Northwest Wild Country Radio Station

You know, they're eating all your food (you bought), staying up past the rest of the house's bedtime, slamming cupboard doors at 1 a.m., lack of privacy … you question your own generosity every minute, wondering aloud to no one why the hell you bent backwards and let them stay "for just a little while" in the first place.

Do you remember the great sense of relief when they finally left? Well, we all had that unwelcome guest just leave, his loud, sloppy behavior, leaving-wet-towels-everywhere, unable-to-shut-the-door ass is gone.

Old Man Winter. A**hole. Vamoose. Splitsville. Sigh-yo-narra, jackass. I hope you get a rash on your netherparts that festers and bleeds daily.

Now, with our no-rent-payin', loud, miserable eight-month visitor sent packing, it's time to make that list - that oh-so-wonderful list that we cannot (but oh do we try) - check off one by one, each one better than the last. The list of must-do's, those can't-miss fisheries from May 'till September. Let's make the first part of that list, shall we?

Have a koke and a smile: Hurray, hurray, it's the first of May … kokanee fishing starts today!!

Lakes have now warmed, thermoclines have formed, kokanee are schooled up and are now striking lures. Let's tow the boat to Lake Stevens to the north, Lake Merwin to the south, Lake Sutherland to the west and right here in the heart of Pugetropolis, American Lake.

Triploid timing: For those who would rather catch rainbow trout, well, let's go get the biggest around! Over the big hill, in eastern Washington is the unfortunately over-exposed 55-mile-long Rufus Woods reservoir. The water is finally warming from the icy flows coming out of Lake Roosevelt, water has risen to the mid-40s and triploid 'bows are once again on the feed.

Not many anglers hit the lake this time of year, the trout are pulling out of their winter lethargy and, being genetically dispositioned to eat, they are doing just that.

Cutties: How about cutthroat? Sea-run cutts are feeding out on the hundreds of miles of un-fished beaches all through Puget Sound. Fly fishermen, rejoice. Five-weights, intermediate lines and a box full of sculpin patters, a sunny afternoon, a high tide and solitude. Yeah.

Want a BIG cutthroat? You don't have to go far, as Lake Washington is ground zero for a trophy. The sockeye, coho and Chinook smolt are pouring out of the Cedar River, and the monster cutts are partolling the mouth like sharks off a seal sanctuary.

Trolling Koho Killers or red label cut plug herring between the river mouth and the south end of Mercer Island will get you the largest cutthroat of your life.

Springer-cue: May is also peak for spring Chinook. Although the lower Columbia is off limits, there are a half dozen prime spots still open for the best on the barbecue: 1). Break out the fire red magnum Wiggle Warts and join the biggest left turn circus west of Daytona, the mosh pit a.k.a. Drano Lake; 2). The not-as-popular (but still happy!) troll fishery off the mouth of the Wind River; 3). For those bank bound, there is the Kalama River. Not as many fish returning as usual, but still worth a trip to the canyon where those few kings will hole up, waiting for a well presented gob of roe.

Me, I'll be west, on the Sol Duc. Those all-hatchery salmon run a bit later than normal springers, May is peak on this clear-running Quillayute tributary.

Ditch picklin’: You want bass? May is prime time for "ditch pickle" chasing. Sorry..."chasin'"

We got smallmouth fishing that rivals, well, nowhere. Lake Washington and Lake Roosevelt have no peer. Lake Nahwatzel near Shelton has largemouth that equal and pass our state record. Put on yer big ol' belt buckle, grow yer mullets proud and enjoy some of the best bass fishing west of the Missisippi.

Steelhead with a sunburn: Let's get to the star of the show, the summer-run steelhead.

June 1 is Opening Day for many rivers. The upper Skykomish, Snoqualmie and by mid-month, the Green will entertain Seattle anglers. If the runs have been just half as good as the last two, we are in for a great time this summer.

“Summer”. I just giggle saying it out loud …

For those rivers already open, the southern hatchery factories of the Kalama, Lewis and especially the scenery-challenged Cowlitz will have almost too many steelhead to catch!

The last of the Nooch’s summer-runs: I think, this June, for the last time, I'll visit an old friend I haven’t seen in many years.

You see, back in 1979 when I was in junior college, my classmate had an uncle who worked for Fish and Game. See, they started a new program a few years earlier, planting a river called the Wynooche in southwest Washington with summer steelhead smolts in 1976. At his suggestion, we should launch a driftboat and see if any returned.

Saturday morning, June 20, we planned a two-day float from Schaffer Creek to Black Creek. Not a single human was fishing, anywhere. We hooked over 30 beautiful hatchery steelhead from 6 to 16 pounds.

This was Nirvana. We had a private summer fishery for three years; I bought my first driftboat just to hit these summer runs. However, someone eventually could not keep their mouths shut, Fishing & Hunting News got wind, game over: 40 boats a day was the norm in June from 1985 on.

I left the Wynooche to the crowds, but this summer is the last due to budget cuts. The Wynooche will no longer be planted with summer smolts. Go fish a classic before it's gone.

Well-salted: For you all with a salt bend, June 1 signals the re-opening of Puget Sound blackmouth and the beginning of adult chinook season. The first few days around Point Defiance are usually quite good until the resident fish get hammered on. The vomit-speckled waters of Westport, Illwaco and LaPush will be full of voracious Chinook and inner ear challenged landlubbers bobbing about trying to catch them.

June is moocher’s delight, as these fish are feeding shallow, ocean salmon can be found primarily in the top 60 feet of water chasing bait.

On the horizon: A bit later, we'll talk some more about what's coming up in July and August. We are looking at the most favorable salmon seasons since the 80s. There's Strait of Juan de Fuca chinook, Puget Sound kings, summer steelhead, a massive run of pink salmon, another trip to the Wyoming/Utah border at Flaming Gorge for the worlds best kokanee fishing, the Queen Charlottes and another trip to Steelhead Paradise, the Skeena.

Stay tuned.

Spring. Summer!! Enjoy, drink it in, savor it like rare, fine wine. Because, any day now, there will be a knock at the front door...

-Metal To The End,
BillHerzog

P.S.- @%$# winter.

Metal To The End,
-Bill Herzog