The day started out with much anticipation as many of my trips do. I met the guys in the Totem Lake Mall parking lot and we made our way down I-5 to spend the day fishing the Cowlitz River.
We launched the boat at blue creek.
Once the boat was in the water we rowed up to first drift where we would get acquainted with equipment, stretch out our lines, and shake off the ever increasing fishing nerves.
Now one fact to remember is most fisherman don’t sleep well the night before a trip. The anxiety and anticipation of what the next days catch may bring is often referred to as “Christmas Morning” syndrome. “The thought of big fish danced in our heads”.
Luke a senior at Biola University was the first person to break the ice. With his coon shrimp diving ever so promptly under the currents tow. A swift grab of the rod, clean hook set, and the battle was on.
Luke’s Steelhead
It was shortly after Luke put us on the board with the first steelhead that his dad Darrin followed suite. A hard fighting big hatchery fish devoured his shrimp meeting him in a toe to toe battle. Darrin displayed his skill with rod in hand fighting the fish perfectly.
Darrin’s Steelhead
We had a spectacular day on the river together. The fish box was nearly full, only because a few elusive steelhead had slipped away.
Tip for the day: Fish “Ray’s Coon Shrimp” under a black brads mud diver. Tie a 6ft leader (12 lb fluorocarbon leader) with #2 and #4 hooks with a small piece of spinner wire attached by a bobber stop just up from the hooks to straiten out the shrimp. Fish the shrimp 60+ feet behind your drift boat in 8-14ft of water. Work it slowly through the runs and let the rods burry. Remember to set your drags a little looser then normal if you are fishing fluorocarbon leaders.
Always Believe!