Last week at a local grocery store, I noticed the price of Chinook springers. Can you believe $27.95 a pound for fresh-cut steaks? Wow!

No wonder last week on the Lower Columbia River below Bonneville Dam anglers made 25,438 trips and caught 4,874 adult spring Chinook (4,874 kept and 654 released). This brings the total thus far in 2010 to 68,290 anglers and a Chinook catch of 6,682 and 1,011 released. The effort and catch totals for March are among the highest of the creel-check program (which began in 1968). Only non-selective catch in 1990 (9,000) and the 8,800 fish handled in the selective fishery in 2003 were higher.

Upriver spring Chinook comprised about 70 percent of the catch last week.

Effort was up from the previous weekend with 2,062 boats counted. In addition, there were 754 bank anglers.

From the I-5 bridge to Bonneville Dam, April 3 was the last day to fish for hatchery spring Chinook, hatchery steelhead and shad. Shad is expected to re-open May 16; salmonids on June 16. Buoy 10 to the I-5 bridge is scheduled to open for hatchery spring Chinook, hatchery steelhead and shad seven days per week through April 18.

As of April 2, 866 spring Chinook were counted passing Bonneville Dam. The high count through that date was 227 on April 2, up from 166 on April 1. A total of 4,176 steelhead were counted at Bonneville through April 2, plus 1,215 wild ones.

Black Lake OpenerApril 24 is the start of the lowland lake trout fishing season, including Black Lake in Ilwaco. The Black Lake Fishing Derby, sponsored by local merchants and geared for kids, will have free hot dogs, soft drinks, cookies and all sorts of prizes for the biggest fish in selected age categories. There are starter kits for all the children. Plan to be with your grandchildren or youngsters of your own for this fun event.

Taurus (the Judge) It’s always interesting to look at new guns that are being put out by manufacturers. This gun is a honey and you don’t have to go far to see it. Last week Bulldog Firearms store owner, Jerry, showed me a pistol that he just got in stock and I thought you might be interested in hearing about it.

It appears to me to be an excellent weapon for home protection as well as a carry weapon. It is a quality revolver made by Taurus and chambered in .45 Colt and also handles a .410 shotgun shell. They both can be loaded into the five respective chambers of the same caliber at one time or independently. The .410 and .45 Colt are both excellent close-in self-protection loads.

The Judge has the “Taurus Security System” key lock. It is a gun worth looking at.

Bulldog Firearms’ selling price for this pistol is $535 and on top of that he is offering an additional $25 off with this article, which brings the price down to $510. You must bring this article with you. Call 665-3531.