WEBVTT 00:00:01.620 --> 00:00:05.480 It's the Terrible at Fishing radio show on Gold 00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:08.679 Country Radio. Here's your fishing expert and 00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:17.359 host, Michael Ruffino. Welcome back everybody 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:21.420 to Terrible at Fishing. I know, Terrible at Fishing. 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:26.519 That's a funny name for a show. Especially for 00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:31.440 you to tune in. and find out about fishing. I 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:38.320 am the expert at being terrible. So this week, 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:43.560 beautiful week, starting to get the bug. I went 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:50.200 to the fly fishing clubs meeting on Tuesday and 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:55.640 we had a biologist there for ODFW. His name was 00:00:55.640 --> 00:00:59.770 Bill Tenniswood. and he had a wonderful presentation 00:00:59.770 --> 00:01:03.929 on all the rivers and not all the lakes but we're 00:01:03.929 --> 00:01:06.650 going to talk about because I did ask about them 00:01:06.650 --> 00:01:12.310 and the creeks and stuff like that his his suggestions 00:01:12.310 --> 00:01:18.810 and where to fish and some of the fish counts 00:01:18.810 --> 00:01:21.890 you know probably wondering about salmon and 00:01:21.890 --> 00:01:26.219 steelhead so we're going to be covering All of 00:01:26.219 --> 00:01:31.379 that in today's show. And I am doing this before 00:01:31.379 --> 00:01:33.840 I forget everything. I did take a picture of 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:37.480 all of his slides. So, I'm looking on my little 00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:40.060 phone here, although phones are not little anymore, 00:01:41.459 --> 00:01:45.780 and I'm going to try to refresh my memory of 00:01:45.780 --> 00:01:51.780 all the things that he mentioned. So, let's talk 00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:54.579 a little bit about some of the simple leaks around 00:01:54.579 --> 00:01:59.689 here. Before we get into other areas like Lake 00:01:59.689 --> 00:02:03.989 County, so I mean that's I'm not even sure Lake 00:02:03.989 --> 00:02:08.750 County is not like Far east from us. I do believe 00:02:08.750 --> 00:02:14.349 and And he said he made it sound like everything 00:02:14.349 --> 00:02:20.270 was really really really really far away Yeah, 00:02:20.490 --> 00:02:25.500 okay, it's east of Klamath So it's pretty far 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:28.159 But we're going to talk a little bit about Lake 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:32.560 County As well as Klamath County, but let's talk 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:36.020 about Lake of the woods around the the perimeter 00:02:36.020 --> 00:02:40.860 is is is it has perimeter thaw, you know, so 00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:44.439 from right along the banks and and and then you've 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:49.740 got sort of an open area to the ice so But it 00:02:49.740 --> 00:02:52.719 still has you know ice out on the majority of 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:56.710 the lake A fish lake has more open water but 00:02:56.710 --> 00:03:00.909 still a lot of ice on fish lakes. So if you want 00:03:00.909 --> 00:03:03.310 to do some bank fishing, you probably can get 00:03:03.310 --> 00:03:08.189 some fish off the banks at both of those lakes 00:03:08.189 --> 00:03:14.530 right now. He gave me some wonderful information 00:03:14.530 --> 00:03:18.349 about Gerber Lake and Thompson Reservoir. Now 00:03:18.349 --> 00:03:22.259 Thompson Reservoir is one of those that they've 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:26.759 been stocking really, really heavy. They expect 00:03:26.759 --> 00:03:30.699 a lot of great fishing at Thompson Reservoir. 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:36.280 Also, over at Gerber Lake, too. Gerber Lake is 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:39.120 another great lake that will spill over this 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:43.919 year. The crappie are really, really good there. 00:03:44.020 --> 00:03:48.439 It's a great crappie lake. To be honest, There 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:50.960 are two lakes I like to go crappie fishing at, 00:03:51.099 --> 00:03:53.699 which is Emigrant Lake in Ashland and Gerber 00:03:53.699 --> 00:03:58.139 Lake over here. If you go south of Gerber Lake, 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:02.939 there's Willow Valley. Willow Valley will spill 00:04:02.939 --> 00:04:09.819 over too. I happen to like Willow Valley, but 00:04:09.819 --> 00:04:12.139 if you go there, you really need to understand 00:04:12.139 --> 00:04:15.819 that lake a little bit in order to catch some 00:04:15.819 --> 00:04:18.629 really big bass. and it's a great big bass lake. 00:04:19.129 --> 00:04:21.589 But there are certain areas of that lake that 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:25.990 are fantastic for big bass. So we do have some 00:04:25.990 --> 00:04:30.050 really good fishing just around here. Now they're 00:04:30.050 --> 00:04:34.029 actually spawning. The bass are actually in spawn 00:04:34.029 --> 00:04:40.089 right now over in Bonanza on Lost Creek. Lost 00:04:40.089 --> 00:04:42.850 River. Lost River. Lost Creek. I always get them 00:04:42.850 --> 00:04:46.290 confused. But anyway, in the hot springs there. 00:04:47.580 --> 00:04:50.160 So, there's some really good fishing that's going 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:54.120 to be hitting there pretty good as soon as they 00:04:54.120 --> 00:04:58.839 spawn. So, it's really a fantastic time. Like 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:00.720 I said, we're starting to get the itch, aren't 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:05.439 we? So, let's go over some of the things that 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:10.920 I learned this week at the Fly Fishing Club's 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:14.720 presentation. So, at Lake County, which is east 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:19.180 of us. come to find out. It's pretty pretty pretty 00:05:19.180 --> 00:05:24.959 far away but you know when we had our droughts 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:28.079 from 20 to 22 it pretty much dried up everything. 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:34.019 So and 23 and 20 through this year last couple 00:05:34.019 --> 00:05:38.819 last few years we've had really good water above 00:05:38.819 --> 00:05:44.220 average water years from 23 to 25. So some of 00:05:44.220 --> 00:05:48.279 the eastern reservoirs I don't even know what 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:50.360 a rain shadow is, but he mentions they're in 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:55.579 the rain shadow. Some of you probably know what 00:05:55.579 --> 00:05:59.120 that is. So, Warner Pond is one of those ponds 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:02.040 that is doing really, really well right now for 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:10.279 trout. It is a very good pond and also the Duncan 00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:15.230 Reservoir. The good news is the bullhead, because 00:06:15.230 --> 00:06:18.389 of the drought, it had dried it up. All the bullhead 00:06:18.389 --> 00:06:21.790 that people have planted in there are gone. So 00:06:21.790 --> 00:06:25.850 you don't have to worry about them. It was spilling 00:06:25.850 --> 00:06:30.370 over in 2023 and it's spilling right now. And 00:06:30.370 --> 00:06:33.550 they were stocked with fingerling and 10 inch 00:06:33.550 --> 00:06:37.689 trout in 23 and 24. So the fishing there should 00:06:37.689 --> 00:06:40.750 be hitting pretty good. Then there's Heart Lake. 00:06:41.259 --> 00:06:48.360 Heart Lake in 2022 was treated with Rodanum to 00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:53.759 remove all those brown bullhead catfishes. Rodanum 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:57.500 is something that is common. It removes the oxygen 00:06:57.500 --> 00:07:02.439 out of the water, but it comes back. After the 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:05.160 Rodanum does its work, it really comes back and 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:08.220 becomes a very good eco environment for food 00:07:08.220 --> 00:07:13.509 for the fish. In 1955, Lake of the Woods was 00:07:13.509 --> 00:07:16.769 treated with it because of the sucker fish. It 00:07:16.769 --> 00:07:19.949 killed everything in Lake of the Woods in 1955. 00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:23.050 Look at Lake of the Woods now. It's my favorite 00:07:23.050 --> 00:07:25.209 and probably one of the best fishing holes you 00:07:25.209 --> 00:07:28.910 could go to. It's been stocked with fingerlings, 00:07:29.029 --> 00:07:34.230 eagles, and trophies of rainbow trout to jumpstart 00:07:34.230 --> 00:07:40.350 that fishery. Then there's Hart Lake. Hart Lake 00:07:40.350 --> 00:07:46.310 is fishing very good right now. And, boy, he 00:07:46.310 --> 00:07:48.750 showed me a picture of something like, I think 00:07:48.750 --> 00:07:55.189 it's the saddest, biggest, fattest rainbow trout 00:07:55.189 --> 00:07:58.790 over at Big Rock Reservoir. Now, Withers Lake 00:07:58.790 --> 00:08:01.029 looks like a really cute lake. I gotta check 00:08:01.029 --> 00:08:04.670 this lake out. It's probably too far for me to 00:08:04.670 --> 00:08:08.050 go, but Withers Lake looks... durable and it 00:08:08.050 --> 00:08:10.930 is a uh you can't you know with withers lake 00:08:10.930 --> 00:08:17.149 you can't take um a gas engine on that so it's 00:08:17.149 --> 00:08:20.110 got to be an electric or a float tube or something 00:08:20.110 --> 00:08:26.750 like that um blue lake uh is doing really really 00:08:26.750 --> 00:08:30.009 well and you want to use those blue lake damsels 00:08:30.009 --> 00:08:34.570 um they showed the inside of one fish evident 00:08:34.570 --> 00:08:38.080 they like these little boogers Cottonwood Meadows 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:43.100 is hitting really big trout right now. The Brook 00:08:43.100 --> 00:08:47.220 Trout and Rainbow Trout over at Cottonwood Meadows. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:51.720 But April and May is the best time to be fishing 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:55.759 them. And then October and November. Electric 00:08:55.759 --> 00:09:00.620 motors only if you have a motor at all. So if 00:09:00.620 --> 00:09:02.960 you're flying, fishing, use minnow patterns, 00:09:03.460 --> 00:09:10.750 midges, and damsels. Excuse me. Chawokin River 00:09:10.750 --> 00:09:16.750 is doing very well too. He was really stressing 00:09:16.750 --> 00:09:22.389 Site 4 and I think it was Site 8. Let me look. 00:09:23.409 --> 00:09:27.629 Site 4 and Site 8 were really the game changers 00:09:27.629 --> 00:09:34.029 on the Chawokin River. He gave us a lot of really 00:09:34.029 --> 00:09:39.279 good pointers there. Places to fish in 2025 in 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:43.460 Lake County is the Warner Pond, Cottonwood Meadows, 00:09:44.379 --> 00:09:51.320 Heart Lake, Duncan Reservoir, and Rivers End 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:53.799 Reservoir, although there was a trick to get 00:09:53.799 --> 00:09:55.639 in there because that's private property, but 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:59.759 you got to go upriver off of 33. And there's 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:02.600 a largemouth bass that's sitting really good 00:10:02.600 --> 00:10:04.600 there. I'm going to have to check this place 00:10:04.600 --> 00:10:07.039 out. I think we're going to get a little adventurous 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:11.039 this season. I want to do more river fishing, 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:14.419 so the boat won't be used every time I go out. 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:19.960 It is an inflatable, so maybe I'll throw a kayak 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:23.039 in there or something like that. Maybe we hit 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:28.259 some of these places. Now, black drake hatches. 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:32.519 That's what you want to use on the Williamson's 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:38.230 River. The Williamson's Is one of those spots 00:10:38.230 --> 00:10:40.750 and that you want to be using black tree catches 00:10:40.750 --> 00:10:44.570 also the Sprague Sprague is doing really well 00:10:44.570 --> 00:10:47.250 in the Wood River has gotten some really big 00:10:47.250 --> 00:10:52.690 old giant beasts out of it now he did show It's 00:10:52.690 --> 00:10:56.230 a strange picture you got to see it Sun Creek 00:10:56.230 --> 00:11:02.620 Burke trout He shows he shows this giant brook 00:11:02.620 --> 00:11:07.700 trout with a rat in it or a vole yeah he ate 00:11:07.700 --> 00:11:14.960 it dude I did not know trout ate rats I know 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:21.279 that I know my boys the largemouth bass do but 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:24.279 this beast I got a picture of it right here he 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:32.110 ate a rat they got little mouths He had a whole 00:11:32.110 --> 00:11:36.190 wool. Anyway, you could catch those babies on 00:11:36.190 --> 00:11:39.549 those. So if you want to throw out a rat, you 00:11:39.549 --> 00:11:42.049 know, or something that looks like it, you could 00:11:42.049 --> 00:11:47.409 do that. All right, so he had this big chart 00:11:47.409 --> 00:11:50.909 and this is the spawning. They've got spawning 00:11:50.909 --> 00:11:58.340 here and then fish counts. So The only the only 00:11:58.340 --> 00:12:01.100 area that was really in the positive was Crystal 00:12:01.100 --> 00:12:09.080 Creek and its its peak count was 357 at Crystal 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:13.200 Creek. So it was the only area that was actually 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.399 up in their fish count. Now there are some honorable 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:20.240 mentions. You know Crooked Creek and its tributaries. 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:25.299 The total red count there is 445. It's about 00:12:25.299 --> 00:12:31.000 normal. Then we had the Wood River. The peak 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:36.139 count was 242, as well as the Sprague River and 00:12:36.139 --> 00:12:41.779 Comic Con Springs peak count was about 251. Again, 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:48.960 not up, but not bad for those rivers. The Williamson's 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:56.610 had a peak count at the moment 98. You know, 00:12:56.870 --> 00:12:58.570 Lower Williamson is one of my favorite places 00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:01.809 for red banded. You can catch some big, I mean, 00:13:01.809 --> 00:13:04.590 I have a video on terrible fishing of me catching 00:13:04.590 --> 00:13:08.830 a 21 .5 inch red band in the Williamson's. It's 00:13:08.830 --> 00:13:13.309 a fantastic, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, 00:13:13.409 --> 00:13:21.169 beautiful fish. But the Williamson's, I think, 00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:27.919 It opens up on Memorial Day, so Indy 500 hits, 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:32.399 so does that. But if you're indigenishing, you 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:35.460 can fish it whenever you want. Remember too, 00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:38.580 Williamson's only allows a single prong hook. 00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:42.759 They changed that a couple years ago and treble 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:46.299 hooks are outlawed there, so you don't want to 00:13:46.299 --> 00:13:50.120 be caught with treble hook. your line. I made 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:53.460 special bucks just for the Wood River or for 00:13:53.460 --> 00:13:56.139 the Williamson's River. I've never done the Wood 00:13:56.139 --> 00:14:03.159 River. Again, I'm going to be exploring a lot 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:08.759 of these areas and I want to see how these rivers 00:14:08.759 --> 00:14:11.659 and creeks actually fish. Since I'm learning 00:14:11.659 --> 00:14:14.960 how to fly fish, it's just one of those things 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:19.250 I'm going to have to figure out. go ahead and 00:14:19.250 --> 00:14:24.850 do that. Alright, so we're going to take a break 00:14:24.850 --> 00:14:29.370 here and then we're going to go into what the 00:14:29.370 --> 00:14:34.269 biologist said about the dam removals and where 00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:39.409 to fish on the Klamath when it opens up and what 00:14:39.409 --> 00:14:44.480 their counts are thus far. you might not be surprised 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:48.799 you might be surprised so stay tuned and please 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:53.019 support community radio and the station and hey 00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:57.779 how about terrible fishing see you in a few minutes 00:14:57.779 --> 00:15:03.279 out in the backwoods under the stars i tune in 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:08.320 the radio from my old car go country radio on 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:12.289 friday night terrible at fishing, but it feels 00:15:12.289 --> 00:15:35.919 just right. Plus, we promote your sponsorship 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:38.340 across our website and social media. For more 00:15:38.340 --> 00:15:40.840 information, email goldcountryradio at gmail 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:46.519 .com. Call 541 -238 -6989 or visit goldcountryradio 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:49.600 .org. Gold Country Radio, your message heard 00:15:49.600 --> 00:16:02.940 locally and beyond. All right, welcome back to 00:16:02.940 --> 00:16:08.240 terrible at fishing so Damn removals. Oh boy. 00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:12.340 Did that get everybody all riled up? one way 00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:20.740 or the other People got riled up so I Know I 00:16:20.740 --> 00:16:23.779 was a skeptic Just tell you that but the more 00:16:23.779 --> 00:16:27.120 I learned about it the more I saw why they did 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:34.279 it But I'm sort of a put up or shut up when I 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:40.080 see it. I believe it type of guy so When they 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:43.460 first removed those dams they pretty much I mean 00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:47.659 the river was gross Smelled like a sewer system, 00:16:47.659 --> 00:16:52.500 but There there has been some nice surprises 00:16:52.500 --> 00:16:57.980 You know on the California side Now we haven't 00:16:57.980 --> 00:17:01.330 seen a whole lot of On the Oregon side of the 00:17:01.330 --> 00:17:03.330 Klamath. Yeah, but we're going to talk about 00:17:03.330 --> 00:17:07.029 that So they got a new boat ramp evidently over, 00:17:07.390 --> 00:17:11.269 you know over at the JC Boyle area, you know 00:17:11.269 --> 00:17:14.569 I did not know that because I haven't been down 00:17:14.569 --> 00:17:21.069 there and So they got a new boat ramp There and 00:17:21.069 --> 00:17:24.069 So we're going we're gonna talk. Let's start 00:17:24.069 --> 00:17:31.220 on the southern end Caldera from J .C. Boyle 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:35.039 Dam, where it used to be, down to the Caldera 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:42.500 Rapids. Below the J .C. Boyle Dam, or what used 00:17:42.500 --> 00:17:48.140 to be the dam, Chinook Salmon, the max daily 00:17:48.140 --> 00:17:59.420 Chinook count, is 93. Total Reds The Red Banded 00:17:59.420 --> 00:18:05.579 are 87. Now, a lot of this action is down near 00:18:05.579 --> 00:18:09.099 the Caldera Rapids. I guess it's class 4, class 00:18:09.099 --> 00:18:16.559 5 rapids, so I wouldn't say jump in. But, Coho 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:20.579 Salmon, alright? Probably wondering about this. 00:18:20.579 --> 00:18:27.650 Coho Salmon, Coho count 19. This was back in 00:18:27.650 --> 00:18:36.089 December. Total Reds 15 back in December. We're 00:18:36.089 --> 00:18:41.589 starting to see them right along there. Now, 00:18:41.890 --> 00:18:50.710 go up to the above the JC Boyle Dam. Again, it 00:18:50.710 --> 00:19:00.799 doesn't really exist. Just past Spencer Creek, 00:19:00.980 --> 00:19:07.000 that area of Klamath River, Mack's daily Chinook 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:11.519 count was 88. That's the Chinooks. This was back 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:16.839 in October. Total Reds were 65. Now, Coho's none. 00:19:18.339 --> 00:19:22.299 Those Coho's that were spotted was down south 00:19:22.299 --> 00:19:25.599 of J .C. Boyle, down near the Caldera Rapids. 00:19:26.890 --> 00:19:31.690 now Spencer Creek Spencer Creek is a great creek 00:19:31.690 --> 00:19:35.950 to fish a lot of people see a lot of stuff there 00:19:35.950 --> 00:19:39.849 a lot of good stuff now the max daily Chinook 00:19:39.849 --> 00:19:47.970 count there was 182 in Spencer Creek 182 and 00:19:47.970 --> 00:19:52.609 that was in November total reds 81 no coho all 00:19:52.609 --> 00:20:01.009 right no coho not yet I don't know how many miles 00:20:01.009 --> 00:20:03.250 that is to the Caldera Rapids, but they'll make 00:20:03.250 --> 00:20:07.690 it up there in time. Spencer Creek is a really 00:20:07.690 --> 00:20:10.089 good spot. I would love to give that a shot this 00:20:10.089 --> 00:20:16.230 year. I will give it a shot this year. Clamath 00:20:16.230 --> 00:20:24.920 River won't open until the 15th of April. So, 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:28.880 don't go into it until the 15th next week. Now, 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:36.380 above the Kino area up to the Link River, or 00:20:36.380 --> 00:20:42.880 Link River Dam, there has been no salmon observed, 00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:48.700 no Chinook or Coho. But someone showed me a picture 00:20:48.700 --> 00:20:52.599 of a big old giant sturgeon in the link that 00:20:52.599 --> 00:20:56.869 was caught. Lake River. I mean, it's only got 00:20:56.869 --> 00:21:01.349 like eight inches of water. How did that? My 00:21:01.349 --> 00:21:08.150 goodness. I mean, that's sick. So, Agency Lake 00:21:08.150 --> 00:21:10.829 is another really good area where the Wood River's 00:21:10.829 --> 00:21:14.109 mouth is. That's a really good area for fishing 00:21:14.109 --> 00:21:19.829 as well. So, at this moment, you know, we on 00:21:19.829 --> 00:21:23.710 the Oregon side, Alright, we barely, I mean unless 00:21:23.710 --> 00:21:27.069 you go right near the border, you know, in those 00:21:27.069 --> 00:21:30.650 rapids, the Caldaria Rapids, we've not seen any 00:21:30.650 --> 00:21:37.190 Chinook and no steelhead have been observed on 00:21:37.190 --> 00:21:42.450 the Oregon side of the Klamath River. Now, some 00:21:42.450 --> 00:21:45.710 people might be, you know, somebody did catch 00:21:45.710 --> 00:21:48.769 a 24 -inch what they said is a still, but they 00:21:48.769 --> 00:21:50.829 didn't take a picture. Now a lot, you can catch 00:21:50.829 --> 00:21:53.730 a 24 -inch red and confuse you a little bit. 00:21:53.849 --> 00:21:58.930 So I don't know if that actually happened, but 00:21:58.930 --> 00:22:03.009 there are, you know, in time, you know, yes, 00:22:03.049 --> 00:22:06.230 we will be getting our still head. Now some interesting 00:22:06.230 --> 00:22:09.210 points like the Keno Dam, you know, that's still 00:22:09.210 --> 00:22:14.680 there and it's an older fish ladder. So that 00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:20.240 fish ladder, they will be updating it, but it 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:24.240 is, it could still work for the still head and 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:28.059 salmon, but it can be better. And they will be 00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:31.440 updating that fish ladder. And once they update 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:36.059 it and the river reestablishes itself with still 00:22:36.059 --> 00:22:40.779 head and the coho, then we'll be able to see 00:22:40.779 --> 00:22:46.819 the species in our front yard. The Link River 00:22:46.819 --> 00:22:51.779 Dam actually was upgraded a number of years ago. 00:22:51.880 --> 00:22:57.799 I forgot how many. I have a show on that. It's 00:22:57.799 --> 00:23:03.980 in a book right above my head somewhere. You 00:23:03.980 --> 00:23:08.420 know, down where the Copco dams were and Iron 00:23:08.420 --> 00:23:11.940 Gate, those areas are seeing a good revitalization 00:23:11.940 --> 00:23:17.519 of the river and the salmon is still here. So 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:21.140 it's just over the border, just over the border. 00:23:23.559 --> 00:23:27.740 So that's top picks to be fishing this year. 00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:33.660 The Wood River. for Browns in April and through 00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:40.019 July or in Browns April and July through August. 00:23:40.200 --> 00:23:43.980 So this is a good time for the Wood River Browns. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:50.700 Also the Upper Williamson's and where, you know, 00:23:50.819 --> 00:23:55.240 the Sprague meets it. Use Black Drake's in June, 00:23:55.480 --> 00:24:00.269 okay? and the Wood River Red Band in June and 00:24:00.269 --> 00:24:04.450 July, and then of course September. Agency Lake, 00:24:04.450 --> 00:24:07.369 I just mentioned that, and the Wood River Mouth 00:24:07.369 --> 00:24:11.829 in June through July. So, as these areas will 00:24:11.829 --> 00:24:18.009 open up, we will be able to get some really good 00:24:18.009 --> 00:24:22.369 fishing. This is actually a fishing show today, 00:24:22.410 --> 00:24:29.869 huh? All of this stuff. And I'm learning bugs. 00:24:30.630 --> 00:24:35.990 I'm learning bugs. And I don't know what all 00:24:35.990 --> 00:24:41.309 these bugs are. And some of these areas, they 00:24:41.309 --> 00:24:46.970 don't allow baits. So it's fly fishing. No plastic 00:24:46.970 --> 00:24:52.329 baits. And stuff like that. So please, you need 00:24:52.329 --> 00:24:55.460 to... you need to consult the regulations for 00:24:55.460 --> 00:24:58.519 some of these areas like the Wood River and the 00:24:58.519 --> 00:25:00.500 Williamson's River like I was telling you a single 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:06.819 hook and understand before you go out there I 00:25:06.819 --> 00:25:08.680 don't want you all to get in trouble and because 00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:11.819 ignorance is never a good excuse to tell the 00:25:11.819 --> 00:25:16.220 game warden but hopefully you got your fishing 00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:23.940 license all ironed out This coming year is proving 00:25:23.940 --> 00:25:29.079 to be a really good wet. We're looking at good 00:25:29.079 --> 00:25:33.799 water flows on the rivers and the creeks. We've 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:38.779 got our reservoirs like Willow Valley and Gerber 00:25:38.779 --> 00:25:43.500 and Thompson. We're looking at spillovers and 00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:51.839 really good water flows there. When they removed 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:55.279 the J .C. Boyle Dam, before they did that, they 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:59.619 harvested the fish in the Topsy Reservoir or 00:25:59.619 --> 00:26:03.599 the J .C. Boyle Reservoir there. I was out there 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:05.759 one day and I watched them do it. I had never 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:08.599 seen them do it before. They put electrodes and 00:26:08.599 --> 00:26:13.740 they shock the water and it paralyzes the fish 00:26:13.740 --> 00:26:16.819 and they scoop them up and they relocate them. 00:26:16.940 --> 00:26:21.420 Now the cool thing is is I like over in JC Boyle. 00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:24.380 They had some really nice bass there. They still 00:26:24.380 --> 00:26:29.140 do which is really cool and So we might be able 00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:32.240 to catch some nice large mouth bass over in you 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:35.700 know that area And with a new boat ramp, you 00:26:35.700 --> 00:26:38.339 know work them out for the Spencer Creek and 00:26:38.339 --> 00:26:40.740 stuff like that to be honest It's gonna be pretty 00:26:40.740 --> 00:26:47.039 exciting This year They took those fish and they 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:50.420 restocked them in a lot of different reservoirs, 00:26:50.420 --> 00:26:54.960 including Gerber. They put a lot of these fish 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:56.900 that they took out of there and they put them 00:26:56.900 --> 00:27:03.559 over into Gerber Lake. So they revitalized Gerber 00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:08.859 Lake with a lot of interesting fish, including 00:27:08.859 --> 00:27:12.460 better largemouth bass. Gribber's not known for 00:27:12.460 --> 00:27:16.700 its past population, but it has it. But it's 00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:22.759 a great spot for your crappie and for your pumpkin 00:27:22.759 --> 00:27:25.339 seed sunfish, which is the prettiest fish out 00:27:25.339 --> 00:27:28.099 of them all. I mean, pumpkin seed is just gorgeous. 00:27:28.859 --> 00:27:31.859 You catch one of those, it's not a very big fish, 00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:36.380 but you're just going to gasp. I mean, the blues 00:27:36.380 --> 00:27:41.230 and the purples and the oh, oh, oh. It's so purdy. 00:27:42.150 --> 00:27:45.829 It's a purdy fish. It's a pumpkin seed. Now, 00:27:45.829 --> 00:27:47.970 the best place to fish grabber is going to be 00:27:47.970 --> 00:27:53.470 over by the dam at the turn. It is the best over 00:27:53.470 --> 00:27:57.990 by the dam. You could go out there. You can do 00:27:57.990 --> 00:28:01.730 it from the bank if you want. You know, park 00:28:01.730 --> 00:28:05.369 out there in a tube or a boat. It works really, 00:28:05.369 --> 00:28:08.500 really well right there. It's a deep spot. but 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:12.180 it's a fantastic spot for catching your pan fish. 00:28:12.859 --> 00:28:14.680 Now over in Willow Valley, as I told you, you 00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:17.059 really got to understand that lake a little bit. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:20.460 It will be spilling over, and I think it might 00:28:20.460 --> 00:28:26.460 be spilling over now, but I have to get out there. 00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:32.799 It's about an hour and a half away, and if you 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:36.799 go down... I mean, it's a dirt road. It's a forest 00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:40.500 road to get out there. But once you get out there, 00:28:40.500 --> 00:28:43.359 it's got a decent boat ramp and it's got, you 00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:47.460 know, sort of a primitive bathroom, but it's 00:28:47.460 --> 00:28:50.299 got a bathroom. But you go down that boat ramp 00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:53.940 and you turn hard left. So on the left side of 00:28:53.940 --> 00:28:56.819 that boat ramp along the shoreline, there are 00:28:56.819 --> 00:29:00.599 some underground trees or underwater trees right 00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:03.940 there in a little cove. fantastic spot for the 00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:08.579 big bass. But there are other spots, but that's 00:29:08.579 --> 00:29:10.380 an easy one for me to tell you on the radio. 00:29:10.740 --> 00:29:12.900 It's the left of the boat ramp, probably about 00:29:12.900 --> 00:29:17.720 100 yards, and there are some underwater trees 00:29:17.720 --> 00:29:21.539 that are there and it's perfect cover for the 00:29:21.539 --> 00:29:25.880 bass. Now, the water is cold still. The bass 00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:30.640 aren't going to be hitting right now, but understanding 00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:34.180 what is happening with the water levels, where 00:29:34.180 --> 00:29:38.900 we're getting good oxygenation, we're getting 00:29:38.900 --> 00:29:42.099 a good food supply into these reservoirs and 00:29:42.099 --> 00:29:46.279 these lakes, into the creeks. They are doing 00:29:46.279 --> 00:29:49.900 a lot of stocking in a lot of these places because 00:29:49.900 --> 00:29:53.059 in 2022 we had the worst drought in history. 00:29:53.980 --> 00:29:57.539 But because of the wet years, and you know some 00:29:57.539 --> 00:30:03.180 of them some places were uh sort of uh you know 00:30:03.180 --> 00:30:07.140 they were treated with rhodanone and some of 00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:12.779 them were just dried up so they really the odfw 00:30:12.779 --> 00:30:16.980 has done a really good job at restocking and 00:30:16.980 --> 00:30:19.900 trying to revitalize these fisheries now you 00:30:19.900 --> 00:30:21.859 wonder where your money's gone you know when 00:30:21.859 --> 00:30:24.079 you buy a fishing license or a boating license 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:28.019 or whatever um This is what you're paying for. 00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:31.279 This is what you're paying for. You're paying 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:35.599 to get ODFW to take care of our fisheries, our 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:39.579 hatcheries, and so we can enjoy the outdoors 00:30:39.579 --> 00:30:46.500 and a sport that we thrive in. So make sure that 00:30:46.500 --> 00:30:51.200 you are properly licensed. So hopefully today's 00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:55.039 show gave you a lot of good information. and 00:30:55.039 --> 00:31:00.799 you can go online to Terrible Fishing or to the 00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:03.420 radio station's YouTube channel and you can listen 00:31:03.420 --> 00:31:06.259 to this and pause it and take notes. So thank 00:31:06.259 --> 00:31:08.500 you very much everybody, tight limits to you 00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:13.660 and we'll see you guys out on the water. That 00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:17.259 was Terrible at Fishing, the radio show with 00:31:17.259 --> 00:31:20.799 fishing expert Michael Raffino. Check out Terrible 00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:23.859 at Fishing on YouTube. And tune in next week 00:31:23.859 --> 00:31:27.039 for the next episode and more great fishing tips. 00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:31.779 Terrible and Fishing, Fridays at 7pm on Gold 00:31:31.779 --> 00:31:32.720 Country Radio.