Report thread again... winters.. 2013-14

[OH3Sticks]

Went to cross park tonight until dark. Water looked great, as I got hung up on the bottom, a guy above me (maybe an OFFer?) hooked into a nice look fishing. Got my blood pumping and and didn't even know the guy! Steelie was feisty tho and snapped him off. Not a bad evening to see one hook up.

 

[schwinndigley]

i was leaning toward bow.

 

[dozer365]

Fished the clack pretty hard today from top to bottom. Seemed like it was on fire for everyone but me, I mean everywhere I pulled up, pulled off, slowed down, or walked up on... Someone had just hooked a fish or was landing one!! I started out up by faraday and saw one native get landed. I fished above that slot and worked around for a few hours. Saw a couple fish but no takers.
I tried dog creek at Mciver and was happily surprised that there were only 2 guys there. As I pulled up another guy I know was walking up. He made his first cast as I followed suit. Bobber down! First cast! But not for me.....he ended up with a nice 30-31 inch buck. I fished around for a hour or so and decided I try down by my house. I saw a couple hooked up or on the bank by coffee hole.
I fished the willows below cross park. I wanted to fish a different section then I ended up in. A couple other regulars were on that drift. I fished above them. Haha. We were all drifting pink worms. After about 20 min we all said eff that and switched it up. First pass with eggs bobber down. But not for me!!! He ended up with a nice 15-16 pound native hen. I put on eggs and got a phone call. Now this is when I normally hook up. But not today. Nope. It was my wife telling me to stop by the store and pick up some fish for dinner.... The NERVE.... Don't she know I'm a fishing fool.
So I joked with the guys that I was going to go ahead and low hole them now and I went below them about 200 yards and threw my trusty cheapo tear drop silver spoon off the card board pull tab. And 2 swings threw the drift. Hooked up finally. After a brief fight I had me a nice hatchery buck.
I watched the guys up river land two more natives. So there is a mix of brood stock and hatchery coming in.
The rivers are set to blow again so I'm glad I made it happen today in the clack.

 

[bigboy70]

well now that I remember what a fish feels like lol I'll be back at it on the clack as much as I can chasing the chrome glad to hear you had a hook up finally well hopefully I'll see ya out there since the clack is our backyards lol

Tight lines brada

 

[dozer365]

since I can't seem to be able to edit my post I have to post this to get my little dink on here....

 

[bigboy70]

got my taste of what a steelhead feels like friday night down at cross park with 30 mins of light to spare. was drifting very close to bank where I spotted one breached left him alone for 20 mins decided to throw out one more cast and bam fish on blood pumping drag started to scream he breached the water and saw my colorful yarnie come undone I think all of gladstone heard me cussing like a sailor.

Then saturday morning went higher and first ten cast out bam fish on again. Had her on for almost a minute breached twice and I was able to hang on and then suddenly snap bumper must of had a knick or something. She breached twice more to give me the middle fin as she shot down river.

the power behind these fish is unreal! Getting close to poppin my steelhead cherry!

Tight lines

 

[Jiggy]

Hooks?

Hooks?

got my taste of what a steelhead feels like friday night down at cross park with 30 mins of light to spare. was drifting very close to bank where I spotted one breached left him alone for 20 mins decided to throw out one more cast and bam fish on blood pumping drag started to scream he breached the water and saw my colorful yarnie come undone I think all of gladstone heard me cussing like a sailor.

Then saturday morning went higher and first ten cast out bam fish on again. Had her on for almost a minute breached twice and I was able to hang on and then suddenly snap bumper must of had a knick or something. She breached twice more to give me the middle fin as she shot down river.

the power behind these fish is unreal! Getting close to poppin my steelhead cherry!

Tight lines

My hook to catch ratio improved a lot when I switched from gami'a to owners. I don't have any dog in the fight they just hang on better for me.

 

[bigboy70]

I usually sharpen mine regardless of brand only takes a couple seconds to do and super sharp

 

[dozer365]

Friday

Friday

I'm psyched to get out tomorrow with a buddy of mine and his friend. We will start upper then fish lower. The broodstock should be in full swing and I think the lower river will produce for me tomorrow. Let's slay some fish y'all. Bend them lines and feed em shrimp!

 

[Jiggy]

I've been on an artificial kick, yarnies, and pink worms. I really should be using some bait while we still can. Do you float the shrimp with corkies, or am I behind the times. Yarn, or no yarn? Colors? I'm way behind on the bait technique obviously. Any help would be great! THX

 

[dozer365]

**As far as shrimp go or bait in general, I'm not very good with it lol. As I proved today by throwing half a dozen of my dozen shrimp away.*
**However, I like to tip my jigs with the tail of a fresh sandshrimp or a coonshrimp will work too. Then just fish your jig like normal.*
** Today I tried running a bait loop on 5' leader and a few split shot under a bobber *Purple yarn on the egg loop and cut it down. Just enough buffer so your line won't cut through the bait so easy. And of course u can drift them. I need to learn how to bobber dog properly from the bank. It's a killer way to present bait with a good "roll" and not hang up.
** *Today a single orange corky with about 24" of leader in a deep run got me a nice native to hand. And I lost one on a Cleo spoon. I didn't touch anything with my shrimp. But I'm sure eggs and shrimp worked well for others today in this beautiful steelhead green water. I might get another crack at it this weekend.*
** I'm really hoping to get out again before the river raises. I like it at about where it's at. But the willamette is messing up the lower half mile of drainage. I'm hoping to get into a springer maybe soon or a summer. But I'm really wanting that big 15-18 pound broodstock winter!!! Gotta catch em while we can....*

 

[dozer365]

hurd of a few fishes caught low today and yesterday also... hit it tell it starts rising again. fish riffles and tail outs as I believe they will stack a bit. alo would like to here of any conformation of summers or springers in the lower river so we can start a new repot thread to go along with this one. and some ppl are starting talk of low return numbers on the clack. lets remember that the brooders record was last yr @ 1,800's something to clack. so if we get half that already... and a month of small straggler pushes coming in... also the recent commercial test nets in Columbia showeda good amount of broodstock winter that are bound for the clack and the sandy systems.... maybe we have a good month of winters left. I for one wont be bailing out to catch springers. may will come soon enough, but then there are always summers....
yesterdays native hen on gumball orange corky on 2' leader. she hammered it like a spoon!!!!

 

[Jiggy]

You're a machine Dozer

You're a machine Dozer

hurd of a few fishes caught low today and yesterday also... hit it tell it starts rising again. fish riffles and tail outs as I believe they will stack a bit. alo would like to here of any conformation of summers or springers in the lower river so we can start a new repot thread to go along with this one. and some ppl are starting talk of low return numbers on the clack. lets remember that the brooders record was last yr @ 1,800's something to clack. so if we get half that already... and a month of small straggler pushes coming in... also the recent commercial test nets in Columbia showeda good amount of broodstock winter that are bound for the clack and the sandy systems.... maybe we have a good month of winters left. I for one wont be bailing out to catch springers. may will come soon enough, but then there are always summers....
yesterdays native hen on gumball orange corky on 2' leader. she hammered it like a spoon!!!!

Tried the lower Saturday, working out he kinks at bobber doggin. I think I'm getting it dialed in but no Crome yet. I might be using too much lead but it's working, just need a taker to prove it! There are some good utube vids on it. Good luck

 

[ChezJfrey]

Whatever you do, don't go fishing with Dozer...he's got the hot hand right now with 4 hookups in two days and if you fish two days in a row with that guy and get nothing to show for it, while he's hooking fish, you will just get depressed at how much you suck...I speak with experience over the last couple days. LOL

P.S. Dozer, you forgot to show 'em that husky fish from higher up...that thing had some mass I could feel holding the rod while you unhooked it

 

[Jiggy]

Poor bast***

Poor bast***

Whatever you do, don't go fishing with Dozer...he's got the hot hand right now with 4 hookups in two days and if you fish two days in a row with that guy and get nothing to show for it, while he's hooking fish, you will just get depressed at how much you suck...I speak with experience over the last couple days. LOL

P.S. Dozer, you forgot to show 'em that husky fish from higher up...that thing had some mass I could feel holding the rod while you unhooked it

Hahaha! At least you can say that you are with someone who caught fish. All I hear are rumors and lies! Better luck to ya, have dozer spit on your bait. Bet it works.

 

[OnTheDrop]

My buddies have been whacking them on the Clack lately.. I'm still too busy running to the coast for multiple hookups and a shot at a 20+er...We got one that was close the other day.

Im thinking a trip to the Clack is in order the following week.

If I were you Jiggy I would head up high right now...

 

[Jiggy]

My buddies have been whacking them on the Clack lately.. I'm still too busy running to the coast for multiple hookups and a shot at a 20+er...We got one that was close the other day.

Im thinking a trip to the Clack is in order the following week.

If I were you Jiggy I would head up high right now...

Im on it! But if the weather reports are correct we're about to blow out again! I'm tempted to get the pontoon out and do some bobber doggin. I really like the tactic, I'm going to like it a lot more when I get a hookup. I'm using less lead, maybe it was too much to start with. But I'd really like to dial it in. It keeps your gear right on the bottom. Can't be bad right? Good luck all

 

[OnTheDrop]

Im on it! But if the weather reports are correct we're about to blow out again! I'm tempted to get the pontoon out and do some bobber doggin. I really like the tactic, I'm going to like it a lot more when I get a hookup. I'm using less lead, maybe it was too much to start with. But I'd really like to dial it in. It keeps your gear right on the bottom. Can't be bad right? Good luck all

With the dogger you just want it to be drifting smoothly with the current as it would if you were properly drift fishing without the bobber..

 

[DrTheopolis]

If someone has been "whacking" them on the Clack lately, they are a better man than I. Drifted Barton to Carver Saturday and Monday. 0/1 Saturday (took the jig, and swam straight into a snag), 0/1 Monday (came unbuttoned as we tried to have my buddy's 7yo son land his first steelie). No one we talked to had anything great to share (I think we talked to one group that got 2, which was the best we heard). River was in great shape. Slaughtered them this time last year. Same techniques in the same spots this year, and not much love.

A guide friend hasn't been doing too well on the Clack, either, so he's been hitting the coast.

Winter numbers don't seem very good this year. Did talk to some guys who claimed they hooked, fought, and lost a springer -- early, but not out of the question. We hooked and lost one about this time a couple of years ago.

After being laid up for a while, it was nice to get out and fish, but it would have been nicer to catch.

Maybe they are just coming very late due to all the cold water (I believe it was 42 Saturday, up to 45 Monday). Springer numbers are supposed to be a bit higher than last year, which wasn't a bad run. Hopefully summer numbers are good, too (although I doubt we'll ever see late 80's/early 90's numbers again).

All I know, is the Clack OWES me some fish. 2 trips without one landed is unacceptable (OK, we caught a very large smolt that hit a K11).

 

[OnTheDrop]

^^ Don't fish Barton to Carver... Lol. That area gets pounded this time of year. If the water is right, the sleds will have worked the whole bottom half of it before you even get to the dog hole. I think our best day in that stretch this year was maybe 4-5 hooked.

I've found better fishing for the Broods/Wilds this time of year either down low low or up high high.