Scottsburg March 6

[rogerdodger]

I spent 5 hours on the water getting familiar with river conditions from Scottsburg launch upriver to the free flowing Umpqua that starts 3 miles up from the boat launch.

I had the river to myself, save a pair of canada geese that stayed just ahead of me as I pedaled upstream- not a single other boat on the water (boy is that about to change!)...

the launch is not ready: dock is not installed and there is very thick mud at the bottom. I think it would be difficult for most powerboats to launch right now except perhaps right at high tide.

I pulled plugs, anchored in the swift water, back trolled with my Mirage drive installed backwards, waypointed some deep slots, and, as expected, did not mark any large fish.

 

[JonT]

Nice Hobie, Roger! Need to get mine out soon...

 

[C_Run]

That's nice country there. I've driven through many times but never stopped to fish. Good luck on the springers. We finally got the yaks out for a few hours yesterday, first time this year.

 

[eugene1]

Good luck this season there, roger!

Everyone fishing there seems to anchor up and fish with spinners or (a few) with plugs.

Best,

 

[DrTheopolis]

Question: Is the current in that area soft enough that one could head upstream in say, an electric powered driftboat?

Or is that entire stretch tidewater? How far up does the tide go on the Umpqua? I've driven 38 a bunch of times, but I've never fished there.

 

[rogerdodger]

Question: Is the current in that area soft enough that one could head upstream in say, an electric powered driftboat?

Or is that entire stretch tidewater? How far up does the tide go on the Umpqua? I've driven 38 a bunch of times, but I've never fished there.

out of the Scottsburg launch, I would call it normal tide water, I launched 4 hours before high and was getting a slight push from the incoming tide as I headed up to the bridge. depth just up and down from the launch was typically 15', shallower near shore (where I was marking bass with my sonar) but unfortunately the bottom has scattered big obstacles- some were boulders, others appeared to be big snags stuck in the bottom, some both. trying to bottom bounce anything near the bottom with a cannonball in this stretch would be really difficult...

at the bridge things totally change, the big rocks sticking up are fine but there are now lots of flat rock ledges creating very shallow areas, <2' in many areas. at low tide these might well be visible and the channels easy to find, deep slots and channels all over but the shallow ledges come up randomly. still not any current to fight until I got probably half mile above the bridge and could see the white water another half mile up, I think a drift boat with motor would do fine if they don't try to head up into an outgoing tide...and mind their motor depth around the shallow ledges, I think any prop boat could quickly 're-design' their prop on the rocks once above the bridge...cheers, roger

 

[Native Fisher]

You know roger you can go up river, by vehicle n the non highway side of the vehicle and there is a rough road down to the water when you get up there quite aways. It puts you out right near that giant rock that sits in the middle of the river(it is about 2 miles above the store maybe?). I have often seen jet boats anchored out near that rock, springer fishing. I have swam there in the summer and bass fished there, I bet you could get out there in your hobby and sit in the soft water and fish...Might be worth a look sometime.

 

[eugene1]

Or is that entire stretch tidewater?

head of tide is about a mile upstream of the bridge, or so.

You can row up past the bridge in a db from the launch, so an electric would do fine.

Take care,

 

[Brianrdennis]

My prop on the DB has clipped a rock or two going through there. It’s really hard to see the underwater rocks on an incoming tide. Be careful.