed upriver to spawn will still be bright and most likely still have red meat if caught in the same area.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Tule's enter the columbia river ready to spawn.

[steeleywhopper]

That thing looks like a Wolf eel.  UGGGGLEEEEE

[SteelheadDC]

Like beagle dog said "Tule the other white meat"  they do enter the river ready to spawn, but they are a geneticaly different sub-species of chinook salmon native to the lower columbia river tribs.  When they are out in the ocean they lack an enzyme required to digest the exoskeleton of shirmp which is responisible for the pink coloring we like to see in our anadromous fish.  I have caught them at illwaco and they are chrome outside, white inside.
They do stink, but get a big hen and you are just about set for springers.  I like how everybody gives them to there neighbor.  Me and beagledog are going to start calling them neighbor fish instead of tule.

[spookgus]

I smoked a river caught "Big Stinky" until it was firm and almost jerky. It wasn't prime but completely eatable.

[beagledog]

seems like you can always find a neighbor thats willing to take them off your hands

[RuttinWapati]

Stinky and slimy Tule!  I would probably take it home to show my son and then give it to the neighbor also. He's Korean and nothing will go to waste.... He loves shad too...

[MuleySniper]

I would have peed my pants seeing that come to the boat, panicked and cut my line! Naaaaaaaasty!
At least you saw a bear
MS

[seansfire]

That is one  nice fish man. Hope you got a good fight out of it and some good pics if nothing else.

[fishcrazy]

I didn't know the tules went above the dam. It was my understanding they were in tribs from the Lewis down learn something new every day.

KRIS