How to fish at Riverside county Park @ Clackamas River?

[igquick]

I was there for like 30 minutes to get away from it all with some light line and a gold kastmaster...but lost it in like 30 minutes of fishing cuz I snagged it on the rocks; should of used this weird fishing technique I learned from shdwmonkey to get lures off rocks by slammin the bottom of the rod to vibrate it off the rocks no pun intended...

also as I was leaving this fish, just guessing was probably at least 8 inches long maybe a trout jumped out of the water...

Can anybody help me on how to fish this area...I couldn't walk down river more because the water is high...and if anybody wants, we could trade tips and fishing locations if yall want to be civil about it

 

[nativefish]

i normally fish there with a bobber during the winter (jigs or bait). i would guess the water is pretty slow in there right now, so if you are using a spinner you will have to reel in fast enough to keep it of the bottom. a lot of people plunk there too for steelhead in the winter with sand shrimp.

 

[igquick]

Sweet thanks for the tips!! I'll try to have it a go during winter (I get real lazy) but if its for steelhead, one of the strongest fish, I'm down....

 

[nativefish]

Ya you can actually toss your rod out, go get back in your car and sit and watch it until it goes off lol. ultimate lazy

 

[igquick]

I think ive plunked for salmon once but enlighten me on how to correctly do it with sandshrimp...im kind of a noobie but have caught a lot of salmon with friends using there tactics on a boat...also when u fish with a bobber, do u literally just use a bobber like trout still fishin but instead uet it drift down river?

 

[nativefish]

bobber pretty much ya, there is tons on information and diagrams on the internet if you just google. Hit up you tube and search for steelhead plunking and rigging sandshrimp. you will find much better resource than me. My guess is down there you will want to use like 5 or 6 oz of lead in the middle of winter. You could go now, and probably use like 3 oz of lead and try and get a coho, or just cast and retrieve spinners anywhere in that river and see if you can catch a coho salmon

 

[igquick]

should I cast in the middle or just as far as I can?

because I could EASILY cast to the other side...I might try it one day definitely....

it seems like you know the certain "seasons" for salmon within the clackamas river and I have NO IDEA....I didn't know I would have a chance right now for coho...so what seasons are good for salmon fishing in there? for example what seasons can I catch what type of salmon? or does it matter?

alright I remember plunking now I did one day and it sucked because we lost one...

 

[wozniasm]

Ya you can actually toss your rod out, go get back in your car and sit and watch it until it goes off lol. ultimate lazy

I was under the impression that if you did that, you'd be up for a fine since that's considered not attending your pole.

Heard about others on the Columbia getting fines for this.

 

[ChezJfrey]

should I cast in the middle or just as far as I can?

because I could EASILY cast to the other side...I might try it one day definitely....

it seems like you know the certain "seasons" for salmon within the clackamas river and I have NO IDEA....I didn't know I would have a chance right now for coho...so what seasons are good for salmon fishing in there? for example what seasons can I catch what type of salmon? or does it matter?

alright I remember plunking now I did one day and it sucked because we lost one...

Any river has peak run times and definitive 'seasons' because the fish instincts, along with environmental factors (water temps, flow/height), prompt it to start moving up a river to spawn. For the Clackamas, the best steelhead times would usually be December-June, best Chinook times probably May-June, sometimes July, best Coho times around September and sometimes into October as well. Keep in mind, some fish come earlier, some a little later and they are moving upstream, so December can be good low in the river steelhead, but at some point it will become virtually void of any steelhead, while 20 miles upriver might be great action. And people can/do catch steelhead in November (early Winter run) down low, and into August/September (Summer run) up higher.

As for where to cast, salmon and steelhead select holding water based on all kinds of things...water temps, sunlight or lack of, water height, water clarity, underwater structure, available cover, fishing pressure, etc.) You don't always want to just cast out to the middle or other side...heck, sometimes the fish are within a few feet of the shore you're standing on (so be careful, slow and quiet walking around!). You want to find the most likely pieces of water that have the attributes a steelhead or salmon might select based on the things mentioned vs. what those particular fish seek. Winter steelhead and salmon share many types of water they like, while Summer steelhead are sometimes a little bit different from salmon.

There are too many variables to cover here, but resources that go into what these fish most often seek out in certain conditions are readily available in books and a few online sites give some decent information.

And on top of all that, when you figure out where there might be fish, make sure you get your lure down close to where those fish actually are...usually the bottom of the river.

Good luck.

 

[Roolinghills]

One thing to keep in mind is what the river looks like NOW. You can walk out a few feet before it really drops off in a couple places and see where the deeper sections are. I float through Riverside and it's only deep in a couple spots, and mainly on that opposing wall. I tried presenting a fly to 4 or 5 steelies there about 2 months back, but no luck (spooked). The deepest section seems like the last 15-20 feet of the opposite wall, and under the trees, so you could make it a point to cast there... but if you can wade out while the river's low and find a couple little creases you can remember it during the winter and fish with a plan (not to mention not having to chance that long-distance cast). Even on these days of getting skunked, I'm getting a lot of good information from the river while it's low and showing it's holes. I'm hoping that will translate to a productive winter. I'm trying to do the same with the Sandy and Willamette.. I got tired of losing gear this last year.

 

[ChezJfrey]

Depends on the fish (steelhead vs. salmon) and conditions though...deeper is not always better. I caught my last two steelhead (in the last 2 weeks) in 3 feet of water.

 

[Roolinghills]

You're absolutely right. So keep in mind where those 1 ft humps are and you can try the same depth when the level picks up.

 

[ChezJfrey]

You're absolutely right. So keep in mind where those 1 ft humps are and you can try the same depth when the level picks up.

Yeah, like you said with the low water right now, you can note those spots now and know where they are when you can't see them...that can get you fish in the Fall/Winter during higher water.

 

[igquick]

Thanks for all the advice!!!...for riverside park, or atleast right now, the water seems to be really clear in my opinion so I would at least need to cast in the middle of the river so I don't see my plunking bait...

does that seem to be a plausible statement?

 

[Roolinghills]

It does, but you can also use a lot more technique then just plunking. Someone mentioned a bobber and jig, and while it might be hard with a big one that you'd use in the winter, one of those small bobbers with a hook & yarn ball would be a nice quiet way to get their attention. Especially on the opposite side because it drops off that extra 3 or 4 feet.

Plunking could definitely work. But with the water so low and the fish seeing so much and running from it, using jigs, yarn balls, bait or worms on a bobber will keep you off bottom and put you right in front. Not to mention you'll be able to get at any potential fish with everything you've got, instead of just throwing it out and waiting for a couple hours for something to swim by after they all get spooked by the splash from casting.

I plunk on the Columbia year round (when open). But for the Clack and Sandy I only bother during the winter. It seems to make more sense when fish are running up river, not just sitting in holes (which is what Riverside is, more or less). Plus I hate trying to fish with a bobber in winter's raging waters.

Cast at the far wall and you should be good. Right under the trees and 10 yards down from the boat ramp. Whether you're weighted on bottom or using a bobber, you'll be in a good spot.

Hope the info helps..

 

[salsinker]

Sounds like a good place to drift fish.

 

[igquick]

sweet I might try some great balls of fire on a bobber one of these days

 

[nativefish]

as far as casting, in summer time you want to look for cover like were the top of the water is rough enough that you can't see straight to the bottom, and in the winter you look for seams. research these terms

 

[ChezJfrey]

as far as casting, in summer time you want to look for cover like were the top of the water is rough enough that you can't see straight to the bottom, and in the winter you look for seams. research these terms

Absolutely...that's a perfect start.