Wind and Drano

[Jettin' Fool]

Ive heard these fisheries mentioned a couple times, so they must be good. Where exactly are they and what tech. should be used for best success? http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Deleted User]

I am going up there tomorrow to fish with a couple buddies in my SW Wash. friend's sled. Rather not have mine scratched up! I won't be able to tell you how we did because I don't want my tires slashed the next time up there! The Wind R. mouth is about 4 miles east of Stevenson on Hwy. 14 & Drano L. is about another 11 miles east of the Wind. - For tech: Put on a bulletproof helmet, a floatation version flack jacket, good earplugs, lead proof goggles, catcher's cup if applicable, rubber boat bumpers, and then troll a Magnum Flame Red Wiggle Wart with about 50 ft. of 100 lb. test superbraid line; to drag any fish you might hook thru about a dozen other fishing lines in the water (they don't pull up lines to get out of your way usually). Most all other good springer trolling tech.'s will work there if you can find a piece of water to let them out in! We are going to launch at The Fishery below the dam at 1:00 a.m. & go up thru the locks and run many miles up the Columbia to the Wind. If the whitecaps aren't too bad I think we will beat most of the boats in the 3 hr. long launch lines at the various ramps from the dam up to Hood River. Good luck! - Steve

[TheRogue]

A fishing friend was on the Wind on Monday. 1st fish by 6:15, second at 8. Pulling a MagWart.

Also heard of a good afternoon bite on Drano on Sunday.

[Deleted User]

Ok, So I exagerated a little. But it can be a real circus up there! - Dan Bloom & I fished the mouth of the Wind R. Tue. afternoon from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with our Wash./AK guide buddy Chris Sessions and hooked 5 landing 4 nice springers. A decent steady bite all afternoon with fresh fish moving thru the expanded zone.- A funny side note; Dan bought a 2 day license at the noon crowded Main St. Market in Stevenson. He landed the first and last fish, with Chris & I each getting one. When Dan got out his just purchased, supposed to be salmon license, to record his fish he was greeted with a mistakenly made out freshwater clam & shellfish licence. We didn't have the heart to stick him on a nearby sandbar with a shovel, so he is the first that I know of to limit out a clam lic. with springers. Great to get out with the ol' buddies! - Steve

[Barnyard]

Heard pretty much the same as RT....Lots of fishermen & boats...Not the friendlyest fishery either....

[free drifter]

RT,what were you using and what were you doing different than the other people.

[Deleted User]

RS- I think most of those in the dam count were large early shad; they have a new inexperienced counting crew (jk!).- f.d.- The biggest difference was probably luck. Or not, I don't know. Dan's 2 fish were caught on my custom colored "Copper w/ Red Torpedo Sides & 1 Black Eye" Mag. Wart w/triple based baitfish oil (but they may have struck any good colored & scented Mag. Wart). Chris & I got ours on a custom bait trolling technique outlined on the old DB (& a bit on new BB- pink twirling thingy's that might not have worked any better than proper sized, rigged, & injected plugcut herring). When these fish come thru they are aggressive biters and most good springer trolling tech.s work well. - Steve

[This message has been edited by RT (edited 04-19-2000).]

[This message has been edited by RT (edited 04-20-2000).]

[Ramstrong]

Posted this over at Bob's thought it might be applicable here too.

Looking at the #'s over Bonneville
4/17 8,635 adults & 241 jacks
4/18 7,026 adults & 150 jacks

Adult Passage YTD 57,616
10 Year Average YTD 21,258

Looks like this might be the weekend to hit Wind, Drano, or the Last of the Willamette for a couple of weeks. Oh, where to go?!

[bait boy]

All I have to say is orange Magnum Wiggle warts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3 on lost 1 line broke lost plug

[Deleted User]

Way to go Rich. Mag.Warts huh? Never seen those up there(jk!- seems to be the most popular & productive method).-- BTW- Readers who fish up there, please post replys under this topic thread here to a question I have. After reading Ifish posts, as well as any other info. available to the public about fishing tech up there, what do you fishermen usually use up there with success? Since all springer trolling tech.'s work well there you won't really be giving anything away, I just personally need feedback. This would be from amoung plugs such as Warts, Kwikfish, bait, spinners, etc.? Also, let me know what you mostly have been seeing other fishermen using up there. I won't ask readers for favors often, but I would really appreciate feedback from many of you on this subject because I will miss the peak of the season! Thanks much, Steve

[Deleted User]

I've fished the Wind area twice this week and Drano and Wind once each last week. fair early bite thes year. The best way by far is to troll magnum Wiggle Warts especially in orange. A big majority of guys use them at both places. I've seen a few guys use bait or spinners but nothing works as good as the Warts. The bankies evn use them.

[dawhunt]

Mag Wigglewarts in red or orange trolled slow
at the wind is killer,I've seen more fish caught at drano on plug cut herring then on plugs.Take both.Man there are alot of people fishing up there this is majoe bouy 10 fishing.Iwas at drano on the 20th and there must have been 150 boats there took my boat for a trip downriver to the wind (no WIND) it was really nice there about 2 hundred boats there,wasn't to bad with that extension they gave us but it was def. crowded.Good Luck,they've been killing them at the wind and doing very well at drano.You notice I said they !!! :-)

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Bob Dawson