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

Here in Oregon we are blessed to have some wonderful fishing opportunities. Along with having multiple runs of Steelhead and Salmon, we also have the White Sturgeon. These fish grow and mature at a slow rate. It takes approximately ten years for a Sturgeon to reach the minimum keeper length of 38 inches. I could take a Sturgeon up to 20 years to reach the maximum keeper length of 54 inches. Some of the species found in the Columbia and Willamette Rivers can reach up to 22 feet in length and weigh 1200 pounds. Some of these fish could have been born before the Civil War. It is an honor for one of these giants to suck down your bait and allow you to fight them.

The thrill of seeing one of these giants break the surface of the river will cause your heart to race, but hold on because if you have hooked a large oversized Sturgeon you could be fighting the fish for a while, up to two hours. It is wise to visit the gym to prepare for a trip and bring friends. Your arms and back may tire long before your Sturgeon is ready to give up. It’s an affordable thrill you will remember the rest of your life.

Many trips produce sub-legal or “shaker” fish. They are called Shakers because they love to shake their heads on the way to the boat. It is common for the boat of four fishermen to catch 20 or more fish per day, so there is a lot of action for everyone. So give a call to a local guide and book a trip to catch fish that have lived longer then you.

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

Many of the local lakes are closing after this weekend. So it time to venture out to other year round lakes. Hagg lake will be open until mid November. It’s a great Fall and Spring location. There are huge Trophy Trout in the lake weighing upwards of 20 pounds. There is also a prevelant native Trout and Bass population. These fish fight harder and are extremely tasty.

I was fishing there yesterday 9/25/09. I found the fish to be scattered through out the lake with few large concentrations of fish. The water tempature is still in the high 60′s, but the lake level has droped approximately 25′ from spring levels.

I tried a variety of different techniques which have worked well in the past, but after 3 hours I had only caught 2 Trout. I caught one trolling Powerbait and the other was caught on a fly. Few anglers that I met were catching many fish, that is until I met two Bass fishermen who were catching Trout. They were using a Rapala lure. I have used these lures in the past to catch some heafty trout. So I soon switched to a Rapala and added some weight to run it a little deeper. Within the next hour and a half I had caught five nice Trout and a small Smallmouth Bass.

Since the Rapala resembles a swimming bait fish, you can troll it a little faster then you would if you were pulling flashers and a Wedding Ring. Varing speed will also provide a greater depth range.

While you are out on the lake take time to enjoy the wonderful birds in the area. The Blue Heron are out along with Bald Eagles and Osprey. These are all magnificent creatures!

See you at the dock!

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

Have you ever wondered why lures work at times and are ignored other times? It’s all about who is the predator. Since Wal-Mart or your local grocery do not exist in the world of fish, they need to forage for their own food. Many insects are on the diet for fish such as Trout and Steelhead. But they also eat smaller fish and that green slimy stuff on the bottom of the river or lake. So there is always a predator vs. prey relationship at work.

Spinners tend to make sounds like a wounded fish or struggling insect in the water. Other lures make a swimming motion like a fish. These various actions look and sound like a nice snack for a hungry fish.

As the population of fish increases, so does the competition for food. That is why a lure is one of the best choices when fishing in a large school of fish. Reeling it quickly through the school will often be met with a strike.

A similar situation exists during spawning runs. The anatomy of Steelhead and Salmon will change as they re-enter freshwater. The throat of the Steelhead will close to just 20% of normal capacity, thus limiting what they can eat. Salmon stop feeding in freshwater. The males develop a hook like nose preventing the mouth from closing.

At this point you may be wondering how these fish are caught with a hook. Think of it like a fly buzzing around your head. You can tolerate it for a while, but sooner or later, you are going to swat at it. Salmon are the same, except they use their mouths. They may slap at the lure with their head or bite it, either way you could get a hook-up.

So make sure you have an ample supply in your tackle box.

See You At The Dock!

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

If you have been to a fishing tackle shop lately, you have discovered there are literally thousands of different fishing lures. They have all caught fish on given days, but some are more consistently productive then others. Here are some of the best:

•    Spinners: These lures make sounds in the water, which will either attract or challenge the fish. There are a number of different sizes and colors. Smaller fish tend to bite smaller lures, but that is just a trend. I have caught 5-pound trout on a spinner, which was less then an inch long. You simply need to experiment with what they want that day. Some good brands are Meps, Bang Tail and Rooster Tail.
•    Swimmers: These lures resemble a fish swimming. They should go in a back and forth motion. They need to be shinny, resembling the flash of light off of fish scales. These lures are to resemble bait fish. If you are targeting a spawning fish like a Salmon or Steelhead, the lure will resemble a fish coming to attack the nest and steal eggs. Types Of Swimmers: Quick Fish, Flat Fish, Crank baits, Castmaster Wiggle Warts, Spoons, Crocodile, Dick Nite, Super Duper, … and many more.
•    Tuning A Lure: You may need to “tune” the lure so it swims straight. Check this by pulling the lure in the water where you can see it. You should tie your leader directly to the lure, without a snap swivel. Place a swivel on the other end of the leader, and attach it to your main line. You may need to bend the lure at the connection point to make it swim straight. This will result in many more bites.
•    Enhance the lure: Adding a small portion of a nightcrawler, Powerbait or other type bait can greatly increase the odds of a strike. Make sure the bait does not alter the action of the lure! This will cause the fish to ignore it. Scent is also becoming a very popular enhancement. Pro Cure makes scents, which glow. These are good when fishing deeper depths or in dark water.

See You at the Dock.

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear

Trolling in a boat is one of the most effective ways to catch fish. You are able to cover a lot of water and repeat productive areas.

Trolling Techniques:

• Lure Action
• Speed
• Lure Types

Speed will determine the action of your lure and the depth, at which it runs. More speed will provide more action and cause your lure to run closer to the surface.

Running a lure too fast will cause it to fun abnormally and not attract the fish. Too slow will cause little or no action at all. I like placing the lure in the water next to the boat, so I can see what is happening. I vary my speed, to see the lure’s response.

There are two different types of lures. Swimmers: which look like a swimming or wounded fish, and Spinners: which cause a vibration in the water resembling an insect or wounded fish.

Fish seldom swim in straight lines. By trolling in an “S” type pattern you will have better results, because the lines on the inside of the turn, will slow down and sink. Those lines on the outside, will speed up and rise slightly.

I also like to place the motor in neutral to allow my lures to sink to a lower depth. When I re-engage the motor the lures will start working again, but at a lower depth.

Make sure you make your turns wide and slow. Abrupt turns will tangle the lines. Once this happens, you are no longer fishing. You are simply dragging junk in the water.

You go fishing for fun and relaxation, not the frustration of untangling lines or cutting and retying

See You At The Dock

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

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With the recent warm weather, the bass should start to enter the shallows for the spawn. They will become very territorial and attack intruders. This is a great time to toss a plastic worm. I like purple, root bear or white. A 6″ swim bait will also work well.

Hunt the shallows with and without structure. In the next few weeks the bass could start to stack up. So give it a try.

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

Ladies, are you looking for something different to do with your girlfriends? How about spending the day on my 22′ pontoon boat. I have all the comforts of home, including a port-a-potty and privacy enclosure. There are also two lounges, a top and a BBQ.

The only jerks you need to put up with are those from a Trout or Bass attacking your line. No offensive stories or jokes. No belittling of women. Only honoring and service from your gal-friendly guide.

There are 1/2-Day and All- Day trips. I will be grilling lunch on the BBQ on the all day trips. Now that’s fresh fish!

You will be able to view Osprey and possibly Bald Eagles as they hunt for their meal and prove they are best fishermen of all. We will be on pristine mountain lakes so clear you can see 5-15′ down.

You will also enjoy the friendship and bonding, which only occurs on a trip like this.

So call your Gal friends and set up a trip.

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC