molalla river?

D
dangerranger
Headin to the molalla tomorrow to try and c&r for some cutts. anyone been out there latley? no boat so i think im going to try knights bridge at the park are there any other public spots to hit the bank?
 
H
hendrixfan
There is also access at the park by the pond(take the road back past safeway), then again on Ivy st where it crosses the river just south of town. I haven't been out recently but be sure to go early before the crowds of swimmers.
 
O
osmosis
I went today and it was on the slow side. Its really low.
 
A
adambomb
I fished the river Saturday evening from bout 5 to 8. I landed 8 cutthroat, one of which was a little under 13". Most were 6-10 inchers. I also killed several squawfish. Knights bridge has a good hole right in the bend, and another good deepish section 100yds or so up from that. I would not recommend the Canby Park, for several reasons. Lots of people, (some shadier than others), and a general lack of good water. My favorite stretch is the half mile upstream from Goods Bridge. The only lure I used on Saturday was a Panther Martin with a black body and a gold blade, and think SMALL, I consider any cutthroat over 12" a trophy. I have also had success with some mini Mepps spinners as well. If you feel like good fight, tie on something with a body, like a plastic minnow or salamander and target the smallmouth in the deeper, slower water. Oh, and should you happen to land a native steelhead or salmon? KILL IT! The river is open for non-adipose clipped retention through the end of August, but bait season ends this Wednesday if I remember correctly.
 
O
osmosis
yep bait closes the 15th.
Sounds like we had very similar days Adam
 
A
adambomb
Saturday was the first time this summer that I have fished it in the evening, and I found that on warmer days (80 +), the fish seem to really crowd into the shade. Obviously, the evening produces larger shadows, but even in the heat of the day I find most of my fish either in a small spot of shade or tucked in behind a rock in faster deepish water. Another thing I noticed was at about 7:30, in a shady, smooth stretch, the squaw fish were feeding on the cotton falling from the trees. I seized the opportunity, and promptly sent several of them to invasive species hell. I think this weekend I will try to cross at Wagon Wheel and hike upstream and see what that section looks like.
 
T
Troutier Bassier
Pikeminnow arent Invasize, They are Native. Kill em Anyways.
 
D
dangerranger
adambomb said:
I fished the river Saturday evening from bout 5 to 8. I landed 8 cutthroat, one of which was a little under 13". Most were 6-10 inchers. I also killed several squawfish. Knights bridge has a good hole right in the bend, and another good deepish section 100yds or so up from that. I would not recommend the Canby Park, for several reasons. Lots of people, (some shadier than others), and a general lack of good water. My favorite stretch is the half mile upstream from Goods Bridge. The only lure I used on Saturday was a Panther Martin with a black body and a gold blade, and think SMALL, I consider any cutthroat over 12" a trophy. I have also had success with some mini Mepps spinners as well. If you feel like good fight, tie on something with a body, like a plastic minnow or salamander and target the smallmouth in the deeper, slower water. Oh, and should you happen to land a native steelhead or salmon? KILL IT! The river is open for non-adipose clipped retention through the end of August, but bait season ends this Wednesday if I remember correctly.

im going to be fishing first thing in the morning i went out and got a few small kastmasters and some small rooster tails, thinkin about maybe knockin the dust off the flyrod.......not to sound stupid ive never fished kastmasters.... ive always fished flies or rooster tails, do you fish the kastmasters the same as a rooster tail???
 
A
adambomb
I dont usually fish kastmasters in rivers. Personally I find them more effective in still water, but thats just me. I have caught a lot of fish this summer on roostertails also, mainly brighter colors with nickel blades.
 
T
Troutier Bassier
I Agree, Kastmaster work better in Still water cause, Well, They dont sink to the bottom in 2 seconds, It takes like 10 seconds for Kasters to sink in a lake. and a lot of other reasons I can't explain,
I would rather use Vibrax spinners over Kastmasters.
 
W
wrestlerstud32
can anyone summerize how to use a rooster tail in a fast flowing river and successfully catch a fish.
 
D
dangerranger
Troutier Bassier said:
I Agree, Kastmaster work better in Still water cause, Well, They dont sink to the bottom in 2 seconds, It takes like 10 seconds for Kasters to sink in a lake. and a lot of other reasons I can't explain,
I would rather use Vibrax spinners over Kastmasters.

cool thanks for the advice i did buy a couple of vibrax spinners too so ill give them a try
 
A
adambomb
wrestlerstud32 said:
can anyone summerize how to use a rooster tail in a fast flowing river and successfully catch a fish.

I would try searching the forum for "drifting spinners" and just remember, if your not snagging the bottom, your not fishing deep enough!
 
S
SmallStreams
adambomb said:
I would try searching the forum for "drifting spinners" and just remember, if your not snagging the bottom, your not fishing deep enough!

That sounds like a steelheader :cool:

Main thing is to keep the lure under any whitewater as it's invisible when it's in the frothy part. Roostertails are not particularly heavy, so you may need to upsize or add weight or use a different lure. If it's a particularly heavy current, then letting it run downstream with the current is an option rather than casting & retrieving.
 
W
wrestlerstud32
i went down to knights bridge park today and had no luck. it was really shallow and i didn't even get a nibble. there was this one place, though, that looked really fishy. it was to the right of the rock beach thing were the river bends. but i still had no luck. is there any other places on the mollala that has good fishing waters?
thanks
 
D
dangerranger
wrestlerstud32 said:
i went down to knights bridge park today and had no luck. it was really shallow and i didn't even get a nibble. there was this one place, though, that looked really fishy. it was to the right of the rock beach thing were the river bends. but i still had no luck. is there any other places on the mollala that has good fishing waters?
thanks

I actually fished knights bridge this morning i fished right at the bend, theres its a litter deeper there. I tried every rooster tail and vibrex in my box and nothin, then i put on a small blue/silver kastmaster for the hell of it and landed a 8" cutt on my second cast, but that was it for the day. We started in canby park i hooked a small one there but lost it, its REALLY shallow there, someone said at goods bridge i think but im not sure where thats at. wish the water wasn't so low i never realized the mo was such a decent cutt fishery, ive lived 20min from there my whole life lol
 
A
adambomb
wrestlerstud32 said:
i went down to knights bridge park today and had no luck. it was really shallow and i didn't even get a nibble. there was this one place, though, that looked really fishy. it was to the right of the rock beach thing were the river bends. but i still had no luck. is there any other places on the mollala that has good fishing waters?
thanks

I was born and grew up on the shores of the Mighty Mo, and in my opinion, right now is the best time to fish the river on foot BECAUSE the water is so low. On the other hand, it does make it more of a challenge to find fish, because the good holding water is farther apart. Goods Bridge is just south of town on Ivy St./HWY 170. Just park where the bike lane widens up and follow the trail on either side of the road. The old man who lives in the house right there is kind enough to allow people to walk across his land, but BE RESPECTFUL!! If you hear a lawnmower comin', just turn around and head back, cuz he's comin to ask you to leave. Just upstream from the bridge is a nice little hole/bend that I always pull one or two out of, and if you feel like a hike there are a couple of more good spots upstream of the bridge. Dont bother goin downstream from the bridge, I already did that for you and its just flat, shallow and wide for half a mile or more.
 
W
wrestlerstud32
just got back from the mollala. this time I tried the bridge on ivy st. I fished the little hole just upstream from the bridge. it was pretty nice, I caught one cutthroat about 6 inches. I might try it later again tonight.
 
D
dangerranger
figured id go out to the molalla today when i got off work haha anyone ever seen that river on a hot day..... didn't even get a line wet:confused:
 
A
adambomb
dangerranger said:
figured id go out to the molalla today when i got off work haha anyone ever seen that river on a hot day..... didn't even get a line wet:confused:

yeah, even goods bridge with little parking and no facilities is packed on a scorcher like today. Although, if your willing to hike a bit the swimmers rarely go more than 100yds upstream. If its above 80, forget Knights bridge and Canby park and Wagon wheel for that matter. Just outside of Molalla, 211 crosses the river and I have only fished there once, but I can't say how crowded it gets with swimmers.
 

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