Walleye fishing is at its best right now; and will be for the rest of July through the first couple weeks of September. Daily limits are being caught on Hot Lips, plugs, and bottom-walking spinner worm harnesses…. Most of the best fishing is at Umatilla, Irrigon, and Boardman, Oregon and fishing depths of 35 to 38 feet. Trophy walleye are being pulled everyday. The last day we were out, July 20th, we caught 19 walleye of assorted sizes, three over ten pounds and one 13 pounder. All the big fish are putting on their food bags to get ready for fall and winter. With a late spawn this year a lot of the fish haven’t gotten to feed like they normally would in the spring after spawning, so it’s making the fishing easy. The currents in the Columbia River are slowing down as well, which also makes the fishing easier–your presentations of bait are slower and that allows you to keep your bait in the spot you want longer, encouraging more hook ups per day.

Pictured above are some spinner worm harness rigs to view. All of them work well. If you have any questions on what to use contact www.mackslure.com for more details–they have it all when it comes to walleye fishing gear. As far as rods are concerned, I prefer to use Fetha Styx 8 1/2 ft 10-17 lb steelhead rods. Not only can I switch up easily to catch steelhead, but for the size of the walleye we target this rod is the perfect strength, and, furthermore, the sensitivity of the rod allows you to catch more fish.

By Elmer Hill / Mid Columbia River Guide Service

www.midcolumbiariver.com

(541) 969-253

With the summer run steelhead showing up, we have been taking some time out of the day after catching monster sturgeon–and getting ten hook-ups on steelhead and an assortment of walleye. If a person wants to fish for steelhead all day long or walleye, both will be peaking the first week of August and will continue through the month.

As August approaches, the fall Chinook salmon fishery will kick up and get going full swing and last through October. With a large run of fish showing up this year and the larger four and five year old fish coming back to spawn, we should frequently see fish over 50 pounds. We’ll be catching them from Hood River, Oregon upstream to Tri Cities, Washington (Hanford Reach area) on qwik fish and eggs. Salmon will be hiding out in transition slots around 40 feet deep, and the fish staging to spawn will come up to 25-feet flats. Due to the amount of eggs they have, the kings will be looking for a place to rest until they are ready to spawn.

By Elmer Hill / Mid Columbia River Guide Service

www.midcolumbiariver.com

(541) 969-253

Oversize sturgeon fishing is fabulous right now, with multiple hook ups on fish eight to twelve feet everyday. We are fishing depths of up to 100 feet deep. The currents in the Columbia have slowed and the water temps are coming back up: sturgeon thrive on this. They will seek deeper water in the day to cool off–shallow water at dark and early morning. Some sturgeon are spawning right now, so if you know where to go catch them after they have spawned out that’s an option. Their tummies have been full for a long time with eggs, now empty and with a small shad run the fish are hungry. I do not try to catch them on the spawn, but I do know lots of areas where they feed afterwards.

Using whole shad, fillets of shad, salmon belly meat, or fresh non-pickled squid you will be rewarded. The oversize sturgeon fishery will last into September, with August being the peak of the fishery for the summer.

Multiple species trips are possible, with an 85 percent chance of catching limits in just a few hours of your day.

Keeper sturgeon fishing has slowed a bit, but we have been fishing in some areas where it’s catch and release and have been averaging upwards of 35 nice-sized four to five feet fish. The oversize and catch and release fishing at Umatilla, Oregon will continue to be at it’s best through August.

Elmer Hill – Mid Columbia River Guide Service

www.midcolumbiariver.com

(541) 969-2537