Drano Lake Springers Open Seats!!!

[Caveman Jim]

Edit!!!! My trip was cut short due to a back sprain on Sunday, and the catchin sucked. 1st year I have been skunked here out of 12 years! !!
Major bummer for me, well there is always summer steelhead! !!

am about to embark on my annual Spring salmon fishing excursion to naquariumone other than Drano Lake & Wind river. I now have my camper so I can stay the whole time, save money & if the fishing is really, good I can stay a few more days if needed to get my fishin fix!!! I am addicted to it!!!

I do offer open seats in my boat for those who like to catch fish & don't have a boat or have never experienced this phenomenonal fishery, it should be on every ones "Bucket List".

I will be staying at Wind Mountain RV park in Home Valley from May 4th-11th. If by chance anyone wants to meet up, BS or fish I welcome members of this board to attend. I have gear or you can bring your own just help out with fuel is all I ask. PM or text 36zero-47zero-two475

Jim Sr.

Just a few pics of the glory days!!! Thats me on the right...

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[PDXSparky]

Those are some outstanding looking fish. That looks like a great time.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Any one feel up to gettin fishy???

 

[samuelm16]

i wish the outta state license wasnt so spendy these days ive always wanted to fish drano

Any one feel up to gettin fishy???

 

[chevytruckman]

Any one feel up to gettin fishy???

Would be a blast if I could!

 

[salmonriverjohn]

I like your style caveman.

 

[markpeters1970]

Caveman-

Anytime I can buy year a drink for this kind offer to this community, I will! I hope your trip was good, any reports?

Warmest wishes.
Mark

 

[Joe Link]

Very generous of you Jim, thanks for the offer to the community!

 

[Robwa]

What a good guy. I hope someone in need took him up on his offer. We need more like him.

 

[Caveman Jim]

i wish the outta state license wasnt so spendy these days ive always wanted to fish drano

Oh hell, just sell one of your guns, that should take care of the license cost!!! J/K LOL
I hate that the prices on everything has escalated too, I have to save all year just for this trip.
I do my fare share of squawking to my legislators and state officials on pretty much anything that ruffles these old feathers nowadays.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I like your style caveman.

Thank you Sir, I live to fish & fish to live...

 

[Caveman Jim]

Caveman-

Anytime I can buy year a drink for this kind offer to this community, I will! I hope your trip was good, any reports?

Warmest wishes.
Mark

Well thank you Mark, what a kind jesture but have to tell ya I don't drink beer anymore, yeah it is a sad story but I have that found "CROWN ROYAL" fills the bill now...
All of the reports have been negative since I left, there were a few days with a few fish (above 20 per day) but not many. In the future I will make my plans on the size of the run forcasted and not go on poor run years, there are steelhead in some rivers that I could target.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Thanks for the kind words all, but I am just paying it forward.
You see, back in 2001 I was on my favorite PNW fishing forum (I was more of a fishin fool than a gun nut back then) when I came across a thread titled "Open Seats". Well this sparked my interest so I jumped into the thread with both feet as I didn't have a boat at the time, I considered myself a bank maggot. While inside I was reeling at all those majestic fishermen who were offering a chance for others (complete strangers to share a ride in their pride & joys) who either didn't have a boat or had never fished that fishery. My curiosity fixated on a post entitled "Drano Springers", deer in the headlights curious, no kiddin!!! A PM was outbound before I even knew it, I had to know more, where in the world could I get into a Drano Springer??? Time was in slow motion like in the old movies in black & white until the PM box lit up like a Christmas tree. It had been only 2 minutes past when the OP returned the message I was hoping to get, Howdy, have you ever fished Drano? Are you ready for "the" fishin trip of the year? If so give me a call & we can finalize the details.
Wow, my heart sunk as I fell out of the clouds & back into reality, I am hard of hearing and even worse on phones. I replied back a PM with this sentiment (deaf in one ear can't hear out the other) & again waited for the response I feared worse, a decline for the trip, which did not happen. "Your HOH" no problem, we'll just hit you with something to get your attention. HAHAHA, we will work it out man, welcome aboard!!!
The rest is history as that day on Drano Lake in 2001, with 5 fisherman aboard, was the best catch recorded day ever in Don's boat. It was like a blur with people shouting and pointing at rods "fish, fish" the whole day. The day ended with the boat limiting everyone aboard with fresh Spring Salmon and welcomed a hot shower & double digit hours of restful sleep and dreams of doing it again next time. I was hooked like my first Steelhead trip back in 1987, 17.5#'s on the Puyallup river.
A life changing moment for the better...

 

[salmonriverjohn]

What a guy. You Sir are what we all should endeavor to be.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Thanks SRJ , but have just been following the lead from really good people that I have been fortunate to know during my lifetime and hope others will follow suit.

 

[44mag2ndamend]

We are going to keep this one fresh. I hope you did well this year and would like to meet you in the future. Myself if invited would bring bait, lunch and whatever needed to fulfill a days worth of catching.

That is an awesome thing you are doing! And how you came about it is even greater. Now if we could get a better return in fish we would be back on par. I remember on a couple occasions in March those years I would have 2 25 pounders on the bank by 10 a.m.

Only too the good times!