Springer zone

[dogfishboy]

What zone have folks been finding them in so far this season?

Do many of you troll in 20' to 40' deep water and fish in the middle. Seems like most people are fishing in 12' - 20' and fishin' up 3 cranks or so. Seems like most of the fish I've been marking are in 20' - 30' zone the last few trips.

Always curious... images/icons/rolleyes.gif

David

[Deleted User]

Those fish finders could be more important this spring, with the unusually low clearish water in the Willamette and Columbia. As one member noted, the fish more commonly hug the bottom on the outgoing tide and come up off bottom a ways on the incoming. Although in 12' to 30' of water depth I've still caught more of them near the bottom during the incoming as well. It's over the super deep areas that the fish swim shallower in the 10' to 17' ranges. I just heard from a friend this evening that they got a couple on and landed one in about 12 to 14 ft. depth in the Columbia recently. I would think that with the clearish water, and especially on bright sunny days, more of the fish would move along in depths around 20' to 30' as you found them on your FF. I suggest 28" droppers with 5' leaders fished in the 17' to 25' depths as a good starting place, and adjust according to whats happening out there. Good luck David, and let us know what's working if you don't mind. Thanks. - RT

[hound]

morning dogfish

i've fished the mult chann 3 times and have landed 4 so far
every fish has been running in 14' of water 3 of them on the incoming and 1 at low slack.
whole herring right on the bottom..
hope this helps..
think spingers!!!! images/icons/smile.gif

[dogfishboy]

I like that set-up RT, it's similar to what we use... depending on conditions like you mentioned. RT, do you think they (Chinook) travel at various levels do to temperature and turbidity in rivers ...I know how they act in the salt.

Hound, With numbers like that images/icons/shocked.gif I'M LISTENING images/icons/grin.gif images/icons/grin.gif images/icons/grin.gif

Nice results Hound, and images/icons/smile.gif thanks images/icons/smile.gif for the scoop. If you're at or below Coon Is. I'm the guy in the little green skiff.

David

[Deleted User]

I think the chinook commonly use both the bottom and sides of rivers to help navigate them (duh). When the bottom drops out from under them, such as when swimming thru a 60 ft. deep stretch, then I agree that the turbidity and temperature can affect the depth they will swim in; as can other factors such as sunlight/clouds, boat comotion, air bladder comfort zone, etc.

[Richter]

I've only fished the Columbia so far this year. I normally fish the 12-20 ft range. As clear as the water in the Columbia is, I thought the fish would be a little deeper, maybe 20-30ft. I was wrong, all the fish we have caught have been in the 14-20 foot range, right on the bottom. images/icons/shocked.gif The Lower Columbia has been pretty darn good for this early. images/icons/shocked.gif

[hound]

morning dogfish

i'll be fishing out of bayport this saturday
going to start about 11am till 6pm..
i have 19' starcraft fish master blue and white..called the "sue kay"..if ya see me stop by and i'll show ya a little secret images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/cool.gif

[GutZ]

Having never fished for Springers, I have a couple of questions.

I will be fishing the Lower Lewis and Kalama this weekend. We are planning to troll Magnum Wiggle Warts and perhaps some plug cut or whole herring.

Is there some advantage to using a dropper over typical mooching weights with the herring? Is the dropper supposed to drag or bump the bottom?

How much of an influence will the tides have in the aforementioned areas? I looked at the tide link but wasn't sure which place to use as a reference.

My Driftboat (18' 1968 Eastside) has a five horse kicker in it. Will I be able to get out in the Columbia? or just stick to the Mouths?

Thanks
GutZ

PS We will be getting together Saturday 10:30am at Pritchards on the Kalama for another cleanup. See the post on Bob's.

[Jellyhead]

Hey hound

[Jellyhead]

Oops!

Let's try this again.

Hey hound, were you out there yesterday. I think I mighta seen you. I was in a blue/white skeeter bass boat. (Yeh, I know, everyone's probably wonderin what a bass boat's doing salmon fishing?)

Aaron

[dogfishboy]

Thanks RT. images/icons/smile.gif
Richter, images/icons/cool.gif I'm a believer in the bottom too! How long a dropper do you use?

Hound, Looks like the "Doghouse" needs a "deck hand" this Saturday, so I'll be in a blue and white 24' reinell with a dark blue canvas. I'll watch for ya. Sounds like were going to do the Chapmans to Santosh downstream troll and run back and repeat thing. We'll have the VHF on too.

Fishguts, you should be OK ... unless she starts to blow. images/icons/rolleyes.gif images/icons/grin.gif Dropper is nice because you can quickly find the bottom as it rises and falls; also for varying your distance off the bottom by changing dropper length.

David

[Richter]

dogfishboy,

A dropper in the 2-3' range has worked the best for us. I use one that is 2' long.

Richter

[hound]

nope wasn't me...i wish...did you fish?
i havn't been out there for a couple of weeks now images/icons/confused.gif

[Jellyhead]

Yeh, hound, I fished, and fished, and fished. I dragged the scales right off a few plug-cut herring. I was in the "zone", just couldn't get a taker. I anchored up on the columbia when the tide started out and drowned my baitwrapped K-14.

The time is coming, I can almost taste those salmon steaks, oh wait--I'll probably get one with a big ol' shiny adipose and have to turn it loose images/icons/wink.gif

Aaron

[hound]

hey dogfish

vhf chann 14 going to be fishing around 6
my buddy bob in a 18' smokercraft is going to run up and check out santosh for me..if we don't get in to them..we will be heading for columbia around the light house...

think springers!!!!!!!!!!!!