bass
Yesterday was my first skunk ever in my kayak. Made it a year and a half, not bad. I figure it is not fair to only post the good trips.
Even though I did not catch anything it may have been my favorite trip of the year. When I got to the water and out of my truck the silence was incredible. Not a human made sound could be heard. I strained trying to hear something, it was almost spooky. After a few moments the birds started chirping again. I felt like I was in the middle of the wilderness. It was amazing. The whole day was really filled with solitude. Very few people around, for the most part I had complete silence the entire day interrupted only occasionally by the conversations of folks walking their dogs. Never saw nor heard a single power boat. Car noises were rare and not the norm. The only company I had on the water was one guy took his sea kayak out of a paddle in the late afternoon and I said hi on the way out and the way back. Truly serene.
As to the fishing. I launched and was anchored up by around 9am. First drop down, I feel the familiar thunk, thunk, thunk and I am thinking this is going to be a lights out day. It was definitely a sturgeon bite, but I kept waiting for it to really move off with the bait. Finally, it stopped and did not come back. I should have set the hook. I did not get another bite for about an hour. I moved my bait all over the place, but nothing. I said to myself that if I do not get a bite on the next drop I will move. Don't you know it. Thunk, thunk and then the fish started swimming off with the bait. I started reeling in to set the circle and nothing. I am still confused. I spend another 2 hours at that spot without another bite. I moved quite a few times during the day and had one other spot where I got a bite (not counting the peck, pecks of bait stealers). I ended up fishing all day without a hook up.
I will definitely try the upper river again. I am sure that there are sturgeon there and I want to figure out exactly where. It will be fun figuring out this fishery. The lower Willamette has so many fish that while fun is not really a challenging fishery. I am looking forward to cracking this nut
Even though I did not catch anything it may have been my favorite trip of the year. When I got to the water and out of my truck the silence was incredible. Not a human made sound could be heard. I strained trying to hear something, it was almost spooky. After a few moments the birds started chirping again. I felt like I was in the middle of the wilderness. It was amazing. The whole day was really filled with solitude. Very few people around, for the most part I had complete silence the entire day interrupted only occasionally by the conversations of folks walking their dogs. Never saw nor heard a single power boat. Car noises were rare and not the norm. The only company I had on the water was one guy took his sea kayak out of a paddle in the late afternoon and I said hi on the way out and the way back. Truly serene.
As to the fishing. I launched and was anchored up by around 9am. First drop down, I feel the familiar thunk, thunk, thunk and I am thinking this is going to be a lights out day. It was definitely a sturgeon bite, but I kept waiting for it to really move off with the bait. Finally, it stopped and did not come back. I should have set the hook. I did not get another bite for about an hour. I moved my bait all over the place, but nothing. I said to myself that if I do not get a bite on the next drop I will move. Don't you know it. Thunk, thunk and then the fish started swimming off with the bait. I started reeling in to set the circle and nothing. I am still confused. I spend another 2 hours at that spot without another bite. I moved quite a few times during the day and had one other spot where I got a bite (not counting the peck, pecks of bait stealers). I ended up fishing all day without a hook up.
I will definitely try the upper river again. I am sure that there are sturgeon there and I want to figure out exactly where. It will be fun figuring out this fishery. The lower Willamette has so many fish that while fun is not really a challenging fishery. I am looking forward to cracking this nut
