NW Outdoor Explorer

This is a combined report for the previous two days because although each day was drastically different, the end result was no bueno. Headed out Friday morning from Marine Park.  Cruised down to Davis Bar for a few passes.  Got our lines in the water and started the grind.  Again, the standard flasher and cut […]

Launched from the Ridgefield ramp on this day.  I initially wanted to slip into the Multnomah Channel but decided last minute to head up river to Davis Bar.  It gave me a chance to run the motors good and get some fresh fuel thorough the system.  I had to replace a thermostat in one of […]

With springer fever starting to really kick in, deciding to float for steelhead or troll for salmon was tough.  Either way, I just had to get my wife on the water. If you read the title of this post, it is pretty obvious the decision I made. My buddy Pablo did a little recon and […]

My original plans had me out on the Columbia River trolling for Spring Chinook again last Saturday.  One event led to another and my plans fell through.  I got an invite to join my good friends out on the Clackamas River to chase winter steelhead instead.  With the Columbia as cold as it is right […]

Courtesy of KATU News PORTLAND, Ore. – An angler made $84,000 in 5 months by catching 10,000 fish from Northwest rivers last year. Here’s how: The Bonneville Power Administration’s Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program offers anglers $5 to $8 for every northern pikeminnow taken from the Columbia and Snake rivers. The pikeminnow preys on young salmon and steelhead. “The program’s goal […]

It is finally time to come out of hibernation! Life got in the way of much of my Winter Steelhead fishing this year.  The itch needs to be scratched. ODFW/WDFW announced the Spring salmon season for the Columbia River which started yesterday March 1st and is set to run through April 7th. There have been […]

This is the continuation to my previous post.  Thank you again Home with Heroes for making this happen. We were scheduled to hit the Sandy river, but due to high winds, the excursion was moved to the Clackamas river to get a little more protection from the wind.  It was still pretty cold, but not […]

License and tags have been purchased.  It has been a tradition for a few years now.  My fishing buddy Pablo and I head out New Years Day to chase steelhead on the Sandy river.  As the years go by, my staying out all night New Years Eve has been slowing down making it easier to […]

As 2017 comes to an end, I look at the fishing that was and the fishing to come. My tally last year was not great, but not too bad for mostly fishing a little in July and one week in August. Personal: 1 wild Chinook 3 hatchery Chinook 3 hatchery Coho 1 hatchery Steelhead 2 […]

Story by: Terry Otto For the leisurely outdoorsman, winter is a time to stay inside. It’s a time to tie flies, repair waders and read magazines. The fire beckons, and they wait there for spring’s welcome touch. But for the other kind of sportsman, those that love the winter, it is a season filled with […]