Monday, Jan. 3

Happy New Year everyone! A whole new fishing year ahead of us,

and am I excited. There is some great steelhead fishing going on

right now. The upper Columbia continues to be excellent, with

anglers catching really good numbers of fish and there are some big

ones being taken this year, too. If you haven't ever tried

steelhead fishing, this would be a good year to get out there.

Monday, Jan. 3

Happy New Year everyone! A whole new fishing year ahead of us, and am I excited. There is some great steelhead fishing going on right now. The upper Columbia continues to be excellent, with anglers catching really good numbers of fish and there are some big ones being taken this year, too. If you haven't ever tried steelhead fishing, this would be a good year to get out there. There are fish in the tributaries, and fishing off the mouths of these rivers has been great, too. If you want to learn about steelhead fishing from a real expert, plan on attending the free seminar at Town Ford in Wenatchee on Wednesday, January 12th, staring at 6 p.m. Famed Northwest angler Buzz Ramsey is the featured speaker, and he has a Power Point presentation on steelhead fishing that you don't want to miss. Ramsey is a pro staffer for a variety of tackle and boating manufacturers and is a hall of famer for both the Northwest Steelhead Association and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. Appearing with Ramsey at the seminar will be Anton Jones, Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service. He also has a Power Point presentation, this one on triploid fishing at Rufus Woods Reservoir.

Wednesday, Jan. 5

Ice fishing for perch is off and running this season! The first spot to light up was the Coulee City Marina. There has been a safe cap of ice on the sheltered marina water for a while now, and anglers are taking advantage of a good bite for yellow perch. Most of the perch being caught are smallish, but there are enough 9- to 10-inchers being taken to keep people coming back for more. The limit on perch here, which is at the bottom end of Banks Lake, is 25 and people aren't having a problem getting limits. When I fished it I drilled a hole over eight feet of water and used jigs tipped with worm for my fish. I drilled one hole and never had to move. I checked out Winchester Wasteway near the bridge on Road 5 NW on my way up to Coulee City. The only anglers, and there were just two of them, were not fishing for perch, but carp. It looks like it may be another bleak year for perch fishing on the Wasteway. Perch anglers are watching the ice on Moses Lake closely. The jumbo perch started showing up again last year and they can't wait for the ice to get thick enough to get out after them.

Friday, Jan. 7

Don't forget to mark your calendar for the big seminar at Town Ford on Wednesday, January 12th. That's when Buzz Ramsey is coming to town. He will have a Power Point presentation prepared for us on steelhead fishing in the Northwest. Buzz is a real pro and we will all learn something from this. Also appearing on the same night is Anton Jones, Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service. He will also have a Power Point presentation prepared, and this one will be on fishing at Rufus Woods Reservoir. The timing is good for both of these, as we have at least two months of great steelhead fishing ahead of us, and the fishing at Rufus Woods is at its best this time of year. I checked on the ice fishing at Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee last Sunday and there was a fishing party going on up there. A mix of fish were being caught, and I saw one triploid on the ice that must have weighed 4 pounds. I also got word that the ice is good on Moses Lake and the jumbo perch are being taken. Yellow perch of 16 inches are being taken through the ice.

Monday, Jan. 10

I am really looking forward to the big seminar at Town Ford on Wednesday. It is going to be a special one, with Buzz Ramsey coming to town. This is an opportunity to learn about steelhead fishing from a real expert on our Northwest rivers. Good timing to have Anton Jones there, too. Did you know that the last three state records for rainbow trout were all set in the month of January? That's right, and they were all set on Rufus Woods. This is prime time for big fish at Rufus Woods, and Jones really knows his stuff. Remember, the seminar is on Wednesday, January 12th, starting at 6 p.m. Town Ford is located at 1001 North Miller Street in Wenatchee, and the seminar is free! I will be out getting the lowdown on the ice fishing at some of our area lakes, and hope to have some good tips for you at the seminar, too. Since the rivers are choked with ice right now, the only option is the main stem Columbia, so I am making some trips with my ice auger along instead of my steelhead gear.

Wednesday, Jan. 12

When I stopped by the check on the ice fishing at Fish Lake recently, there were some anglers there wondering how to avoid catching the bullheads that inhabit the lake. This is common at Fish Lake. You want to be near the bottom to catch the perch and trout, but the bullheads like anything that is lowered through the hole as bait. I always rig for ice fishing with my weight on the very end of my line. Above the weight by a least a foot I tie an overhand loop in my line and attach at hook or jig. I usually add another hook a foot or so above that, too. This will put my bait near, but not on bottom. If I am pestered by bullheads I will move my hook up even further. I also noticed that some anglers were using dough baits. These will work well for trout, but for perch I would suggest using a piece of worm, or meal worms. Sometimes maggots are very effective. I was introduced to the use of mealworms a couple of years ago while fishing at Patterson Lake, and now I never go out on the ice without some. They can be found at most pet supply stores.