The Jones group showing off the results of an excellent day of fishing with guide Kurt Ferse, including the largest Yellow Eye caught this season at just over 24lbs.

Though they were plentiful, big kings were harder to come by this season. Finally, in late July and early August we saw a push of trophy kings, with several in the fifties, and King of Year coming in on August 5th at 60.2 lbs

After a relatively late arrival, silver fishing turned on in the second week of July, and limits of silvers were had nearly every day through early August. By mid-August they had largely moved out of the area, but fortunately there were enough kings to chase around that everybody stayed busy.

King of Kings Derby Hostess Rachel Egger shows off the King of the year caught by Joseph Kinder on August 5th. It tipped the scales at an impressive 60.2lbs.

We were blessed with relatively light winds and stable weather systems throughout the season, which provided for some excellent opportunities for bottom fishing offshore for halibut, lingcod, and rockfish.

Anticipation and excitement is already building for the 2012 season as hopes that the big numbers of kings will continue, and the vast quantity of feeder kings will return bigger and stronger.

A nice hen caught on a beautiful morning at the Pineapple.

So if you missed out on this spectacular season, it’s time to start planning your trip for next year! Contact Waterfall Resort and make a request to fish with guide Kurt Ferse and you will get to fish with some of Fetha Styx finest rods in some of the most productive fishing grounds in Alaska.

Be sure to check back in this winter, as I will be posting the latest news from Southeast AK. Until later, tight lines to you all!

Kurt Ferse

Vern Eide Steelhead Derby short from Hawg Quest on Vimeo.

Last year, Fetha Styx had a great time at the Vern Eide Steelhead Derby — it really is a great event! Hawg Quest gives us a peek into the story behind the event and what it means to the Lewiston, Idaho community.

For more information on this year’s derby in November, click here.

On to the fishing report:
Fishing has been fantastic for my boat. Big bass and big numbers of bass have been the norm. I prefer to fish plastics and crank baits this time of year. Crawdad imitations are always a top producer. When the bite gets slow try searching the same water, or new waters, with your favorite crank baits. The Potholes has some real big smallmouth and they are not line shy, so beef up your tackle if you want to land those large reservoir bass. The water levels are super high at press time, so I have not been focusing on largemouth bass, but they are my favorite warm water species of fish and the fishing for these bad boyz will get good any day now. Especially when we start to get consistant 80-degree weather days…. It took 51lbs to win the Potholes Open this year and the guys only weighed 11 of their 12 fish limit — that is a new lake record!!! Largemouth took home the 1st place check again this year, that’s why they’re my favorite fish. Big money, big fish, tough fighters, spectacular scenery, all great attributes.

When the wind picks up, so do I and then we head walleye fishing. The winds over east have been putting a nice “walleye chop” on the water almost everyday. I prefer to fish walleye in the wind. Trolling worm harnesses has been the golden ticket on my boat. Use bottom walkers, beads, corkies, and blades and you’re good to go. Walleye are some of the tastiest fish in fresh water, so bring your fish cooler.

For you rainbow trout enthusiast’s out there, we have been smoking the trout! Expect limits every time, if you would like to do some trout fishing. I typically troll for these fish. I also fly fish a few “special” lakes at the Potholes for trophy trout, as well. If you’re interested let me know. Drift boat fly fishing over on the eastside is very relaxing and productive all at the same time.

NOW BOOKING: Summer Run Steelhead and King Salmon trips on the Skykomish River. Opening day is June 1st and king salmon closes August 31st. Book earlier in the season for prime-time steelhead and a little later for prime king salmon fishing. Then on August 16th the opening of “The Catching Season”! The pink salmon run is this year and not again until 2013. This is hands down the greatest catching season of the year on our west-side rivers. My dates are August 16th-September 11th. Expect to bring home the boat’s limit of chrome-bright, pink salmon and to release many, many, many more!!! Give me a call and get a date . . . before again . . . you’re too late.

I will let the below pics speak for themselves on how great the fishing has been over on the Potholes Reservoir. Here are a few pics from the last month of fish catching:

See you on the water!

Sincerely,
Bonner Daniels
bonnerfishon.com
425-281-8772

Three of our members are fishing in the tournament this weekend. Myself, Adam Waters, and Shane Lehew will be testing our luck on Lake Norman — the home body of water for all of us. The winner walks away with a fully-equipped Nitro Z-8 with a 200hp Mercury engine valued at $33,000, along with hourly weigh-ins both days.

The name of the game for this tournament is strictly big bass. The weather forecast is going to be warm and sunny with highs in the 80′s. We have all spent time on the water this weekend pre-fishing and have found that 80% of the bass on Lake Norman have already spawned out and fry are everywhere along with empty beds littering the banks. Bluegill/bream are taking over the empty beds and starting to make beds in the shallow pocket areas. A good portion of the fish are in a post spawn pattern and are eating everything from crankbaits to jigs but they are thin from the stress of spawning and missing the added weight of carrying around eggs.

Joe Kinchen caught 40 post spawn fish in the 1.5-3lb range on Sunday but was unable to locate any bedding bass. Shane and Adam were fishing in a different section of the lake and caught 12lbs in a J & J fishing trail tournament on Sunday, fishing only for bedding bass. This tournament will be won with a 6-7lb bass caught off of one of the few remaining beds on Lake Norman. These boys all plan on strictly targeting bedding bass to win the tournament.

Maybe Andy Montgomery could give us some advice on where to target our efforts this weekend!

Joe Kinchen

Stay tuned for updates from this weekend’s Oakley Big Bass Classic!

More information on the Jamie McMurray Classic here.
Fetha Styx announces partnership with UNC Charlotte Bass Rats