Next year this license will be $44!!! ODFW is a money grubbing machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sad day for lots of people when they realized it will cost the 30 bucks to fish in the lakes even more if you need a parking passAnd that's why I sold my boat!!! Can't afford to go to Brownlee, can't afford to go to Wallowa Lake. Bought a $50 license last year to fish a little lake only 10min away, but my buddy wanted to go up to Lostine River... I was running very high and we never wet a line. Didn't go the rest of the year!!
Karen will be home from a week with her Red Hat ladies group in California over the weekend. Once she has a couple of days for her liver to clear out the alcohol, we can meet down on the river or Wallowa lake. We will get the boat ready over the weekend. Monday I have horses going to the trainer but maby later in the week. Let me know what you think. All you will need is your gear and licence. We have never fished north of Steck Park on the river but have always wanted to. We can bring the motor home.Lou and my buddy Tony each have a Pioneer license... this permanent and free license is now $6 a year.
Although I'm a vet, I'm not vet disabled. I moved here in 1980, so I don't get the Pioneer license. I'm 65, so I don't get the senior license. Which used to be cheap, it's not anymore.
My license costs $41 plus $9.95 for the Columbia River stamp.
Steck is too far south for for you. I was thinking you could either take the back road to someplace close on the river (Horseshoe, Brownlee or the lake behind Hells canyon dam) or we can come to Wallowa. Bring your wife, we will bring the Chinook and everyone can be comfortable. I haven't been in the Enterprise country for decades. There used to be a family up there I bought draft horses from for my carriage busisness. Karen has never been there and we really like Kokanee.
Your boat, your choice. I have gear for trout, Kokes, bass, crappie, catfish... whatever floats your boat. Wouldn't Steck be easier for you? I've not fished right there, but have plenty of experience closer to the Powder River arm. Always willing to learn a new spot.
P.S. I could try to get a Koke report for W. Lake, should be good now. Alternatively, Brownlee should be close to spawn or even post-spawn depending on water temp. It's all good!!
Jim; I hear you. Some day when we are FTF I'll have to tell you about my solution!AND are STILL doing major damage. When will the Feds stand ground and do what needs to be done???
Kokanee fishing is more about eating than the joy of catching............Kokanee and Doves.....no better food anywhere.Heck, I've trolled Kokanee before... when they didn't trip the rigger.
And good fish is getting expensive......I think the sturgeon I bought from the Indians at Cascade Locks was 15.00 a pound and it was 20 lbs. I have paid at least that for good fresh salmon. My wife was upset until we ate it..........Yep, fishing as a whole has always meant that for me, I just love being out on the water. I just became really good at catching because I like to eat.
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It is a fun place. There is a nice store that we buy from but also stands set up in a parking lot by individual families. Many times in the store I have seen fresh live salmon flopping on the table, filleted and sold within minutes.I believe that we've only bought fish there once and that was before I started fishing.
I surely think that I should have stop by there after I left Drano to get a fish. After money exchanged hands I would tell the guy to " throw it to me" so I could really say that I caught the damn thing. But alas I am not that way if I can't catch it it ain't deemed being caught any other way. Although I had friends that would go fishing on a charter boat, get skunked, then stop Safeway on the way home. LOL
