Kayak fishing?

[lblanke]

I've been thinking about how to get more water access for summertime rainbows and winter steelhead and am considering a fishing kayak. Any opinions on how well a kayak with a trolling motor would do in the clackamas or sandy or am I mainly relegated to shallow wading in those rivers? I'd plan to use in some of the lakes around Mt hood, but cutting out rivers would make me rethink that investment.

 

[Raincatcher]

@rogerdodger ?

 

[bass]

I have a Nucanoe Frontier that I use with a trolling motor at Hagg lake. My motor (when I use it) sits on the transom. I don't think I would take a trolling motor powered kayak on a fast flowing river in the winter. You could use a kayak like a drift boat but I think motor power on a kayak is better suited to flatwater situations. Maybe one of those kayaks where the motor sits where the pedal drive is on a Hobie might be doable but I would still be really wary. If you hit something shallow in the strong current you could easily flip into really cold water.

@rogerdodger can definitely offer a better opinion on this.

 

[rogerdodger]

not sure I can add anything from the coast, I'm mostly a tidewater/ocean guy these days. I will say that Hobie Mirage drives and shallow or swift water do not get along. The people that I know on the coast that fish winter and summer steelhead on moving rivers from a kayak use an inflatable one (Blackfoot Angler 130 or 160 are good choices with rigid drop-stitch floors). remember also that in Oregon, any sort of motor requires title, numbers, and registration decals. cheers, roger

 

[RiverMastersofOregon]

I've been thinking about how to get more water access for summertime rainbows and winter steelhead and am considering a fishing kayak. Any opinions on how well a kayak with a trolling motor would do in the clackamas or sandy or am I mainly relegated to shallow wading in those rivers? I'd plan to use in some of the lakes around Mt hood, but cutting out rivers would make me rethink that investment.

If you are considering a trolling motor on a kayak I would recommend looking into a Hobie or other peddling propulsion technology that would all ow you to keep your hands free to fight fish whilst not adding additional vibration and noise that will surely startle the fish.

 

[tdspence]

Look up Spilt Milt on YouTube. He has some videos sturgeon and shad fishing in the river. The spot lock feature on his seems amazing. I got a Hobie Outback and love it, but haven’t tried a river, yet.