07/09/26
With summer in full swing and the likelihood of heat waves upon us, it might be time to hit higher elevations or the coast for some relief and fishing. If you are looking for a great alpine experience, Donner continues to produce good numbers of Kokanee and nice Lakers. Union Valley is putting out decent Kokanee and Rainbows with a few Kokes over 15" already. If the coast is your preferred cool down spot, salmon season is in full swing in the Ocean with fish being caught out the Gate and north. Inland salmon season opens for the first time in 3 years on July 16th and the Klamath and Trinity open July 1st for Springers. Fall run opens on August 15th on the Klamath and September 1st on the Trinity. Be sure to check the regulations for seasons and limits for all Salmon fisheries you will be fishing.
Made a few trips since the last report. Up to Union Valley for Kokanee and north to Klamath for the 4th of July. Union Valley did not disappoint with fast action on Kokanee from 11-15". It was an early bite for us with most of the action over by 7:15. Two sets of doubles and couldn't get 4 rods out without getting a bite. We had 7 by 7:15 in Camino Cove from the rocks to the back before the bite shut off. We explored a bit and found fish above Yellowjacket but they weren't biting. Went back to Camino and trolled round until the bite came back on around 9:30. Three fish in three passes and we were back at the ramp by 10:30. My neighbor went up the next week to troll for trout and got three nice rainbows so that's an option if you finish up your Kokanee early.
We made the trek up to Klamath CA, on the Klamath River to spend time with friends Jim and Marlene for the 4th. My wife Kim had never been up to Klamath so we made the trip through Clear Lake, over to 101, and up through the Redwoods. Did some sightseeing along the way including a drive through the Avenue of the Giants along the S. fork of the Eel, one of my favorite spots.
The drive is long but the constant change in scenery and environments makes it enjoyable. The weather was cool with occasional winds that kept us in hoodies, a welcome change from the rising temperatures at home. We spent time getting camp setup, making trips to Crescent City and Stout Grove, highly recommended. We also spent some time getting geared up to hit the river for Salmon. The season opened on the 1st so we were itching to go. Heard that some fish were coming through so made plans to hit the right tide on Sunday morning.
If you were at the meeting last month you heard Jerry Lampkin talk about all methods used on the Klamath to entice fresh run Kings to bite. We trolled the tried and true 3/4 oz Kastmasters and after working most of the estuary, found a biter right in front of camp. This fish came right to the boat before realizing it was hooked and took off but not before wrapping one of the other lines. After a few moments of excitement the fish ran right under the boat to the other side and spit the hook. With our blood pumping a little bit more we reset lines and got another take down that didn't stick. With the typical mid morning wind picking up and the marine layer blowing in, we turned for camp. There were a few fish landed around us, which is a good sign for things to come. As Kim and I were heading for home early the next morning, that was the extent of my fishing for this trip. The camp host had taken his family over to the spit to fish for Redtail Perch with good success on these great eating ocean run perch. Huge flocks of pelicans were all over the spit as well. I always look forward to the next trip to the north coast whether for ocean Kings, river Steelhead or Salmon, or just the natural beauty of the environment.
