Largest springer passage this decade!!!!

[Kodiak]

So I was checking out the Willamette Falls counts and noticed that 25 springers and 182 summers have braved the falls this last week. Also noticed that its the highest march springer passage over the falls by March 11 in the last decade. The closest came in 2001, with 26 and a total run of 52,000+ over willamette falls that year. Is this an accurate way to try and predict the run or just an early shot of fish? Could ODFW miscalculated the run low this time?..A penny for your thoughts.

 

[troutdude]

I can't recall where I heard this...but, I heard that the Springer run is supposed to be the highest count; since 1938!

 

[halibuthitman]

I guess 75,000 ..... so change the line on those reels boys... its gonna get heavy!!!!

 

[Kodiak]

So based on the upstream jack count numbers from last year, and using the same multiplier as the columbia run...I talked with Jack Buchman from ODFW the willamette falls passage number works out to 120,000 adults. If you take 30% for commercial and sea lions (36,000) we get 84,000...Over willamette falls....lets see how much impact we actually get! Last year the run was 15% higher than origanaly guestamated..if the same holds true for this year and we reverse engineer the numbers we get 81,200 upstream adults! Heres to hopin'! If thats the case, how much do you guys rent freezer space for?:lol:

 

[BlackBass]

Now i will be staying with mom in lebanon for a few weekends . Waterloo with all the rest of the locals Nice to see a springer return that is worth fishing for.That many summers over in a week and you will catch them in the tribs by the first of April shortly before the Springers

 

[beaverfan]

I don't know, personally I think there's a pretty good chance that nowhere near as many fish return as predicted. After all they cancel the non tribal gill netting last Tuesday in the Columbia because the counts are too low. As of like Monday they had 8 adult Spring Chinook over Bonneville. Obviously it's still WAY early but seems like ODFW is getting a little concerned.

 

[VagrantAngler]

You also have to weigh in the early season catch this year. There are quite a few fish being taken out and a ton of people targeting these fish earlier than normal thanks to the unseasonably nice weather we've had. Don't have the numbers to back it up, but seems to me I've been hearing of more caught earlier than I have before...

The next high water event should push some fish up the Columbia and the Willamette.

 

[Mike123]

:dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance::dance:

 

[Kodiak]

Now i will be staying with mom in lebanon for a few weekends . Waterloo with all the rest of the locals Nice to see a springer return that is worth fishing for.That many summers over in a week and you will catch them in the tribs by the first of April shortly before the Springers

They will be at Lebanon dam/waterloo within 14 days of crossing the falls. Get ready to rumble!

 

[SALTYFISH]

Kodiak,
Would u say springer fishing on all parts of the santiam is done mostly by boat or bank?

 

[OnTheFly]

So I was checking out the Willamette Falls counts and noticed that 25 springers and 182 summers have braved the falls this last week. Also noticed that its the highest march springer passage over the falls by March 11 in the last decade. The closest came in 2001, with 26 and a total run of 52,000+ over willamette falls that year. Is this an accurate way to try and predict the run or just an early shot of fish? Could ODFW miscalculated the run low this time?..A penny for your thoughts.

KrAp! The things you hear without a boat. Somehow I just don't think an 8ft toon's gunna be practical at Oregon City this year.

 

[Kodiak]

Kodiak,
Would u say springer fishing on all parts of the santiam is done mostly by boat or bank?

Ya I would say most of the springer fishing is from the bank or boat...sorry, had to get that out of my system..almost better now. The north fork santiam is blessed with a tremendous amount of bank access. Some water better than others. Being new to the springer fishing thing can be a bit exasperating at times. I would go with someone who can show you when and how, and wil more than happily offer my services such as they are. Could even show you how to fish that slot behind your grandparents place..no need to disclose that location..I don't think your PM box can handle that many friends.:lol:

 

[beaverfan]

Test-netting fizzles, will the run? | OregonLive.com

Test-netting fizzles, will the run?
By Bill Monroe, Special to The Oregonian
March 15, 2010, 5:41PM
For the second week, there will be no gill-net season on the lower Columbia River on Tuesday.

Biologists said test-netting between Astoria and Longview on Sunday yielded poor catches of spring chinook and a repeat of last week's high number of steelhead in the river so the states of Oregon and Washington didn't even bother to meet Monday to determine Tuesday's preset gill-net fishing.

As last week, however, the Columbia will remain closed to angling Tuesday. It will reopen Wednesday below the Interstate 5 bridge and Thursday through Saturday between Interstates 5 and 205.

The Willamette River is clouded by runoff from last week's rainstorms in the Willamette Valley and few fish were caught today, mostly in the lower Multnomah Channel. The river in that area could be murky by tomorrow. The Willamette should begin dropping and clearing by Wednesday afternoon.

Biologists in both states are beginning to fret a little about their prediction for 470,000 upriver spring chinook to return into the Columbia, but say there is still time for it to materialize. That concern, however, will sharpen if test-netting remains poor this coming Sunday.

 

[halibuthitman]

I wouldn't give fish and game test netting much weight... heck I sat on the gilbert boat dock friday morning from 5-10 a.m sturgeon fishing and watched 7 springers hooked landed or lost just in the view of the naked eye... kings are spurt fish... there will be more fish.. and if it keeps the nets off the water... let it be slow, and those steelhead numbers are proof that these hatchery fish are in fact spawning to the point that odfw can no longer predict the runs on them either..

 

[Bullitt]

So I was checking out the Willamette Falls counts and noticed that 25 springers and 182 summers have braved the falls this last week. Also noticed that its the highest march springer passage over the falls by March 11 in the last decade. The closest came in 2001, with 26 and a total run of 52,000+ over willamette falls that year. Is this an accurate way to try and predict the run or just an early shot of fish? Could ODFW miscalculated the run low this time?..A penny for your thoughts.

I don't think this is any type of indicator of the springer run size in the Valley. Looks to me more like the water temp has more to do with it than anything.

 

[rainman]

53 degrees is the magic number.

 

[Kodiak]

Rain man---54, brother, 54. :lol:

Bullit--Nice avatar! I'm not sure about that. If you look in the archives there has always been that early spurt of warm water with hardley any fish moving over. I think it has more to do with the nets not being in the lower river to hijack the early big spawners. I've seen some pics of absolute toads circulating...the way it should be.

 

[Bullitt]

OSU class of 93!

I agree, 54 is a better number.

I would say I think there are more early fish this year than in years past. Why? No clue. Does that mean there will be more fish in total? I'm not sure about that either. Over the many years I have followed and persued this run of fish over the falls, I have found for the most part, ODFW is fairly close in their predictions. Are they perfect? Nah. I just hope there are more biters in this year's run. I guess that is the nice thing about the decent Summer Steelhead run we've had the last few years. They will hit the same gear and are more aggressive.

 

[halibuthitman]

its the trees blooming putting the pollen in the water... and they have just been coming in steady, could be the no nets, but I think its just a slow steady run that has shot through the lower river, all the fish I have seen have been very fresh.

 

[rainman]

rain man---54, brother, 54. :lol:

Bullit--nice avatar! I'm not sure about that. If you look in the archives there has always been that early spurt of warm water with hardley any fish moving over. I think it has more to do with the nets not being in the lower river to hijack the early big spawners. I've seen some pics of absolute toads circulating...the way it should be.

53.5 ?? Lol