Northwest Reel Life April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 9 - Flipbook - Page 16
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16 | NWFISHING.net
You’ve probably heard
stories about the Brewster
pool, if you haven’t
fished it before. It’s one
of the most productive
and legendary fisheries
in the state, and many
fishermen look forward
to fishing it every year.
Thousands of chinook
and sockeye salmon
make their way up the
Columbia River and stage
in the cool waters of Lake
Pateros (also known as
the Brewster pool) before
heading up the Okanagan
River. The fishery typically
opens up in July and can
be extremely productive
for both species of fish.
Despite their long journey,
the fish are willing biters
and taste great on the
grill or smoker. 20-pound
chinook are regularly
caught, and the sockeye
are great eating quality.
It’s a fun fishery for a
summer day, but learning
how to fish it isn’t always
easy. Brewster is about an
hour north of Wenatchee,
so it’s quite a drive. It
can also be intimidating
because there are so
many other boats in the
water. As long as you do
some research and have
patience, you’ll have a
great time and catch
some fish. Here’s some
tips and tricks to help give
you a successful day at the
Brewster pool.
CHINOOK
The chinook fishery at
Brewster tends to be a
first light fishery, so grab
the coffee and headlamps
so you can launch in the
dark. It’s a short run from
the boat ramp to the pool,
just stop when you see
all the other boats! The
most important thing to
know about the Brewster
pool is that it’s a trolling
game. Some anglers jig
or anchor up, but they
are few and far between.
There are just too many
boats for anyone to anchor
up. Most fishermen in
the pool use cannon ball
droppers and skip the
downriggers. You can run
anywhere between 4 to 12
ounces of lead, depending
on the current and the
stoutness of your rods.
Brad’s Super Baits trolled
behind 360 style flashers
are the go-to, but many
anglers have good success
with spinners too. Wrap
or stuff your plug with
tuna, herring, or shrimp to
give it extra pizazz. If you
run spinners, you can put
some gel scent on them
or hook on a coon shrimp.
Don’t be afraid to swap
out the hooks on your
lures. Chinook have thick,
tough jaws, so you want
your hooks to stick. Troll
between 1.5 to 2mph if you
can, but you may have to
match your speed with
other boats if the pool is
crowded enough. When
fighting the fish, keep
the pressure on. These
fish will spit the hook if
there’s any slack in the
line, and they really tend
to explode when they see