All over Springfield and Eugene, 11/24-25

[NKlamerus]

First, a huge thanks to Plumbertom with some local info on lakes.

Spent a lot of time driving but fished the bridge at Dexter lake, some bridge on hwy 58, golden garden lakes, McKenzie river by the paper mill, and Clearwater park on Saturday.

Not a single bite all day! I thought i had some hits at Dexter but never could hookup with anything.

Early Sunday I made it to junction City pond after hearing of the stocking schedule, and i was the 3rd one through the gate.

Setup at the southeast corner and watched 2 absolute giant brooders(I think that's what you call them?) Cruise by me in the shallows. They hung out and made loops around me while I emptied my tackle box at them. Never could get them to eat, I did have a nice gentlemen give me a rainbow he had caught about 20' away.

Moved to Alton Baker and fished it for the first time, caught 4 trout and kept the largest. Walked from the pond below the bmx park all the way up to the amphitheatre.

Does anyone know which side they stock? Above or below the spillway that's near the dog park?

Glad Oregon throws these license free days! Was definitely nice to get out there.

 

[plumbertom]

Your welcome for what little I had to share but I'm far from an expert on local fishing.
There's no doubt there are plenty of locals that could provide more enlightenment if they are willing.
For me I grew up mainly as a catfisher in the southwest.
Now catfishers tend to be a pretty gregarious lot. Many times I've been out looking for a place to sink a bait and been invited to share a spot with someone who was there before me.
Of course you pay the price of having someone to converse with while waiting on the whisker fish to find your offering.
And catfishing forums are generally so full of reports about who is catching what and where and on which bait, you often get information overload trying to make a decision.
My experience with those that target salmonids here has been quite different.

 

[troutdude]

Sorry to learn that your major efforts, didn't produce a whole lot. But it's way better than working!

Not sure what method(s) you were using so...

I've had great success, over the years, with a variation of the technique in this video. Except that my luck was best with Olive Green, Brown, or Black Woolly Buggers. Plus I add a tine BB sized split shot onto the leader. About 12" - 18" above the fly. So that they are creeping along "sub surface".

The real trick, for me, was to go VERY SLOW. Then slow it down even more. Remember NO fly "swims" fast. Not even close. I often let it sit for a few seconds sometimes too. Then retrieve again. Variation seems best, on the retrieve.

The other secret is that I use a Torpedo Bobber. For greater casting distance. You can google it, if you're unfamiliar. And for greater visibility.

 

[NKlamerus]

Sorry to learn that your major efforts, didn't produce a whole lot. But it's way better than working!

Not sure what method(s) you were using so...

I've had great success, over the years, with a variation of the technique in this video. Except that my luck was best with Olive Green, Brown, or Black Woolly Buggers. Plus I add a tine BB sized split shot onto the leader. About 12" - 18" above the fly. So that they are creeping along "sub surface".

The real trick, for me, was to go VERY SLOW. Then slow it down even more. Remember NO fly "swims" fast. Not even close. I often let it sit for a few seconds sometimes too. Then retrieve again. Variation seems best, on the retrieve.

The other secret is that I use a Torpedo Bobber. For greater casting distance. You can google it, if you're unfamiliar. And for greater visibility.

Definitely still loved being out there!

I've been trying to grasp this inline spinner stuff but it's been very slow going.

Was there a video you were recommending? Maybe Tapatalk hides the link?

I am very familiar with "throwers" as we called them, it was mostly a pier fisherman thing but they were a great secret weapon when bass fishing.

 

[NKlamerus]

I met a guy at Alton Baker who was throwing what looked like neon green walleye floats followed by little "pipe cleaner" worms. 2 of them per rig, weighted like a drop shot.

Is there a term for those?

 

[troutdude]

I've been trying to grasp this inline spinner stuff but it's been very slow going.

Was there a video you were recommending? Maybe Tapatalk hides the link?

I am very familiar with "throwers" as we called them, it was mostly a pier fisherman thing but they were a great secret weapon when bass fishing.

The primary secret, IMO, to using spinners is to fish the slowly and deeply. Most people retrieve them far too rapidly. Or not deeply enough. If you don't lose one or two on each trip. That's a clue that you're not getting them down deeply enough.

Yes, I posted a video that shows how to rig up a float and fly. I have no idea why you can't see it on Tapatalk. Anatoliy ?

I have no idea what you mean, by "throwers".

 

[troutdude]

I met a guy at Alton Baker who was throwing what looked like neon green walleye floats followed by little "pipe cleaner" worms. 2 of them per rig, weighted like a drop shot.

Is there a term for those?

It sounds like he was using San Juan Worms. Did they look like these:

 

[NKlamerus]

It sounds like he was using San Juan Worms. Did they look like these:

Nah it was more like these, with a round float. (Definitely not a jighead though)

We called torpedo bobbers throwers in Florida

 

[NKlamerus]

I'll have to check on the full online website and watch the video

Thank you for the tips on the spinners! I've been reading "Spinner Magic!" By Jim Bedford and so far the #1 rule is fish slower

 

[troutdude]

Wow. Those are bizarre. I've fished here in Oregon, for over 5 decades. But have NEVER seen any rigs for those (especially not for trout). Did he catch anything with them?

 

[plumbertom]

I'll have to check on the full online website and watch the video

Thank you for the tips on the spinners! I've been reading "Spinner Magic!" By Jim Bedford and so far the #1 rule is fish slower

Those look like walleye worm rigs with the plastics added instead of nightcrawlers.

 

[Ikijime]

Thanks for the report, NK! And glad we have contributors who share information freely, like PlumberTom and troutdude.

Do any of the posters on here, who know Dexter Res well, think that it's cold enough this time of year that the planters would be in deeper/ warmer water, closer to the dam than the bridge? I'm still trying to understand trout and water temperature preferences.

NK, I've read that the pond area of Alton Baker, called radio tower pond, can be good- at the inlet and outlet. I checked their stocking schedule, and was under the impression that ODFW was done for the year.

 

[troutdude]

Ikijime

Check out this article that I shared a while back...

 

[Ikijime]

I did read that post originally, and just read it again when you posted your link. It's a lot of information, and it sounds like you'd still need to (at my experience level) take the temperature at the lower part of the water and the ambient air in the wind to know the difference between the two, until one could eventually just recognize the process just by seeing the organic matter floating to the top.
So, this process would be much different at Fern Ridge Res than it would at Dexter, right? Isn't Fern Ridge warmer water and shallower? I just started taking a thermometer with me in my fishing kit and a notepad, just to strive for the nerd level of fish whispering. The article said something about a digital thermometer.

That's just a lot of information to digest at once and actually be able to functionalize without some mat time. I guess I'm starting the process though. Thanks for making us think!

 

[troutdude]

You're very welcome. Yes indeed--more mat time required. Incidentally my Uncle Russ Thurman, is in the U.S. Wrestling Hall of Fame. He coached Crook County to many district, and several state, championships back in the day.

You are correct. Most warmer / shallower lakes, do not stratify as seasons change. Basically once the Fall Turnover has occurred, on the deeper lakes, you will find the fish scattered. And mostly in the top 10', of the water. Until the changes in the spring drive them back into the deeper pockets.

"Nerd level of fish whispering"...cracked me up! ROTFL!

 

[chris_the_wrench]

They stock Alton Baker all winter. I've never seen them stocking it, but I've caught stocked fish almost the entire length of the canal so I believe they drop them in a few locations. I tend to avoid the shallow pool down by the Mercedes dealer, just because its usually crowded. I fish right next to Autzen a lot and up creek from there. I usually toss spoons in there, and for most of my trout fishing. I'll soak powerboat when I'm desperate or they ain't cooperating.

I've only lived around here for a few years, but I fish several times a week and I'm slowly figuring out the locations and techniques.
-Chris