I got to try a brand new fishery last week, and it something that I want to try again. One of our area streams is feeling the impact of the wildfires in the region. Some fires are getting close to containment, so we may get some relief from the smoky skies. Also, lots of bears out this summer.
The last time I was at Banks Lake, fishing for walleye, I saw a huge fleet of boats in Devils Lake. I knew they were fishing for whitefish. So, my fishing buddies James Lebow and Ryan Harris and I did just that last Wednesday. We ran from Northrup and deployed the Minn Kota at the edge of the boats that were all anchored on their Spot Lock. It was a perfect day to fish for whitefish, which are notorious light bitters, with not a breath of wind. We had cured shrimp, light rods and small hooks, which we had learned was the way to rig. The fish were right on the bottom and were clearly visible on the Garmin Live Scope. My first bite wasn’t light, the fish grabbed the bait and took off. I wasn’t prepared for the fight of these fish and had to tighten my drag. Then I had it too tight and the fish came off the hook. James had better success, easing the fish up from the depths. We saw lots of fish caught on the 22 boats fishing near us, and it’s something we want to do again. It’s prime time for this fishery.
As promised, I took my wife Eileen to Potholes. We left the house in Leavenworth at 5 a.m., which is a very early time for her. She was just that eager to get out in the Mark’s Marine Thunder Jet Luxor. We decided to launch at the State Park, due to the low water level on the reservoir. I want to remind boaters that there is a shallow flat that runs quite a distance from the ramp to the north. My plan was to fish for crappie, and to find one of the habitat boxes where they would be gathered in good numbers. We looked and looked without finding what we were looking for. I deployed the Garmin Live Scope hoping it would reveal more than what I was seeing on the other units. It clearly showed us fish but not in the numbers we were looking for. So, I decided to run down to the dam and fish for bass, which was her plan. I deployed the Minn Kota and set a course parallel to the rip rap and started casting. Eileen caught both largemouth and smallmouth on a Tiny Brush Hog and was thrilled to cast and hook fish. This week’s photo is of me holding the largemouth bass Eileen landed.
One of the areas that has suffered the most from the wildfires in our region is the Entiat Valley. Year after year fires have devastated the forests here, and since there are no trees or foliage to keep soil from eroding, flash floods are more common. Recently this has resulted in the early closure of the Entiat River to fishing for summer run Chinook salmon. Beginning on August 31st salmon fishing is closed from the mouth, at the railroad bridge, to the Mad River Road Bridge crossing the Entiat near Ardenvoir. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, angler success and participation has declined sharply, due to the lack of Chinook present in the river and poor conditions. Many adult Chinook salmon as well as numerous other fish species had died due to substantial sediment and debris flows caused by a recent rainfall event occurring over the Little Giant Fire. This closure is necessary to allow the department to allocate monitoring resources to other fisheries. Another impact is the destruction of projects that were intended to improve the habitat for salmon and steelhead in several areas of the Entiat River Watershed by local agencies and the Yakima Nation.
My wife shouted at me the other day, saying there was a bear at our side door. Sure enough, a yearling bear was prowling around the house and even though we banged on the window that we thought it was going to try to come through, it didn’t want to leave. It knocked over a ladder, which scared it away, and I called WDFW enforcement to inform them. Two officers showed up at the house and told me that bears were a particular problem this year, due to the drought. There aren’t any berries and other food sources that are typically available to them this time of year. We have had more bears around our home than usual. More than I can remember seeing in the 20-plus years I have been living in Leavenworth. I have a bear-proof garbage can and showed the officers the scratch marks and even a hole in the top made by either a tooth or a claw. The bear startled our neighbor who was working in his garden earlier. They might be putting a trap near the house in hopes of capturing this bear. They said they captured one recently at the edge of our neighbor’s house. I am hearing about a lot of bear activity in other areas of the state, so be aware.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation, some boat ramps around Banks Lake will be closed over the Labor Day weekend due to lower water levels. Water levels could start dropping as early as Aug. 27 and will continue into the first week in September. This drawdown happens every year in late August and early September. The water in Banks Lake is pumped out to help meet objectives for fisheries and groundwater replacement, according to the Bureau. The lake will be lowered about 6.2 feet. That will mean some places will have shallower water and narrower channels than normal. Areas of high concern, such as the Devil’s Punchbowl, should be approached with particular caution. Some boat ramps will remain in operation throughout the drawdown period. They include Coulee Playland in Electric City; Oborn Bay, Northrup and the Main ramp at Steamboat Rock State Park, and the east and west campgrounds at Coulee City. The Barker Canyon and both Million Dollar Mile boat ramps will be unavailable. The level at which the boat ramp is no longer usable for loading and unloading depends on the size and type of watercraft and trailer.
