Spring chinook? Winter steelhead here in town?

[HootYeah]

Hello fishermen! Im new to the forum but not to fishing here. Bought a drift boat last summer and have been having a blast on the local rivers around here. Caught some salmon out on the coast this fall/winter. Few steelhead last summer and fall as well. Im wanting info on how to catch these beasty salmon here in town soon. Im looking at the fish counts from last year and it looks like it starts pretty soon. That and Id love to get out there and try to get a winter steelhead in the boat. I was out the past fews weekends floating the north fork of the suislaw, only hooked one steelhead and couldn't get it in the boat. Looking for somewhere closer maybe here in town. I see there are winter steelhead currently going over willamette falls but is the water to murky? I prefer to fly fish when possible. Ive got lead core lines and such to get it down. What are my options? I have all the gear to bait fish too. I know there is a super deep hole right below the ferry street bridge. Ive seen many jet sleds parked here and what looks like fishing on the bottom. I took a depth finder over the hole and its like 15 feet deep. Please share some tips! Im no fair weather fishermen either so please dont be shy!

 

[Casting Call]

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome Aboard. Somebody is sure to chime-in soon. I am too far away from Eugene otherwise?

 

[jamisonace]

I'd try higher up to focus on springers or over on the mckenzie. Fly fishing for steelhead is great on the mckenzie and good on the willamette. It all comes down to being able to read the water and know where the fish are likely to hold. Deep holes are good for springers but a 6 to 8 foot deep run with good turbidity is great too.

 

[plumb2fish]

Winter stellhead are few and far between in the Eugene area on the Willamette and McKenzie. Summers will begin trickling over any time though. As far as springers go, figure mid may for the local area before it really gets going.

 

[HootYeah]

Thanks for the replies! Any advice on what you guys think works best? Last summer I caught most my steelhead back trolling purple leech patterns on my fly rod and I caught one on a chartreuse lil cleo spoon. I really want to catch some salmon here on the town run or on the mckenzie. Please share!

 

[JeannaJigs]

Thanks for the replies! Any advice on what you guys think works best? Last summer I caught most my steelhead back trolling purple leech patterns on my fly rod and I caught one on a chartreuse lil cleo spoon. I really want to catch some salmon here on the town run or on the mckenzie. Please share!

springers like kwiks and eggs mostly, though i've had some very good takes on big #6 spinners. I primarily backbounce eggs or run a bobber and eggs setup on certain holes though. There's a few good salmon holes between alton baker and beltline, lots of unproductive froggy water that with a wind will push you upriver, but there's some deep boily holes that have produced. It's nice being able to fish so close to home, live about a mile and a half from beltline so it's hard to resist a quick morning or afternoon float and not having to burn much gas as opposed to running up to leaburg. That said, I really like the water from leaburg to greenwood, but so does the other 200 boat...so i only fish it a couple times a year, going north more often than not.

 

[HootYeah]

Do the kwikfish get deep enough in some of these holes? How are those fished up here on the willamette? When on the siuslaw trolling with plug cut herring I saw a few people using those with flashers and 6-8oz weights. Also read online about how some of them wrap them with tuna/sardines/shrimp and that elastic thread.

 

[Willieman]

Having not fished there I can't tell you the hot bait, but no doubt Jenna is right. As far as quickies, you can fish them many ways. Sometimes the bigger ones can be flatlined and do extremely well. I have done that quite well on long flat backtrolls from 6 to about 15 feet. Flatlining a K15 will get down maybe 6 to 8 feet or so. But a downside to that is it requires a lot of line out. So usually drifting we use divers from the smallest to the Jumbo Jets. Depends on water quality and flow over a hole. Smaller quickies don't dive as deep either. Fish can only look up but they have to be able to see it.You want to work the hole slowly so using a diver allows you to get the quickie (or egg/shrimp cocktail) down fast and with less line. You get to work more of the hole, especially the top of the hole. A smaller diver will get it down in most drift boat runs.

Do not use flashers back trolling in a small river or anywhere they will bump the bottom. When they tangle, and they will, you will spend time trying to figure or what is not right before reeling up a cluster of immense proportions. Which will require re rigging and being one of the guys who spends most of the day not enjoying nature let alone fishing. Keep the presentations simple.

Sardine, tuna, herring any might be better on a particular day. Start with sardine. Really good fishermen will bring two. Guides might have four different types of bait.

Least that's what I've seen.

Hope that helps.

wm

 

[JeannaJigs]

Yeah backing them slowly down the hole with a diver is most common, depending on the kwik, and depth of the hole. I use jet divers, they come in different sizes and list the depth they dive on the side.

 

[HootYeah]

Do you wrap yours with anything for scent?

 

[JeannaJigs]

When I'm not lazy lol