View Full Version : Anyone been fishing the Tualatin?
DukAddict
04-11-2007, 02:19 PM
Has anyone been out giving it a try for smallies on the Tualatin? I went out today and found it very slow. Saw ALOT of rising fish. Not sure if those are bass or what they are? But there was alot of top water action going on with those fish. I fished for a couple hours trying out alot of plastics, cranks, and spinners.
Brett Neffendorf
ChannelCats
04-11-2007, 02:48 PM
I fished the Tualatin at least 2 dozen times last year, maybe more. There are some NICE smallies in there. My best luck was using a normal old nightcrawler. Use the entire worm and just hook the head with maybe some spit shot. I'd cast out as far as I could then real it in, till it got about 6 or 7 feet from the dock, then let it drop and maybe jig it a little. When the fish are biting the action can be fast and furious. I think the most I caught was like 7 or 8 in about as many casts. Most are pretty small, in the 1 pound range but I did catch a few bigger ones including a 15 incher.
But I mostly fish for squaw and sucker fish. There's tons of them, get pretty big and can put up a fun fight for a little bit.
Watch out for the snags.
Here's some crappy phone pics of a decent Small Mouth and average sized sucker. The suckerfish was about 18" or so and I think the biggest sucker or squaw was about 24".
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/Spoolie/sucker.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/Spoolie/smally.jpg
ChannelCats
04-11-2007, 02:51 PM
BTW- I see your in OC. There's some awesome smallmouth action at the mouth of the Molalla River where it empties into the Willamette.
ExBassGuide
04-11-2007, 06:32 PM
What dock?
ChannelCats
04-11-2007, 07:16 PM
I had success using the live nightcrawler technique at both Browns Ferry and Jurgens. My friend had a very large bass on at Jurgens park but it got snagged and broke the line. From the Jurgens docks, casting down river seems to have the best success. Of course I dont need to tell you that what worked last summer might not work right now but after trying all sorts of crank baits and plastic worms, pitching and casting live nightcralwers worked best by far.
Hunt'nFish
04-12-2007, 03:44 PM
Roger, holler and lets head up river. Won't fish it w/o you. It's your spot.
Brett, went out Friday and found it slow as well. Finally put a pattern together about the time I had to go. But managed to hook up on one decent fish but screwed it up. Was hopping a motor oil tube texas rigged in pretty shallow 4' backwater. Really couldn't mark any fish out in the deeper water. It was like a desert. Went looking for warmer water and started marking fish.
Hunt'nFish
Paddlefish
04-23-2007, 11:32 PM
Hey, guys, if I'm reading my regs right, the Tualatin doesn't open -- for bass or anything else -- until May 26. :shrug:
Bailey91588
05-12-2007, 10:51 PM
been doing alright on the tualatin with crank baits. i used a jointed Rapala and they seemed to like that quite a bit too.
Hey, guys, if I'm reading my regs right, the Tualatin doesn't open -- for bass or anything else -- until May 26. :shrug:
LOL
BarroomHero
05-14-2007, 05:17 PM
Hey, guys, if I'm reading my regs right, the Tualatin doesn't open -- for bass or anything else -- until May 26. :shrug:
:hoboy: That's correct, and because springer fishing has been so slow ODFW has decided to kick all the salmon fisherman off of the willamette and make way for the shad fisherman!:laugh:
MagicMaurice
05-14-2007, 10:54 PM
LOL
hahah LOL hahah LOL
BarroomHero
05-15-2007, 05:56 PM
I apologize for laughing:flowered:
Mitch Callas
05-20-2007, 09:10 PM
Fished there tonight for about an hour and caught one on a grub. It was not a big bass but was nice to get out for a bit during the break in the rain.
you guys! the Tualatin is still not open!
Hunt'nFish
05-21-2007, 03:13 PM
They are refering to the mouth at the Willey.
joshjames
05-22-2007, 10:06 AM
I ran into that issue myself, I still dont know that its very clear. It says the use of bait is may 26th - oct 31st, does that mean artificials are ok?
Hunt'nFish
05-22-2007, 04:09 PM
No, I didn't read that into the regs. Looks closed to me.
Kinda seems stupid but that doesn't matter...print says closed until May 26th.
(no salmon steelhead seasons on the Tualitain so can't even use that clause)
Hunt'nFish
joshjames
05-23-2007, 09:53 AM
have you ever read the regs online... maybe you have last years regs cause things have changed out there thanks to the opening of a salmon run on that river.
Hunt'nFish
05-23-2007, 10:13 AM
What salmon season? I see nothing mentioned of a season on the Tualitian.
Link please. I'm looking at the regs online too.
Hunt'nFish
joshjames
05-23-2007, 09:39 PM
well i dont know if I can recall a "link" to a season of salmon fishing in the tualatin, however if you can recall last year the ODFW did allow the catching of salmon on the tualatin because of higher spawns towards gales creek, this was at the end of the run, hence the reason that the "changes" are in blue. because they are different from last year huh..... thats why I say its a confusing reg... I can argue with your point till the fishing opens on the 26th and thats only because I think you percieve what you read in a different manner from myself but I dont think its worth it for either of us. So happy catching for you sir, and i will be out in eastern WA and OR for the rest of the week and I hope to not think of the tualatin once while im out there. :cheers:
joshjames
05-23-2007, 09:42 PM
scroll on down to the Tualatin portion.. http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2006/october/009.asp
that should refresh your memory
Hunt'nFish
05-24-2007, 11:23 AM
Looks like they said the rule change would stay in effect until Dec 31st.....2006.
This is 2007 and there is no mention of a set salmon season for this year in the current regs.
I suspect they'll have another rule change come Oct again, but for now their is no season set.
So it's still closed until May 26.....or they have a rule change.