Fall Chinook 2014 Hanford Reach

Last fall I had a very frustrating start to the salmon season.  I put in many hours and only had one takedown.  The river was very warm and weedy.  My honey hole from the year before wouldn't cooperate.  I finally decided to move up the river to a new location I had a gut feeling might be good.  It paid off.

The first night I tried my new location I caught one and lost one.  I went back the next morning and caught my first 3 fish limit..I got my first salmon and put my line back in the water.  The next fish I hooked was big.  I got it up to the kayak and netted it.  I went to lift it up into the kayak and the handle on my net broke.  I grabbed the hoop and got it in.  I just had the hoop of my net.  I decided to put the line back in the water and go for another.  I hooked into another big one.  I got it to the kayak and was able to land it with just the hoop of my handle less net.

Two of the salmon were the biggest I've ever caught.  I ended up bringing home 8 salmon that week..  I fished two rods using jet divers, short bus flashers and super bait with tuna.  I can't wait for the fall run!

Nicely Done!

Did you put in at Ringold? 

I've fished Ringold a  lot when I had a boat.  I tried fishing there with my kayak in 2013.  The current above where the canal dumps into the river by the launch  is really fast. you'll get a good workout trying to make headway upstream.  Below the launch the current is a little slower.  Ringold gets too crazy with all of the boats.  I fish a few miles down river from Ringold.  Most of the boats drive right by you going to Ringold.  In 2013 I had good fishing just upstream from Richland in the 300 area.

I think I know the area you're talking about.  The Pasco shoreline down from Carbody Beach is supposedly pretty good sockeye grounds as well. 

I've never heard of carbody beach before.  Is that the beach at Columbia River Road and Sagemoor Road?  I always see boats south of there fishing where the Ezquazel dumps into the river. 

Yes, Carbody is on the Pasco side across from Johnson Island (#17 below) at the north end of the 300 Area.   The intermittent beach runs roughly 1 mile north from latitude 46°22'30" and is bordered on the north end by the last large slide that came off the bluff and into the river a few years ago.

Had to glance at a map to find Sagemoor, but yes, the area we are talking about is the same.