Free Fishing Weekend for Washington State is June 8-9, 2013

No fishing licenses are required for Saturday & Sunday. Catch Record Cards are required to fish for salmon, sturgeon, steelhead. All other rules still apply, including seasons, area and lure or bait restrictions, and size and catch limits. A vehicle Access Pass, Discover Pass, Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement, and Two-Pole Endorsements are not required during this weekend.

This past week at MarDon Resort have been filled with good fishing and great visitors! We had the pleasure of hosting Shaw Grisby from the Strike King Corporation. My son Levi helped them film a bass fishing show on Potholes Reservoir and Aaron Eckterncamp of Moses Lake assisted them with a show filmed on Moses Lake featuring the Strike King Frog Bates. The amazing thing about Mr. Grisby, after decades of international exposure, remains a very humble and kind man. We loved having him and his crew here for a few days.

Fishing on Potholes Reservoir

Dock fishing at MarDon Resort remains excellent for yellow perch. Oak Harbor Resident, Herb Shultz, was perch fishing at MarDon Dock and landed a 4 pound 8 ounce smallmouth Bass. We have been seeing some perch to 12 inches off the dock this week.

Bass fishing on the face of O'Sullivan Dam has been very active for smallmouth using top water lures. Small mouth fishing has also been active in the Lind Coulee Arm of Potholes Reservoir. Diving Plugs in a crawdad color or pattern, ? oz spinner baits in chartreuse or white have been the best lure's for this type of fishing. Always fish the rocky points. (An occasional walleye will attach these baits).

The Frog bite in the Sand Dunes has started. Bass anglers have been reporting surface water temperatures in the sand dune area in the low to mid 70 degree range.

With warming surface water temperatures the Rainbow Trout bite has improved. The giant rainbows we watched earlier this spring from the shoreline at the south end of the Lake have reappeared at the mouth of Frenchman's Wasteway and Medicare Beach. They have been actively feeding on yellow perch and growing up to an inch a month. Anglers have been catching these jumbo rainbows trolling #3 Needlefish and Rapala Shad Rap's this past week with improved success.