PNW Activities

Get outside. It’s as simple as that. If you come across Joe Pesci defending a pair of kids in a court of law, he might refer to them as “the two yutes”. Those same youth might phrase it as “touching grass”. I stretched for that one, admittedly, but you can guess which 90’s classic movie I watched recently and had a good chuckle about. The grass part is what I especially want to highlight, particularly given the changing seasons and time for many of us to shift our focus away from fishing to other activities. Don’t get me wrong, fishing in the fall and winter months can be tremendously fun and also yield quite a bite if you know what to target, where to target it, and when to do so. Some might make an argument that it's the best time to go fishing, given the abundance of baitfish swimming around and the reduced number of anglers as the temperature drops.  That aside, I’d like you instead to think about the wind on your face, the sound of birds calling one another from a distance, and the rustle of the trees and grass as animals follow their trails. Here in Montana, Fish, Wildlife & Parks' slogan, among others, is that “The outside is in us all”. Whether that be on the water fishing for dinner, hiking a trail, or hunting, we shouldn’t shy away from enjoying the outdoors even when the temperature begins to dip.

Hiking

To those fortunate enough to live near a mountain, or at least a small hill, hiking has to be one of the “go-to” activities as the calendar flips to fall and winter. Early in the fall, the air is crisp, and a light coat or even a t-shirt can be more than enough to keep you comfortable while exerting yourself up thousands of feet of elevation. Like many aspects of the outdoors, the payoff is often found in the culmination of the hike. Reaching the summit. Getting to the top. Climbing the mountain. Being able to take a few minutes to soak up the sights from a mountain peak is something that everyone should experience with some level of regularity. If not an everyday or week type of trip, certainly one that should be done annually. And what better time to do it than when the colors start to change, a light snowpack covers the foreground, and a beautiful mixture of early descending sunsets shines just perfectly on the horizon with the moisture in the air. As many of you know, I am fortunate enough to live in Montana with what are certainly thousands of trails scattered throughout the state. In just my hometown, I can take an afternoon hike up nearly 5,500 feet and over 36 trails.  It’s a palace I’ve been to many times - with my dog, with my kid, with my brother. Sometimes with a goal of reaching the top and other times just to see how far I might get and who all I might say hello to as I spend some time with the rocky gravel beneath my feet. If you have not explored a good mountain recently, take this as your sign to do so.

Hunting

I’m sure many of you circle particular days on your calendar. Birthdays, holidays, celebratory events, or sad anniversaries get a little easier as time goes on. One day regularly circled on my calendar, in fact, even added as an event on my work calendar, is opening day for bird hunting. Like clockwork, that second Saturday in October comes around, and pheasant season is open to any hunter with a 12-gauge and a good hunting dog. Similar to the hiking experience, those who partake are going to be putting some mileage on their bodies, most likely. The combined benefit of a good cardiovascular workout as you trek through varying terrain cannot be overstated. Many times during those early-season hunts when I’m not quite in shape, I’ll noticeably feel the strain in my quads and hamstrings after having kicked around cattails taller than I am for 3 hours in pursuit of a rooster. Maybe hunting small game isn’t your thing. That’s fine, too. For those who enjoy filling a freezer, the start of hunting season can mean adding some precious wild game to your diet for the coming months. Nothing quite tastes as exquisite as a good elk steak… except for maybe some elk burger. And, of course, deer are an abundant resource to be harvested along with herds and herds of pronghorns running along the freshly cut farmland.  If you’re looking for a surefire way to make or keep friends, sending some fresh venison jerky or a few pounds of frozen elk is a quick way to do it. Like the experience of hiking the mountains, hunting provides a level of solitude that cannot be matched or described unless you’re fortunate enough to experience it yourself.

The Triple Threat

The solitude and reflection, I think, are what make all three of these fall and winter activities as special as they are. Whether hiking, hunting, or, of course, fishing, we get to experience something in the moment that many others yearn for. Connection with the outdoors. Time away from the hustle and bustle of “real” life. The chance to think about how we fit into the bigger picture of life and the world. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll get to do all three in these next few months.
 

I grew up fishing off docks at Lake Sammamish in Western Washington for everything from bass to bluegills to perch to trout, pumpkinseed sunfish, and more. Little did I know that much later in life, I would be fishing off a dock again for multiple species of fish, but this time, for a potential monetary payout!

MarDon Resort is a multi-generational family-owned resort located on the south shore of Potholes Reservoir in Eastern Washington. For years, they have been putting on an annual dock tournament the second weekend of September. This is a popular event, with anywhere from 125 to 160 participants, many of them coming back every year.

The tournament is very affordable ($60 per entrant in 2025), and there is an 80-percent payout to the winning anglers. It is a vastly different tournament than most. Instead of catching a limit of five or six fish and weighing in the bass or walleye, you are fishing for the two biggest fish of eleven distinct species of fish.  

The species you can catch off the dock are numerous. There are categories for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, rainbow trout, perch, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp, channel catfish, and yellow bullhead. This year, the first-place fish in each category netted the winner $375, and the second-place fish was worth $125.

The groups participating in this event are very diverse. There are families and extended families, couples, fishing buddies, senior citizens, women, and children all fishing off the dock day and night, and all trying to get a big fish.

The tournament kicks off with a potluck on Friday at 5 PM. MarDon Resort provides fried chicken tenders, water, and cookies while participants bring side dishes and more for a nice dinner. At 6 PM, anglers hit the docks and you fish as much or as little as you want from Friday night until 10 AM on Sunday.

There is a weigh-in station at the marina staffed 24 hours a day, this year by Russ and Kim Anderson, who took turns sleeping during the night. Some of the winning fish were caught right off the bat! Georgia Goss was using a crappie jig when she hooked into a monster walleye at sunset on Friday. The 5.56-pound fish netted her first place by a long shot. The only other walleye caught was by her niece, Madison Shopbaugh, and that was only six inches long but still worth $125. It was nice to see kids reel in winning fish!

On Saturday morning, 12-year-old Levi Garza caught a gigantic channel catfish that weighed 25.4 pounds, easily beating out a 16-pound catfish that took second place.  And then there was Jaxon Pech. I met him last year when he reeled in two huge carp, earning him a $500+ paycheck. Jaxon, who is 13 years old, takes this tournament seriously. He lives in nearby Moses Lake, and he told me he fished twenty-nine times off the dock this summer, preparing for the tournament. Jaxon was fishing a sizeable pile of bait off the bottom, hoping to catch carp again. However, when his rod bent with a fish, he found out after a frantic 10-minute fight that he had caught not a carp, but instead, a 4.8-pound rainbow trout. Since Jaxon caught the only trout of the tournament, he got $500 for that fish!

Over the course of the event, the lead would change multiple times for different kinds of fish. For example, I was briefly in second place with a ½-pound bluegill on Saturday morning but was bumped within an hour by a bigger fish. At the end, both of the winning bluegill weighed in at over a pound. The final second-place winner was caught on Sunday morning.

At 10 AM, the event ends, and the whiteboard with the final results is brought up to a grassy area above the boat ramp and docks. Co-owners Levi and Annie Meseberg prepare checks for the winners as well as raffle prizes. Raffle tickets are sold for a dollar each, and at 11 AM, all sorts of raffle prizes are given away. The event wraps up with awards and checks being given out to the winners.

Talking to anglers during the event, I learned that everyone hoped to come back again next year. The mood on the docks is light, anglers are willing to share space, and everybody catches a whole bunch of fish over the weekend. Put it all together, and this unique dock tournament is chock full of fun!

I got to participate in something special in June.  It was a C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation event, put on for nine special needs youth anglers at Potholes State Park in Eastern Washington. The foundation, born in 1991, had its first event at Banks Lake in Washington. Today, the organization is on pace to host 100 or more fishing events all over the nation.

C.A.S.T. for Kids was founded by Jim Owens, a retired Bureau of Reclamation worker who wanted to get kids with special needs and disadvantages out for a fun, mentored day of fishing.  

Melissa McCalmant, who was present at the Potholes event, is the Western Operations Manager for C.A.S.T. for Kids. She said volunteers are a key part of their operation.  That includes a volunteer coordinator who does the bulk of the work putting each event together.  The coordinator gets with the venue owner and, in some cases, with their state fish and wildlife agency to arrange for fish stocking. In lakes or ponds that already have well-established fish populations, this is not necessary. The coordinator also seeks cash donations to purchase rods, reels, and tackle boxes at a discounted rate from Lews and Flambeau for each participant.  

McCalmant also told me they go to great lengths to get special needs kids out fishing.  She recalled one instance where a parent said their child could not participate because he was in a wheelchair. McCalmant procured a volunteer with a pontoon boat that was ADA accessible so that the young man could indeed enjoy a day out on the water.  In fact, for many of the kids participating, it’s their first time fishing.

Melissa went on to tell me that while many events take place with anglers fishing from shore, they also offer events where anglers will fish with volunteer boaters on bass boats or on pontoon boats. 

Summing things up, McCalmant said, “This is a free event for the participant and their family, and it’s a day that allows them to forget about their special needs and that they are too, just like one of us, and can fish and participate.’

As for the Potholes event, Levi Rodelo, a local fishing and hunting guide with Ross Outdoor Adventures, has a special needs daughter. He took on the role of Event Coordinator. Nixon’s Marine in Pasco, Washington, donated $500 so he could purchase the rods, reels, and tackle boxes for each kid.

Levi coordinated with Potholes State Park and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), who both readily agreed to partner in the event. Levi obtained a net pen that he put next to the boat launch in the park. WDFW stocked the net pen with 250 rainbow trout, the majority being catchable size, but some were much larger.

On the morning of the event, 15 volunteers met Rodelo and McCalmant. They assigned roles to all of us, and then the kids showed up with their families at 8 AM. The special needs of the children varied. One teenager had high-functioning autism, and one child had Down syndrome. Two other kids were non-verbal and couldn’t speak.

Each child (and volunteer) was given a t-shirt to wear from C.A.S.T. for Kids, as well as their fishing rods, reels, and tackle box. Each kid was paired up with a volunteer fishing buddy/coach. Hooks were baited under bobbers, and it was time to go fishing!

The fishing wasn’t fast and furious, but everybody got to reel in one or more trout in two hours of shore fishing. With the temperature heating up, the fishing wrapped up around 10 AM.  

After that, everyone involved went to a food truck brought there by Blacky’s Smokin Sweet from Othello. The owners heard about the event and wanted to participate. They refused all payment, accepted no tips, and served everyone their choice of hamburger or hot dog with fries.

The event wrapped up with every kid getting a picture with their fishing buddy, and every coach and participant received a plaque to commemorate the event. The kids absolutely loved the whole thing. Not just fishing, but being made to feel like they were the center of attention, doing something very fun.  

If you want to find out more about the C.A.S.T. for Kids non-profit Foundation, go to www.castforkids.org.  Once there, you can look for events near you and sign up your special needs kid.  If you want to volunteer or donate, you can do that through the website as well. C.A.S.T. for Kids…They are doing some great things for some very special kids out there.

Are you in need of outdoor activity ideas for the days ahead? Here, you'll find seven suggestions that offer you the chance to embrace the outdoors and partake in fresh experiences this spring season.

Wildflower Hikes

The wildflowers are blooming around Eastern Washington and now is a great time to go on a hike and immerse yourself in their presence! A few of my favorite places to go include Columbia Hills State Park in Klickitat County, Hay Canyon and Nahahum Canyon near Cashmere, Ingalls Creek south of Peshastin, the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge south of Cheney, and the area around Palouse Falls State Park.

Waterfalls

Speaking of Palouse Falls, this is the best time of year to visit this state park near Starbuck in Southeast Washington. The spring runoff on the Palouse River sends a voluminous amount of water crashing into the 198-feet deep basalt basin below the falls. Other waterfalls worth checking out right now include Rainbow Falls near Stehekin, Silver Falls west of Entiat, and Periwee (also known as Peewee) Falls in Pend Oreille County, which cascades 233 feet into Boundary Lake.

Bass Fishing

The bass are in the shallows and getting ready to spawn. This is arguably the easiest time of year to sight fish for bass. Casting finesse rigs like senkos, jigs or Texas rigged worms and lizards can readily draw strikes. Look for these bass in thick cover and be prepared to scratch up the boat a bit to get at them.

Trout Fishing

Most of those trout planted prior to the lowland lakes opener are still there, and this is a great time to go fishing for them. If you are looking for places to go, check out the WDFW derby lakes where trout with blue tags have been planted. If you catch one of these trout, they are worth a prize, which could be anything from a gift card to a canoe!

Catfish Fishing

Another option for anglers right now is to go after catfish. You can find them in the lower John Day River between the mouth and the falls as well as the mouth of the Palouse River near Lyons Ferry State Park. Channel catfish are also plentiful in the Snake River.

Desert Hikes

As the weather warms, desert hikes become a lot less enjoyable, but if you go now, you can still take advantage of the great scenery and some of the lakes found in these regions. Some of my favorite desert hikes are the lower route to the Ancient Lakes, Dusty Lake, (1.5 and 3 mike one-way hikes respectively), and near Frenchman or Winchester Wasteway in the Desert Wildlife Area in Grant County. If you go, check yourself for ticks at the conclusion of your excursion.

The Washington lowland lakes opener is in the history books, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still catch fish from them. Here’s a report on some favorites and how angler did: 

Steve Caromile, the Inland Fish Program Manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said, “The lowland lake trout season, Washington’s single biggest fishing season, opened April 22nd with decent weather and catch rates. It is still one of the best bargains in local family recreation. The 22nd was also the first day of our annual trout derby, and we are already seeing catches of tagged trout!”

Caromile continued saying, “With typical springtime weather, angler catch and effort at our lakes was comparable to prior seasons, with catch averaging just about three fish per angler. The air temperatures weren’t bad, but water temperatures are still on the cool side. But with better weather in the forecast, the catch will be heating up as well.”

If you are wondering how Central and Eastern Washington lakes fished on opening day, here are reports from WDFW staff who visited various waters in the region:

Klickitat County

Horsethief Lake was fishing pretty slow on the opener. Individuals averaged two trout each. However, things were very different at Rowland Lake. 29 anglers were checked, and although there were not many people fishing, creel checkers noted they harvested lot of fish. Eight trout were caught per angler, and on average they kept 3.24 fish. The largest trout seen? A 21-incher!

Chelan County

Clear Lake was frozen over and Beehive Reservoir was not accessible to vehicular traffic due to snow at this lake located near the Mission Ridge Ski Area, south of Wenatchee. However, Wapato Lake, near Manson, was open for fishing, and anglers caught and kept around 3.5 trout apiece.

Douglas County

The crowds were out at Jameson Lake on opening morning. Creel checkers counted 234 anglers fishing for trout at 8 AM. Just under 3 trout per angler were caught here, the average fish measuring 11-inches long. The largest fish seen by WDFW staff was a 16-inch rainbow.

Grant County

The crowds were also out for the opener at Blue Lake, with nearly 300 individuals counted, and a lot of these anglers were kids. The average catch was only 1.5 trout each, but the size of the trout was a healthy 14 inches. Park Lake, south of Coulee City, was also crowded, and the catching was about the same as Blue Lake. There was far better fishing at nearby Deep Lake, in Sun Lakes State Park. Anglers there were catching five fish limits of rainbow trout averaging 13 inches.

Okanogan Country

Okanogan County is a popular destination for the lowland lakes opener and for good reason: the fishing can be very good here and the scenery is nice. Creel checkers did not make it out to any of the lakes here for the opener but I called Gene Bussell at Liars Cove Resort, who said anglers did pretty good for both bass and trout. However, the lake is really low right now, and according to Bussell, “it’s not easy to launch boats at the moment.” The good news is the lake is starting to fill and boat access is getting better. Check with Bussell for exactly where to launch so you don’t get stuck in the mud.

Pend Oreille Country

At Diamond Lake, the crowds were low and the fishing was slow, due primarily to cold water temperatures. Of the anglers checked, on average they only harvested a rainbow apiece, though most of them were 13-inches long, and the largest checked was a respectable 19-inch trout.

Stevens County

Waitts Lake had more anglers than any other body of water in Stevens County on opening day. Creel checkers noted the fishing was best in the morning before the winds kicked up. The anglers checked averaged 2.4 trout apiece, but the fish were large, with the rainbows going nearly 14 inches and the brown trout 16. There were not many anglers seen at the other Stevens County lakes. At Starvation Lake, anglers were indeed starving for trout and the fishing was slow. The same scenario played out at Rocky and Mudgett Lake. The few trout checked averaged 12 inches in length.

Last but not least, if you catch a trout with a blue tag on it, don’t throw it back. That’s a WDFW trout derby fish and it’s worth a prize. Go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby for details about where these fish have been stocked and how to claim your prize if you catch one.

John Kruse – www.northwesternoutdoors.com and www.americaoutdoorsradio.com