Amazing Bonneville Dam steelhead passage numbers

Over eighty thousand summer steelhead have crossed the Bonneville Dam over the past three days.  That's more than the count for some whole seasons in the past.

Drano anyone?

Brian

Over eighty thousand summer steelhead have crossed the Bonneville Dam over the past three days.  That's more than the count for some whole seasons in the past.

Drano anyone?

Brian

I want to, but busy busy busy for the next two weeks.

I want to, but busy busy busy for the next two weeks.

Same here.

Was at Drano yesterday.  Lots of fish being caught but have to say most were native fish. 
Guessing at maybe 8 or 9 to 1.

Elliot

I hope they're all headed up to my river, heh heh.

We are on it all week after work. They are killing it; lots of 10-12 pounders.

Pick a river above the dam. Drano is not the best spot; although it is the most famous.

Went out after steelhead yesterday afternoon. Hot and glassy. That meant I could go out into the Columbia at the local rivermouth.
There were fish all over the place. Lots of surfacing and jumping steelhead. I managed to get one nice ten pound or so native so I had to release it, but there were plenty of fish being caught.
I will say that the secret is out; there are a lot of boats on it and a lot of yeahoos. I saw one guy throw a native steelhead into the fishwell, kind of weak on his part. He was the "six beer per fish" kind of guy.
On it again this afternoon. I'll try and take the camera today.

http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/b/fishcam.asp

my wife (of all people) mentioned this to me...
that might change my plans for tomorrow...

interesting.. Willi counts seem pretty average...

uuuuhhhh.... Any idea what the duce this was?

uuuuhhhh.... Any idea what the duce this was?

lamprey

cooooool thanks!

I suppose, with out seeing the actual head, it could also be a tentacle tip of a large kraken attacking the dam.

The steelhead fishing above the Bonneville Dam has been off the Ricther. Record number of fish over the dam. Two days ago I caught my first kayak steelhead; a ten pound native beauty that got released back into the river. Yesterday, I got this twelve pounder.
These fish put up a great fight. Using a kayak fishing technique I learned out in the ocean fishing for yellowtail; I let the fish tow the kayak around a little to wear them out; then get them up to the boat and use a lip gripper to get them in the kayak.
A kayak is the ideal boat for fishing like this. My buddy Chris and I will be back out there after work. We saw some big steelhead and salmon come over the Bonneville Dam; we think we know where they are headed.