Sandy River fishing

[kentsboots]

hello all , first post here . I have mostly just been a trout fisher with the girlfriend and kid , but we want to get into the salmon and steelhead .

I live in Troutdale so im right at the sandy , but i dont have any idea of where some good fishing spots are . I was told to fish by the marmot dam , but when i found it there was not really a way to get down to the water , at least not with my 6 year old with me .

Anyone know of anywhere closer in than out in Sandy ?

I also need some help with my set up . I have a Lamaglass med-hev 8'6 pole and bought a abu garcia bait caster reel . I currently have 12lb line cause thats the max for my reel . Will this be good enough or should i upgrade for heavier line ?


thanks for any help !

 

[Troutski]

Welcome to OFF...

Welcome to OFF...

Welcome to the site, nice to have you on board. I am sure the members in your area will keep you hoping from hole to hole until you catch yourself a Steelie. Again welcome to the site.

Chuck

 

[kentsboots]

thanks , only other place i have tried to fish is eagle creek , someone told me where to go under that lil bridge right off eagle creek rd , right by estacada . I fished there 3 times and dont care to go again . looks like people live there somtimes , looking for the trail to the water i found one that leads to a little dead end clearing with trash all around , then after finding it the water , I get a rude greeting by the guy who lives on the one side , he likes to sneak up and confront the snaggers who litter the ground with fish guts which his dog eats and almost died , then there was once people camped with a tent right on the trail and started yelling and cussing when we got closer ... so we ended up back over on the other side and got to meet the grumpy guy again (but he said he dosnt mind us fishing there since he spied on us from the bushes long enought to see we werent snagging )... then the last time we were right under the bridge and some nice person decided to take a crap right on the path back up the bridge sometime while my girlfriend and i were down there ...

but there were lots of fish in there , just no luck for us , i just saw the maps and directions for eagle fern park area , so ill give that a go too .

still would like some advice on the sandy too tho

 

[Raincatcher]

Scary people out there.....

Scary people out there.....

Welcome to the forum. Man, I have to tell you, you are one determined fisher if you were willing to go back to "Nastyville" that many times! :shock: I wouldn't go alone even if there were 50 pounders jumping up right in front of me! :naughty: You certainly proved yourself a gentelman, not to mention the paitience you all must have.
I fished out in Stayton a couple times and kept coming across the same three people no matter where I was on the trail to the water. I finally got a bit spooked and headed for the truck. They were about 3 seconds behind me. I never got into my truck with all the gear still in my hand before that day!! Scared the b'jeebers outta me! :shock: They quickly got in their truck and left. Thank the Lord! ray: I am trying to train my Border Collie that not everone is a friend... Anywho, welcome to OFF.
Barb

 

[Troutski]

City fishing...

City fishing...

The old saying is still true today...the farther from the road you are the better the fishing and the people .Creepie stuff. I just spent the night with 22 plus thousand close and personal friends,when you have something in common differences don't really seem to matter.
If you encounter true anglers along the way you will be very surprised in how you are treated and feel. I believe in; walk softly and carry a cocked and locked hand gun. If you plan for an eventuality, it is my belief you won't need it. Tight lines and be well.

Chuck

 

[kentsboots]

I keep my Glock 23 with me at all times , and do have my permit to carry

 

[Troutski]

Just like an Amercan Express..

Just like an Amercan Express..

I keep my Glock 23 with me at all times , and do have my permit to carry

I also.........................rather have it and not need it, than the other way.

Chuck

 

[kentsboots]

Alright then , I guess ill head up to the clackmas and see what happens , Ill post my findings if any .

 

[kentsboots]

well i headed up to eagle fern park , stoped at the bridge just before and just after the park , then went through the park ... when we stopped and checked things out we stayed in each area for a while , and never saw anything but crawdads ... No sign of any fish anywhere . Maybe we will try again next week too .

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Hey man, don't give up on the Clackamas, or the Sandy for that matter...WE should be getting some real punisher tides pumpin through from the moon phase we are entering...Give it a few days, and then hit the rivers. I drift fish, and throw spinners in the Clackamas, and have done very respectably. The only hols in the Sandy are a little closer to Portland, but they are the Slaughter Hole, and this one that has a lot of names, but commonly referred to as the Deep Hole, look for info about themm here, and on the internet, as I don't fish the Sandy much, I can't give you anything more than cool names. If you ever fish out Eagle Creek, or the Clack, let us know ahead of time, sometimes you will find that a few of us may be on the same stretch of river...Just my 46 pennies...

 

[FishFinger]

I keep my Glock 23 with me at all times , and do have my permit to carry

Funny you should mention this, I wasn't sure how to bridge the issue.

I often fish alone, I am never with out my Kimber .45.

I'll bet most don't know that by law you are permitted to carry a concealed handgun. if you have a valid hunting or angling license and are traveling to engaing in, or returning from said outing. Of course this is open to the smell test if your stoped by a LEO and it becomes known your packing. Simply having a pole in your rig won't qualify, you have to be going, doing, and returning specifically.

Although I have a CHL, I generally open carry on public property and only concealed when nessary on private property.

 

[Raincatcher]

Marshall Dillon & Miss Kitty

Marshall Dillon & Miss Kitty

Well, I feel safer already. Not that I doubt your veracity,but where can I find that paragraph? I would like to have a printout of it to carry. I feel downright silly now. I went out and bought a pellet gun even though I have a .38 special in the drawer. My mother gave my son her .357 six-shooter before she passed away last year. Maybe I should borrow it when I go out fishing. Thank you guys for sharing. I don't feel like such a little old lady.
Barb

 

[FishFinger]

Well, I feel safer already. Not that I doubt your veracity,but where can I find that paragraph? I would like to have a printout of it to carry. I feel downright silly now. I went out and bought a pellet gun even though I have a .38 special in the drawer. My mother gave my son her .357 six-shooter before she passed away last year. Maybe I should borrow it when I go out fishing. Thank you guys for sharing. I don't feel like such a little old lady.
Barb

Sorry I didn't qualify my statement with the actual ORS... So here you go.

ORS 166.260 Persons not effected by ORS 166.250
2) Except of persons who are otherwise prohibited from possing a firearm under ORS 166.250 (1)(c) or 166,270, ORS 166.250 does not apply or effect..

*(b)Licensed hunters or fishermen while engaging in hunting or fishing or while going to or returning from a hunting or fishing expedition.

Rather than provide all the exemption info pertaining to ORS 166.260 that isn't relevent to this question ie Law enforcement, military personal, CHL holders

ORS info is available online but you have to do some searching. I would recommend you check out the other OFF site.... Oregon Firearms Federation and order a copy of Understanding Oregon Gun Laws

 

[kentsboots]

I have a Kimber .45 too , sweet gun . I had never planned on owning a GLock , but I acuired one through a trade and it just sits so nice when concealed I just had to keep it

ANd you can always open carry anywhere you want if you dont have CHL , as long as your not on private property or the courthouse , or where otherwise posted .



I dont work on mondays , so i think next week we will head back out and see what happens , thanks all !

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

I too carry the .40 Sig, at least when I go to certain place to throw bait or lures. Always feel safer, not so much from other people, but some of the wildlife out in the Estacada hills are fairly large. I.E. cougars, black bears, and Sasquatch... Hey BOOTS, give us a heads up of where you are heading, we'll give ya some tips if we have any!

 

[Troutski]

Walther PPK 9mm kurtz

Walther PPK 9mm kurtz

I too carry the .40 Sig, at least when I go to certain place to throw bait or lures. Always feel safer, not so much from other people, but some of the wildlife out in the Estacada hills are fairly large. I.E. cougars, black bears, and Sasquatch... Hey BOOTS, give us a heads up of where you are heading, we'll give ya some tips if we have any!

Hydro shock in the chamber and the rest hard balls. spare clip and I have no compunction on the use of it. A few tense moments but so far so good, I don't really fear the animals in the woods it is the people that act like animals that scare me.

Chuck

 

[kentsboots]

I like the Hydroshocks

 

[FishFinger]

Fellow armed anglers.... I am impressed.

Statically, I thought I was in the minority. I am relieved to know I'm not.

While concealed carry w/o a license or preemption is a felony. (aside from the ORS 166.260 exemption) Boots is correct, you always have the option to legally open carry a firearm, on your hip; pretty much anywhere on public lands in the state.

Crater Lake is Federal lpark, so like federal buildings, courthouses, secure (Air)port areas & Sherrif depts; you can't carry at all. Otherwise you can carry state wide.

However there are some specific localities that ban the open carry of "loaded" firearms.

Portland, Beaverton, Tigard, Oregon City, & Salem ban loaded gun possesion.
Bend and Dallas have loaded carry in parks ban.

I a nut shell, with out a CHL it is a crime to have a loaded firearm on your person in these cities. And loaded go as far as having a mag w/ rounds; not in the handgun , but rather simply in your pocket. That is considered "loaded". They can be loose in your pocket but not "connected" to any part of the weapon.

OMG this is a Fishing the Sandy river thread and it morphed into a GUN thread. Damn Boots you really know how to stur up a conversation eh...

Ok I'll get us back on track... Kinda.

Below is a picture of the signage at Dodge Park.... On the Sandy river.

Dodge Park is a great an option for a familly trip. The entire drift is productive when the fish are in, I like near the bridge or upstream and float gear through the deep holes.

Anyways, it seems Portland Water Bureau is more powerful than the State legislature and thinks they can enforce thier own gun laws, by banning them on city property.

The funniest part is the last sentence: Violations of any Local, State or Federal law or regulation.

I really considerd calling and reporting thier rules as violation of State law ORS 166.170. Pretty clearly written, only the Legislature get to regulate the possion of firearms. And with a CHL they can't prohibit loaded carry either.

As well ORS 166.250 thrumps city code. Becasue this is river frontage, your allowed by law to carry a concealed handgun because your licensed to fish that public waterway.

Rather than comply I open carry my constutionally afforded sidearm at Dodge Park when fishing there and never had a problem.

There you go Guns and the Sandy river...

 

[FishFinger]

Oh yeah this is a fishin' forum...

Boots your outfit is fine 12 lb will work for steelies and sivers. This has been wetter and colder year than most. Nature in general seemed to get off to a slow start and it's effected the fish returns, or so it seems. a lot of rain is predicted so well see what effects that has. Might just put the fish on the move. Anytime now conditions should begin to stack up.

I'm going to bet your reel probally has trouble casting light gear. If so it's going to be difficult to bounce the bottom w/ light amounts of weight.

You might want to consider rigging a slip bobber set up and float sandshrip or egg clusters. Judge the depth of the drift and adjust a upper stop to depth and for tail out set a lower stop for the amout of lift as you finish the drift.

You can adjust the "action" or depth of the presentated baits by adding a bright coloured corkie or foam bead and adjust the upper stop and lower the weight while floating the bait higher in the water..

Jigs are a option too. run the same method but with the difference that the jig is weighted.

If your reel has fairly good action casting 2 ounces a light weight bobber is ok. If you have to pitch more weight to get it to spool effectively, then use a bobber you can fill with water and improve the casting weight.

Hook size.... When they are on the move they are on the bite, big is fine, 1/0
on a 24' 8 lb leader. Just get the meal in front of them. Generally the rule on leaders is faster shorter, slower longer. You gotta make the call based on the conditions of the moment.

In low water smaller is better. it also depend on the fish cycle; how far into the spawn they are. Often it's hard to get a grip on how to make them strike when that are sitting there in mass.

That's when snagging starts becomming an issue snaging.

Speaking of snaging........

Spinners are an option too. Depending on the weight needed to get a good toss, add weight to your line ahead of a swivel with a lenght of hollow core lead. Add a leader and off you go. Blue Foxes are a perennials

#4 red pink, orange, green, black are good bets.

Believe it or not you'll hook more fish with a barbless hook. Keep the tip up and steady pressure on the line at all times. They don't come off. (if they do, honestly you never hooked them good enough to begin with)

Plus if you hook a native it's easier to release them unharmed..

So pinch those barbs

 

[kentsboots]

Well i acually went out and bought some 15 lb line , then came home and searched around enough to find some 20 and 25 lb line i picked up last year then never used . So since i can't remember what size I have on now , i think ill put on the 20 just to be safe , even tho my reel says 12 max , ill take the chance and see how it casts with heavier line .

Speaking of casting , ya it didn't want to cast far at all and I didn't have much weight on I dont think . I acually snapped my pole during cast once dont know if it was cracked already or what . That was last year and got it fixed and havent been since .

I am totally new to the baitcaster reels , I would either get a crappy short cast , or get a better cast , but get my line all bunched up in the reel :clap:

So if anyone has any advice on that ..... :think:


Also , anyone have a visual guide to rigging ? with trout fishing ,i never worried much about making it fancy ... usually just tie on a hook , add some split shots , and a bobber ... all on the same line

I really dont know what a "slip bobber" set up is , or "jigs" and all that . But id did pick up some #4 blue foxes cause i remembered when i saw them at the store .