WA walleye

[larry]

I hope to spend a week in central washington starting this coming weekend. I've been waiting for this week for months! Any recommendations for places to go or to avoid? Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks a bunch.

[cfwalleye]

Give Gordon Steinmetz and Don Hall a call at Big Wally's in Coulee City (on Banks Lake). They will know where they are biting.

I think there are perch biting on Moses Lake right now and walleye have been biting on Potholes for months now.

Banks should be picking up as well and fish should be moving into the Spokane arm at Roosevelt.

[WalleyeJason]

If your looking for numbers of walleye I would say go to Potholes. the bite there is steady and the fish are good size.


If your looking for a trophy...I'd go to the Columbia River out of Irrigon, Or. Your chances of getting a 10+ fish are good. Just getting them to bite is the hard part.


Another place you might keep in mind would be Rufus Woods, below Grand Coulee Dam. I havent heard any reports, but usually this time of year the fishing can be good there.



As CF has stated give Gordon a call about Banks Lake, look for the bite there to get hot in the next few weeks. Right before the spawn, but its a timing thing, you have to be there or youll miss it. One year we hit it just right and caught 20+ fish a day, all were good size and it was a fun couple of days.




I wish I had a whole week off right now...Good luck on your trip.

[wa_walleye]

All above is good info. Also try High Desert Marine for current info. IF numbers I would go to potholes with a backup of perch on Moses Lake. I am terrible trophy hunter. I go to Irrigon and watch everyone else catch fish but me. My friends are starting to call the guide as they are catch fish in my boat while I catch everything but walleye. Jigs and blade baits are the ticket both places. FYI, use blade baits for the big perch on moses too. I would recommend the Luhr Jenson Rippletail perch pattern for Moses Lake. Last year occasion by product seemed to be 5 to 6 pound walleye. Go figure!!! Below McNary sonar in silver with chartruese and red tape or silver tape. Best sonar if you can track down one is gold plated plain or with one of the above tapes for cloudy days. Jigs seem dominate right now though on the river.

[metis]

thanks a bunch guys. i am leaving tomorrow p.m. and start at Banks. spend a couple days and move to potholes and moses for a few days and then catch the spokane arm on the way back home. that is sort of the plan but am totally flexible so will go with the flow. if rufus is producing that will change my plan a little. if gordy has advice i will follow it. nice to have 9 days to do this! i need this badly. i'll dedicate the first catch on each water to you. ( :)

irrigon will have to remain on that wish list for right now.

[Fishinpox]

You may want to alter your game plan just a little, since the Oregon Spring Walleye Classic will be a happenin March 29-30. It's a fun tourney to fish,don't miss it if you don't have to. Rod Mc kenzie at High desert marine heads it up,

fish every day you can,because you can,for the memories are priceless.

[Quill]

Speaking of tourney's, any of you guys going to do big wallys on Banks lake tourney in May ?

[cfwalleye]

I AM!!!

[wa_walleye]

I am fishing all if I have partners for them!!!

[WalleyeJason]

Hey all you Northwest Walleye Anglers,

I am about to upload www.NorthwestWalleye.com tonight at Midnight:)

We will cover all aspects of the Walleye tournaments in Washington and Oregon, we will have compleate standings of the Washington State Walleye Circuit.

The message boards are up and running, you can get to them via

http://www.northwestwalleye.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl


Good luck on your trip, I sure wish I had 9 days off right now...


Take Care

[Evergreen State Musky Guy]

If you go to Banks Lake, you are not far from Roosevelt Lake (the 120-mile-long reservoir above Grand Coulee Dam). Three good walleye areas on L. Roosevelt are Hawk Creek (near town of Wilbur), the Spokane Arm, and town of Kettle Falls.

Hawk Creek, the nearest to Banks L., has a good boat ramp, a pleasant federal campground with a picturesque waterfall, and is a very scenic place to fish in. If you go there, motor through the short canyon out into the bay, and fish the band of shallow muddy water next to the shoreline. The walleyes are mostly small but good numbers and you will also get a bunch of small but feisty smallmouths. Not a trophy place but lots of fun if you can work a day there into your schedule. From there you can drop down to the south end of Banks L. around the islands, then drop farther south to Moses Lake and Potholes (which are adjacent), then continue south to Irrigon, if you have the time to fish multiple locations.

This area has three tiger muskie lakes: Curlew Lake near the town of Curlew north of Banks Lake, Evergreen Reservoir near the town of Quincy west of Moses Lake, and Red Rock Reservoir near the town of Royal City just south of Potholes.

Hope this info is helpful.

[jim]

Any of you guys fish Porcuipine Bay on the Spokane River Arm lately? Just wondering how the eyes are biting and where.

[cfwalleye]

I haven't been there lately but they were biting well a month ago. Haven't heard any recent reports.

[RDJ]

A few days into his trip and Larry's found fish at most stops so far. Weather hasn't been the best but the bites are keeping him from noticing I think. He caught fish on Rufus then if I remember what he said struggled on Banks a bit yesterday but they had a decent day at Potholes today, got one 8 1/2 LBer, a 5 Lber and a few eaters. I'll keep you posted if he calls. We're trying to meet at the end of the week at Two Rivers. See ya soon at the tourneys, think spring...RJ in Montana..