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Wheredafishat?
New member
Kane said:
Upper Willamette system catfish
A
allforthefish
New member
How far "up river" we talking?
plumbertom
Active member
Clarify what you're asking. A quoted post would helpful to know of whom you are inquiring.allforthefish said:
I'm more that happy to supply everything I know about catfish in Oregon (admittedly limited).
For years, I've said that cat fishers are the most helpful, gregarious people on the water.
Many times I've been invited to sit and fish in the same spot as folks targeting catfish, they are generally happy to talk about fishing and share their personal experience.
That don't mean that they are all that way, but the overwhelming majority have been helpful and welcoming to newbies.
A
allforthefish
New member
I was replying to the title "upper Willamette". Asking specifically how far upriver this guy experienced catching catfish. The Willamette is a large system and "upper" has been used to describe everything from Albany on up to Oakridge. I'm just curious how many if any have been caught in the Eugene area or above the confluence of the McKenzie. Catfish are fun to target. Something different. Same reason I have begun targeting the walleye in these areas.plumbertom said:
plumbertom
Active member
Yeah, I like catfish as well. I've been a long time member of USCA (United States Catfish Asso.) going back to when it was the BOC (Brotherhood Of Cat fishermen).allforthefish said:
By everything I've been able to find out, catfish (I don't really consider Bullheads as catfish), are rare above the falls at Oregon City.
That's apart from a few isolated ponds that I've only gotten anecdotes about, no personal catches.
In fact, the only place I've actually caught Catfish (channels), is from the John Day River just below the narrows.
It's possible that channel catfish are herein the Eugene area, but just are not targeted.
If I had access to some of the calmer waters around the confluence of the two rivers here, I might give them a try.
If catfish are in the rivers in this area, the swift waters of the main river would likely be unproductive, or at least rarely so, in my opinion. Catfish usually only venture into swift current when they can no longer find food sources in the calmer waters and must move to feed. But they usually will only move to the next clam water to resume feeding.
By calm waters, I mean slower current areas (I usually consider current I can't swim against as too swift) like back waters and areas of eddies where they can stage along the edge. In that sense they have a traveling behavior like many other fish. They may feed while traveling, but only if a strong stimulus is presented.
But that's only my opinion I've formed in my 70+ years of fishing.