Imagine
getting over 125 fish to the boat and then loading 90 keeper steelhead into
coolers for the ride home after 2.5 days on the river. Or imagine catching
45 steelhead yourself in this time frame! The steelhead fishing this season
in definitely going down in my record books as the all time greatest fishing
I have ever seen. The temps are starting to get colder and there was frost
on the dock in the mornings, but the fish are still on the bite and in great
numbers.
Fish & Game Hikes Fish Limits
Anglers will be able to take five steelhead a day!
Responding to a strong return of A-run
steelhead, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission agreed Wednesday to raise
daily and seasonal bag limits on steelhead in the Snake, Salmon and Little
Salmon rivers.
Starting Friday, October 2nd, the daily bag limit for steelhead in the three
rivers will go from three per day to five a day, but no more than two of
those can be 32 inches or longer. Bag limits on the Clearwater River and its
tributaries, which don't open to catch-and-keep fishing until Oct. 15, will
remain at two per day.
The size limits on the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers and the
exclusion of the Clearwater from higher bag limits, were adopted to protect
B-run steelhead that are not returning in high numbers like the A-run fish.
The commission also raised the season limits for the spring and fall to 40
fish but no more than 20 of those can be caught from the Clearwater River.
Anglers who have a permit with reported harvest from the spring of 2009 can
purchase a second permit to catch their fall season limit of 40.
"We have a lot of fish so we might as well go out and catch them," said
Larry Barrett of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at Lewiston.
Fisheries managers are predicting this year's steelhead run counted at Lower
Granite Dam could far surpass the previous record of about 250,000, which
was set in 2001. More than 155,000 of those are predicted to be hatchery
A-run steelhead bound for the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers. The
rest of the run will be composed of wild A-run steelhead, B-run steelhead
and A-run steelhead bound for the Grand Ronde and Imnaha rivers
Through Tuesday, 163,517 steelhead had been counted passing Lower Granite
Dam, 35 miles west of Lewiston on the Snake River. The 10-year average for
this time of year is 73,316. The run at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River
has slowed some but is still holding strong at 1,500 to 1,900 steelhead per
day. So far this year, 583,661 steelhead have been counted passing
Bonneville Dam.
Washington and Oregon are also considering adopting a five steelhead per day
limit with the same size restrictions.
This article originally appeared
in the Lewiston Morning Tribune on October 1st, 2009.
FEATURED TOUR GUIDES:
PLEASE CONTACT THE TOUR GUIDE
DIRECTLY TO BOOK YOUR TRIP.
Asotin County Wingshooters offers the best of both
worlds…preserve hunts allowing extended seasons, dog training, good
access and lots of birds, and wild hunts that will test your skills
and endurance to the max. Our guides and dogs work hard to make your
experience the best it can be. Most of our members become one after a visit
as someone’s guest and deciding they want to make ACW part of their hunting
tradition.
“I recognized the extra effort Beamers Hells Canyon Tours™
put into our trip to make it a truly memorable and successful trip. I’ve
done a lot of charter fishing, in a lot of places and their willingness
to try different areas and different techniques really kept it fun and
interesting. Fishing client Tom Hindley
Beamers Hells Canyon Tours™ professionally guided fishing trips on the
Snake River of Hells Canyon since 1974. Two overnight locations in Hells
Canyon to serve you.
Enjoy Sportfishing for Steelhead, Sturgeon, Bass, Trout
Fishing and our Remote Lodge on the Salmon River. We pride our trips on
first class service. We also have Chucker hunting and fishing combination
trips.
Web Site
|
Email
|
(509)
751-0410
Clarkston, WA 99403
Clearwater River Guides has been providing custom fishing excursions
steelhead on the Clearwater River since 2000 under the business name
Snake River Guide Service. We will continue to provide the same quality
experience for our guests but under our new name.
Web Site
| Email
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(509) 758-3981
610 Riverview Boulevard, Clarkston, WA 99403
Magnificent Snake River fully guided
River Jet Boat Fishing! Awesome White Sturgeon, Smallmouth Bass,
Steelhead & Salmon! Experience Snake River Fishing at it's best!
Catch the Fish of your Dreams!
Guided Snake River fishing trips for
Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, Sturgeon, Smallmouth Bass, and Channel Catfish.
FishHawk Guides also offer guided Grande Ronde River steelhead and
smallmouth bass fishing trips and Clearwater River steelhead fishing,
associated with Clearwater Drifters, for large B-run steelhead and salmon.
Fish Reaper
Website | Email
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(877) 290-9370 or (509) 243-3474
Cell: (360) 269-7628
Do you like to catch big fish? Mike and Linda Kelly's Fish Reaper Guide
Service is your source! We specialize in professionally guided salmon and
steelhead fishing adventures in Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. With
over 30 years of professional full time guiding experience, we know where
the big fish are and when. Mike was voted one of the top 25 guides on the
west coast according to an article in the Salmon & Steelhead Journal Fall
2006 issue.
Hells Canyon Packers offers historic ranch lodging and wilderness
adventures in addition to rifle and archery hunts for big game in the Snake
River Unit of Hells Canyon.
Welcome to Hells Canyon Sport Fishing! If you’re looking for an
adventure, the best guides in the region are here to give you just that!
Whether it’s Spring or Fall Chinook, Steelhead, Sturgeon or Walleye – we can
hook you up with that trophy catch you’ve always dreamed of.
"Our steelhead fishing
journey up Hells Canyon was one that we will never forget. Your narration
and navigation of the Canyon went beyond our expectations. And, the
fishing was outstanding. The huge steelhead that we brought back home to
smoke goes beyond words. We will be back!"
Reel Time Fishing is a sole proprietorship owned and operated by Toby
Wyatt. Reel Time specializes in personalized fishing trips. Fishing for
Steelhead, Salmon, Sturgeon, Smallmouth Bass and Rainbow Trout. We use our
jet boats and drift boats to guide you to the best fishing holes. Drift
fishing, trolling and fly fishing are the main methods used. We fish the
Snake, Grande Ronde and Columbia rivers in Washington state. In Idaho we
fish the Clearwater River. Each river has its peak time for specific fish.
We'll take you to some of the best fishing
holes for bass and trout. In the fall we are available for Steelhead, Bass,
& Sturgeon fishing. Fishing charters can be scheduled from one day to
multiple days in our comfortable lodge and jet boats. Fishing Charters
leave from Heller Bar Boat launch or Hells Canyon Resort and Marina to be
determined at the time of reservations.
Snake River Adventures offers a myriad of
exciting and fabulous adventures on the Snake River, the Salmon River, and
also the Clearwater River. Excursions such as Hells Canyon Jet Boat Tours,
whitewater rafting, guided fishing trips, guided hunting trips, and
overnight excursions at our two lodges, Kirby Creek Lodge, and Sheep Creek
Ranch.
Snake River Guide Service provides guided
charters for Trophy sturgeon fishing on the Snake River and Steelhead
fishing on the Snake River and Clearwater River.
