The Fishing Magician: January 16, 2026

I have always liked to fish places I have never been to before and share what I learned.  Last week I made my first trip to the Snake River for steelhead and will tell you all about it.  I also checked on the perch fishing at Moses Lake.  It’s still going strong!

My fishing buddy James Lebow has caught a bunch of steelhead on the Snake River, near Lions Ferry, but never on a bobber and jig, so we planned a trip. Our other friend, Ryan Harris, was eager to come along so I rigged up three rods, grabbed some jigs and shrimp and we put the boat in the water at the marina across from the state park.  James hadn’t been here in several years but thought he had us anchored in the right place, just below the mouth of the Tucannon River.  This was confirmed when Jerry, an angler from Starbuck anchored near us and caught and released a nice steelhead about a half hour after he showed up.  We made cast after cast, and although Ryan swung and missed couple of times when his bobber disappeared. Finally, after a few hours, my bobber went down and I managed to set the hook.  This fish wouldn’t come near the boat and made two powerful runs down stream before I could get it to the net.  It was a wild fish, which we immediately released, and we figured it weighed at least 15 pounds!  We plan to go back there very soon.  Check out the video on Dave Graybill YouTube channel.

I was in Moses Lake recently and I wanted to check on a couple of things while I was there.  First, I wanted to observe the activity near the I-90 Bridge.  This is the center of fishing for perch this time of year.  We have had a mild winter so far, with no threat of the water freezing on Moses Lake.  A very good number of anglers have been taking advantage of these mild conditions and the good fishing for perch in this location.  When I approached the bridge on the trail from Blue Heron Park, I saw an angler reeling in a fish, which he released.  During the short time I watched him he caught three perch and one of them went into his bucket.  There wasn’t anyone fishing from the bridge, but there were anglers spread out along the rip rap shore.  There was just one boat fishing off the bridge when I arrived, but I was told that there were ten boats fishing for perch earlier in the day.  If the weather holds anglers will continue to fill their freezers with nice perch that can measure up to 12 inches from Moses Lake.

A couple of years ago I had a meeting in Grand Coulee, so I arranged to meet some friends at the middle net pens on Rufus Woods to fish from shore.  We fished for a couple of hours and only landed one fish, so they left. I needed to change clothes and stopped at Seatons Grove.  I parked at the top of the launch, and when I got out of my truck, I saw a fish roll in the channel.  I had my rod already rigged and there was a stack of rocks right there to anchor it.  I baited up and cast to where I saw the fish roll, stuck my rod in the rocks and went to my truck.  I had just put on a clean shirt, and when I looked for my rod, it was gone!  I had another rod set up with a bobber and jig and cast it out hoping to snag my rod or the line.  The wind quit and I could see it on the bottom.  I was able to hook the rod and pull it to shore.  There was a lot of tension on the line, and I reeled in a triploid that probably weighed 5 pounds! 

Probably the longest running ice fishing event in the state is the Molson Ice Fishing Derby.  I attended this event many years ago and was impressed by how this small community turns out to make sure everyone has a great time.  This year the event will be held on Saturday, January 17th, and anglers can fish both Molson and Sidley lakes.  You can register starting at 7 a.m. and the fishing hours are from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  A great breakfast is available, provided by the Molson Grange at the Grange Hall and a lunch is provided by Sitzmark Ski Lodge as well.  There will be hot chocolate served at the lakeside and there is a Crafts Fair you can visit at the Grange Hall the day of the event.  The entry fee is $30 to compete for the Longest Fish prize for adults and $15 for youngsters.  For an additional $20 you can compete in the Most Weight category.  Proceeds from previous events have helped fund an aerator and the result has been dramatically improved fishing.  Now there are lots of whopper trout being pulled through the ice. So, dig out your winter garb and plan to attend.  It’s a really fun event.  This week’s photo is of an angler with two dandy fish he caught at a previous Molson derby.

We are having a mild winter here in the lowlands but in the heights of Okanogan County temperatures are much lower.  So low in fact that there is a solid layer of ice on Bonaparte Lake, which is a very popular destination for ice fishers each winter.  The highlight of the winter season is the ice fishing derby that has drawn huge crowds the past couple of years.  The “Operation Hardwater” event will be held on January 31st this year.  There are several species that can be caught to be included to claim one of the many derby prizes, donated by local businesses.  Registration will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. that morning, and no late registrations will be allowed.  The entry fee is $15.00 per category. All registered participants will be provided a free BBQ of hot dogs and all the trimmings including beverages.  Although Bonapart Lake is usually closed for the winter, lodging can be arranged for the event.  You can call the resort and leave a message at 509-486-2828.  I think this is the third year that the derby as been held and attendance has been terrific and catches great—a wonderful event!