Fishing/Scouting Reports January

[Rauly]

Happy New Year to all. May you all have a succesful new year and catch the big one. Let's hear some reports from those brave or ??? souls that are willing to go fish in this weather.

Rauly

[fishnfun]

I'll start.
Yesterday I went down to the willamette just to check it out, and I can say I dont think its possible to fish it with all the current. I did see some fish yesterday, one jumped right next to me (I can only assume it was a smallmouth) and I saw some carp digging through bankside root piles.

[team doyle]

took a look at the ramp area there at the tualatin/willamette confluence today.


i observed some monster back currents through there.
made a few pathetic efforts at tossing hard plastic
and buzzbaits near the shore.
i ended up just practicing with the
fly rod and popper combo at the launch.

big water, boys


joe

[Super Fluke]

Went to Vernonia Lake today,it was drizzling,no wind.Water temperture is still cold,no fish activity.We got a little exercise by walking around the lake.A few people talked to us telling stories of last years fishing.We had a good time,the kids started to get cold , but not cold enough not to stop at D.Q. for a ice cream.Hands still cold they still put that ice cold ice cream in thier mouths un real.

[mrcx1]

I'm a newby and this is my first post. Name is Malcom and live in Richland, WA. Retired two years ago and now (with wife's approval) get to fish one day then work at home the next :grin:. Yesterday took the boat out for the first time in a couple of months. Fished the Columbia River at Richland, WA. Water temp was around 42 degrees and the water was full of tumbleweeds due to the heavy winds we have been having lately. Tried some steelhead jigs with shrimp and bobber. No luck. Tumbleweeds kept getting in the way. Will try again in a couple of days.

[shalom]

Nice report . Welcome Aboard !!!!!!

[Jon55]

Welcome aboard mrcx1!

May you have many days of happy fishing.

Those tumbleweeds! ...the nemisis of the winter bass fisherman! :hoboy:

[team doyle]

did a few laps on commonwealth lake yesterday (1/15/06)
just poking around; i've heard guys pull largies out of here.

threw a wooly bugger with the fly rod;
and a couple real slow crankbait offerings.

still winter out there,

joe :twocents:

[portlandstatekid]

i too the other day checked out commonwealth. is there really fish in there??? the signs there seem to indicate so.

[Sandz]

Ive caught several...

[Fishboy77]

Hello,
This is my first post!! I went fishing on the Deshutes just above Maupin the other day Summer steelhead are still trickling out of the river. I was using a drift rig made of a corkie and fire red yarn and a little shrimp scent. I hooked two and landed a 9 pound native hen. I would imagine the mouth should be producing here soon if and when water clears up. Take care and good luck.

[shalom]

Welcome Aboard !!!!!!!!
Thank you for the report . Do you live near the Deschutes ?
You should check the fish regulations . I used to guide there a long time ago . Useing scent was illegal then and considered bait . I disagreed then and still do . I allway's thought that it wasn't bait . I or any of my clients never got a ticket for that , but there were ticket issused . The law's may have changed . I havn't fished up there for many many years . I would hate to see you get a ticket .

[shelikeschrome]

Hello and welcome. I'm looking forward to learning how to bass fish this spring. Have trout fished all my life, done some ocean bottom fishing, caught a couple steelhead.....Same thing as above. Thought the Deschutes was closed to bait.

[portlandstatekid]

well, i attempted to fish commonwealth today with negative results. another person there was using night crawlers with no luck as well. towards the end, i observed a seagul snatch what appeared to be a piece of carp almost at the surface of the water. i really can't wait to hook my first bass...

[McKenzie]

If you want to catch bass at Commonwealth, fish near the platforms, and by the dam where the outflow drain is. The outflow is my favorite spot on that lake - in the summer when the water is lower I usually do reeally well there, and even with high water I've done well. Earliest I've fished Commonwealth was March. Caught a few 10-12 inch trout, so I think the hatchery truck must've come within the week prior to me fishing it then.

Most of the trout I've caught there on a fly have come on black #10 wooly buggers. Have also caught a couple on a caddis pupae tie that I do -- gray dubbing (the same used for an Adams) with peacock herl head, and a few wisps of black or mottled goose fibers for a beard. Can be weighted or unweighted - for weight I wrap the shank with copper wire then dub over that.

[Bad Wood 75]

I headed out to Vernonia today thinking the warming sun would be a good thing. I got out there and it was just beautiful. I pretty much wasnt planning on catching some fish but I tried anyways. I threw out all my new gear to test it out before the action really heats up. I love the new cajun line i put on my pole. Excellent strength becuase it caught me a five pound steel head that hit a split tail rapala. That was kind of a shock. I though a bass flassed it and hit it until the fished jumped. well It was nice to catch a fish over this horrible winter. A bunch of trees have fallen and it looks like a bunch of new structure will be in the lake.
~Kris~

[Sandz]

Awesome to here, we need to fish together again Kris!

[Bad Wood 75]

Yeha Per anytime. I have to say it was a great time when we caught all those big trout and a few bass. I have a pretty good boat rig up now. Its no big fancy bass boat but its a 13ft aluminum with a depth finder. I really want to go out to Hagg. I just need to fish with some other people and learn their tatics. SO anytime you want to go sounds good

[portlandstatekid]

If you want to catch bass at Commonwealth, fish near the platforms, and by the dam where the outflow drain is. The outflow is my favorite spot on that lake - in the summer when the water is lower I usually do reeally well there, and even with high water I've done well. Earliest I've fished Commonwealth was March. Caught a few 10-12 inch trout, so I think the hatchery truck must've come within the week prior to me fishing it then.

Most of the trout I've caught there on a fly have come on black #10 wooly buggers. Have also caught a couple on a caddis pupae tie that I do -- gray dubbing (the same used for an Adams) with peacock herl head, and a few wisps of black or mottled goose fibers for a beard. Can be weighted or unweighted - for weight I wrap the shank with copper wire then dub over that.



thanks for the tip :smash:

[nitrobass]

6 hours spent organizing tackle, respooling rods, getting the boat ready to roll..Enough rain already!

[Hunt'nFish]

2-12-06
Hit the upper Willey yesterday. High pressure, blue skies, Water temp in the mid 40's with visabilty 3-4ft.....It's clearing. Marked lots of somethings down there, but couldn't get any to bite. Marked most of the fish just inside a current seam in 15-25ft with all the fish located in the bottom half suspended with almost none on the bottom.

So I drop shotted to them. Sent it to the bottom and came up 3ft, 6ft, 9ft. Fished Alluring Bait's 3" Senko style "Trick Stick", went with high vis colors due to the low water clarity: chartruse pepper, merthiolite (hot red) and tried a purple/blk just to cover the dark colors.

Nada, quite frustrating. I was practically bonking them on the head with it. Oh well, nice day all the same. Took my new Blk Lab pup with me. (It seemed a shame to own a bass/duck boat and not have a bow ornament!) It was his first trip out in the boat and he did great. He walked up the dock and jumped right in with me w/o so much as a thought. That actually made my day and was half the reason why I decided to go out. So I guess the dry run's in the driveway worked out well.

Conclusion: water needs to clear up and warm a bit. But hey I tried.
Hunt'nFish

[Bad Wood 75]

I hit Vernonia on Thursday and Friday. No action in the way of bass but there still are a lot of steel head in there. I just got a new bait caster so i will head out there tommarrow probably. I hope to have some better reports soon and hopefully one including a fish
~Kris~

[jsmiley]

Hey Huntn'Fish,

Sounds like a nice day on the water. They be biting soon hopefully!

Smiley

[bucketmouth]

Hey Huntn'fish, just looking at the upper river has kept me off of it! Figured what you said would be the case. But its gonna change when this new artic blast moves through and starts to warm up in earnest.

[Hunt'nFish]

Yep guys, just gotta give it time.
I think some of the shallow neighborhood ponds will warm up the fastest. It's all about water temps at this point.
Hunt'nFish

[Sandz]

They are already giving up a few fish

[portlandstatekid]

hmm, is that so???