Columbia River Springers are here.  So what baits and lures should you use to get into these spring time Chinook salmon? Well I can tell you what I will use.

As always, I make sure I have lots of gear and I am ready to switch gears at any time, however I have a few go to methods for fishing the Columbia River for springers. First and foremost, I will troll brined herring. Herring is a tried and true method for getting into springers. I will also troll Brad’s Super Bait Cut Plug.  And I will pull sardine wrapped Kwikfish when I am at anchor.  

Many anglers who have been fishing cut plug herring for years have their own method to cutting their herring. If you are new to using herring I suggest using a jig for cutting you herring. You will get a more consistent cut, resulting in a more consistent rotation of the herring. You can get a cutting jig at Three Rivers Marine, or your favorite tackle retailer.

Brining recipes for herring are numerous.  Some anglers do not brine their herring at all, while others would not fish herring without it being brined. Brining your herring will toughen the herring, making it last longer. You can also add scents to the brine as well as brighteners and dyes.

Here are a couple of brining recipes you can use.  One uses Pautzke’s Nectar and the other is an old school recipe.  
Pautzke’s Nectar recipe will brine up to 2 dozen green label herring.  The best thing is it can be done in the field or on the road.  

Ingredients;

• Pautzke’s Nectar – Blue, purple, yellow, or orange
• Gallon Ziploc Bags
• 1 cup canning salt
• 1 bottle water 16.9 ounces – (Kirkland)

Add one cup canning salt and one bottle water to gallon bag. Add ½ bottle Pautzke’s Blue Nectar. Add up to 2 dozen herring. Let sit 24 hours. After the herring has cured, cut plug all the herring and return to the bag. Add your favorite scent and let sit one more day and it is ready to fish. Keep it refrigerated if you are not fishing immediately  

Old School recipe will brine 4-6 dozen green label herring.  

Ingredients;

• 2-1/2 gallons of non-chlorinated water
• 4 cups canning salt
• 3 tablespoons Mrs. Stuart's liquid bluing
• 1 cup powdered milk

Leave some tap water sitting out overnight so the chlorine will evaporate. (I always leave four or five one gallon water jugs sitting so it is ready to go when I need to mix up a brine)  Add 4 cups canning salt. I use canning salt because it dissolves quickly and it is non-iodized. After the salt is dissolved, add 3 tablespoons Mrs. Stuart's liquid bluing. This makes the scales and skin brighter. Add 1 cup powdered milk, which will firm up the herring without burning it.

Mix this solution and make sure the salt has dissolved.  If you want different colors and scents, you need to split up the solution before you add the herring. I use two more containers and divide the brine up equally.  For example, if I want one natural, one blue with anise scent, and one chartreuse with garlic and anise.  

After you have split up your brine, add one tablespoon of your preferred color dye.  Add your scent. 2 tablespoons of oil is good; anise, herring, etc. Now add your herring. If you refrigerate this brine, it will keep for up to two weeks.

So if you do not have time to purchase and brine your green label herring, you can use Brad’s Super Bait Cut Plug.  The Brad's Cut Plug bait-holding lure has great rotating action!  They have full or partial UV glow with a split cavity design for adding a herring or sardine fillet with scent.  These come in many colors and are easy to rig.  You will fish these lures the same way you would cut plug herring.  The best thing about this lure is you will not have to worry about changing the herring because it is getting beat up.  

As far as sardine wrapped kwikfish.  This is just a staple of fishing in the Northwest.  I do not troll kwikfish, but instead use them when I am at anchor.  Depending on the tide and flow, I may even use herring or Brad’s Super bait Cut Plug at anchor.  

There are so many ways to fish the Columbia River.  Do you use a fish flash when trolling herring or not?  Do you troll upriver or downriver?  You have to decide.  If you are not sure, split up your day and try several methods.  We could talk about the technique of fishing the Columbia all day.  

If you have not been to a springer seminar, you need to attend one!  Three Rivers Marine is holding a Springer Seminar on March 12th.  It is free and your opportunity to catch up on proven techniques.  Go to their website for more information.  

We are always looking for new ways for you to find us on the internet.  Check out our Charter Fishing and Guided Sportfishing service on Thumbtack.com. Charter Fishing - Guided Sportfishing In the future we will have specials that can only be found on Thumbtack.com

Columbia River Springers are just around the corner.  In fact there are good reports of Spring Chinook being caught already! WDFW tell us we should see a higher percentage of large, 4-5 year old fish this year!  The season has been set for March 1 - April 4th.  We are fishing the prime dates of the run which is March 15th to April 4th.

Because we have such a short time span of quality fishing, Dates are filling fast.  We have available dates the week of March 15th & the week of March 28th.   Don't miss out on this fishery!.  We will be fishing the Columbia River between Vancouver & Kalama.

We will have two guides available for this fishery. Doug & Brett each run 23ft. Alumaweld Super Vee Pro sleds.  We can seat a max of 6 passengers per boat / per trip.  As always, we supply all of the necessary tackle and bait.  $175.00 pp

Recreational fishing in Washington State is in jeapordy! There is an important hearing on February 10th and you need to voice your opinion. 

Please forward this link to everyone in your chapters, friends, family, hunters, snowmobilers, and anyone that has anything to do with our outdoors. Sign on immediatley. This happens on Thursday - February 10th. 

After signing in voter voice please select other in the box then continue. PSA (Puget Sound Anglers)  has made this easy for you.  Just fill out the form and send the form letter.

http://www.votervoice.net/Groups/PSA/Ad ... &SiteID=-1

SB 5669 and HB 1850 were introduced in the Washington State legislature. These bills would silence your recreational fishing voice for you and your kids. They will deem the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission powerless and make them advisory only. The WDFW Commission was established by a vote of the people by Referendum 45. We voted this in so we could participate and have a say in our fisheries. We fought long and hard to get to this enacted and even harder to get recreational friendly commissioners on the board. We have finally reached that point and now bureacrats want that power back. You no longer will be able to influence important issues in ourfisheries resources. The Commission would no longer be able to appoint the Director of Fish and Wildlife. For those of you that remember, past directors were not usually recreational friendly. Do we really want to go back to that?
SB 5669 and HB 1850 are the same bills as the Governor’s request bills merging three state Agencies-Fish and Wildlife, Parks Department, and the Recreational and Conservation Office. The Commission would no longer be able to make policies for the people of Washington, whom own the resources. Big government will take control of your resources and decision making. There is also the possibility our resources will be hijacked by special interest groups. Haven’t you had enough of this? This will set our fisheries back 20 years.
The commission works for peanuts compared to any other agency in Washington state. Merging them together in the name of saving money is ludicrous and is smoke and mirrors.
Please join PSA at this very important meeting. The Senate bill has been scheduled for a Public Hearing in the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 10th at 1:30 PM. in the John A Cherberg Building Hearing Room #2 in Olympia. Please wear your PSA or CCA attire in opposition to this bill.

This video is broken into 3 parts.  It is a seminar I gave at Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville, WA. I talk about fishing techniques used for Coho Salmon on the Snohomish River In Washington State.  I also focus on two of my favorite techniques used when fishing for Coho. 

If you have questions or would like to see a specific subject covered, be sure to email us.  Also, we will have several more seminars out on video this year, so keep checking back to the website. 

We have a winner! Ramah Parrett of Covington, WA. 

January 26th - 30th Ridge to River Outdoors exhibited at the Western Washington Sportsmen's Show in Puyallup, WA. We had a newsletter sign up with a chance at winning a $50.00 Starbucks card! Even with some of the bad handwriting we verified all the email addresses.  Last night my youngest son, Connor drew a name for the winner.  Ramah Parret of Covington, WA is our winner. 

I would liketo just say once more, I am appreciative of all of the visitors to our booth at the show.  It is great to see so many people with an interest in the outdoors.  I would like to encourange all of you to be a member of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).  Membership fees start off at $25.00.  Most importantly it provides support in numbers to preserve and improve the fishing opportunities sport anglers have.  

Thanks and congratulations to Ramah Parrett.  If you know someone who would like to receive our occassional newsletter, just tell them to send us an email.