10.05.08 @ E.c.

[fishy4]

so basically a longer trout rod would work fine? and i would love to go with a few of the guys just got to wait for weather to settle down car wont make it

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Yeah, but ideally an 8'6" fast action 8-12 drift stick is going to be better than a long trout rod. They just don't have the sensitivity to feel the flare vortex, and the single tick the fish are puttin down to reliably stick 'em. North X Northwest makes an 8-12, "Steelhead Drifting" rod, for the price, it is one of the best rods for this type of fishing, I own one, and really have come to like it a lot. It is getting more and more river time, as I overcome my only gripe about it...I wish it were faster, like on half an eye faster action would be killer. But I am one who likes the uber fast blanks, that only flex down to the first couple, three eyes with no live load. Makes the Winters beg for mercy when you can stab 'em that quick. But when the weather settles, post plans to go fishin, and some of us will probably hook-up with you if schedules don't conflict with one another.

 

[fishy4]

cool man. are there any good spots in oregon city? i used to live there and the willamette river in a boat or meldrum bar was hot. but i would like to fish on a smaller river setting.

 

[fishy4]

o yeah and what line is a good choice?

 

[fishy4]

has anyone hooked up with any fish latley? kinda hard to get out of the house with 18 inches of snow here

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

I'm running 12 lb, Maxima UG mainline, and I use Sufix Siege for leaders, in 8lb. on the bank, or 10 lb. side drifting in a boat.
You can fish Riverside Park, to the mouth pretty easily, and they are actually decent Steel spots. Meldrum and Clackamette are not my favorite, unless I'm going to pontoon drift the Willy, but Cross, High Rocks, and Riverside are all good places to start.
I have been drift fishing from Carver on down mostly, and have yet to go a day without at least stabbin a fin, and releasing it... Quite a few brats though, fillin up yet another H.C. with Steel.

 

[fishy4]

alright thank you. i right now am running 8 pound mainline pretty sure its maxima and 6 pound flourocarbon. also one rod has braided 20 pound. i have caught some big chinook at the clackamette park before skate park was built. nailed a nice 26 pound nook plunkin eggs with spn n glow does riverside have any good plunking?

 

[FishSchooler]

riverside have any good plunking?

I asked that question too, and the answer was no. There is a really deep slow pool and a really shallow/fast run. Spin n glow is tangling in the fast, no spining in the slow.

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Don't plunk the Clackamas. Drift fishing is way, way, way, way more productive. The profile of the Clackamas calls for good drift fishing. It is not too big to cast, and drift the seams, and shipping lanes, or swing spinners when the water temp calls for it. But everyday I have fished Riverside in the last 5 trips, I have walked with one at least, and the plunkers are all starting to take notice. One guy even followed me up to the riffle, and asked if he could just watch what I did. Had a plunker sell his gear on Craigslist that night, and he ended up buying a N x NW Steelhead Drift rod, and a Daiwa caster with this crazy twitch bar...Might be good for backbouncing. But still the guy has plunked for 10 years, and only tagged 7 fish. He has two on the books, in three trips I guess. Just a drift fishing story. The Clack will treat you fairly when drifting, but plunking just doesn't work. Its like the water is either blowin way too fast, or it is just way, way too slow for anything to be presented properly. Meldrum, and Clackamette are still the Plunkers strrips, and there are a few desperate Meldrum transplants that have moved up to Riverside. Let us know if you plan to fish the Clack, I bet someone will be out hunting scales.

 

[fishy4]

thanks i will keep updating probably will head out next week or so.

 

[luv2fish]

i've plunked at riverside ( the side where car parking is.....on the very extreme end...) and got a steelhead last year...you can use spin n glo...but to et that spot you gotta be extremely lucky as there's always someone down there.....its a good plunkin spot but for one or max. 2 guys....

but AA is right..clack has more to offer if your a drift guy....salmon or steely..chances are more with drift as you can drift fish almost anywhere on clack....

 

[fishy4]

would it be a worth while to side drift little gravel bars in the willamette with eggs? this year was good to me out there caught a nice 18 pound coho. never seen one that big. at least in the willy

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Plunkers at Riverside do get a few, lethargic fish every year, but why waste your time. 4 of my friends, last summer tagged up 15 fish each drift fishing Riverside Park all Summer. Not a lot of fish, but way more than any of the Plunkmasters. Drift fish Riverside with bait, and I guarantee you will come up with nothin but your hooks... That is the first step in recognizing strikes, drift fishing. My friend and I side drift the garbage out of the Willy from his sled. It is a super productive method, and it will up your chances, over back draggin, and what not. In the Will, fish in knee deep, to about 12 feet of water, although there have been, and always will be, wiley fish that you get in springer water. You said you want to side drift the willy, you have a boat I assume. Let me know where you put in, and what method you use tpo target fish. Backbounce, Backtroll, Side Drift...Whatever. I can at least tell you productive spots, and what works there. I hate the Willy though. Folks think you are snagging Steelhead!??? This has happened once this year where I fished my limit, and was gonna pull in. Half a dozen boaters said..."Well, we are reporting you for illegally snagging fish." Have these people ever even fought a fish? Tell me how you snag up Sewer Troots while long lining off a guys drift boat, and post drifting the seams with number 4's and bait?...I dunno, get out on the Willy, a month ago, over 17,000 fish made it over the Dam/Falls in less than a week or so.

 

[mainman]

just wondering

just wondering

when do these suckers start running? and what is the best gear? I keep reading that spinners are the way to go is that acurate?

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

I'm assuming you are asking for tactics regarding Eagle Creek, since this is a thread about Coho in the Creek...? If you fish spinners below me in the creek, you will see me leave. It is on rare occasion they actually mouth eat a spinner. They head swipe, and tail swipe 'em a lot, but rarely eat, eat a spinner in that kind of water. I drift fish the creek, and catch hundreds of those Coho. It takes a swivel attached to your main, an 18" leader, no longer, and two bb split shot with number 2, and 4 hooks and black yarn. I bait fish it too, but I get my eggs cured for the Coho in that creek, and it is the only bait I have hoooked lots, and lots of fish on. So I know it works, but only under certain conditions. It is one fishery that it is very easy to hook-up 20-50 fish a day, fair hooked, if you can just manage to learn how to drift fish properly. For them it is all about presentation. They start running in September, and are open for two months in the late fall. Oct, and Nov. in the Creek. But when the time comes, you will see the Salmon boards explode. They did this last year, and we had half the active posters. If you have E.C. Coho questions, just ask. I do strongly believe that there is only one way to effectively go about targeting these creek fish without accidentally fouling 'em up. And you only target them while they are moving, or in riffles. The only fish I actually foul stuck, and had to fight were the thick, thick run of pilot fish. Tryin to get my bearings straight for the season. They fill holes so quick that the bank disappears you were just standing on. Crazy to see fish actually displace water. Good luck man, this will get goin again at the end of Summer.