08-07-2009, 03:18 AM
Ron,
You will do well with cut bait. You will most likely be catching smallmouth bass and northern pikeminnow. I have heard of good catfishing farther down the river on the Washington portion of the Snake River.
If you put in with float tubes you will really have a chance to fish some great spots around Asotin. Look for the creek coming in down from Asotin. You will have good moving water. Be certain to be visible to other boaters. That stretch of water has A LOT of powerboat traffic. The water gets wide a slow below Hells Gate State Park. From that point down you will be fishing mainly rip rap. Not too much current. A good put in would be just up from Asotin and take out at Hells Gate Marina. The little creek just down from the swimming area at Hells Gate produces some excellent 4-5lb. smallmouth for me every Memorial Day.
Use some of those npm as cutbait. They are easy to catch and there is an abundance of that species in that stretch of river.
Don't overlook the marina area within Hells Gate State Park. The shore is lined with excellent smallmouth. I have picked up perch and crappie out of the marina area, too.
Fish the red bouy, too. Its the marker bouy at the entrance of Hells Gate. I picked up several cats from there years ago.
Like what one of the other posters said earlier. You will have a hard time finding big cats around there but its fun looking for them.
Have a good time.
[signature]
You will do well with cut bait. You will most likely be catching smallmouth bass and northern pikeminnow. I have heard of good catfishing farther down the river on the Washington portion of the Snake River.
If you put in with float tubes you will really have a chance to fish some great spots around Asotin. Look for the creek coming in down from Asotin. You will have good moving water. Be certain to be visible to other boaters. That stretch of water has A LOT of powerboat traffic. The water gets wide a slow below Hells Gate State Park. From that point down you will be fishing mainly rip rap. Not too much current. A good put in would be just up from Asotin and take out at Hells Gate Marina. The little creek just down from the swimming area at Hells Gate produces some excellent 4-5lb. smallmouth for me every Memorial Day.
Use some of those npm as cutbait. They are easy to catch and there is an abundance of that species in that stretch of river.
Don't overlook the marina area within Hells Gate State Park. The shore is lined with excellent smallmouth. I have picked up perch and crappie out of the marina area, too.
Fish the red bouy, too. Its the marker bouy at the entrance of Hells Gate. I picked up several cats from there years ago.
Like what one of the other posters said earlier. You will have a hard time finding big cats around there but its fun looking for them.
Have a good time.
[signature]