The Spring Chinook Salmon run is just getting way. These are wonderful fish to catch and eat. Your heart will pound with excitement as you hook a 20-40 pound fish with the energy and anger of a two-year-old child in full tantrum mode!

Once salmon transition from the ocean to fresh water, they stop eating. The males start to develop curved jawbones, which prevent them from closing their mouths completely. So why do they bite? It’s much like a fly buzzing around your head. At first, you just ignore it. But after awhile, you start to become irritated. At first you may swipe at it to shoo it off. Later you are on a mission to rid yourself from this damn fly!

That is why you allow your rod to go down three or four times before you set the hook. The salmon needs to chew it up a few times to make sure it is deep enough in it’s mouth that you will not pull it out by setting the hook.

Now the fun begins! Just like a defiant two-year-old, Salmon do not like to be controlled. They have been running free all of their lives. The ability to swim hard and fast has prevented them from becoming lunch for one of the thousands of predators they have encounter during their four to five year lifetime. They are not willing to give up now. They too are on a mission to return to the location of their conception. This is a one-way trip for these magnificent creatures, so they are willing to devote all of their energy to being free again.

So enjoy the screaming of your reel as you battle one these Pacific Northwest wonders. And just because you hook it does not mean you will win the battle. So keep your line tight. And maybe you will be the victor of this battle.

P. S. They really taste good smothered in garlic.

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

Fall is a wonderful time to be on the water. The water is cooling from the Summer heat and the fish are moving up from the deep. They have continued to grow in length and stature. You will especially notice their extra engery as they attack your lure or bait.

I was fishing at Northfork Reservoir, which is located approximately 7 miles East of Estacada Oregon, on Sunday 9/20/09. The weather was great with just a little wind. By the time I made a trolling run  down most of the lake, I already had 5 trout in the live wells. It was a fantastic time. I stopped counting after catching 12 trout. Most of the day was spent catching and releasing fish.

During these high fish count days, I like to try different techniques. I make a lure, which is much like a Wedding Ring. I normally fish it behind lake troll flashers, but I decided to use the lure alone with a few large split shot up the line for weight. It worked wonderfully! The lure is so light it fishes extremely well on an ultra-light rod. If you try the technique, make sure to tip the lure with some nightcrawler.

Northfork Reservoir will close for the season this Sunday, so don’t wait to go. Otherwise, you may want to check out Hagg Lake south of Forest Grove, Oregon. It will be open 6 more weeks and the water level is lowering for the winter.

See you at the dock.

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

As a fishing guide, I am always faced with what will work today. The fishing lure, which was working well yesterday, may not work today. So I carry a variety of weapons in my fishing arsenal. All of which, have worked extremely well in the past. But what will work today?

There are thousands of different fishing lures on the market today. To the average person, many look the same, but they come in different weights, colors, blade configuration and sizes. So what should you buy? The manufactures want you to buy all of them. Some claim they catch so many fish “they should be outlawed”. While others catch more fishermen then fish with their sparkly designs and sharp hooks.

About those sharp hooks! It’s bad protocol to hook a fellow fisherman, while casting. Yes they put up quite a fight as you try to reel them in, but the screaming is disturbing to others on the lake. Barbed hooks are rather difficult and painful to remove when you only have a rusty pair of pliers and a knife.

Large tuna lures, which are the size of your foot, can be dangerous if they come loose. You see it was hooked to a supersonic missile called a tuna. It stretched your monofilament fish line like a budgie cord causing the lure to return at the speed of sound. You will be glad to realize the boat has an ice machine; once you awake from your temporary coma!

There are few things more sad, then the look on the face of a fishermen, who has just lost his favorite lure or that lure which cost $7.95, which is now embedded in a log the size of your truck. Yes these are sad days, but remember, there are more lures at the tackle shop. Maybe that is why the credit card company just raised your limit.

See You At The Dock!

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

I have a friend who has caught the fishing bug. He is really enjoying the sport and is always hungry for a new experience. He asked me to accompany him to the local tackle shop a few weeks ago, to purchase a rod and reel for Salmon and Steelhead. He already had a good Trout setup. After discovering his budget, we selected some good equipment.

Fishermen are like children with a new favorite toy. We just can’t wait to put it to use. He had the new line on the reel and was ready to go. So we set a date and were off to baptize the new gear.

Last week I introduced him to drift fishing on a river. He picked it up quickly. At first he was getting bites, but no fish, so I had him sharpen the hook with a file. Soon he was back fishing.

It didn’t take long for him to announce with excitement, that he had a fish. He hooked a Pike Minnow. These are fish, which eat Salmon and Steelhead roe or eggs. I unhooked it and tossed it up on the bank for birds or a raccoon to eat. I try not to release these fish back into the water. I much prefer Salmon or Steelhead.

My friend was pumped full of anticipation and excitement as he returned to fishing. He knew that stretch of the Clackamas River also held Salmon and Steelhead along with Trout. He was ready to catch more fish!

We modified the rig a few times to see what would work best that day. After an hour or so, there was that smile again. He had another fish. It was a nice trout. It looked like it was in the 1-2 pound range. I never got a chance to weigh the fish or examine it closely, because he was so excited about catching it, he did not pull it completely on shore. With a little slack in the line it was gone, but my buddy still has that memory securely tucked away in his heart.

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

If you are planning to go fishing on the Clackamas River, I highly recommend purchasing your supplies at Estacada Tackle in Estacada, Oregon. These are wonderful people! They have excellent prices on food, ice, bait and fishing supplies. It is truly worth the drive. These people are also full of information about where to go to find fish.

There are Salmon & Steelhead runs at various times of the year on the Clackamas River; but there are also lakes and reservoirs full od hungry Trout on the river. If you are going to Estacada Lake, Faraday lake or Northfork Reservoir, stop by and get your supplies.

The prices are not inflated like some small town stores. They have some of the best prices for fishing bait and ice anywhere in the area

See You At The Dock.

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

June 29th, 2009 | Tags: claclamas river, northfork reservoir, oregon fishing, pge parks, promontory park |

I was on a boat in the ocean, fishing for Tuna and we were into a large school of fish. The deck hands were continuing to throw live Anchovies into the water to hold the fish by the boat. Birds were circling overhead and there were hook-ups all over the boat. I had just lost a fish when it happened. I re-baited with a nice fat Anchovy. As I cast the bait, the mother of all Pelicans grabbed it before it hit the water. This bird had the wingspan of a small airplane. It was peeling line like a tuna, but none of it was in the water. It’s like I had a turbo-charged kite. I tightened my drag and decided I should be able to get the bird close enough to release it unharmed, but that was MUCH easier said then done. It seemed the bird was flying in several different directions at the same time. The closer it came, the more angry and excited it got. It did not help that I had an 11′ fishing rod. With a rod that long it was difficult to get the pelican close enough to free it.

By this time most of the other passengers had reeled in their fish and the school was gone. We needed to relocate and find another school of fish. After all, we are supposed to be catching tuna, NOT PELICANS! I didn’t know so many people had caught pelican before, or so it seemed by all of the advice I was receiving. The calls were everything from, “shoot the bird” to “just cut it loose.” That is when I heard a distinct voice. It was rather high pitched and piercing. “No! You can’t hurt the bird. It’s protected!!!” As luck would have it, we had the International Queen of the Audubon Society on board. She claimed to be friends with, Senators, Congressmen and possibility The President of the United States. There would be no killing of this bird! In the meantime, I have this bird about 20′ away, which is franticly flying around like a car on a rollercoaster. I had no idea pelicans were so athletic and talented. It seemed to have the strength of a bull with the endurance of a marathon runner.

Finally a deckhand grabbed my line with gloved hands and tried to wrestle the bird closer. All the while this prehistoric Pelican is snapping its bill like a punch press. He was able to retrieve the bird and it was released unharmed.

As I turned to consume sustenance and drink from the boat’s galley, I was faced with an angry mob. I had fears of a swashbuckling encounter ending with my walking the plank. You see. I had interrupted fishing, a crime worthy of death, on the high seas. I am sure my demise would have been sudden if the boat’s captain had not stumbled out of the wheelhouse holding his sides, while laughing hysterically.

“That was the funniest thing I have ever seen”, he exclaimed. He said he had the whole thing on video and was planning on winning $100,000 on America’s Funniest Home Videos.

I eventually got some food and returned to fishing. I ended up with two Tuna, which are resting peacefully in my freezer. It was a great trip, but I hope I never hook another Pelican.

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

© Ken bear Cole All rights reserved

A Great Day With A Friend!

The other day I was out with an old friend. We just wanted some time together. The fishing was good, but the catching was even better! We must have caught 40+ trout that day. It seemed everything was working. It reminded me of a time with my Dad.

My Dad and I were fishing on the Pacific Ocean in Mexican waters. My dad was always awake as soon as the boat’s motors stopped. It must have been all those years at sea as a Merchant Seaman.

He woke me with a big smile saying, “Get up. It’s time to fish!”

It was still dark when I reached the deck. The deck lights were on and I could hear splashing out on the water. I wasn’t sure what it was until I tossed my line in the water. It was soon attacked by a Calico Bass. These are nice fighters and they taste great on the grill.

As the darkness faded, it revealed that the Captain had placed us on a huge school of fish. They were jumping all over the surface of the ocean. We just kept pulling in Bass after Bass.

After a few hours of non stopped Bass action, someone decided to see what was below the Bass. He put a 6 oz weight on his line to try to get his bait past the ferocious Bass. He was successful, and then his reel started to scream as something was peeling off line like he hooked a torpedo.

I was right, it was a nice blue torpedo, as some call it. IT WAS A TUNA! Who ya! Bass and Tuna what a trip. Everyone was scrambling to put additional weight on their lines, to get to the Tuna.

We caught so many fish, the cook was preparing a fish fry for the ride back to the dock. My Dad and I were bone tired as we returned to our bunks. All I could do was thank him for bring me on the trip.

That was 40 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s true, MEMORIES ARE FOREVER!

See you at the dock.

KEN BEAR COLE

Fishing with Bear LLC

***ALL RIGHTS RESERVED***

It’s Important To Wear A Life Jacket.

With the warm weather and cold rivers, water safety should be on everyone’s mind. A twenty something young man, drowned this past weekend in the Sandy River, Oregon. The air temp was 88 degrees, but the water temp was only 46 degrees. Please be careful around the water. Yes life jackets do save lives. Here is an example of when a life jacket saved my life!

Detroit Lake is a wonderful place to fish during the fall and winter. The water level is down almost 100′  and the trout are much more condensed; which is good considering that the lake is usually over five miles long. Now it’s only 4 ¾ miles long.

Before I had my 22′ pontoon boat, I had a Port-a-boat. This is a lovely 12′ boat, which can fold down to resemble a surfboard. When fully assembled, it is a stable boat, which cannot sink. This is extremely important news when you are trying to persuade your wife to let you go fishing in the winter.

So there I was, cruising on Detroit Lake, headed to a location where I have caught lots of fish before. It was a great day! It was cold with the temp in the high 30′s, but the sky was clear with no rain in sight. I was catching trout one after the other. And I really enjoyed the new sliding seat I had just installed non the boat. It was much more comfortable then the bench seat, which caused my legs to feel like they had been amputated. You must understand. If my butt were a muffin, some would call it extra-grand.

Modifications to anything may need additional adjustment. I had decided my new sliding seat needed stops installed so I did not slide all the way to the gunwale (that’s mariner talk for side of the boat). But that modification needed to wait until I got home.

After fishing, I was returning to the launch ramp. I noticed that the wind had picked up and was causing foot high wind waves. Not a problem. I am in an unsinkable boat. It was actually fun to crash into the waves. The spray would fly and the bow (you know, it’s that pointy end of the boat) would rise.

This was great until the bow rose out of the water and the wind caught it, which caused the boat to lean. That would have been fine if my new sliding seat had not slid to the gunwale, causing me to lean backward over the water.

The principals of thermal dynamics are amazing. Apparently when an over weight man leans backward, causing his rain jacket to touch the water, this causes drag and friction. If the drag becomes great enough, it can actually pull the chubby fisherman out of the boat and into the water. This even works when the water is 42 degrees. This positioning caused me to grasp the throttle of my outboard motor extremely tight, since it was my only connection to the boat. The problem was that my new position caused me to turn the throttle wide open. I was being drug behind the boat like an inter-tube. All I could think was, SHUT IT DOWN, SHUT IT DOWN, SHUT IT DOWN, SHUT IT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!

As the ride came to a stop, I still had all of my arms and legs. By the grace of God Almighty, I had not been cut by the outboard prop. I wear my life jacket under my rain gear, so it can’t fall off. I ended up swimming the boat the hundred yards or so to shore. There I was able to bail out the boat, start the motor and safely return to the launch area. My additional pounds and adrenaline, helped prevent hypothermia from setting in, but that lady seemed rather surprised when I striped butt naked by my van. I had to get out of those cold, wet clothes. And yes, I had some spare sweats in the van. How your mind wanders!

I knew I would be late getting home, so I called my wife and said, “Honey, I want you to know that I am alright”…

Yes, life jackets do save lives. It saved mine that wintry day in Detroit Lake!

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

With the nice weather we have been having, you may be thinking about going trout fishing. Yes it’s time to get the rods out of the basement and make sure they are in good working order. It’s wise to replace the line at the beginning of the season. You don’t want the line to break when you hook the big one.

Also check out your tackle box. Those nice fresh salmon eggs you purchased two years ago may have turned into little red rocks. Hopefully you did not leave the left over night crawlers in the box. You will know the moment you open the lid. If you have the urge to burn your tackle box, they are there, or at least the aroma of death they left behind.

You may have some work ahead of you if you own your own boat. Ah yes, that is a flat tire on your trailer. Make sure the registration is current of you may have trouble when visited by the State Police on the water. Charge the battery. Replace the old fuel or the motor may not start. Where are those life jackets?

If the boat has been covered and stored outside, you may discover that mold has taken up residence in your boat. Beware of your new friends the spiders. They grew quite well under the tarp. Some may be the size of a Silver Dollar! Since they run fast, they are good for raising your heart rate (Oh My God!). Yah that’s the one!

So you have checked out the motor and it runs ok in the driveway. They always run ok in the driveway, but will it run WELL at the lake?

Hook up the lights to make sure the neighborhood cats have not eaten the wiring. If they have, you won’t be going out this weekend. No, you will be re-wiring the trailer!

Remember you are doing all of this to relax. Work has been very stressful with the cutbacks and all. You still have your job, but you need to also do the work of the other two people they laid off in your department.

With all of that accomplished, you head out to the lake to join the other ten thousand who also thought it would be nice to go fishing. If you are fishing from shore, you may need to bring your own rock to stand on, because it is combat fishing. It’s so much fun rubbing shoulders with your neighbor and untangling all those lines.

If you brought your boat, you may encounter a psychopath who thinks everyone should let him launch his boat first. And then there is always the new boater who skipped the “backing the trailer” class. It seems he can’t move the boat more then 10′ without making five corrections. Hopefully he will be finished before the sun goes down.

You can go through all of this OR you can meet me at the dock. I will have the boat launched, all necessary safety equipment, bait, fishing gear and a warm smile. I know the lake, since I have been fishing there 2-4 times each week, for two months.

Call me, if you truly want to relax.

See you at the dock!

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

Fishing boats have been around almost as long as man himself. Some are more rustic then others.

That small aluminum boat is confining and you almost feel like you are in a “Time-out”. You need to stay perfectly still. Because every time you move to attempt to restore circulation to your lower extremities, the boat rocks like a carnival ride

And what if you need to use the restroom? A good way to make sure you will be sleeping on your boat, in the driveway, is to offer your wife the “pee bucket”. You know the look. It’s that stare, which can burn through steel. I think it was the prototype for lazier warfare.

When you take your family on the water, are looking for a nice cruse, or a 50 mph white-knuckle ride over the falls?

Boating safety is sometimes a slippery slope when everyone has been drinking; but it is much better then waking up with tubes and IVs hanging out, while mean nurses laugh, take pictures and bring in friends. Much like that time you were playing sexy dress-up and split your head open on the ceiling fan; while diving off the dresser on to the bed. The cops and paramedics really liked that one. Without the threatened lawsuit, you would have made the local paper. But that’s another story!

Your family will be safe and comfortable on my 22′ Pontoon boat. You will enjoy the smooth stable ride and open floor plan. You can relax in the shade on one of two sofas under the retractable top, or work on your tan.A Port-A-Potty with a privacy room is perfect when nature calls. It even flushes!

The two live wells on-board, will keep your Trout or Bass, fresh throughout the day. They will continue to swim freely in the tank. The kids love lifting the lid and looking at them!That aroma you sense is coming from the BBQ where fresh grilled trout have been prepared just for you. So grab a plate and a soda. You are Fishing with Bear!

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC