Quillback

@JohnsfollyCheck this river out, it is in Washington. Don't know how long of a drive from Portland, but should be less than 2 hours. I have fished it, lots of bank access on the lower river, summer steelhead and still might be a few coho left in November. Where to Fish in the Hood River area - Klickitat River — Big Y Fly Co

Article about salmon restoration on the Yakima, but it has a good pic of the river right before it enters the canyon. Yakima River

If you are out there in the fall, take a look at the Yakima below Ellensburg. The river gets irrigation runoff during the summer and is too high to fish, but in the fall it drops to fishable levels. Plenty of bank access in the canyon below Ellensburg, there is also a walking bridge to cross to the other side. It is all catch and release single barbless hooks regulated so there are plenty of wild rainbows. A few cutts too. It's a popular fishery, but with catch and release regs there is a robust population of wild trout. I think it's about a 1.5 hour drive from Wenatchee. Here's a writeup: The Avid Angler | Fly Fishing Shop Seattle, WA | Fishing Conditions | Water Profiles | Rivers | Yakima River

Thanks, I may give that a shot.

Launched out of Big M today, brought a couple dozen redworms and a dozen crawlers. I put some effort into looking for gills, I caught bass, I caught little yellow bass, and I caught some small gills, but no gills big enough to fillet. I just can't figure out how to catch big bull gills in that lake. About 9 AM I gave up on the quest for gills, checked one of the deep spots for bass and they were there - briefly. Caught one on top and 4 or 5 down in 40 feet on a swimbait. Then they stopped biting and left the area. That's when I called it quits. Hotter than Hades at that point, and the lake was starting to crawl with boats. You know what they say - It's not over until the fat lady sings. I get back to the dock and there is a fat guy, wearing nothing but shorts, riding on a pickup tailgate circling around on the park road. I saw that and it was over. Surface temp was 90 when I started. Also caught an 18' white bass:

Wenatchee is a great place. Used to chukar hunt near there, a big wildlife area called the Quilomene down river from Wenatchee. It would take an hour on a 4 wheel drive road to get in, but it was good hunting once you got in. Used to hike up to the lakes in the Alpine Wilderness which was off I-90, 50 miles or so east of Seattle. It was always uphill on the way in. Quite a few trails to quite a few lakes. I was younger and in a lot better shape. 3-4 hours mostly uphill on the way in, get to the lake, fish for a few hours, then hike back out. The scenery was stunning, the mountain back country in Washington is awesome as far as scenery, and the fishing was usually good, though sometimes you might hit a lake that was fished out, but you never knew until you went. At the worse you got a good workout. The salmon and steelhead fishing isn't what it used to be in Washington, but the trout fishing is still excellent.

There's a lot of money spent on yaks these days. A lot of people won't blink at spending $3k for an electric motor propelled yak. E-bikes aren't cheap, and they are all over the place around here. I would say it will depend on whether that is a good platform for yak fishing - enough space for rods, tackle, and electronics. I see a lot of rigged out yaks these days, they are like mini bass boats with all the stuff they have on them. I'm thinking primarily for lakes.

From the folks from OK: 📷 Ryan Hagerty/USFWS Meet the Blue Sucker Oklahoma’s fish come in all shapes and sizes, built for their respective lives in streams and rivers. The blue sucker typically lives at the bottom of deep, fast-moving rivers and has a long, streamlined body to match. The mouth is positioned on the underside of the head and is used to feed on caddisflies and other aquatic insects that also live on the bottom of the rivers. In Oklahoma, blue suckers appear to be most abundant in the Red River below Lake Texoma, but may also be found in the Kiamichi, Arkansas, and Grand Rivers. This fish is considered a species of greatest conservation need in Oklahoma. It is also listed as a species of special concern in the Wildlife Department's Administrative Code, which sets a daily harvest limit of one blue sucker and requires successful anglers report the harvest to the Wildlife Department. Fun Fact: When adult and juvenile fish of the same species have different habitat or food needs, the adult fish tend to migrate upstream and spawn where conditions are more favorable for their young before returning to their preferred habitats. The blue sucker has been found to make impressive migrations, but the species isn’t consistent in the distance of its migration. Some individuals may migrate more than 180 miles within a year while others may stay within the same 1.8-mile reach of the river. Cool temperatures and high flows trigger the migration.

I don't know.

Never heard of the term "cornfielding" when dragging a fish up on the beach. I have to remember that one! Back in my salmon and steelhead fishing days, that is how I landed them, wear them out and slide them up on the bank. Cool trip, thanks for sharing!

11-Year-Old Lands New State Record A Great White! …White Sucker that is. On June 14, 2025 Daniel Bridgmon, an 11-year-old angler from Midway, Arkansas, was fishing with his dad on the Bull Shoals tailwater (White River) when he landed a 1-pound 15-ounce White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii). The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fisheries Division has approved this impressive catch as a newly recognized state record! Daniel and his dad were enjoying some bank fishing at Bull Shoals State Park when he hooked into the large White Sucker using simple rod and reel tackle with a worm. The fish put up a solid fight before being successfully landed. The White River below Bull Shoals Dam is renowned for its exceptional fishing, and this record highlights the diverse angling opportunities available in Arkansas waters. It also underscores the importance of introducing youth to the joys of fishing. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission maintains official state fishing records to document angling achievements and promote awareness of the state's aquatic resources. Records like Daniel's inspire the next generation of anglers and remind us why protecting our aquatic resources is so vital. Congratulations to Daniel on this outstanding achievement!

They are good, have just a little different flavor to them. Lot easier to fillet an eye than a dozen bluegill, so the eyes have that one.

Like they have in Texas. Doubt one over 10 will come out of Beaver, but you never know. Launching January 1, 2026 - The Legacy Lunker Program! Big news for Arkansas anglers! The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is excited to announce the launch of our new Legacy Lunker Program, officially kicking off on January 1, 2026! This initiative empowers anglers to create lasting memories, contribute to vital conservation efforts, and solidify Arkansas's reputation as a premier destination for trophy bass. Here's how you can participate and be rewarded: The Legacy Lunker Donation Program (Jan. 1 - March 31 Annually) Catch a largemouth bass weighing 10 pounds or more from public water in Arkansas between January 1 and March 31 each year, and you can donate it to the program! Your donated lunker will be transported to the Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery, where it will be paired with genetically superior male Florida bass to produce offspring with incredible growth potential. After spawning, your lunker and its offspring will be released back into the lake where it was caught, boosting the genetic potential of the lake! Incredible Rewards for Donating a 10+ Pound Lunker: An exclusive invitation to our first annual Legacy Lunker Banquet in Fall 2026. Prize packs from sponsors like Bass Pro Shops and PRADCO, with more sponsors coming. A replica mount of your fish from Harper's Pure Country Taxidermy. A chance to win a brand new, fully decked out 21-foot Xpress Boat with a 250 horsepower Yamaha outboard, valued at $80,000! Year-Round Angler Recognition Program Even if your trophy catch is outside the donation window or not quite 10 pounds, you can still be recognized! Enter largemouth weighing 8 pounds or more (or 6 pounds for youth anglers) on www.agfc.com/legacylunker for prizes and recognition. Bonus prizes for 10+ pound fish caught outside the donation window. Additional prizes and recognition for smallmouth and spotted bass catches weighing over 4 pounds! We've already had successful trial runs, highlighting the potential of the program. We're incredibly excited for the official launch and can't wait to see your lunkers! Stay tuned for more details! Follow the AGFC and AGFC Fisheries Division on social media and visit www.agfc.com/legacylunker.

I'll have to give it a try. I like eating walleye, but would rather have gill fillets.

I can't remember if I told this story here or not, but if you have heard it before, my apologies. Went on a guided salmon trip of the coast of Vancouver Island, this was probably 25 years or so ago. We were trolling anchovies behind flashers off of downriggers. The guide rigged those anchovies with the line through the head connected to a treble hook where he'd pin the treble hook to the back of the chovie. So he set one up, let it out behind the boat about 50 feet where it was on top and was getting ready to hook it to the downrigger ball when out of nowhere a seagull came down, grabbed the chovie and got hooked. The guide went ahead and hooked the line to the downrigger, dropped the cannon ball, which then took that gull on a diving mission. Kept it down a minute or so, brought in the gull, which was about 3/4 dead, got the hook out, and released the gull. We went back to trolling, slowly leaving the gull behind. The gull was kind of flapping around on the surface, a bunch of other gulls came in and were flying around squawking at the one on the surface, when they all bolted and out of nowhere an eagle swooped down and got that poor half dead gull. Just for the record, I have not caught a bat.

Very nice! I would be very happy to stumble upon some chasers! I'm thinking of chasing some gills if I could find some sizeable ones, are they off the gravel rolloffs?

Yes it is up the creek arm itself in spots. Seems like it is getting more widespread. If I remember correctly, we ran into it back in Little Clifty too. Dredged up more of that stuff this spring than I ever have.

I now feel personally attached to that bear. Speaking of Alaskan bears, if you have not seen that documentary Grizzly Man, it is worth a watch.

Neat little video, hope the link copies over. Some nice looking gills. Beaver and Bob Kidd Lakes Native Aquatic Plant Projects Check out this video to see the abundance of fish interacting with aquatic vegetation in Beaver Lake! The AGFC and Northwest Arkansas Fish Habitat Alliance are collaborating to enhance fish habitat in Beaver and Bob Kidd Lakes through the introduction of native plants. Currently, we have 14 floating cages (Arkansas Cubes) in Bob Kidd Lake and 24 in Beaver Lake, all stocked with aquatic plants. The objective is to facilitate plant reproduction and establishment within these lakes. The integration of native plants is expected to significantly bolster fish habitat and populations. Aquatic vegetation is crucial for fish, providing vital habitat for species such as bass, crappie, bream/sunfish, and walleye. It offers cover for ambushing prey, improves feeding success, and increases survival and spawning rates for juvenile fish. Beyond its benefits to fish, robust plant communities stabilize sediments, safeguard shorelines, and enhance water clarity and quality. These plant communities aid in pollutant removal and nutrient absorption, fostering a healthier aquatic ecosystem and mitigating issues like shoreline erosion, poor water quality, and harmful algal blooms. Twitter Facebook Instagram Fishbrain Our mailing address is: 2 Natural Resources Drive Little Rock, AR 72205 unsubscribe from all emails update subscription preferences