I am so excited. I am going to make my first trip this season down the Icicle River and try for spring salmon. I will be going with my fishing buddy, Plumber Jim, and he assured me he knows where the fish are hiding. Whether we get fish or not a trip down the river is a treat. It’s a beautiful way to start the day. It has to be something special to get me to the take out at 2:30 a.m.! The river is up with the runoff, but last time I looked the visibility was still pretty fair. If the anchors hold and our bait stays on the hooks we have good shot at a fish or two.
Anglers have been taking some springers from the Icicle right from the start of the season last week. There is an unusually high number of jack spring Chinook returning this year, and if there is a small fish in the river, I will catch it. Most of the springers are running from 8 to 12 pounds. I know my wife Eileen is excited that I am going. She loves eating these springers. The bait strategy will be divers and eggs, and maybe plug-cut herring if need be. I can’t wait to get one of these guys hooked up. I’ll let you know how we do.