by JD on January 29, 2010
Well, it’s winter and that means those of us in the masochistic, semi-antisocial, diabolically obsessed society of incurable lunatics (also known as “steelheaders”) are going to be our most unproductive selves in terms of real world activities. If you love a steelheader, it’s best to set him or her free for the next couple months — don’t try to intervene — it will only exacerbate the situation.
Now, in case you’re one of the aforementioned inflicted souls and you happen to be stuck in your office cubicle, 100 miles from the nearest steelhead, take a look at the following photos. Like therapy, they may just help you to get through the days until you next set foot in green water…or, come to think of it…they may cause you to do a swan dive out the window. Well, in any case, read on with caution! [click to continue…]
by JD on January 29, 2010
Now that the cold weather months have arrived, it’s time to give up bass fishing right? Well…not so fast!
While it is true that bass will get more lethargic as the water temperatures drop, you can still have some seriously good days of fishing in the winter…if you keep some basic principles in mind.
[click to continue…]
by JD on January 28, 2010
This Saturday, Jan. 30, I will make my return to the biggest, baddest outdoor radio show on Planet Earth, Northwest Wild Country Radio, aka, the “Asylum,” where I’ll join fellow professional B.S. artists, Joel Shangle, Bill “General Zog” Herzog and my old Alaska guide pal Mike Perusse (plus special in-studio co-hosts Scott Haugen and George Cook) to probably talk about anything but fishing (let’s be honest here).
I’ll be darkening the airwaves of Sports Radio 950 KJR in Seattle (streaming at www.950kjr.com) somewhere between 7 and 8 am Sat. Check it out…it’s a hot show!
Next time, though, remind me to go with the “tough guy” look for my photo so I don’t look like the geek who’s about to get his ass kicked! Is it just me or does Tred look like he’s about to rip my face off?
by JD on January 27, 2010
It’s been over three years since Rudy, the World’s Greatest Fish Dog’s days on planet earth came to a very sudden and tragic end. Long enough, in fact, that I don’t even think of him all that much anymore.
But then, last night, I was cleaning some files off the computer and ran across this pic of him “at work” on the Trinity. I’ve gotta say, it got me all choked up. Guess I still miss the furry ol’ boy more than I even realized.
Hmmm, maybe it’s puppy time…
by JD on January 25, 2010
Artwork: Dmitry Bogdanov
Okay, so here’s yet another reason I need that time machine jet sled: So I can go back to the late Miocene epoch, (about 20 plus million years ago) and fish for oncorhynchus rastrosus, otherwise known as the “Sabertooth Salmon.”
This big boy was up to 10 feet long and weighed 300 to 400 pounds. As if that weren’t bad ass enough, ol’ rastrosus rocked some huge 4-inch fangs that extended down from the top of his jaw (bust out the wire leaders and titanium Kwikfish!). [click to continue…]
by JD on January 25, 2010
A good sign: A freshly-used salmon redd
Finally, some good salmon news coming out of the West…recent aerial surveys of the Snake River below Hells Canyon have counted a record number of Chinook salmon redds — yet another indication that U.S. District Judge James Redden made the right call 5 years ago when he ordered more water to be spilled over the four Snake River dams and McNary Dam on the Columbia River to increase salmon survival.
See more at NW Fishletter
by JD on January 24, 2010
Hey JD,
Spring hopefully is on the way and I’ve got a question for you. One of my friends is really hot on crappie fishing, so much in fact that we have a little wager going now. He doesn’t fish much in the ocean for lincgod and I have never fished for big crappie before. We are going to go head to head on either of these specie. My question is , where in hell can I find some big crappie and how do I catch them? I have started looking on the internet but then I thought about you. You answered a question I had awhile back about rainbows over 16 inches in the sac system. Can you help me out buddy?
–Craig D.
Craig, well normally I’d say you can catch some huge ‘slabs at Clear Lake in February and March, but the fish are in a down cycle there now. Black Butte Reservoir has always been a hot crappie producer, though I haven’t heard much out of there this season. Camp Far West is another good bet.
Find some submerged cover near deep water and drop small live minnows or white crappie jigs (1/34-ounce size). Good luck!
by JD on January 22, 2010
I told you, the next time you took a pink Spin-N-Glo outta my bag I was gonna ram this down your throat!
Okay, so the brilliant kooks over at my favorite fly fishing blog,
Moldy Chum have a little contest now and then in which they run some sort of wacky or bizarre photo and the readers get to fill in the caption.
Well, that got me thinking…I have a bunch of fishing shots…”outtakes”… from all my travels that I’ve just never had a chance to run because…well…they just didn’t fit anywhere. So, borrowing a little inspiration from my Chumbuddies, here’s our latest: “Fill in the Blank,” in which you get to (in the comments section below) tell us what you think is being said in this shot. Let’s see what you’ve got…
