What is Bobber Dogging? Over the last few years, we have seen the technique of bobber dogging grow in popularity across the Pacific Northwest for salmon and steelhead. However, anglers on the East side of the Cascades are just now starting to give this system a try. Dry siders can greatly benefit from adding this technique to their arsenals! The first question a lot of anglers typically ...[more]

We arrive to the river bank with one conspicuous thought in mind: to catch fish. Adding to the ambiguity of float fishing for winter steelhead. are the many offerings that an angler may choose to suspend beneath the surface. Akin to a hot knife to room-temperature butter, we’ll be exposing the core and nuances of angling’s most natural style of presentation, while exploring the art of how to catch...[more]

I was inside my grandparent’s truck as the rain continued to pour down wondering if it would ever stop and my grandfather and I could start fishing. The wipers screeched across the windshield as the heater blared keeping the windows from fogging up. I was about eight years old at the time and this was when my grandfather taught me the most valuable lesson any fisherman could ever learn. He turned ...[more]

As the Waters Start to Cool, the Fishing Starts to Heat-up. After months spent trying to tempt stubborn summer bass into biting, the arrival of fall is well-received by most southern anglers. Whereas summer bass are content to keep a low profile and snatch up just enough food to remain healthy, autumn bass chase baitfish like it’s their last day on Earth. Abandoning their finicky ways, fall ...[more]

With many anglers nowadays employing advanced electronics, line counter reels, and any number of depth control devices, precisely presenting lures in the strike zone is a fairly simple task for open water trollers. Presenting each individual lure precisely is a good way to boat a lot of fish ... sometimes. Many times, however, it is how your lures work together that makes all the difference. F...[more]

For the second year the WDFW is putting on their “Fall Into Fishing” program. If you are unfamiliar with this program it involves a fall round of planting trout in lakes around the state to fuel fall trout fishing. The number of fish planted is considerably less than the spring plants, but the average size is significantly larger. New Fish, Ready To Be Caught Before you rush out the door...[more]

This is not a fishing report, but it’s still pretty cool (if you’re into pheasants). I got to spend three wonderful days of pheasant hunting with my son Matthew in the beautiful Montana outdoors, outside of Great Falls. We hunted on both public land and some private farm land. The long weekend (Sat, Sun, Mon) had a mix of so-so weather to glorious weather, long and short hikes, a two hour ordea...[more]

We’re excited to announce a fantastic Northwest Fishing Reports adventure available to members only! Last year we did a “Cast and Blast” trip with Shelby Ross of Ross Outdoor Adventures on the Potholes Reservoir. Well, Shelby and Mar Don Resort have come up with a great package deal that we are offering to our NWFR members only. Even better, we’ll be filming this adventure for NWFR so particip...[more]

With each cast I let the green Stee-Lee swing a little lower through the tailout. When the spoon wobbled through the area where I expected the strike to come I tensed, but I still wasn’t ready for it. The rod bucked and plunged, and the fish tried hard to run out of the hole, stopping just short. The big, wild steelhead had inhaled the lure, but I had switched the treble hooks out for a single...[more]

During this past fishing season, I believe that I’ve grown not only as a person, but as an angler, as well. As we are all aware, each season changes, whether it’s as subtle as a different color change, or as substantial as a different lure that works all together. Either way, we must remain fluid in regards to our local Departments of Fish & Wildlife with their projected forecasts and/or stocking ...[more]

The coho are returning back to the rivers and with better than expected returns the WDFW has opened a few rivers. We hope this trend continues with more fish returning and more opportunities for recreational fishing. Whenever and wherever you will be fishing for coho it is good to be prepared, so you can maximize your catching when out on the water. This primer is an excerpt from my full length...[more]

Alder trees lined the riverbank with their white trunks and the green leaves long ago turned golden yellow as summer’s warm afternoons have faded to the crisp cooling days. The orange colored bobber top a stark contrast from the dark colored waters reflecting the cloudy sky above. Just then the float disappeared and I set the hook hard. A Chinook dove deep and fought hard; it was then that I truly...[more]