Summer steelhead

[Fishpdx]

Seen some summers coming in through willamette falls. I'm going to try meldrum bar on saturday, seems I have a chance to either catch a winter,summer,springer...

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/fish_counts/willamette/2016/2016_Monthly_sheet.pdf

 

[eugene1]

Nice to see, good luck!

With those kind of numbers it might even be worth fishing for them in Eugene! Hopefully it's a better run than last year.

 

[Modest_Man]

Amazing how they knew to wait until March to start crossing the falls.

 

[DrTheopolis]

Amazing how they knew to wait until March to start crossing the falls.

It's absolutely uncanny. In fact, I believe historically, no "summer run" has ever crossed the Falls until March.

 

[DrTheopolis]

6 springers over, compared to 54 at this time last year.

 

[eugene1]

Amazing how they knew to wait until March to start crossing the falls.

MM, do you know if they record if the fish are clipped or not at the Willy falls ladder?

 

[DrTheopolis]

MM, do you know if they record if the fish are clipped or not at the Willy falls ladder?

I don't believe they keep track at the Falls, like at other counting stations (I think Willy Falls has some pretty crude equipment).

 

[eugene1]

I don't believe they keep track at the Falls, like at other counting stations (I think Willy Falls has some pretty crude equipment).

Yes, I'm not sure either but I thought people reviewed video passage there and they did record marked fish? Hopefully MM will know for sure.

 

[jamisonace]

Theyll come over as soon as the water temp hits 53.

6 springers over, compared to 54 at this time last year.

 

[Modest_Man]

MM, do you know if they record if the fish are clipped or not at the Willy falls ladder?

Any clipped fish after March 1 is recorded as a summer. Any wild fish after March 1 is recorded as a winter. That's their differentiation between summers and winters. It's mostly true, but not 100% correct. So you can see the clip rate only for March, April, and May in the spreadsheets. It is recorded as well, just not posted online (you can see the springer clip % rate at the bottom, though the fish are not broken up into hatchery and wild columns).

As to the springers, look at the flows. 50,500 cfs this March 245h vs. 18,000 cfs last March 24th. Takes the fish longer to find the ladders at higher cfs. As flows drop and temp increases numbers will jump.

 

[eugene1]

Thanks, MM!

Bring on the summer runs!

Any clipped fish after March 1 is recorded as a summer. Any wild fish after March 1 is recorded as a winter. That's their differentiation between summers and winters. It's mostly true, but not 100% correct. So you can see the clip rate only for March, April, and May in the spreadsheets. It is recorded as well, just not posted online (you can see the springer clip % rate at the bottom, though the fish are not broken up into hatchery and wild columns).

As to the springers, look at the flows. 50,500 cfs this March 245h vs. 18,000 cfs last March 24th. Takes the fish longer to find the ladders at higher cfs. As flows drop and temp increases numbers will jump.

 

[Toyracer38]

Go get'em Carp. I got my first combo limit of the year today, on the Big C. Hooking a Nook is like winning the lottery right now, but there are a few out there. Not to hijack the thread, but a week ago I caught a buck Chinook and it cut really pale. Have been told it was a Willamette fish. You guys encounter this much up there?

 

[jamisonace]

6 to 8 out of 100 chinook are white from what I've read. High dollar delicacy. Not saying that's what you got but something to consider.

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/20/dining/the-catch-of-the-moment-white-salmon.html?pagewanted=all

Go get'em Carp. I got my first combo limit of the year today, on the Big C. Hooking a Nook is like winning the lottery right now, but there are a few out there. Not to hijack the thread, but a week ago I caught a buck Chinook and it cut really pale. Have been told it was a Willamette fish. You guys encounter this much up there?

 

[Modest_Man]

These aren't the fabled white chinook. These are fish whose diet has changed in the ocean (El Nino?). They're consuming less krill so the flesh is not as red. They will taste just the same, it's just the flesh is lacking astaxanthin.

The true white chinook are genetically unable to store astaxanthin so the flesh is WHITE, and tend to be caught further north.

 

[jamisonace]

Not sure how you can say definitively that they're not. I've talked to commercial fisherman out of Port Orford that catch them at the mouth of the Elk.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I got my first combo limit of the year today, on the Big C.

Summer or winter steel?

Hooking a Nook is like winning the lottery right now, but there are a few out there.

Just got texted a pic of one a few minutes ago. Certainly not impossible, but people have to work for them.

 

[Toyracer38]

I honestly don't know how to tell the difference as far as bucks, but it was a dime bright fish. Saw 3 Chinooks hooked today. Only one landed. Sealion got the other two. Yes they are starting to show, but not in any great numbers yet. But soon. Pic is from yesterday.

 

[Toyracer38]

As far as the White Chinook goes, I smoked it, so probably not the best way to compare to a regular Nook. The meat definitely had a different texture. The article jamisonace posted, described the flesh as buttery, which I would say this had. Also the taste just seemed a little off. Milder maybe? Wasn't a fan. The latest victim hits the smoker tomorrow.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I honestly don't know how to tell the difference as far as bucks

A summer this time of year would have very little in the way of milt. A winter would likely have pretty developed milt.

 

[eugene1]

I honestly don't know how to tell the difference as far as bucks, but it was a dime bright fish. Saw 3 Chinooks hooked today. Only one landed. Sealion got the other two. Yes they are starting to show, but not in any great numbers yet. But soon. Pic is from yesterday.

Good combo there! Congrats!! :thumb: