With the last day of sturgeon retention season upon us, we hit the water with a couple of boats in search of just one more keeper. After a hard day of fishing and bouncing from spot to spot trying to grind out a bite, Pro Guide Steve finally landed on a 52" keeper to cap off the retention season in style. Now that retention is officially closed, it’s time to make the drive out for some catch-and-release sturgeon fishing. These fish are truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the next few months are prime time. March, April, May, June, and July make for some incredible fishing for giant Columbia River sturgeon. If you’ve ever wanted to hook into a true river monster, this is your window.

Making the trip from Kennewick to Irrigon, Oregon proved to be well worth the drive for the crew. It was a day of trolling worm harnesses, and while the fish were short-biting, the guys adjusted quickly—giving them the feed and letting them load up before setting the hook. All in all, it was an absolutely great day on the water with a great group of guys. Good fishing, good energy, and a whole lot of fun.

FCO Pro Guide Steve hit the Columbia today, launching out of Umatilla to meet his Tri-Cities clients who made the short 25-minute drive over. It was a full day of walleye fishing for the crew—and walleye catching is exactly what they did. Steve started the morning pulling plugs and didn’t have to change the game plan much at all. The fish wanted to play, and the action stayed steady. The day produced plenty of quality eaters along with a few bigger fish that were released to help keep this fishery thriving. The smiles at the end of the trip said everything. Another great day on the Columbia with the FCO crew.

Had a great time with Ron from Tri-Cities  and David from Bend Oregon out chasing Columbia River walleye. We had to work a little harder for them today with a big push of water changing up the morning plans. It made things tougher and the fish weren’t sitting where they normally do, but the guys stayed with it. We were on the hunt for quality 16"–22" eater walleye, but the river kept giving us 25"–28" releasers instead. Don’t get me wrong—those bigger fish were a blast to catch, and the guys loved every minute of it—we just wanted to make sure we had a few for the tacos! All in all, a fun day with great company and plenty of action, even if the fish had their own idea of what size we were supposed to catch.

It was a solid night of walleye fishing for Pro Guide Steve as he hunted down a batch of eater walleye and released a few trophies with his crew. The water is finally clearing up, and the bite is starting to fire again. It’s trophy time here at Fisher’s Catch Outfitters—prime season to rip some baits, chase the big girls, and put serious fish in the boat. The window is opening, and the fish are showing up. Let’s get after it.

Back to walleye for Pro Guide Tony. Tri-Cities clients Steve and Sharee joined him for a morning of walleye fishing on the Columbia out of Umatilla, and they had an excellent trip. The bite was steady, the rods stayed busy, and they put plenty of walleye in the boat—and later on the dinner table. They also released several beautiful fish back into the river to help keep this incredible fishery thriving. Great people, great fishing, and another solid day on the water for the FCO crew.

After a great day on the water yesterday, we hit the Columbia River again in search of a keeper sturgeon. We didn’t manage to land a keeper today, but we did get Omar on a beautiful 76-inch sturgeon—his first one ever. Omar had never caught a sturgeon before, even after trying several times, so watching him finally connect with a true river giant made the whole trip worth it. Even though we didn’t get the keeper we were chasing, Omar walked away with the fish of a lifetime. Another awesome day on the Columbia with memories that won’t be forgotten.

With the New Year kicking off today, that means one thing—retention sturgeon season is on. And it turned into a day of steady catching for the two FCO boats on the water. Keepers hit the deck, spirits were high, and the smiles said it all. The water conditions have been in our favor, and it’s showing. The fishing is strong, the numbers are good, and anglers are taking home some beautiful keeper sturgeon. At the rate keepers are being caught across the river, we don’t expect the season to stay open much longer. If you’ve been waiting for your shot, now is the time.

It was another great night on the Columbia chasing trophy walleye. Damon has fished with us several times before, and this trip he came with one goal—join the Dirty 30 Club. And we got it done. Damon is officially in the club, and the moment that fish hit the net was pure excitement for everyone on board. The crew stayed hot all night, putting 14 quality walleye on the deck for photos before releasing them back into the river. Nights like this are what trophy season is all about—big fish, big smiles, and memories that stick.