Young angler Silas Newhouse was fishing on the Snake River in Washington together with his dad and a good friend of his when he hooked up to a really big walleye.
Read on to get all the details about this memorable fishing trip and find out how much Silas’ PNW monster walleye weighed.
It’s not every day that you see a youngster with a really large fish, which is why the Facebook post about Silas and his big walleye caught my attention.
I wanted to find out more, so I reached out to his dad, Ryan, and the guide, Doug Richard Jr, who had taken the two out on the Snake River that day.
Both Ryan (together with Silas) and Doug, who are very good friends and fishing buddies, agreed to answer a few short interview questions, and the article was a go!
The Snake River – A Haven for Big Eyes
Doug, who has been guiding on the Columbia and Snake River for 20 years (find him on Facebook at Hells Canyon Sport Fishing), told me that the trio was fishing below Little Goose Dam that day.
This section of the Snake River, which is commonly referred to as Lyons Ferry, is well known for producing big walleyes of 10 to 15 pounds.
The Snake is one of the bigger tributaries of the Columbia River, which holds plenty of really big walleyes, so fishing any of those two river systems can always deliver a big surprise.
And that’s exactly what Silas, his dad Ryan, and Doug got that day!
Trolling for Walleyes
I asked Ryan how they were targeting the fish and what type of bait they were using:
“We trolled Bandit diver plugs. Red/white and green tiger colors seemed to be the hottest that day as we caught several 3-5 pounders as well.
Then, we suddenly hooked up to a really big fish at a depth of about 25 feet.”
Silas was the one who got that bite, and I asked him about the fight and landing of the fish:
“It didn’t really fight too much; kind of feels like you’re just reeling in a lot of weight. I didn’t know it was going to be that big until we saw it surface.
Then, at that point, it was very exciting and a big rush. I actually wasn’t sure if it was a walleye because it was so big. I thought it was a carp or something until I saw its head and mouth.”
A Regular Walleye Monster from the PNW
And big it was! Their scale revealed a weight of 16 pounds on the dot, which is a really big fish anywhere in the US.
They didn’t take the fish’s length, but by the looks of it, this fish could measure 35 inches or more.
And as I’ve read, this is actually fairly normal for Columbia River walleyes; they are commonly not as heavy-set as in other waterbodies but can get really long.
As a matter of fact, Silas seemed to have a hard time holding the fish up. Ryan added:
“He had to use the scale to hold up the mouth end because the gills and mouth were tearing his hands up.”
A Young, Passionate Angler
It’s obvious that Silas really enjoys the wonderful sport of fishing. You can really feel the fun and passion he’s got!
I asked him how he felt about his enormous catch:
“It’s cool to know that I had the chance to catch a walleye that size. I’m just glad it didn’t come off the hook or snap the line.”
Very, very cool, indeed!
Man, I remember catching 5-pound pike back when I was 14. A double-digit monster like the one Silas caught was basically an impossibility for me at that age.
And this actually wasn’t the first giant Silas has caught in his young life. Ryan told me that:
“He caught a 14.1-pounder two years ago as well. We never thought he’d one up that one.”
Lastly, I wanted to know what other type of fishing Silas is into:
“I do a lot of bass fishing on The Snake and trout fishing on The North Fork and Selway rivers. My dad and I like to float on our Pontoons on small rivers.”
And what he’ll be fishing next:
“I can’t wait until the bass are biting again, and that’s what’s probably next.”
Once again, I’d like to congratulate Silas on his fantastic walleye and thank him, Ryan, and Doug for answering all my questions.
Tight lines, guys!
Leave a comment