25. When asked what is the most productive fishing in North America, two sources whose opinion we really value, both independently said they feel it's salt water beach pink salmon fishing (+ occasional coho) off Keogh River's mouth on Vancouver Island. Cluxewe River mouth is also great.
26. Dale sees as practically the best fishing over 3 generations in his family. Trout at upper end of Upper Quartz Lake in NW Montana, hiking in with an inflatable canoe or row-boat. His brother's boat was towed around by a monster 13lb. Bull Trout!
27. Was Dale's grandpa's most productive river fishing! Drive to Montana's South Fork of Flathead River, then hike, near Meadow Creek Guard Station.
28. The “best” trout fishing in Washington: Blackstone Lake fly fishing for large trout, in the area of Yakima, Washington area. Not crowded. Pay-access.
29. In a poll a group member did of the “best fishing spot in North America,” the Chilliwack/Vedder River in SW BC received the most votes of any spot in the Northwest! Dale's first day fishing there he played 36 chums, himself. Fish on a week-day.
30. With our system at Big Sabin Lake NE of Merritt, BC, we usually hook a 11-16” trout every third cast, on average. Most days we’ve had the entire lake to ourselves! We recently saw a Grizzly here.
31. Using a separate boat for each adult, is some of the fastest trout fishing in southern BC: Walloper Lake, for 11" trout. Water temperature was important for Dale.
32. Boats hooking into over 100 salmon/weekend on Western Strait of Juan De Fuca pinks and coho in an odd # year is not unusual. Statistically one of best saltwater salmon scenarios in continental US.
33. County with maybe best stream cutthroat fishing in US is Idaho's Clearwater County (Cayuse, Kelly, and Weitas Creeks)!
34. Possibly the best lake fly fishing in the US for real huge (up to 10 lbs.) selective trout: Grindstone Lakes, E of Prineville Oregon. $190/rod+lodging.
35. Off-shore king salmon fishing near Vancouver Island’s Bamfield or Ucluelet can be hampered due to the innumerable coho that often intercept the lure before it can even get down to the kings. However, the regulations often don’t allow you to keep coho there at that time, but you can often keep kings.
36. Deer Lake west of Mukilteo, Washington, on Whidbey Island, opening 5 days. Dale had great fishing…and when he fished it, he had the lake almost all to himself.
37. The Snohomish/Skykomish Rivers can rival the Skagit River for number of pink salmon caught.
38. When we use Dale's system that's featured in Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine's April 2005 issue, our boat often hooks into 140+ total trout per weekend.
39. Tisdall Lake, located east of the town of Williams Lake BC, can offer very fast rainbow trout fishing.
40. Possibly the best wild trout fishing in Washington State: Double-E Preserve, N. of Spokane. Possibly have lake to yourself! $118+-/rod.
41. Using our system on the Harrison River in SW BC, Dale and his dad often combine for almost half a ton of chum salmon hooked over a weekend. Often it's a hookup every fourth cast. These particular fish are still very strong! To hook that many fish, we don’t go when the water is low! Even # years are best.
42. For a couple of hours in 2003, on Silver Lake in Whatcom County, Washington, using Dale's system featured in Salmon Trout Steelheader April 2005 issue, Dale usually brought in two 13” trout at the same time, on the same rod! We've had hundred-hookup days.
43. Dale has had fast fishing, using one of our systems, at Paska Lake north of Merritt, BC.
44. Possibly BC's fastest fishing in a public drive-to wild trout lake?: Parrot Lakes in Northern BC, for 9"+- wild rainbows.
45. Using Dale's system, a father and two sons hooking into 450 total combined pounds of shad over a weekend is not unusual below Bonneville dam, at the fishing deadline markers, on Washington side. Like almost all fisheries, correct timing is crucial!
46. Below Bonneville dam, on the Oregon side, a father and two sons hooking into 150+ total hard-fighting 3lb. shad over a weekend is not unusual.
47. Squamish River chums (north of Vancouver, BC.) can sometimes be as bright as any fresh water chums on earth. A father and his two sons can amazingly combine to hook into around three-quarters of a ton of salmon over the weekend, from shore.
48. Anchoring by the Washougal R. mouth, on the Columbia River, it's not unusual for a boat to hook into 120+ hard-fighting 3lb. shad (fight as hard as most trout!) over the weekend.
49. A boat hooking into 160 three-pound black rockfish west of Neah Bay in NW Washington, at it's peak, is not unheard of. Plus incidental salmon. Dave Vedder wrote "...possibly the nation's finest rockfish grounds."
50. A father and two sons playing 125 three pound shad (fight as hard as most trout) over a weekend is certainly feasible on the Umpqua River in SW Oregon. Location and timing are vital, however.
51. The best spot in the Northwest for lots of kokanee is Dworshak Reservoir in N Idaho. Check on water levels, since launching can be a problem if the water is way down. Check into legally using two rods at once, in Idaho!
52. Pennask Lake for trout in south central BC.
53. Looking at government catch-rate statistics, the most productive salt water salmon option on the entire west coast of the continental US is probably Sekiu for pink salmon!
54. Using our system, our boat can hook into over 100 ocean-fresh coho at our coordinates at Sekiu, on Washington's Olympic Peninsula saltwater. If you go late in the run, a few might be 9-16+ pound hooknose! No boat?…not a problem….you can rent a 14’ boat.
55. One day travel from Seattle: over the years, Dale's totaled hundreds of cutthroats on NF Flathead River in NW Montana, float-trip.
56. Selway River, Idaho, cutthroat trout (end of road above Lowell, then hike 40 minutes.) Dale's uncle likes the nearby Lochsa River.
57. In our poll of the “best panfish lakes in the NW,” Seattle's Lake Washington was voted #1. Some boats hook 170 good-sized perch over a weekend. Please limit your kill!
58. Biggest run of fish in the NW! 25 million pinks on Fraser River in SW BC, about 10 miles N of Lynden, Washington. Half the time Dale hooks 100 fish per weekend, himself....the other half of the time he does poorly. Dale once saw a fisherman hook 101 pinks/sockeye in a single day. Dale once hooked dozens of salmon usually fishing with only 40 INCHES of line out from his rod tip...fun!
59. According to National Geographic, the one river in the world with the most number of returning salmon is located 10 miles north of Lynden Washington. Some years fifty million salmon try to return to the Fraser River in SW BC! Sockeye fishing can be great.
60. A boat hooking into 140 nice-sized eight-inch-average fall crappie, at Silver Lake by Mt. St. Helens, is not unusual with this particular system.
61. Dale's family has fond memories of the fast trout fishing at Takysie Lake in W Central BC.
62. Detroit Lake in N central Oregon often receives the largest number of adult trout in the state. 130 hookups for a boat over the weekend wouldn't be unusual when a certain water temperature occurs.
63. Moccasin Lake in N central Washington, fly fishing for huge trout. Possibly have lake to yourself! Pay-access.
64. Fabled Campbell River on Vancouver Island is beautiful, and Dale got almost chrome pink salmon his first day there, in the early part of the season.
65. Dale's family has good memories of the fast trout fishing at Twinkle Lake in W Central BC.
66. SW Washington's Battleground Lake has 5 times more trout/acre in a year than almost any other lake in the NW. Dale hooked a 5.5 & 7+pound trout there. He saw a stringer of 5 trout….ALL were 5-8 pounds! Most fish are 12", though.
67. Kids might like fishing for little crappie in the spring at Silver Lake, near Mt. St. Helens. 150 hookups for a boat over the weekend is not unusual, in the spring. You’ll want to use our night-fishing system.
68. During our window period on Potholes Reservoir in central Washington, your family could camp on one of the hundreds (yes) of sand-dune islands (have it all to yourself - kids might love this!), and hook over 100 panfish over the weekend. Waterskiing/tubing can be a fun diversion.
69. Crooked River for trout, central Oregon…..one of Oregon's most productive.
70. A poll was taken, and Jameson Lake in central Washington was voted the number one trout lake in the state!
71. Anchored off Coon Island in Multnomah Channel, near Portland, Oregon, we hooked into almost 100 shad on our trip. Here, you also stand a fair chance of playing a Chinook.
72. Dry-fly fishing for 10-18" trout on beautiful St. Joe River in N Idaho. Our second day there, Dale's brother released an 18 incher, and he had almost 50 other hookups, himself. We followed our timing system.
73. Bamfield/Ucluelet on west side of Vancouver Island, can sometimes have non-stop bottom fish action.
74. At our GPS coordinates off Neah Bay, in NW Washington, using our system in the mornings, we can often put a herring six inches under the surface, troll it a mere 36 INCHES behind the boat, and actually watch coho toy with it every 3 minutes or so.
