2024 Upper Columbia Sockeye & King Salmon Update

[@rondeezy_thepancakeslayer1242]

Baker lake is forecasted 60k this year, glad to see the numbers going up all over

[@jessetharp6319]

Really appreciate this type of video. As someone who hasn’t been doing this a long time and trying to learn, it adds a lot of context as to why WDFW does what they do. As opposed to listening to everyone grumble when things don’t go as they would like. Not to mention helps target the fish.

[@loganfishbeard]

50k yesterday! I'm chompin at the bit. Weather looks favorable to keep the columbia cool as well. Im seriously holding my breath to see what counts we get for the next few days as we just might give the record a run for its money this year.

[@Stittsy1963]

Thank you for the information!

[@pancakeface5717]

Great info as always. Thanks Tyler.

[@dbfishing8588]

Thank you for the update Tyler.

[@FrostiesTanks]

This is great to hear. With the relatively recent decline of most west coast salmon runs, it's good to see a piece of gold among the straw. Thanks for the update!

[@spiltmilt]

Yes Sockeye in Washington on the Columbia and Skagit systems is a real wild salmon success story.

[@davidfarrens3572]

What you mean salmon. Our steelhead is in greater danger.

[@HookedonKings509]

Wow! Haven’t seen one of your videos in a long time. You slimmed down. 👍🏼 Health is key to longevity in life. Keep it up! Thanks for the info and great content.

[@spiltmilt]

Yes I count calories and took up distance running. Shed about 45 to 50 lbs.

[@HookedonKings509]

@@spiltmilt That is amazing! Keep up the great work.

[@Goats22]

saw this graph yesterday on the sportfishingbc forums because most of those fish will make their way into Canada and be caught by folks in the interior of BC! makes m e very happy to see returns like this.

[@roberturen1772]

Thank you Tyler.

[@drewthayer4905]

May have to make a trip to the columbia, been fishing in the salt for kings in marine area 11 3x this month and only got a couple sub-legal jacks to the boat and had to put them back. A limit of sockeye sounds amazing about now.

[@samsmith7150]

Thanks Tyler!!!

[@samsmith7150]

Hope to see you at Brewster! I'm in Kingston if you want to come over for some Dungies

[@unjarredoutdoors5513]

Thanks for the information

[@Goats22]

pretty sure with these returns us Canadians will get an opening on Okanagan Lake

[@jackofallfishing]

No point in an Okanagan Lake opening, relatively few fish make it up there. An Osoyoos Lake is what we can hope for!

[@craigly6523]

Great information! How is the walleye fishery in this pool? I heard you mention a long sand bar in the lake which made me think of the walleye. Thanks, Craig

[@spiltmilt]

The walleye fishing is not great. They are there but hard to find

[@craigly6523]

Copy that. If you’re ever down in the Eugene - Lookout Point area again and need a place to stay give us a holler. I did not realize how far you have to travel to fish there. We have plenty of room and would love to host you and discuss all things walleye. We love hitting the Columbia from Celilo east to Irrigon. Craig and Laura

[@randallpinkfloyd7225]

Used to enjoy watching people surprised with by-catch sockeyes while shad fishing at Cascade Locks

[@Derekfowler88]

Love these videos…. My 6 year old son and I thank you for all the help you give us, and hope we can shout hello in the Brewster pool this year. ✌🏼🎣

[@gravel_guppies4620]

I dig it

[@smthcrmnal26]

Maybe one day I will make it up there have family in Wa. But haven’t been back in a decades.

[@duckwacker8720]

We're stacking chrome blue backs down river. That's where to fish them.

[@spiltmilt]

Or I can wait a week and just catch them in my backyard

[@davidanderson8258]

Thank you for all of the biologist Intel Tyler!! Odd question: is night fishing here a thing? Any benefit to night fishing for kokes/sockeye in general? It gets sooo hot by 1030 am on the pool. Looks open on the regs?

[@spiltmilt]

Night fishing for Kings was a thing a long time ago but it went away. From what I can tell it is indeed legal. I've yet to try it though.

[@jeffhuff5961]

Quick question , I’m staying in Bridgeport in July to fish sockeye, are there any issues I should be aware of running my prop boat from there down to brewster ? 20 ft. Aluminum outboard ?

[@spiltmilt]

No just stay in the main channel and avoid cutting between the islands

[@jeffhuff5961]

@@spiltmilt Thank you I’ll be looking for ya would be great to introduce myself and say hi

[@jasonhurdlow6607]

No Kings in Brewster? Ugh, that would suck.

[@spiltmilt]

It does suck and makes very little sense

[@DirtyRedDog]

I’m fishing Brewster the second week in July but am having a hard time finding a campground with availability. Is there anywhere you might recommend?

[@spiltmilt]

You have to book a half year or more in advance to find anything nearby generally.

[@timschwarze4842]

Thanks Tyler!

[@brucejohnson1264]

What about the Lake Washington fishery? Any news there?

[@spiltmilt]

Not my backyard so I don't really keep tabs on that fishery

[@jasonhurdlow6607]

Early huh? Hmm... might have to change my plans.

[@paullegkobit6089]

Is this a fishery accessible from the shore?

[@spiltmilt]

People commonly plunk for them from shore on the lower river but haven't seen it done up here.

[@paullegkobit6089]

@@spiltmilt Thanks!

[@nicholassenones8563]

I'm sure I will get some hate for this, but it is 100% true. If WA was truly concerned about salmon numbers they would find a way to regulate the tribes. Any time I have been out on the coast, white man is allowed to keep 2, and only use barbless hooks blah blah blah. meanwhile the tribes are on the columbia cascade netting the river. nothing makes it past their nets.

[@spiltmilt]

Sure some tribes are bad actors. Around here we wouldn’t have much of a King, Coho, or Sockeye fishery without the restoration and hatchery work that the tribes do. Their hatcheries use better technology than the WDFW and USFWS ones.

[@richardfinney3179]

Get out there and get the last ones so they go exstinkt faster, they should close all fishing for 10 years to let them recover crab, halibut, lingcod,cod, Solmon, let the catch pike, walleye trout ,bass, I was a commercial fisherman in Alaska in the late 70s n 80s I saw the depletion of species of fish n crab but no body believes a fisherman ,just the biologist

[@spiltmilt]

Sockeye runs are breaking records. It’s a success story so not sure what your deal is