Hunt'nFish Oxbow...Hells Pool (REPORT)

[Hunt'nFish]

Heading out early, early morning. Will be camped on the Hells Pool below Oxbow.
Red ex-cab Toyota w/ canopy and the Tracker moored on an orange anchor ball. If ya see me and the pup "Chance" out on the water, say hi. :wave:
Hunt'nFish

[Hunt'nFish]

Well finally getting a chance to report.
Loaded up the truck, hooked up the Tracker and headed for Oxbow on 6/30 and left on July 7th. Camped down at Ballard Ck. on the Oregon side where the powerline road heads back up on top toward McGraw. Snagged a nice spot w/ a beach to launch the boat.
Ballard Ck as viewed from Power Line rd.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSCN2835_Ballard_Ck_low-res.JPG
Had a very good time. Weather was great, only TWO thunder storms w/ massive wind. :laugh: Flash floods over between Richland & Halfway. Managed fine though thanks to a VERY big tarp and lots of rocks! Between the evening thunder storms it was blue skys & hot days,.. but HUMID!

My brother came over from home, Wallowa Valley. And we got in some good time w/ the kids fishing.
Future B.A.S.S. Pilots?
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSCN2815_boat_pilots_low-res.JPG

The fishing was ho-hum.....lots of dinks and had trouble finding big fish. The normal near shore "fry" bite was not happening. I think we were early this year as most of the small fry that attract the bigger fish to the shore were still too small to represent a decent meal. Usually a 3" "smoke" senko tossed 6" from shore is killer, but not this time. Most of the big fish I did connect on were taken on deep trolled white spinner baits. They didn't seem interested in cranks, which I found odd. Deep worked craws and tube baits also produced but it seemed the fish had a hard time finding them and the time between fish seem to long for my liking. So I kept coming back to the spinner baits. Caught a couple decent cats on spinner baits which was interesting....though I'd FINALLY tied into a nice smallie, but no....just Mr.Wiskers.
Never caught anything much over 1.5lb so didn't even take a single fish pic.

Didn't hear anyone talk about crappie to speak of, but I did catch one on a spinnerbait. Decent crappie 10" or so. Quickly switched rods and worked a jig & bobber but couldn't duplicate. Shucks, there for a minute I thought I'd stumbled on a school of decent fish.

Did take a drive up to the head of the Oxbow pool w/ the ol'man and fished below the dam, but even it seemed off. Not sure if it's the extra flow or what.

Also made it over to Halfway for their great 4th of July fireworks show. Had a nice evening talking with friends there and enjoyed the live music the band provided.

Anyway give it a couple 2-3weeks and the near shore "fry" bite will pick up. Remember 3" Smoke Senko into shore rip-rap....killer. Just watch'em fight over it.

lost an anchor and busted one pole....that's ok I only paid $12 for the pole! :laugh: :laugh:
That's the second anchor I've lost over there. Think I'm going to start using a small gunnysack of rock! Cheap & rocks are free.
Hunt'nFish

[AlseaAssassin]

Sorry about the fishing but at least thats a beautiful area :grin:

[Hunt'nFish]

Oh I caught tons of fish, It was very easy to go out and catch 20-30 fish in an hour.....just all dinks.
Kids had lots of fun though, they don't care how big they are! Don't get me wrong, it was still a good trip. Just not what I've been used to.
My brother and his boy "fighting a BIG one!"
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSCN2829_Kennisen_low-res.JPG

Oh the water was still algae free for those who care.
The last couple years the algae bloom has just been starting. Don't think that has anything to do with good fishing but I maybe wrong. But it is possible a little off color water makes the bigger fish feel more secure. :shrug:
Personally I think it has more to do with the size of the fry than water color.
Hunt'nFish

[BassBuster]

Kewl pics Hunt...makes want to quit work and fish every day :grin: Man that's a dream :dance: :yay:

[Super Fluke]

Nice pics

[shalom]

I am glad that you had a good time .
Bert

[1bigfish]

Thanks for the report Hunt'nFish.
As long as the kids had fun it is always worth it.

[Hans Kochs]

God Bless you for spending the time with your kids. Thats the way it sould be. Jesus first,Family second Others third and youself a distant fourth. Keep up the good work.

[shalom]

Hans Kochs ,
Amen to what you said . You are the kind of person that i allway's enjoy meeting .

[Hunt'nFish]

I agree! Snake River is all about the family.......
and if I "just happen" to catch some fish, so much the better.
I sure like rolling out of the sleeping bag at daylight and being able to step on the boat to catch that peaceful early morning bite. I can get in 4hrs of fishing before the family even wakes up.

Bert, you missed out some fine pork chops & a dutch oven huckleberry cobbler. :food:
Hunt'nFish

[john montana]

did you see any carp in the shallows? i hear rumors of big carp over that way, and if true might make a trip to chase them next spring...

great pics!

[Knot in leader]

Thanks for the report. And great fishing for kids :smash:

[Hunt'nFish]

Thanks guys. I'm always happy when the kids are having fun!

John, tons of carp...TONS. They are everywhere at all times of the day: gulping, cruising or resting. And some big ones 20lbs+ with the majority in the 10-15lb class.

You would wet yorself....NorthAmerican Bonefish at it's finest. They don't seem to like senko's though. :tongue:

Almost took the bow, but to be honest I'm kinda mixed on that subject. I consider them to do no harm and they are cleaning the water of yukky foam consantly.
Hunt'nFish

[john montana]

thanks hunt'nfish. i'm with you on the bowfishing...i don't really see the point in killing just to kill. my goal for next year is a 30 lb carp on the fly, and i think that area might hold my best chance. did you see them in the shallows? with a fly i need to find them feeding in shallow water to have a chance to catch them!

appreciate the info, and again, great pics of the kids fishing. my daughter elia saw her first fish at less than 4 months of age and carp fishes with me every weekend!

[Hunt'nFish]

There are so many carp over there they are in all depths.
Yes, I think this area would hold the potential for the 30lb'r you seek.
The carp were in the spawning mood when we were there and any shore line w/ over hanging brush was teeming w/ frolicking carp.

I have a thought.....carp use the sense of smell BIG TIME.... as a fly fisherman your familiar w/ "Gink" fly floatant.....what if a fella used Smelly Jelly nightcrawler paste as a fly floatant??? S.Jelly Gel should increase the water tension of a fly just like Gink, right??

[john montana]

one of the reason i like fly fishing for carp is the challenge. putting scent on a fly would certainly make a carp more likely to take it, but i like the visual aspects of it. spotting, stalking, and casting the fly to within a foot or so of a feeding carp is what makes it so much fun for me. so far it has worked, and i haven't chummed or used scent of any kind. i am familiar with gink, but don't like to use it...in general it leaves an oil slick behind a dry fly which i don't think helps when trout fishing. i have yet to try catching a carp on a surface fly, i usually use various nymphs. i do think if a guy wanted to scent a fly it would make it easier to catch a carp, but you can certainly catch one without scent by presenting the fly right to the fish.

i will definately go over that way next spring...thanks a bunch for the tips and if you get after carp with a flyrod, i'll be happy to help out!