I am going up tomorrow to fish with a couple buddies in my SW Wash. friend's sled. Rather not have mine scratched up. I won't be able to tell you how we did because I don't want my tires slashed the next time up there.- New tech: Put on a bulletproof helmet, a floatation version flack jacket, lead proof goggles, good earplugs, a catcher's cup if applicable, and rubber boat bumpers all around. Then troll a flame red Mag Wart about 50 ft. out with 100 lb. test superbraid line, so that if you do hook a fish you can drag it thru about a dozen fishing lines nearby, because they won't usually reel em up to get out of your way. Most all other good springer trolling rigups will work if you can find a piece of water to let it out in! We are going to launch at Beacon Rock St.Park at 1:00 a.m. and go up thru the Bonn. dam locks, then run the many miles up to the mouth of the Wind. If the whitecaps aren't too bad I think we can beat most of the boaters waiting in the 3 hr. launch lines at various launch sites from just above the dam up to Hood River. Good luck! - Steve

Why don't you launch at the boat launch in stevenson,wa.Take the right that leads down to where the paddle wheel lands,cross the tracks and take a left if your going to be in a sled thats a good launch and its only about 10 min from wind river.

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Bob Dawson

I believe its your first right as you pull into stevenson heading east on highway 14.theres hardly ever anybody there.lot easier then going thru the locks unless thats what you want to do ????

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Bob Dawson

The directions to the Stevenson launch and all other Washington State boat launches can be found at http://boat.iac.wa.gov/. This also gives what kind of condition the launch is in and if there are any restrictions (unusable at high or low water etc.). Don't know if this address has been posted here before, but it has a lot of good information.
Tight lines, Jeff

Thanks Bob. I am aware of the launch in Stevenson. My post was a big exageration in jest over the frustration of the circus atmosphere. I can't complain right now however. We went up to the Wind trolling area this Tue. afternoon and hooked 5 landing 4 nice springers, with a steady bite from 1:00 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. Being lucky to be there when fresh fish are moving thru the expanded zone is the key.- Steve

Looking at the #'s over bonneville
4/17 8,635 adults & 241 jacks
4/18 7,026 adults & 150 jacks

Adult Passage YTD 57,616
10 Year average YTD 21,258

Plus looking at the jack return, almost 1000 so far this year, something good must be going on out in the Ocean. Wind and Drano could be the place to be this Weekend, in full BDU's of course.

ThankX for the info on the boat launch down river from the Wind. I plan to fish it next weekend.