Salmon/Steelhead fishing in the Upper Willamette

B
bweb
Okay, so today I went out and tried to fish for Salmon and Steelhead on the upper Willamette since the lower is already closed. I put in at Willamette Park in West Linn and tried bouncing prawns at the mouth of the Tualatin river (20-35 feet deep), and just below Hebb Park 200 yards at the bend (20-40 feet). We got 2 squafish and that was it in 5 hours. We only saw one other boat fishing for salmon who was using downriggers and spinners and has logged 60 hours without fish. Am I wasting my time trying to find a place between West Linn and Wilsonville to bounce prawns for salmon and steelhead? The fish counts over the falls were over 3000 for the past two days, so there has to be fish there somewhere. Any help or advice you could offer me would be much apprecaited. I have caught 5 salmon this year on the lower Willamette in Lake Oswego bouncing prawns in 6 trips, so I feel like I sort of know what I'm doing in the lower river. Why does it seem nobody fishes the upper Willamette for Salmon?

Brad
 
K
Kodiak
long gone

long gone

Those fish are loooonnnnggggg gone. The whole section from westlinn to about salem is frog water esentially. There are a couple of spots up by macminville Ive heard rumors about, one between salem and dallas. Look at it this way, there average cruising speed aprox 17mph in the ocean against a 5 to 7 knot (5.5mph-7.7mph) current 24/7/365. If you figure the average speed of water through that section 7-10 mph they are cruising at around 10-12mph. The last of those fish will be waving goodbye to salem lights by sunrise. Sure a few will take potty breaks, stop say high to old friends, get revenge on the stuff that bit them when they were smolt, but for the most part they are on a booty call and hauling rear for thier spawning grounds and or hatchery, until conditions force them to slow down (i.e. the upriver tribs)
 
Troutski
Troutski
Upper Willy...

Upper Willy...

bweb said:
Okay, so today I went out and tried to fish for Salmon and Steelhead on the upper Willamette since the lower is already closed. I put in at Willamette Park in West Linn and tried bouncing prawns at the mouth of the Tualatin river (20-35 feet deep), and just below Hebb Park 200 yards at the bend (20-40 feet). We got 2 squafish and that was it in 5 hours. We only saw one other boat fishing for salmon who was using downriggers and spinners and has logged 60 hours without fish. Am I wasting my time trying to find a place between West Linn and Wilsonville to bounce prawns for salmon and steelhead? The fish counts over the falls were over 3000 for the past two days, so there has to be fish there somewhere. Any help or advice you could offer me would be much apprecaited. I have caught 5 salmon this year on the lower Willamette in Lake Oswego bouncing prawns in 6 trips, so I feel like I sort of know what I'm doing in the lower river. Why does it seem nobody fishes the upper Willamette for Salmon?

Brad

You can manage Salmon on the upper reaches of the Willy, in the Springfield/Eugene area. If you are willing to travel up this way give me a yell and I might know of a few easy to get to spots. One must remember that once you get into this area there are a plethora of locals that set there clocks by these fish....

Chuck
 
J
JeannaJigs
Troutski said:
One must remember that once you get into this area there are a plethora of locals that set there clocks by these fish....

Chuck

I'm one of those locals! If I wasn't going to Odell tomorrow for the weekend, I'd be up the Mac all weekend.
 
C
Commodore S
JeannaJigs said:
I'm one of those locals! If I wasn't going to Odell tomorrow for the weekend, I'd be up the Mac all weekend.

Hey J.J.
I think I found one of your (LITTLE) Mac springers over here lost on the south.
I know this isn't a Foster hatch:lol: to small, so I went ahead and did the right thing.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
P
PDXKush
Looks like a 30+ incher adult unless Im reading that tape wrong. Either way nice chrome. It does look a bit skinny so maybe I just need to learn some more :)

And i hope by saying you did the right thing you Ate It :)
 
Last edited:
C
Commodore S
Kodiak said:
Nice Jack Commodore! See even santiam jacks are bigger!!!:lol:

Yeah, they're in, another week and it'll be even better. Maybe ol' ninja and the boys could come down for another outing. It'll be like fishing in a BARREL, if you know what I mean. Maybe even on a Thursday so our southern fishin' sister could play.:lol: Did you decide where the new shop will be located at?
 

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