by Kyle Jones, April 28, 2014

For many anglers the pinnacle of the fishing season is chasing Columbia River spring Chinook, and the month of May means the Columbia Gorge, and specifically Drano Lake, and the Wind River. Both of these off channel areas offer consistent fishing for spring Chinook on most years. The fishing normally kicks off in the middle of April, but early to mid may is when these fisheries really begin to shine.
Both Drano and the Wind River bubble fishery are mostly boat shows.

There is some limited bank access and the bank anglers can do very well at times, but most of the fish caught in this fishery are caught by the boat crowd. Also keep in mind if you are new to this fishery it can be very busy. Due to the close proximity to major metro areas and the relative ease of getting to the fishing grounds the scene here can often be described as “bumper boats.” With this in mind open minded, patient anglers, willing to have a good time can often find this experience very enjoyable.

Trolling is the name of the game here, and specifically three different presentations shine depending on the day. One of the most popular early season presentations is fishing a cut plug or whole herring behind an inline flasher, such as a Fish Flash made by Yakima Bait Company. Fish this rig on a sliding setup and use enough lead to keep your offering under your boat, and fishing near the bottom. This is not a place to long line you gear way behind your boat. An equally effective presentation also fished in combination with a flasher is a prawn spinner. Fish blades in Chartreuse, Green, Pink, Orange and combinations of the previous and you will have it covered. Also don’t forget the plugs! Plugs such as the MagLip 4.5 and 3.5 from Yakima Bait have become staples here, and to increase their effectiveness make sure you give them a bait wrap. The other plug that deserves mention here is the Magnum Wiggle Wart or Brads Wiggler in orange. For some reason this plug seems to get the attention of many Drano and Wind River spring Chinook and has resulted in a trip to the back yard bbq for many.

One of the biggest things to remember here is to bring a good attitude. If there are fish to be caught you will be fishing around lots of other folks. This can be a pleasure if you are willing to accept what it is and just relax and have a good time.

About the Author:

Kyle Jones is the owner and operator of Kyle Jones Sport Fishing and is a partner in Clearwater River Company on Idaho’s Clearwater River. Kyle splits time between the Columbia, Snake, and Clearwater Rivers and can be found chasing salmon and steelhead 12 months out of the year. In late April through the middle of May he can be found guiding at the Drano and Wind River Fisheries.

Give him a Call at 208-861-0654 to book your next fishing adventure.

www.kylejonessportfishing.com
www.clearwaterrivercompany.com