First time on the Clackamas River...

[Kage]

well i was TOO eager to go fishing so i walked down to the river by 142nd and 212. don't really know how to fish in a river, didn't catch a thing. i used blue fox lures and lost one, then went w/ a hook and powerbait i guess i wasn't usin the right gear or wasn't in the right spot. i was right before a bend in the river.

 

[beaverfan]

Blue Fox lures work well for Salmon and Steelhead but Powerbait isn't a real Salmon killer more of a stocker trout killer. I would suggest picking up some sandshrimp, eggs, or prawns. Welcome to the site by the way!

 

[Kage]

i was recommended to use blue fox the first time i asked about fishing up here so it's the only brand i use at this point. now as far as size goes, is there any particular i should use as a standard size? and actually, i didn't look at the size when i bought it so how can i tell what size i'm using? what would better for those nice sized trouts? sorry for sounding like a total noob, but i basically am haha and ty for the welcome. u guys are quick w/ the responses

 

[brandon4455]

size 3 for steelhead and size 5 for for salmon. use chartruese,black, and pink ofr salmon and pink,purple,black,orange and all those bright colors for steelhead. but from what ive seen colors sometimes dont matter,it's more of a personal prefference thing. welcome to the forum! for trout with any brand of spinner i start with the color black rainbow and pink. chartruese,pink,orange,pruple,black and stuff liek that for salmon and steelhead. go get em!

 

[Kage]

to be specific i'm usin the Vibrax lures and the minnow spin lures from blue fox, will these do fine? also how do i tell the size of them? i actually bought them w/o looking really at the specs. i have one of the minnow spin lure packages though. thanks for the welcome, i hope soon to not have to ask such noobie questions.

 

[beaverfan]

to be specific i'm usin the Vibrax lures and the minnow spin lures from blue fox, will these do fine? also how do i tell the size of them? i actually bought them w/o looking really at the specs. i have one of the minnow spin lure packages though. thanks for the welcome, i hope soon to not have to ask such noobie questions.

A lot of what your asking is species specific, what species are you targeting?

 

[Kage]

at this point i'm aiming for salmon and steelhead, i honestly don't know the difference between them. they're the same fish at different stages in their life right? i'd be fishing for trout mainly but at the time being i want to get some salmon and steelhead.

 

[waco]

Salmon and trout are not the same fish!! they are in the same family but not the same!!! Salmon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia if you really want to target this fish, spent sometime getting all the info you can get about this fish and try to understand them!!! you have a computer and you can get a lot of info from it use it!!! if you understand this fish it will make it easy to fish for them and knowwing why they are doing that and this!!! good luck on you search for your first big fish!!!

 

[troutdude]

X 2, with what Waco posted. PLUS this...

if you misidentify a caught fish, you will set yourself up for a ticket and a fine from a game warden. They expect you to FULLY KNOW what you are catching. And if a warden is looking over your shoulder, you'd better be able to identify the fish even BEFORE you remove it from the water too. If you look at the warden and say, "well I think it's a..." BAM, you will be ticketed.

It's in YOUR best interest to know what you're doing. I'd hate to see you get cited, because you didn't know. So do all you can to learn how to identify each specie that you target (and fully understand the regulations too).

 

[Kage]

Oh I know salmon and trout are different fish I meant salmon and steelhead. I suppose more research wouldn't hurt. is it really possible to identify the fish while reelin it in 100% of the time or u mean before its removed from the water. Now I feel a lot of pressure haha, knowledge is power right? I'll put in some research, I've read up a bit on trout already so I'm decent with them so far, but only them

 

[chrisohm]

I recommend finding a fishing buddy and arm yourself with info. Sometimes what you overlook, you might find out that your buddy didn't. Sometimes what you forget to bring, your buddy packs along. You might get some trout but that doesn't open until May 28th on the Clack. Ask around fishing holes and introduce yourself first before probing for information. Be courteous but persistent. Some of the old fish dogs might have some beneficial information as well as fun stories. A book religiously recommended is "Fishing in Oregon", it is worth the investment! Spend some time searching the forum, there is some good stuff lurking in here...... Good luck! It can take a while until you get your first one but keep going!!

 

[troutdude]

Agreed. "Fishing in Oregon" is a great book. So is "Complete Angler's Guide to Oregon". And Chris's suggestions to find fishing buddies, politely asking old timers, etc. are also great ideas.

You can also find specie ID information inside of the ODFW reg books, which can be found online or at your favorite local sporting goods shop/department.

Good luck, have fun, and be safe!

Steelhead are trout that go out to sea and return to their native streams. However, Salmon are a completely different specie (even though they also go our to sea and return).

 

[troutdude]

Agreed. "Fishing in Oregon" is a great book. So is "Complete Angler's Guide to Oregon". And Chris's suggestions to find fishing buddies, politely asking old timers, etc. are also great ideas.

You can also find specie ID information inside of the ODFW reg books, which can be found online or at your favorite local sporting goods shop/department. I'd also suggest poking around at shops (and used book stores), for books on the subject as well as googling for ID tips for various species.

Steelhead are trout that go out to sea and return to their native streams. However, Salmon are a completely different specie (even though they also go our to sea and return).

Good luck, have fun, and be safe!

 

[DriftOR]

Oh I know salmon and trout are different fish I meant salmon and steelhead. I suppose more research wouldn't hurt. is it really possible to identify the fish while reelin it in 100% of the time or u mean before its removed from the water. Now I feel a lot of pressure haha, knowledge is power right? I'll put in some research, I've read up a bit on trout already so I'm decent with them so far, but only them

Salmon and Steelhead are not the same fish. Check out this link, How to Identify Salmon/Steelhead | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, it may help you avoid a ticket.
Also if you have not done so already, pick up the 2011 Oregon sport fishing regulations and read it! They are free, and are available anywhere fishing licenses are sold and at most sporting good stores. You can also get a PDF version on the ODFW website (Resources: Fishing - Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), but it is always good to have a copy that you can take with you.
Just as important as knowing the difference between Salmon and Steelhead is knowing the difference between a Hatchery fish and a Native fish. All Native fish must be released unharmed on the Clack and most if not all rivers in this area. Good Luck!

 

[Kage]

i have my license and tags and have read up a bit on the 2011 regulations book, i'm still learnin the visual difference between the different fish. i'm aware of the difference between the fin clipped and unclipped fish but i WASN'T aware of the fact that i would have to release unclipped fish. thanx for all the info guys, i really really appreciate all this help, i know how important salmon is here and i wouldn't want to slow down their recovery. i'll have to pick up those books u guys recommended. i'm goin out fishing tomorrow, most likely for trout at this point haha. I was thinkin of headin over to benson lake, any suggestions?

 

[gillplateforwad]

well i was TOO eager to go fishing so i walked down to the river by 142nd and 212. don't really know how to fish in a river, didn't catch a thing. i used blue fox lures and lost one, then went w/ a hook and powerbait i guess i wasn't usin the right gear or wasn't in the right spot. i was right before a bend in the river.

Im. Pretty new to the clackamas as well I've fished a lot in washington bi live right next to.riverside park lookinfor a fishing.buddy or tid like to learn the river since.its now become my new home river

 

[brandon4455]

stick with the vibrax lose the minnow spin. ive sometimes caught trout on them but mostly a bass lure. vibrax is whats gunna get you a salmon or steelhead.

 

[4Age 503]

Im. Pretty new to the clackamas as well I've fished a lot in washington bi live right next to.riverside park lookinfor a fishing.buddy or tid like to learn the river since.its now become my new home river

I Live Near Riversde As Well, Im Very New To The Salmon Steelhead Deal, I Need Someone To Show Me The Ropes.... Its A Lil Harder To Just "Jump" Into Than Trout Or Koke Fishin....

 

[4Age 503]

To Answer The Simple Part Of Ur Question.... Steelhead And Rainbow Trout Are The Same Species. Steelhead Are Bows That Migrate To The Ocean. Now There Are Ocean Maturing And Stream Maturing Steeleys, And There My Friend Is Where Ur Individual Research Can Start....

 

[Kage]

a delicate and fascinating subject this has become for me haha, i'm gonna need to take up more time to research...why are steelheads called bows?