I caught the largest hatchery steelhead that I or my partners have ever caught this last sunday. It was 18 lbs 10 ozs, has anyone else caught hatchery fish this big. I about had a heart attack when we netted it and looked into the net to see the adipose fin missing. We could not believe it. If so I would like to hear about them.
Thanks Superfly ;-)

Ya, they get that big but thats one hellava fish. I got a summerrun on the sky that weighed 18lbs 12oz in 98. I take it you got it on the Cowlitz or lewis?

yea..got a 21 pound fin clipped on the Cowlitz 3 winters ago...what a slab! I couldnt believe looking at that thing sitting in the net in the bottom of the boat....and then looking at that missing fin...it's still something that I can't believe!!!!!!

I caught a 17½ lb summer run last sunday on the Snoqualmie on a jig & bobber,on a 10½ft ultra light rod on 8lb test. I thought I had a chum on with the long battle until I got it close to the bank and noticed the rosey pink gillplate and my eyes just lit up.

I've caught hatchery summer fish to 18+ lbs but the most amazing hatchery fish event I've ever witnessed was on the cowlitz in winter back around 1990.

We were free-drifting blue creek in my friends dad's sled. There were 4 of us in the boat; Me and my friend and his dad and a business partner. It was the business partner's 1st ever steelhead trip. So, what does he do? Catches BACK TO BACK 20 1/2LB. AND 21 1/2LB HATCHERY WINTER RUNS!

Of course, his reply was "what's the big deal?...this is easy!" And he was serious!

We about died.

Haven't seen that since.

As a matter of fact....In May 1988, I got a 20.5 lb (41" long) hatchery fish out of EF Lewis that I had mounted. I have gotten bigger natives but always photo/release them.
In July 1985, with 2 casts, I got an 18 and a 21 lber. This was before EF went to fin-clips but I could tell both were hatchery fish. I was just a kid and had no money to mount the big one.
This year I got a 17.5 lber out of Washougal, another around 17 out of Columbia and yet another 17 out of NF Lewis. All around 37-38"s.
Very, very recently, I got a 16 and then an 18 hatchery fish out of EF same day. If I'm going to weigh a fish it gets weighed on a freinds certified daily scales or a Safeways or Fred Meyers meat dept. For awhile I was chasin' line class records.
I got spooled yesterday by a fish that I could only see the big white belly flashing around before it headed out. Peck, peck, set the hook, fish flashes around under about 6ft of water, then it just sizzled away. Nice guys in a D-boat pulls up from the head of the hole to help me give chase. By the time I get in and we're going, I've got just a couple wraps left on my Shimano 200. All the normal turning techniques (Slack line, rod tip in water, etc) wouldn't work with this bad boy. I tightened and got a couple kicks, then the hook pulls out! AAAAUUUGGH! I want a rematch. Why is it the ones we lose are the ones we remember the most? Now I'm back at "Work" (Used loosely) but can't get my mind off that fish. Before I was done yesterday, I did get a nice 8lb winter hen and lost a third fish not as dramatic.
So far this winter season we are (and should for summer 2001) seeing excellent #s of 3-salts returning based on great ocean conditions.
x

17.5lb buck out of the Bogie winter of 92'. I wish there were more of those 20 pound hatchery fish around!!!

My largest hatchery steelie was caught backin
"93" @ blue creek on the old point before the super bowl sunday slide it came in @
18-1/2 pounds and saw plenty in "92" "93" and in "94" that went 18-24lbs. Wish the old days at the creek was back,nothin like gettin
your two fish in 10 minutes.The old point rocked, each cast was either a snag or a fish.Good luck, STRIKE ZONE

22 pound summer run from the Kalama in May of 1992. Great fight , great hatchery fish.

B-run fish caught at Underwood. 26.5Lbs
The Duck

I once caught a 4lb-13/16oz hatchery steelhead!! :> )~ on .0000006 lb test, what a fight it was. HAHAHA

I caught an 18.5 lb buck at blue creek in November of '95. I'm looking at the picture of the fish right now....have yet to catch another hatchery steelhead of that size.

It seems that almost everyone who fishes in this vicinity claims to have caught a 20-plus pounder at some point in their steelheading career. Granted, the Dworshak hatchery produces sizable fish, but ... My personal hatchery best is a 19.35 male taken out of the lower Clearwater last January. Yeah, that's fairly close to 20, but in comparing it to my overall PR (a peninsula native we estimated at 23 pounds before sending him on his merry way) there was a whole lot of difference. That really reinforced my belief that most of these guys were suffering from either an accute case of exaggeration or brown-bottle flu at the time of their landmark catch.

Back in Dec. '94 my 10 year old son at the time (KudaKid) bagged an 18.4 lb. buck and 13.6lb. hen all by himself drift fishing out of our boat on the Cowlitz in one hour. One tired and happy kid. I broke the tab off of that video cassette to save it forever.

Mouth of the Lewis caught a B-run steelhead on sept 19th 1993 that was 25lbs 10oz. Have caught many out of the EF, Kalama, washougal and NF lewis that were 17-19lbs. Let one go on the upper EF of the Lewis last winter, a dark 22lb hatchery buck.
keith

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Jeb, why would you even question anyones reply unless you're jealous! If you have any doubts you shouldn't tell other people how you fill unless you're trying to cause trouble. True story 26.5Lbs. Jim Marquis

Duck, see someone about that paranoia. Why do you presume I was referring to you? My post wasn't intended to target anyone -- any specific individual anyway. And no, it wasn't an attempt to extoll my fishing virtues.

My point, and perhaps I could have been more implicit, was that a lot if not most of the steelheaders I know around here (read: Lewiston) say they've caught 20-pound hatchery fish. Indeed, some of them have. It's not commonplace on the Clearwater, but it's not altogether unique, either. The two finest steelheaders I know here, both of whom have caught well over 1,000 fish (and this is probably a conservative estimation on my part), have yet to take a 20-plus pounder out of the Clearwater. With that in mind, I'm highly skeptical that a guy who catches 2-3 fish a season would claim to have topped said plateau.

So as to avoid further confusion, my insinuation is simply this: If you've got a 20-pound hatchery fish, you achieved something enviable and a lot more rare than most fishermen would have a listener believe.

I have no idea what your steelhead tote sheet looks like, but I've always found you to be a knowledgeable contributor here. My only thought after reading your post (the initial one, that is) was, wow, that's a hell of a fish. Should I have been thinking something else?

Although this fish does not compare to any other fish posted here, I caught a 8lb hatchery hen a few weeks ago. She was my first. She may only be a "minnow" in comparison, but mine.

I just thought a "Little" "Big" fish story would lighten the mood...


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was that a snag...

Last Jan. 16th 21 pounder out of coweeman
partner next day landed 18# same hole. no other fish over 12 pounds all year on this river these two must of been on steroids. Wish there were more.

This is great, I am glad to hear about other large hatchery fish, I caught it on the coast, not the cow, but my x-wife got a 16 lb chromer today on the cow with a couple of her roomates. I have heard of allot of big fish this year on the cowlitz, lets hope it continues. Great replies everyone!!!
Peace Superfly!!!!! GO Dawgs!!!!

Hey JEB,

It's great to hear someone mention the Clearwater again, spectacular country, big fish, your a lucky man!! Went to school in Moscow during the late 80's so was fortunate to be able to spend some Clearwater time. You know I used to do very well with the white jig (deer hair) and bobber combo, never did get anywhere near a 20 pounder tho, 16 was about the best. I am surprised to hear you say that 20's are not a bit more common in that country, perhaps many of the stories I heard were just that. Take Care.

jed

Back in the 80's the FIRST DAY they required us to return natives I got a limit of hatchery fish on the puyallup, a 20# and an 18#. my biggest limit ever. I also caught a clipped fin 21# summer run near the white bluffs below vernita bridge about 6 years ago. Its on my wall as I write this!

Was on my way home from fishing the Upper Quinalt when I decided to check out the Hump. While scoping out Stevens Creek from the bridge, I spotted a large shape move into the pool right below. Went back to my car for the rod. My first cast with a teardrop spoon got slammed. The fish ripped up the pool and headed downstream. It was quite funny I was wearing sweatpants, socks and Nike shower slippers. I eventually ditched the slippers and chased the bad boy down the creek and got soaked. Didn't actually weigh the big buck, but it taped out at 39" - I consider it a conservative 18 pounder.

Riverman,

I do feel fortunate, for this is indeed spectacular country. I get ribbed a good deal by guys I grew up and went to college with about living in "the backwoods," but they're the same individuals who invariably are looking to visit for a weekend of fishing and/or hunting.

So far as "big" fish around here, the fact there aren't an excess of 20-pounders isn't so surprising when you consider the journey these fish have to make. In negotiating the 400-some miles and the eight dams between Lewiston and the Pacific, steelhead will lose up to one-third of their body mass -- at least that's what a local fish biologist tells me. Since the average B-run fish ranges between 12 and 16 pounds, a fair amount of them were 20-pounders when they entered the Columbia.

So, yeah, the hatchery fish -- or any fish, for that matter -- that gets to the Clearwater still packing 20 pounds is something of a rarity.

You sound as if those days flinging a white jig on the Clearwater are but a fond memory. Granted, Pendleton isn't as close as Moscow, but take heart -- you're still only a couple hours away.

Jeb and others-
My biggest were both on the Clearwater the same weekend in 91 (I think 91). A 20 and a 22. The fish were 41 and 42 inches respectively and were weighed on a reliable scale. Jeb, my dad was at nearly 450 hooked and 380 landed that winter alone. He has since passed but I would be very interested in the names of those highly productive fishermen you know as I may also know them. I know that my dad considered his partner Verle the finest fisherman in that valley. I plan to pull the boat over there a few more times this winter, perhaps we could swap stories on my boat while knockin' em dead at potlatch or my favorite Ahsahka.

Hey 45cal, that catch record is totally amazing!!! How were most of those fish hooked if you don't mind me asking? Did he take the Great Snake Lake Derby? Happy Holidays.

jed

The Kalama last year I had a great day caught a 18lb and 16lb hatchery brutes what a thrill.

Glad I wore my hip boots

I have caught 2 large fish of hatchery origin due to the mutated dorsal fins both were bucks 1 was 43 inches long 27lbs in 1977 on the Cowlitz weighed in at Andys and a summer run out of the Kalama that was in May 1983 42 inches long 19 lbs 11oz. on the scale at Mahaffeys.

I wish this were BS as it would not make me look so bad in comparison to my pop. To my knowledge all of those fish were hooked on plugs. I have not had access to all of his fishing diaries yet but when I do I will gladly post all pertinent info regarding all fish hooked and/or landed by him. Namely time, date, water temp, depth, line length, plug, weather and on and on. Being semi retired he had both time and inclination to keep copious notes. From the writings I now have I do know that the most productive plug for him was a standard wiggle wart in metallic yellow and black stripe.(three weeks ago that was the only plug to take a fish at ahsahka over two days of fishing) Nearly 2 to 1 catch rate by his records. He also had research and conclusions on size of plug as it relates to the time of year.(go to mag warts after Dec. 1 I think) He spent much time doing research for mfrs. on tactics and design. He was, by far, the finest fisherman I have ever known and was well known in the Lewiston area. His boat was a yellow 12 ft glass jon boat with a kicker. His name was Don Alway and his last season was 94. We put his remains in the clearwater just above potlatch a few years back.

He also believed that sleds in excess of 16 ft. should be banned from the clearwater which may explain the luck I've had in my 20 footer.

Dec 88 Fished the Cow at Blue creek on a guide boat with bro/in/law. He hit a 19.5 buck 42in. and a 17 hen. Was his first steelhead trip. Without a doubt he is one of the luckiest and most unconcious fishermen I have ever fished with. I take him with when I feel like watching and not catching as I can't catch anything with him in boat so must settle for running the net.

Hey Thanks 45cal,

It sounds as if your dad was quite a man, I wish I would have been fortunate enough to spend a day on the river with him. Funny thing is that your dad and I probably crossed paths many times without me knowing it, damn!! Have always thought that I have had some good catch years, my best is 57, and many others in the 40's, but to hear a yearly catch like that is incredible!! Thank you for sharing the info 45cal, enjoyed it.

jed