S
steelielover
Well - I made it out to Jasper Park for a couple of hours today. I quit when it started snowing! It wasn't really a banner day. I gave a bunch of my tackle to the river and I didn't get anything for it. I tried some trout fishing as well as some steelhead fishing before I got too frustrated.
I saw a couple of trucks at the boat landing under the bridge and somebody in waders out in the river. I hope they were having better luck than me...
I'd say it looked a little high and pretty green. I don't really know much about "how the river looks" yet as I am still quite a novice. If you know anything about Jasper Park, the water was up to the broken concrete bank on the upstream side of the park. It really seemed like if the water were down just a little bit I could get out to the main channel (which I couldn't do today). I should have had my waders I guess.
Anyway, I was able to get a few good casts out about 30-40 yards from the bank and bounce the bottom on the near edge of what looked like some deeper water.
What does good water look like anyway? I just go out and start plunking around - not that that's working very well for me though.
I'll be back out later this week - I want to try a little trout fishing along the McK.. I also plan to hit the willy along Jasper/Lowell road too.
I'd say it looked a little high and pretty green.
That actually sounds pretty normal for the Willamette. It usually is green and the level fluctuates because of the 2 dams above.
How much would you say the level fluctuates? Does it typically run lower in the summer?
One more question from a total newbie - when do the winter and spring steelhead runs generally hit around here?
One more question from a total newbie - when do the winter and spring steelhead runs generally hit around here?
jasper park is a good place to roll steelies behind the rocks i run my jet up there and catch a lot of steelhead in there also try a 3/8 thomas lure they really like them in there just cast and bounce them on the bottom also just upriver from there but on the other side there is a pulloff just before the r&r bridgr over the road theres a trail to the water ive caught some there and just downriver from there where the rapids are under the powerlines is a good spot for lures that whole srtrech from the r&r bridge down to the rapids is golden water for steelies a friend caught 2 there sat. just above the rapids on thomas lure good luck
dang, dunno if i want to take my boat up that, wow. lots of braids in there... id like to follow someone sometime to learn the channel from there to leaburg if possible?:think:
Well you're going to have a little problem with that one. :shock: Jasper park in on the Willamette and Leaburg is the McKenzie.
opps, my bad i ment jasper park to dexter... ive heard theres a pretty nasty whirlpool in around there
Techinically, there's no winter run up there at Jasper. Summer runners only, but they linger...a long time.
Winter steel is in the Siuslaw and Umpqua, and all the coastal rivers essentially.
Some fresh summer fish will be arriving in good numbers in the McKenzie and middle fork starting in april-may, but really pikcing up around June, I don't fish around Jasper much anymore because of bad experiences with other anglers during the chinook season, but the McKenzie has summer steel in good numbers June-November.
New regs also allow the retention of non clipped fish greater in length than 24". I personally wouldn't retain a non clipped fish, but this I think can be interpreted as ODFW has decided the run is large enough to sustain with the retention of wild fish, which is good news.