Fishing activity in the Hanford Reach has taken a sharp upward trend in the past week. More and more anglers are fishing for fall Chinook and success has taken a turn for the better. According to Paul Hoffarth with Region 3 office in Yakima, the numbers of fall Chinook over Bonneville are tapering off but are still much higher than this time last year. Anglers have a two-fish Chinook adult limit this season and can use barbed or barbless hooks. Harvest numbers are running about he same as last year so far, but with the very encouraging numbers of fish on the way I expect that to take a turn for the better sometime soon. I know many anglers in my area will start down at White Bluffs early in the season to get the leading edge of the returning fish. There are some very bright fish in the run when they first start to hit the Reach. I will be going over my gear to get ready for some trips to the Reach myself. Even though a large number of boats will be fishing this stretch of the Columbia there is plenty of room for everyone on the water.
Guide Shane Magnuson holds the fish that Tom Redifer landed fishing at White Bluffs a few years ago.