Willamette salmon

[novice]

Heading up to visit mom this weekend. Thinking about taking the drift boat up. My parents live just outside of Dallas. Thought about putting in @ Independence. I have a kicker so can go up or down.
Worth the effort or a waist of time? Any reports from the Social Security hole??
thanks
novice

[swampy]

hey novice .....you might launch at Buena Vista ...motor to the mouth of the Santiam ...anchor up and avoid the moss and stuff in the Willamette ...oh and,by the way, don't be doing that on Sunday !!!knowwhatimean ??!!!??

[novice]

swampy
thanks for the info. Don't have a map in front of me... How far is that?? Sounds like a plan though...
Wouldn't think of doing that on sunday....
mom might not like that
novice

[Beer Waggin]

[ 05-10-2001: Message edited by: NorRivDave ]

[Artwo]

novice,
You can put in at Buena Vista ferry ramp on the west side of the willamette (real nice park there) and the Santiam is upstream only about a mile +-. Anchor your DB up in the Santiam about 100-200 yards along the south bank. If you have a fish finder you can find the slot easier. There are also some real nice beeper holes not to far up river from the mouth. If know one else is in there we have done pretty well in the past backtrolling diver and bait along the stretch right at the mouth. Good luck and post a report, I would be interested to here how it was.

JK

[swampy]

ditto what artwo said ....but you are wondering where Buena Vista is ....go south on main street out of Independence about 5-7 miles and follow the signs to the ferry ...all the best .....swampy

[novice]

thanks guys for the info.
Is the moss a problem once you enter the mouth of the Santiam or is that just on the Willamette?
Oh well, I'll give it a try.
I will report back with findings.
thanks

[Artwo]

I haven't fish there yet this year but in past years there wasn't a problem with the moss once you went up into the Santiam. Maybe some one with a more local report, anybody.

JK

[novice]

fishing report

I put in at Buena Vista and motored up to the mouth of the Santiam where we fished until noon. There was only one other boat fishing there. No action... a few fish rolling... a great day non the less..

Decided to work our way back down to the launch site.
There were five or six boats anchored out in the main stem of the Willamette. A few fish caught it sounds like.

There was no moss whatsoever in the Santiam like there was on the Willamette. All the boats were anchored in less than ten feet of water.

theory.... Fish below where the Santiam flows into the Willamette... There is no moss for a few hundred yards downs stream because the Santiam kicks it all to the far bank... thus a moss free day...
maybe next week.
novice

[swampy]

Glad you found it novice ...and thx for the report ....did you back troll or anchor up ?? and what were the boats in the Willamette using ? could you tell ?

[novice]

Swampy
I anchored up in the Santiam and ran a diver and bait while the father in law tried various spinners and plugs. I then put blue pirate and worked my way down river. Would have liked to stay longer.
It worked great until the moss became a problem.
I saw a few mag warts and kwik fish and green spinners.
With the fish coming over the falls I think it should be good this weekend.
I talked to one of the locals who said it usually takes nine days for the fish @ O.C. to reach the mouth of the Santiam.
hope this helps
novice

[Deleted User]

Fished the Santiam on Sunday. I put a 18# hen in the boat. The fish are finally there in numbers, but they are on the move.