The Outdoor Line

Bassmaster Classic Underway in Louisiana
The 2012 Bassmaster Classic started yesterday on the Red River in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana.After day one of the Classic Keith Poche had a precarious hold on first place with 17 pounds, 13 ounces, just one ounce ahead of Greg Vinson. The Classic will air March 3rd and 4th on ESPN2, but you can follow the coverage with live blog updates at Bassmaster.com.

Spring Chinook Run has Started on the Columbia
One entire spring Chinook passed over Bonneville Dam on February 21st, therefore the spring Chinook run on the Columbia has officially started. The Outdoor Line has heard of at least two springers being caught on the lower Columbia, but other than that fishing has been fairly quiet. The 4th largest spring Chinook run in 50 years is forecast for the Columbia River and to honor the huge run the Outdoor Line is announcing the “Springer Break” photo contest on our Facebook page. We’ll be randomly selecting one springer photo per month in March, April, May, and June from our Facebook page to win a Lowrance Handheld GPS. The “Springer Break” photo contest starts on March 1st. Head on over to the Outdoor Line Facebook page for more details. Don’t forget about the huge Spring Chinook seminar today from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Outdoor Emporium in Seattle.

Federal Fish Cops used Undercover Boat for Pleasure Cruises
Federal fish cops in Seattle bought a $300,000 Boston Whaler to spy on whale-watching tours — but didn't go through an appropriate bidding process, held barbecues onboard the luxury boat, ferried friends and family across Puget Sound to restaurants and resorts, and used the boat for what one visitor called "a pleasure cruise." Ultimately the boat has only been used 119 hours since being purchased in 2008. Senator Scott Brown from Massachusetts is calling the vessel a “fishermen-funded party boat for bureaucrats”. The boat remains moored in Western Washington until the mess is cleared up.

Cutthroat Hitting on Sammamish
Brian Kim at Outdoor Emporium in Seattle reports good cutthroat fishing on Lake Sammamish. He says most bites have been occurring on a trolled nightcrawler harness with a brass or fire tiger Colorado spinner blade in front of it. Needlefish in fire tiger, metallic perch, and brass redhead have also been producing a few strikes from big cutties on the lake. Anglers are reminded that kokanee, which have also been biting well on Sammamish, must be released to protect the delicate spawning population there.

Chehalis System Dropping into Shape
Bret Ferris from Ferris’s Northwest Guide Service expects the rivers of the Chehalis system to fish well early next week. He expects that the high water from last week should have brought in a bunch of fresh steelhead into the system. The Chehalis system has been a consistent producer for the last three weeks.

Landlocked Coho Scarfing Baits at Riffe Lake
Tom Pollock from Sportco in Fife reported that Riffe Lake in Cowlitz County has been hot lately for landlocked coho salmon. He says anglers are fishing off the face of the dam there using slip bobbers and cocktail shrimp. Pollock recommends setting the bobber to around 20 feet. Limits of landlocked coho in the 14 to 15 inch range have been the norm on Riffe lately and he expects that to continue.

Last Call for Spring Black Bear Applications
February 29th is the last day to submit applications for a 2012 spring black bear hunting permit. To be eligible for a permit, hunters must possess a valid big game hunting license which includes black bear and they must submit a spring bear application to WDFW.  

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com