Vic’s New Fishing Hat

Vic’s Mom sent him the wonderful fishing hat he’s wearing here, our first day out fishing since his birthday. I think it’s dashing. We caught no fish in either the Snake or Clearwater Rivers, but we always love being out fishing, regardless of whether we catch any fish.

Before the launch, the sun steals the show

The sun was amazingly bright over the Snake (Washington side) and Clearwater (Idaho side) Rivers as we prepared to launch our quest for Moby Bass. I caught a couple of junior bass and released them so they could grow a bit. Vic caught a 10-1/2 incher, our only keeper of the hot, pleasant outing.

Bass Fishing in the Clearwater River

The Clearwater River is on the Idaho side of the Washington-Idaho boundary. The Snake River is on the Washington side. My husband Vic and I spent a bit over 2-1/2 hours today on the Clearwater in our fishing dory, Pisca-Dory, chasing bass who were chasing our lures.

For the first 30 or 40 minutes, there was just a bite and escape. In the final half hour, we approached the island where we have often walked, but this time we remained in our boat. The fish were chasing our lures as if they were desperate to come home with us.

Suddenly my rod was bowed by a biting bass.  I announced our code: “I have somebody!” I reeled him in and Vic netted the fish before it could bolt, removed the hook from his mouth, and cleaned him. This first bass was just 9-1/2 inches long. Right after Vic put #1 on ice in the cooler, I announced I had another somebody. #2 was 11-1/2 inches. Not long after #2 joined #1 in the cooler, I announced Somebody #3. This somebody was 16-1/2″ and weighed 2-1/2 pounds. Vic caught a smaller bass and released it.

The day was hot, but we had our rewards.

The launch

Chasing bass

The big one: 16-1/2 inches and 2-1/2 pounds