Fresh News 7/21/16

July’s full moon is called the “Buck Moon”.  Each year this July moon is when mother nature sparks the growth of mule deer antlers.  The dynamic Mule deer we enjoy on Potholes Reservoir are amazing.  Deer hunters are so happy when they win a Desert A hunting permit.  Last year we witnessed a 420 lb. monster mule deer harvested on Frenchman Waterway, I didn’t know mule deer could be so huge. 

This past week was a great time for our Habitat Project on Potholes Reservoir.  (www.cwfac.org) Our volunteers built a new vessel to deposit habitat boxes on the floor of Potholes Reservoir.  At this time, we would like to thank our partners for donating The African Queen, our first boat to deposit habitat boxes.  The African Queen allowed us to put twelve boxes on it.  Thanks to Seth Davis and Jeff Ackeridge Now the queen has been retired and placed in our habitat museum.  The new vessel can deposit twenty-five boxes at a time.  The Fish and Map Company maps of Potholes Reservoir show the area where we may place the habitat boxes. They are placed in an area and depth that is five feet below the lowest Potholes Reservoir can be, drawn down.  This prevents boating and swimming accidents.  We will be placing 232 new habitat boxes, which will give first and second year fish a safe place to live and grow.  Another exciting habitat project will begin in February of 2017.  Under extreme diligent, The Columbia Basin Walleye Club under President Mike Schlueter and many other Walleye club board members have been working on a Habitat Project on Moses Lake.  After over three years of hard work, President Mike Schlueter has won the permitting battle.  Now the habitat on Moses Lake is beginning.  These structures will allow perch, crappie and bluegill to vastly increase.  The future of fishing on Moses Lake will rapidly improve.

Cool temperatures lately have hindered walleye anglers on Potholes.  Bass fishing just keeps going well.  With temperatures predicted in the 90’s this week, fishing will rapidly improve on Potholes.

This amazing mule deer photo were taken on July 17, 2016 at 11:00 am in the sand dunes on Potholes Reservoir by our good friend Travis Cyr from Yakima, who allowed us to share this.

The new vessel for planting habitat boxes on the floor of Potholes Reservoir.

William Lowe (10 yrs old) from Des Moines, with jumbo crappie to 13" from the MarDon dock.

Fresh News 7/7/16

With the water level of the Potholes Reservoir dropping rapidly, the sand dunes are much more recognizable and a minimal current flow can be seen.  Moving water makes fish congregate, which enhances fish action. 

The Mardon dock has begun to be better catching smallmouth bass, trout, catfish, bluegill and some quality crappie. 

The Lind Coulee arm of Potholes Reservoir produced some nice channel catfish this past week and walleye to 25". 

Largemouth bass action in the sand dunes continues to improve as the water level lowers.  This Saturday is the one-day championship for the Washington State Big Bass circuit.  At press time we did not have an awards time for Saturday afternoon.  Please call 509-346-2651 for more info. 

Some of the most treacherous boating on Potholes Reservoir is the area between Goose Island and O’Sullivan Dam.  Walleye anglers are catching walleye to 28” in the rocks and smallmouth to 21” have been reported by bass fishers dancing around the “Rock Piles”.  We recommend trolling motor use in this area.  Your lower unit will thank you!

Cody Griffin and Kyle Sawin of Kent/Covington landed this 26lbs 11 oz catfish in the Lind Coulee. They were using 12lb braid line, 3/8oz egg weight above a swivel with a 18" liter, using worms off the bottom with a little bit of slack in the line.

Some Big Rainbow have been caught just outside crab creek. This lady landed a nice trout using a Berkely Flicker Shad, trolling outside the sand dunes. 

Thomas Quintero of Kennewick shows several crappie, all fish were between 10-14 inches and caught off the mardon dock.  Thomas was excited to invite his mother over for a crappie fish fry.

Debbie Limerick was the winner of the 2016 golf cart parade. Congratulations Debbie. There were 64 carts in 4th of July parade this year.