Columbia River Summer Steelhead- The bite is on
Summer steelhead fishing on the lower Columbia River has grown popular in the last 10 years. What once was a tributary show for our trips, now is a big river show as we’ve realized that we can get in front of all the fish headed up the Columbia, rather than just those on a certain river. The results have been at times, unbelievable as we’ve learned to set up and target these east bound fish.
After a mediocre 2015, 2016 is proving to be nothing short of phenomenal. 20 fish days? Yes, they are happening this year as better numbers appear to be returning. As we all know by now, projected returns vs. actual returns vs. the given water conditions, make knowing in advance how the fishing is going to shake out, a bit of a mystery. Case in point, this year’s Columbia River steelhead run wasn’t expected to be all that impressive and maybe it’s still not, but conditions, returns or something is making the fishing as good as it is.
Coon shrimp is clearly the bait du jour for summer steelhead on the Columbia River. I’m not sure what it is about the little buggers, but steelhead really like these little morsels. Like most prepared baits, not all coon shrimp are created equal. Flavor matters and can make a big difference as to how many fish you catch. Bruce, Shawn and the rest of the guys spend a lot of time working on their baits and scouting out spots that are going to produce big time numbers. The collective effort, attention to detail and passion for what we do is really the difference that we offer our customers.
All the fishing is going down about a half an hour east of Astoria just outside the Columbia River Estuary. If you’ve never fished the lower Columbia River, you’re in for a treat. Along with great fishing, expect to see Bald Eagles, deer, river otters and who knows what else. This is a great place to spend a day fishing.
Looking to fish the Columbia River for summer steelhead? Give us a call at 503.680.6809 or email us at info@lancefisherfishing.com.