Trip Ideas

[Quillback]

I've recently been looking at Lake Sakakawea in ND.  HUGE lake, 130,000 acres.  Smallmouth, walleye, muskie, pike, chinook salmon, and catfish.  Supposedly the smallmouth are abundant as everyone goes there for the walleye.  Too far for me to haul my boat but looks to be plenty of shore access and camping of all types available.  If you could time it to hit right around the smallmouth spawn I bet a guy could walk the banks and do well.  

[BilletHead]

59 minutes ago, Devan S. said:

Videos on youtube occasionally show people catching them on docks so maybe it is DIY possible but I don't know. Never really looked into doing it DIY but have thought about a guide a time or 2. 

😶Lake Havasu - California Fly Fisher

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 hours ago, Terrierman said:

I got a Jones for the Smoky Mountains.  So beautiful and there are fish there too.

We’ve been going there the past several years and are heading there again in April.  It’s awesome!    For the best “smoke” in the mountains go in the winter.   Unbelievable scenery.  The fishing is great too.  

[Devan S.]

3 hours ago, Quillback said:

I've recently been looking at Lake Sakakawea in ND.  HUGE lake, 130,000 acres.  Smallmouth, walleye, muskie, pike, chinook salmon, and catfish.  Supposedly the smallmouth are abundant as everyone goes there for the walleye.  Too far for me to haul my boat but looks to be plenty of shore access and camping of all types available.  If you could time it to hit right around the smallmouth spawn I bet a guy could walk the banks and do well.  

I know nothing about this but Garrison Dam tailrace has come up multiple times as a must hit spot for big walleyes. Apparent big trout as an incidental catch. Releases tend to be big water but there is abundant bank access no idea how good it is.

[Quillback]

1 hour ago, Devan S. said:

I know nothing about this but Garrison Dam tailrace has come up multiple times as a must hit spot for big walleyes. Apparent big trout as an incidental catch. Releases tend to be big water but there is abundant bank access no idea how good it is.

Research is needed.  😃

[kjackson]

A trip I'd make would be a fall trip to Washington, and it would be to hit searun cutthroat and chum salmon in the fall. Time it right and fish the right river and you could add summer-run steelhead to the mix. Chum, aka "dog" salmon, are are strong fighters. Way back in the day,  Gary Loomis  wouldn't warrant his rods if you broke one while fishing for chum...

And if I needed to another fishy hit, I'd head over to the east side of the state and hit Lake Lenore-- it has a good population of Lahontan cutthroat, the only fish that can live in its alkaline waters. 

[basska]

6 hours ago, kjackson said:

A trip I'd make would be a fall trip to Washington, and it would be to hit searun cutthroat and chum salmon in the fall. Time it right and fish the right river and you could add summer-run steelhead to the mix. Chum, aka "dog" salmon, are are strong fighters. Way back in the day,  Gary Loomis  wouldn't warrant his rods if you broke one while fishing for chum...

And if I needed to another fishy hit, I'd head over to the east side of the state and hit Lake Lenore-- it has a good population of Lahontan cutthroat, the only fish that can live in its alkaline waters. 

A similar idea - One could spend a week or two up in northern Idaho. Fish Dworshak for a potential world record Smallmouth and some good Kokanee. Hit up the Clearwater River for Steelhead. Then you have Pend Oreille, where you can get your char fix. Lots of Bull Trout and Lakers. To top this off you got the St. Joe, which I hear is plenty famous for Westslope Cutthroat Trout, as well as any Alpine lake you can hike to. Lots of opportunity.

[Ham]

Oh I love a Good DIY trip. @FishnDave documented our trips to Florida and Louisiana pretty well. And our trip to the Arkansas River.

I have some OOT trips in the works  as well as my usual weekly adventures. 
I am planning a multi day trip to Okefenokee Swamp to mess with Ruddy Bowfin, Chain Pickerel, and Fliers. I’ll hit up some Alabama stuff on the way over and some Florida stuff on the way home. 
I’m flip flopping between hauling canoe vs renting a flat bottom. 
I’m doing the long term planning. If it is a solo trip, I will tent camp to save cash.
I want to go to Havasu and Boundary Waters and Arkansas River in OK.
well, everywhere really.  
 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Everglades were mentioned.  That is where I plan to go on a solo trip in a year or two.   Just gonna drive in carrying my canoe.   So many options,  but any cichlids are gonna be desirable as well as a male Peacock bass.  Then I plan to go to the saltwater and bank fish.    This will be about a week trip.  

[kjackson]

20 hours ago, basska said:

A similar idea - One could spend a week or two up in northern Idaho. Fish Dworshak for a potential world record Smallmouth and some good Kokanee. Hit up the Clearwater River for Steelhead. Then you have Pend Oreille, where you can get your char fix. Lots of Bull Trout and Lakers. To top this off you got the St. Joe, which I hear is plenty famous for Westslope Cutthroat Trout, as well as any Alpine lake you can hike to. Lots of opportunity.

Haven't fished Idaho much, even when we lived in Spokane-- just Twin Lakes, Coeur d'Alene, Hell's Canyon and the Clearwater, all neat fisheries, but nothing that would lure me back. But I lived in the PNW for decades, and the chum/searun/steelhead fall chaos was a blast when you hit it right.  I do miss that, and may be heading back next summer to see Number Two Son.  It won't be the time for chum, but kings in the salt might make up for it.

 I fished Lenore shortly after the state planted Lahontans, and there were a lot of fish, and some big ones. The largest I landed was in the 8-pound category; I did see one--I think I still have it on a slide somewhere-- that hit the scales over 10.  The DOW blurb on the lake indicates that big fish aren't common any more, which is a shame.