Everyone learned a lot at the seminar held at Town Ford the other night.

Shane Magnuson got everyone pumped about fishing the Icicle. He is limiting regularly now, and there are big fish in the run this year. The high waster has the fish rushing into the river, and they are gobbling herring. He uses a double hook rig and uses a whole herring, so it will hold up in the current. Ahead of the herring he puts on two very small Corkies and then a bright green Spin N Glo. Then he casts this into the hole from a drift boat, and holds it in place with a 4- to 6-ounce dropper canon ball weight. He cautions anglers not to try to set the hook when they first see the bite--wait until the rod is bent over and the fish is pulling line from the reel, he advises. Fishing on the Icicle for spring kings should be excellent until all the fish leave the Columbia.

We all learned about the planned drawdown at Banks Lake, too. It won't start until August and the lake will be just as last year until September. Fishing will be much better than normal for all species this season, and next spring, too. There will be lots of hungry fish and less water to look for them in.