PO River Boat Launches

[YJ Guide Service]

Whats the boat launches and river look like up in the Newport area? Are they snowed in and is the river iced? Thanks

[kevinb]

Getting the northern itch? Best of luck out there!

[YJ Guide Service]

Yes were going to fish it on Sunday for the first time in almost two yrs..Thanks for the luck hopefully we catch atleast one

[AJ's Dad]

Yes were going to fish it on Sunday for the first time in almost two yrs..Thanks for the luck hopefully we catch atleast one

Craig,
Maybe you could email a few of us that used to love fishing up there and let us know how you do. My guess is that you will find the pike just like you and I did when we fished up there in 2012, few and far between, or none.
Mark K. and I went up there last summer and fished them hard for 5 or 6 hours and only managed 3 midgets about 16 to 18". They were so skinny they probably fit through the gill nets. However, we did salvage the day by throwing in the pike towel and going after some small mouth. Those things were thick and had a ton of fight in them.
If you do manage to find some pike, I sure wowuldn't post about them on here. As much as we all liked posting about them in the past, it would just let the pike killing brigade know they can be found and that people might enjoy going back up there and catching them. I'm sure they wpouldn't like that to happen. Ya I know, I have a negative attitude about POR pike. I'm working on that.

Best of luck to you!!!

[Mark K]

I cant say for sure because I haven't been there this year, but Oldtown or Cusick are your best bets. Hopefully they are not icy because as you know both are kinda steep. Davis is usually blocked by a big snow berm, and the one just down the road is very muddy. Took Doug and I about a half hour to get out of the mud last february but we got it done. And I agree with AJsDad, I hope you guys do well, but keep however you do kinda hush hush. Good Luck!

[farmer_aa]

I went up to the POR on Thursday at Cusick, not to launch my boat but to go skateboarding at their park. I remember the last time I was there in May of 2012 on a nice day midweek we could barely find a place to park our trailer there, and on the water there were pike fisherman everywhere. In May of 2014 I spent 3 hours at the skatepark on the river and didn't see a single fishing boat go by, nor was there a single trailer in the lot. Since the gill netting began, I haven't bought another Washington State license, and it looks like the tourism dollars coming for their once exceptional pike fishery have completely dried up too. It would be interesting to know what economic impact the gill netting has on Cusick and other small towns along the river that once saw the benefit of the pike boom.

[AJ's Dad]

That's a long way to go to ride a skateboard. lol

[farmer_aa]

Haha, good one!

[kevinb]

Certainly a bummer for the Pend Oreille county economy. Such a pretty region but can't justify my trek from the Seattle area on scenery alone. Now I fall back to my old ways of fishing Cd'A/chains.

I see the "Pikepalooza" or whatever the hell it is is back this weekend.
http://kalispeltribe.com/our-tribe/calendar/pikepalooza" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Random note- Kalispels have dumped a pretty penny on several Seattle radio stations advertising their casino.

[AJ's Dad]

Certainly a bummer for the Pend Oreille county economy. Such a pretty region but can't justify my trek from the Seattle area on scenery alone. Now I fall back to my old ways of fishing Cd'A/chains.

I see the "Pikepalooza" or whatever the hell it is is back this weekend.
http://kalispeltribe.com/our-tribe/calendar/pikepalooza" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Random note- Kalispels have dumped a pretty penny on several Seattle radio stations advertising their casino.

YES! The pike are gone. However there is still a great bass fishery in the POR. You can catch smallies by the boat load and the nice largies are still there as well. You could take in the scenery and catch some bass while you're at it.
I'm just trying to be positive here and not start ranting about how they have wiped out one of the best pike fisheries in the nation.