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Summit Outdoor Specialists, Salem, OR (2026)

06/07/2026

Merwin gave us exactly what we needed today — laughs, chaos, and a cooler full of chrome. Joe, Emily, and I ran KokaneeKid gear, Arrow Flash dodgers, and our Pro‑Cure‑powered corn, and the fish were angry. Jumping, flipping, spitting hooks, flashing the “middle fin” on the way out.

Three limits by 1:20 p.m. in classic Oregon mood‑swing weather. Good friends. Hot rods. Fired‑up kokanee. Days like this refill the tank.

06/07/2026

Merwin Report — June 6, 2026

There are fishing trips you plan, and then there are fishing trips you need. After grinding through my solo Wallowa marathon, I was running on emotional fumes and caffeine residue. During my debrief with my good friend and fellow Kok‑A‑Holic, Joe Kupillas, I mentioned I needed a reset — a trip filled with laughter, good people, and just enough chaos to remind me why we chase these chrome‑plated maniacs in the first place.

Joe didn’t hesitate.
He said he and Emily Nielson Smith were heading north to Merwin — one of our mutual happy places — and invited me to join them aboard the Koke Magnet. It was exactly the prescription I needed. There was only one condition: Joe and Emily were on a mission to plug the cooler, hang the Yeti “No Vacancy” sign, and stuff the Koke Magnet vault with shiny silver bars.

Challenge accepted.

Running on three hours of sleep and questionable decision‑making, I loaded the rig and headed to Joe’s place. After a quick gear shuffle, we pointed the truck up I‑5 and rolled into the Speelyai lot around 5:10 a.m. Third to launch. Gear deployed just past the No Wake buoy. Rain falling sideways. Breeze doing its best impression of a hair dryer set to “mild annoyance.”

Perfect Merwin weather.

Once Emily and I had the spread out in what Joe lovingly calls “full porcupine mode,” I tossed out a friendly wager:
“How long until the first chrome slime rocket hits the deck?”

I guessed three minutes. I don’t remember the exact timestamp, but let’s just say I wasn’t wrong.

Mining operations commenced.

We fished from about 6 a.m. until the final fish of our three‑person limit came, as a certain tuna captain would say, “over the rail and into the pail” at 1:20 p.m. The weather was classic west‑side Oregon — the kind of meteorological mood swing that makes you question your life choices. One minute it was March. The next it was June. Then it was March again.

Fishing wasn’t fast, but it was steady — the kind of steady that keeps you smiling and never lets you sit down.

Gear & Tactics
We cycled through a variety of KokaneeKid Fishing rigs until a few clear winners emerged:

Wickiup Mosquitos in brown/gold, brown/silver, and black/gold

“Big Cuzz” blue twisted hoochie in gold and silver

Pink twisted hoochie in gold

Dodgers were Poulsen Cascade Tackle Arrow Flash — gold with moonglow wings, gold pink rocket, and solid gold were standouts.

For bait, we ran our own scent recipes: my Sean’s Corn, Kitchen Sink corn, and a few Berkeley Gulp maggots, all cured with Pro-Cure Bait Scents products. I also proudly showed off my newly acquired Maddox’s Tackle Kaddies — a godsend for anyone with fisher‑grade OCD.

The Fish
Merwin kokanee are in full “angry teenager” mode right now — feeding hard, fighting harder, and launching themselves skyward like they’re auditioning for a salmon circus troupe.

One particularly large fish hit the gear, blew the clip, rocketed out of the water, did a backflip, then launched again nearly three feet in the air before spitting the hook. I never even felt it — just watched it flip me the “middle fin” on its way back to freedom.

Conditions
Water temp: mid 60°'s F

Air temp: Low 50s to high 60s depending on which version of Mother Nature was on shift

Speed: 1.0–1.2 mph

Depth: Surface to 61 feet using Scotty Fishing Products downriggers

Rods: Six — because why limit joy?

We wrapped the day with a friendly boat and fish check from a public service officer who had a great sense of humor. Always appreciated.

Final Thoughts
It was the kind of day that fills your tank — old friends, new friends, steady action, and enough laughter to make the rain irrelevant. After Wallowa, this was exactly the trip I needed.

Merwin delivered.

06/05/2026

Fresh picked Morels! One of the days last week on my trip to Wallowa lake I was blown off the water by a violent storm so I figured I would go to the mountains to try to find some choice edibles to go with my Wallowa Lake kokanee.
We only found a handful but Vas and I had a blast hiking through God's country.

06/03/2026

Meet Vas
Position: 1st Mate & CFLO (Chief Fish‑Licking Officer)

Vas is a proud, full‑blooded Red Labrador Retriever — unpapered, but absolutely unaware of it. His lineage is a classy blend: a papered English yellow mom and a papered American black dad, which apparently results in a red dog with the confidence of a purebred prince.

Age: 3.5 years

Vas is rapidly becoming an exceptional home and field dog. He retrieves with the enthusiasm of a professional athlete — balls and sticks are his bread and butter, while geese and ducks hold a respectable bronze medal position. He’s already got several goose retrieves under his belt, though life and limited access mean we don’t get out for birds as often as he’d like.

Where Vas truly shines is on the water, or in it! He lives for fishing days. You’ll find him perched at the ready, eyes locked on the rods, waiting for that downrigger clip to pop so he can fulfill his sacred duty: enthusiastically licking every fish that comes aboard. It’s a calling, really.

Beyond his questionable culinary choices, Vas has become an incredible companion and a rock‑solid boat dog — loyal, joyful, and always ready for the next adventure.

Pictures from last week's Wallowa trip

06/02/2026

Wallowa Lake gave me everything this week—sunburns, windburns, heartbreak, and a 17" kokanee that made me feel like I knew what I was doing. Caught 150+ rainbows (not on purpose), got smacked by a rogue squall, and lost a PB‑class fish right at the net because kokanee love drama. Still brought home 18 good ones and laughed my way through the tough bite with , Val, and . Fishing: 7/10. Weather: 2/10. Memories: 100/10.

06/02/2026

Wallowa Lake – 8 Days
Part 2 (Continued)

Vas and I rolled out early Saturday morning, fueled by optimism, caffeine, and the kind of road‑trip confidence that only fishermen and teenagers possess. The plan was simple: get there early, unload fast, and squeeze in a Saturday evening troll before the sun dipped behind those postcard‑perfect Wallowa peaks.

The drive was uneventful—always a blessing when towing a boat—and we splashed the rig somewhere between 3:30 and 4. It took a bit to get the boat dialed in, but once the gear was humming, I fired up the Lowrance Elite FS and the AT1 and started scrubbing water like a man on a mission.

Two hours in, after catching a pile of little kokanee, a pattern finally clicked. Every “micro‑kokanee” came from those big, tight, Costco‑on‑a‑Saturday‑morning schools. The bigger fish? They were hanging in the loose, scattered groups—the introverts of the kokanee world. Once I found those, I started carpet‑bombing them with figure‑eights, changing baits, shifting speeds, and generally behaving like a man trying to impress a fish.

It worked.
A 13.5".
Then a 15.5".
And the closer—a thick, beautiful 17‑incher that would end up being my biggest fish of the entire eight‑day grind.

Not bad for three hours of fishing. Confidence: high. Ego: slightly inflated. Life: good.

Sunday – The Rainbow Rodeo

Sunday came early and warm—shorts, T‑shirt, flip‑flops, and the “splash‑and‑giggle” crowd already up and at it. I ran the highway‑side shoreline, and within two hours I had caught 31 rainbow trout between 7" and 9". Thirty‑one. I couldn’t keep lines in the water long enough to even pretend I was kokanee fishing. It was like running a daycare for caffeinated toddlers.

The kokanee bite stayed tough. I scratched out a couple decent fish, but nothing consistent. Monday started the same—beautiful morning, then by afternoon the weather flipped into a cold, blustery tantrum.

Midweek – The Grind

The next three days were a masterclass in humility. Big‑fish bites were scarce, but the little kokanee—6" to 10"—were everywhere. I made every adjustment known to man: depth, speed, color, dodger cadence, lure profile, scent, corn, no corn, more corn… still no reproducible pattern.

Then came the bipolar weather. One minute calm, the next minute a squall blowing through like it had a personal vendetta. I got caught mid‑lake when a gust snapped both anchor straps on my top and dropped it square onto my head. Same system that hammered Paulina.

But reinforcements arrived: Clyde and Val Jenne, and Joshua Kirkpatrick. The cavalry. We team‑fished Wednesday through Saturday, and even though the bite was still tough, the camaraderie made it fun. Josh joined me for an evening troll, and we laughed our way through the chaos.

Thursday – The Heartbreaker

Thursday gave me a shot at breaking my PB. I had just landed a 15.5" when my rod popped off the downrigger and buried. I knew instantly: this was a good one.

Every 10 feet I gained, the fish ripped 20 back. After seven minutes, I finally got it near the boat. I saw the flash—long, thick, steelhead‑ish—and it had every chance of beating my 20" mark.

Then, right as I reached for the net…
The hook pulled free.

A gut punch. The kind that makes you stare at the water for a minute and question your life choices.

Friday & Saturday – A Strong Finish

The last two days were my best, with multiple solid fish.

I caught fish from 5 ft to 120 ft on the ball. Speeds ranged from 0.9 to 1.4 mph. Corn was a mix of Sean’s Corn, Kitchen Sink Corn, and my new scent prototype “Working Girl” on Gulp Maggots—cured with Pro-Cure Bait Scents.

Water temps: 61° early week → 66.7° late week
Wind: 0 to 50 mph gusts
Total fish brought home: 18 decent kokanee (plus 3 small ones since I was cleaning fish anyway)
Plus: 150+ rainbow trout and a pile of small kokanee.

Kokanee kept:
2 × 11"

1 × 12"

5 × 14"

5 × 15"

4 × 16"

1 × 17"

Gear Shoutout
The gear that carried me:

KokaneeKid Fishing
Orange twisted hoochie + “Flaming Easter Egg” Arrow Flash (big‑fish combo)

Wickiup Mosquito

Da Kokanee Spinner (orange)

Poulsen Cascade Tackle Arrow Flash dodgers

Huge thanks to Shane & Suz for the Maddox’s Tackle Kaddies. This was my first one, and anyone who’s fished with me knows I usually store my dodgers in a plastic bag like a raccoon hoarding shiny objects. The kaddy is a game‑changer. Review coming soon.

Scotty Fishing Products
Lowrance

Final Thoughts
This trip tested me harder than any in recent memory. The weather, the grind, the sleep deprivation, the heartbreak fish—it all added up to a week I’ll never forget. And every lesson learned out there will make me a better fisherman moving forward.

Eight days on Wallowa Lake.
A roller coaster of weather, fish, friends, frustration, and laughter.
Exactly the kind of trip that keeps us coming back.

06/01/2026

Wallowa Lake reminded me this week that even legendary waters demand grit. Eight days of 2 AM alarms, long hours, wild weather swings, holiday chaos, and a surprise 39k‑fish trout dump that pushed kokanee into full lockjaw.

Still came home with 18 fish, solid scouting for the Veterans Derby, and a deeper respect for this place. Not every trip ends in stacks of silver bars — but every grind teaches something

06/01/2026

🎣🪄🎣 Wallowa Lake — a place of legends, shaped by grit and perseverance.
Eight days. A handful of victories. Plenty of setbacks. And a whole lot of truth.

For those who’ve followed my journey, you know this creator page was built on honesty, sincerity, and transparency. It’s easy to post the highlight reels — the days when the rods stay buried and the cooler fills with stacks of silver bars. But the reality is, not every trip ends that way. Some trips test you. Some humble you. And some quietly remind you that growth often comes disguised as struggle.

This was one of those trips.

My longest stay at Wallowa Lake turned into a grind far beyond what I expected — and honestly, far beyond what I wanted. Most mornings started at 2 AM, lines in the water by 4:05, and fishing straight through until 7:30 or 8 PM. Then it was back to the cabin to haul the boat, charge batteries, clean gear, feed myself and Vas, and try to catch a few hours of sleep before doing it all again. Day after day. A true test of endurance.

I came into this trip with three goals:

Chase down a kokanee big enough to beat my current PB — a 20" fish from last May.

Bring home as many 14"+ fish as possible to load the freezer with the best-eating kokanee on the planet — and yes, that’s a hill I’ll die on.

Scout the lake thoroughly for the upcoming Wallowa Lake Veterans Derby.

And here’s where the success showed up — not in the easy wins, but in the journey itself. Wallowa is God’s country, and simply being there is a gift. I checked off goal #3. I brought home 18 kokanee toward goal #2 — not the haul I hoped for, but still meaningful. And I put myself in position to chase down goal #1… more on that in part two.

The conditions were all over the map. Early in the week, the lake was glassy and warm at 84°. Then came tornado warnings, 50 mph gusts, and 3–4 ft whitecaps — the same system that hammered Paulina. Air temps plummeted over night to mid 30's to low 40's and stayed cooled during the days. Water temps started at 61° and dropped to 56.6° by the end of the week. Memorial Day weekend brought 82°–84° temps and a full-on circus of Splash-and-Giggle boats and anglers. It felt more like a peak July weekend at Motown.

Then came the curveball: ODFW made a last-minute decision to dump the entire Enterprise/Joseph hatchery’s rainbow trout into the lake — roughly 39,000 confirmed, with whispers of 50,000+. Anyone who’s fished Detroit after a big trout plant knows exactly what happens next: kokanee vanish into the shadows to escape the aggressive, starving trout.

Combine that with the weather swings and holiday chaos, and the kokanee shut down. Total lockjaw. A few lucky anglers stuck some trophies during my eight days, but the overwhelming consensus was the same: the bite is off.

Continued in Post #2

Summit Outdoor Specialists

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

06/05/2026

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

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06/01/2026

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