So old man inspired me years ago with his "just find blue lines and go fish them. I did that for small streams for trout and averaged only one skunking per 3 new waters.
So I added a bigger challenge and am trying to catch warm water species this time of year.
So i booked 3 nights at Crow Butte Park downstream of Tri Cities, WA. A state fish biologist recommended that to me 5 years ago at a sportsman show. A lot can change in 5 years, combined with my newbie status to bass on the fly, so i had low expectations.
The park was great. I had a pull thru site so it was easy to park my full size van and drift boat. Host was super nice. Each site had water, power and sewer. Bathrooms had coin fed hot showers. Lots of big trees for shade. I took a drop cord and powered up my cell phone each night by stringing it into the cab of my van. Nice thing about power at each camp was no one ran generators, so nice and peaceful in my tent.
Camping was only 20 bucks per night and included launching boat at the nice boat launch/marina.
Most campers during the week were retired people with big rvs and high dollar boats outfitted with bow motors and fancy electronics. Most were aluminum with mid to deep V hulls to handle rough water.
i was a novelty. I was in old aluminum drift boat, flinging flies towards shore. Got lots of looks and finger pointing from the Walleye crowd as they came back to the marina/boat ramp.
Fishing was terrific first day. 18 released from boat and 9 LDR. 2nd day only 2 fish, but i explored a new area and did not mark fish. I saw a few huge carp in the shallow swim area and landed a smallish smallmouth in the skinny water.
Third day i drove to Rock Creek Boat ramp. It was a mess. Water was completely chocked with weeds/slime at boat ramp down maybe half way to Columbia river. The area looks like it was nice at one time. two paved parking lots, light pole stands, a burned out restroom with metal doors welded shut. The entrance sign was super faded except for a newer sticker that had a tent with arrow through it, so no camping allowed.
So I did some exploring along the highway next Columbia river. Found a few impoundments that featured rip rap rock from the railroad tracks that looked like they may hold crayfish that attracts small mouth.
One of them was a gem. I fished the railroad track shoreline, marking a few fish and getting a few tugs, but not hooking up. I was fighting a stout wind. I did about 4 passes of rowing up wind and then allowing wind to carry me down the RR track shoreline. Wind was blowing towards the smaller out let that featured approx. 10 feet of water. at the mouth was a rocky bar. It held fish like crazy. landed a dozen right there. I anchored up and cast into the deep then let a crayfish fly crawl up the rocks towards my boat. Drove em crazy. Many hit the fly numerous times and in a last desperate attempt inhaled the fly in 1 foot of water near the bow of my drift boat. I could see them hit and had to train myself to STRIP set and wait till fly was in the mouth. There was a weedy area to right of mouth and 90 degrees to boat. I cast poppers out there and had multiple strikes, but no hook ups, same with casting into the outlet channel and aggressive popping toward boat over the rocky shoal. So much fun. Wind picked up so after an hour of levity I decided it was time to row back. Took all my strength to get back to the boat ramp.
I had no reservations for that nights, so drove to Tri Cities and got a drive thru campsite at Horn Rapids in Richland. Same thing there, 20 bucks. It is also administered by Benton County. Next morning i was surprised to see the campers across from me, Mini Van, Wall Mart family tent was not family. It was 7 fruit pickers jammed into the tent. 3 of the 7 spoke English. I offered coffee. They offered breakfast burritos. MMMM tasty. They fried eggs, green pepper, onions over an open fire. home made hot sauce. They browned 3 tortillas for me and had me scoop up eggs on my own. I gave them the luhrs off my gear that i did not use. Also gave them chips and firewood. Never know who i will meet when i solo camp.
Threw my boat into the delta in town where the Yakima River meets the Columbia River. Yak river completely blown out. It made visibility in delta at about 6 inches. I did hook a largemouth under overhanging trees and shade. Got it to the net and it spit the barbless hook just at net. On way in i had to wait 45 min for all the kayakers to go in. The concrete boat ramp is blocked with jersy bariier. next to it is a gravel ramp for launching hand carried boats. It looked as if my 2wd van would get stuck, so i did not back down all the way. A Nixsons marine employee was fishing the dock next to the ramp. He ran over, directed me backing up then helped load my boat. Great vacation.
So I added a bigger challenge and am trying to catch warm water species this time of year.
So i booked 3 nights at Crow Butte Park downstream of Tri Cities, WA. A state fish biologist recommended that to me 5 years ago at a sportsman show. A lot can change in 5 years, combined with my newbie status to bass on the fly, so i had low expectations.
The park was great. I had a pull thru site so it was easy to park my full size van and drift boat. Host was super nice. Each site had water, power and sewer. Bathrooms had coin fed hot showers. Lots of big trees for shade. I took a drop cord and powered up my cell phone each night by stringing it into the cab of my van. Nice thing about power at each camp was no one ran generators, so nice and peaceful in my tent.
Camping was only 20 bucks per night and included launching boat at the nice boat launch/marina.
Most campers during the week were retired people with big rvs and high dollar boats outfitted with bow motors and fancy electronics. Most were aluminum with mid to deep V hulls to handle rough water.
i was a novelty. I was in old aluminum drift boat, flinging flies towards shore. Got lots of looks and finger pointing from the Walleye crowd as they came back to the marina/boat ramp.
Fishing was terrific first day. 18 released from boat and 9 LDR. 2nd day only 2 fish, but i explored a new area and did not mark fish. I saw a few huge carp in the shallow swim area and landed a smallish smallmouth in the skinny water.
Third day i drove to Rock Creek Boat ramp. It was a mess. Water was completely chocked with weeds/slime at boat ramp down maybe half way to Columbia river. The area looks like it was nice at one time. two paved parking lots, light pole stands, a burned out restroom with metal doors welded shut. The entrance sign was super faded except for a newer sticker that had a tent with arrow through it, so no camping allowed.
So I did some exploring along the highway next Columbia river. Found a few impoundments that featured rip rap rock from the railroad tracks that looked like they may hold crayfish that attracts small mouth.
One of them was a gem. I fished the railroad track shoreline, marking a few fish and getting a few tugs, but not hooking up. I was fighting a stout wind. I did about 4 passes of rowing up wind and then allowing wind to carry me down the RR track shoreline. Wind was blowing towards the smaller out let that featured approx. 10 feet of water. at the mouth was a rocky bar. It held fish like crazy. landed a dozen right there. I anchored up and cast into the deep then let a crayfish fly crawl up the rocks towards my boat. Drove em crazy. Many hit the fly numerous times and in a last desperate attempt inhaled the fly in 1 foot of water near the bow of my drift boat. I could see them hit and had to train myself to STRIP set and wait till fly was in the mouth. There was a weedy area to right of mouth and 90 degrees to boat. I cast poppers out there and had multiple strikes, but no hook ups, same with casting into the outlet channel and aggressive popping toward boat over the rocky shoal. So much fun. Wind picked up so after an hour of levity I decided it was time to row back. Took all my strength to get back to the boat ramp.
I had no reservations for that nights, so drove to Tri Cities and got a drive thru campsite at Horn Rapids in Richland. Same thing there, 20 bucks. It is also administered by Benton County. Next morning i was surprised to see the campers across from me, Mini Van, Wall Mart family tent was not family. It was 7 fruit pickers jammed into the tent. 3 of the 7 spoke English. I offered coffee. They offered breakfast burritos. MMMM tasty. They fried eggs, green pepper, onions over an open fire. home made hot sauce. They browned 3 tortillas for me and had me scoop up eggs on my own. I gave them the luhrs off my gear that i did not use. Also gave them chips and firewood. Never know who i will meet when i solo camp.
Threw my boat into the delta in town where the Yakima River meets the Columbia River. Yak river completely blown out. It made visibility in delta at about 6 inches. I did hook a largemouth under overhanging trees and shade. Got it to the net and it spit the barbless hook just at net. On way in i had to wait 45 min for all the kayakers to go in. The concrete boat ramp is blocked with jersy bariier. next to it is a gravel ramp for launching hand carried boats. It looked as if my 2wd van would get stuck, so i did not back down all the way. A Nixsons marine employee was fishing the dock next to the ramp. He ran over, directed me backing up then helped load my boat. Great vacation.
