The Eagle Outdoors

I'm writing this on Monday, April 14. It's an absolutely gorgeous perfect morning. The sun is coming up. Anna's hummingbirds are at the feeder. Golden-crowned sparrows are up front. Mama English sparrow is working on her nest in a house I built. Now there's a good feeling. Birds bringing off broods in a house you built with your own two hands. That and picking apples (or cherries or peaches) from a tree you planted (what's it been) four years ago? It's the little things, my friends. The small victories and tiny triumphs.

Spring Chinook Update

Today is April 17, or the final day of another three-day opportunity for those seeking an audience with The King, and no, I don't mean Elvis. Spring chinook season, as most of you know, ended on April 6; however, the WDFW / ODFW determined in a joint session there were enough fish remaining in this year's quota to allow an additional six days of retention, which would have been April 11-13 and April 15-17. The following is from the joint agency fact sheet on resulting from a compact meeting on Wednesday, April 9: Through Sunday April 6, catches in the fishery downstream of Bonneville Dam are preliminarily estimated to be 528 adult spring Chinook with 105 released from approximately 25,800 angler trips. Mortalities of upriver-origin Chinook are estimated to be 326 adults, or eight percent of the 4,030 available to the fishery downstream of Bonneville Dam prior to a run size update.

There is additional information, i.e. a whole lot of numbers and talk of microphyte communities and such throughout the remainder of the fact sheet; however, given my outdoor 'nerd' nature, I found it interesting how these fishery managers arrive at such numbers, quotas, estimates, harvest allowances, and such. If you're interested in reading more, the fact sheet in its entirety can be found at wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-04/04-09-25-winter-fact-sheet-no-9.pdf.

Walleyes

I would imagine this is going to get some eye-rolls and maybe a not-so-kind name or two thrown my way, but remember, I'm from Ohio. I grew up fishing Lake Erie for walleyes, along with yellow perch and smallmouth bass, with the occasional channel cat thrown in. If you're tired of not having a spring chinook season, or if you've grown weary of dragging those tuna-wrapped Spinfish, why not head east of the Cascades and try your hand at catching one. No, walleyes aren't a native species. Yes, they were intentionally and illegally introduced into the Columbia River System, specifically Lake Roosevelt (it's thought), by a so-called 'bucket biologist.' A bucket biologist is an individual who introduces a species, often a non-native species, into a body of water thinking it's a good idea. It was never a good idea in the 1950s. In the intervening 75 years, walleyes have spread throughout the system down as far, I'm told, as Cathlamet and Skamokawa.

Walleyes are hated by most because they're non-native predators that eat, among other things, salmon smolts; as does pretty much everything that swims in, floats on, or flies above the Columbia. Love 'em as I do or hate 'em. It doesn't matter; they're here to stay. In response to the spread of walleyes throughout the system, the WDFW has removed both daily bag limits and size restrictions on this non-native. Still, they're here to stay, so if you're of a mind and want to keep a cormorant from eating another smolt, go catch a walleye. For those who haven't tried them, they're incredibly delicious. Walleyes, that is, not the cormorants.

Where? I've done my best (14.5 pounds, August 1996) around he Biggs Junction and Maryhill part of the Columbia. Camp at Peach Beach, launch right there at the campgrounds, and fish below the bridge on both sides in 15 to 23 feet of water. However, there's excellent, if not better fishing to be had further upriver around the Tri-Cities area. Lakes more your speed? Banks Lake, Moses Lakes, Potholes; they're all great walleye water. If you've caught a walleye around the Cathlamet area, I'd love to hear the story.

Making money with minnows

How's this for incentive? Catch fish. Turn said fish into either the WDFW or ODFW. If you happen to catch 16,150 fish, you get checks totalling $164,260. That's what the leading angler pocketed during the 2024 Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Program.

But that's fishing, all day/every day between April 14 and mid-September. Like an angling robot. Rod up, rod down, fish in, measure, bucket, repeat 16,149 times. This isn't fun. It's work, and I'd like to think I'm not a lazy man.

So you downsize. You check in with the WDFW "Pikeminnow Guy/Gal" stationed at the Elochoman Marina. You register for the day, and then you go fish, you sit on the bank, or you float in a kayak. The first 20 northern pikeminnow (formerly known as squawfish) that you catch are worth $8 each when you turn them into that same individual. Fish 21 through 200 are worth $9. Every fish after that gets you a $10 bill. Yes, sir. It's tournament bass fishing without the entry fee $150,000 Go-Fast boat and $500 fish pole.

By the time you read this, the check station at The Dalles will be open (as of April 14). The Columbia Point Park station at Richland opens on Monday, April 21, and the Elochoman Marina station, the furthest downriver station, opens on Thursday, May 1. So dust off that metal rod and Zebco 33 spin-casting reel, buy yourself some chicken livers and 'stretchy string,' and give 'er a try. Heck, $164,260 might just get you a couple dozen eggs.