Fishing a posted hotspot.

[RvW]

The zipperlip controversy never ends, Id like to know how many people have actually gone out of thier way to fish a spot that has been posted here at IFish. Theres no need to elaborate, or shame yourself by admitting it, but I have a hunch that theres NOT a significant number of people who actually load up the gear and travel to an unfamiliar spot simply due to the mere mention of it here on IFish.

[Mr. Carp]

Bryan, pay attention!!! You might realize something new! :hoboy:

[ampersat]

the one thing your poll can't account for is lurkers who aren't registered and do go fish unfamiliar waters based on what's posted here. i think among ifishers, when a hot report gets posted, we read the tea leaves and make a choice among the most likely of our favorite spots.

[Nanook]

[ 07-14-2003, 06:13 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

[Mr. Carp]

Ampersat: :cheers:

******: I think you are off-base on that comment. I am not trying to pile on anyone. Read the Cedar Creek post and you might understand better where I am coming from. If not, then I guess we just don't see eye to eye on everything.

No offence directed toward you personally because I enjoy reading your stuff.

[RvW]

Amp, very true, but one good thing about the non-member lurkers: they dont come in here and snivel about someone posting thier favorite spot on the internet and lead a thread with good intentions so far from its original topic!

The poll could have been worded differently and generated a different result. Its not easy to analyze the results simply by the numbers. I imagine there will be many who have never fished a posted hotspot a few days after the "cat" was let out of the bag here, who will click on YES anyway simply because they dont want information shared.

I dont expect the poll will clearly indicate a problem with overcrowding a hole due to a post here, because not all who vote yes have visited the same hole on the same day as a result of the same post.

I just cant imagine anyone being so desperate for a chance at a fish, that they abandon thier own spots, and go to an unfamiliar hole they've never been to knowing 4000+ members read the same report the day before.

The zipperlip controversy is blown way out of proportion in my opinion, and I hope the results of this pole will do one thing...stop the senseless bickering and personal attacks from those who think a positive detailed report is taboo here.

I had seven hook ups on the Coquille yesterday and landed five in 3 hours of fishing. Whats the harm in this? Will anyone be headed to the Coq tomorrow Who's never been just because I did well yesterday?
I doubt it!

I'd guess that the people who dont post a detailed positive report avoid it more bacause they fear being bandwagoned here than a fear of "thier" secret hole getting an unwanted crowd the next day.

[ 06-14-2003, 10:36 PM: Message edited by: cirrhosis-of-the-river ]

[Mr. Carp]

River Disease: :cheers:

[Big TULE]

I always like to read about others catching fish, I am not personally going to drive to the sandy or any oregon rivers because of anything people post on here, i like seeing the fish and the holes and techniques because maybe they will work on simular water on the rivers i fish... And just because you hooked 7 fish today doesn't mean i will even see a fish on that river tomorrow... Remember they swim!!!

[Nanook]

[ 07-14-2003, 06:13 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

[STGRule]

Rick: graemlins/applause.gif

It's all in who you are as a human being and how you show it to the world.

[Mr. Carp]

******, I agree completely. I guess I shouldn't get as irked about someone like that as I did, but debating back with him only fuels the fire, so I suppose your right in the long run to just let it be.

Ryan

[Nanook]

[ 07-14-2003, 06:14 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

[Uglygreen]

Well it seems pretty simple to me:

If you dont want to fish in a crowd, dont fish at a fish hatchery.

UG

[BUGLEMAN]

This is an interesting point and one I have tested on my own. Ask around the river the next time you are out fishing one of those hot spots. Ask the guy next to you if he knows of ifish. 2 years ago at Eagle Cr. I did just that and asked about 10 different people if they knew of ifish. All of them except one said no. The one guy had fished Eagle Cr all his life. All you zipperlipers take a deep breath, it isn't ifish that causes the word to get out. It is the good old fashion word of mouth or maybe a little experience that brings people to that favorite stack up hole...etc.

I must admitt though over the last 5 years I have learned from friends, fishing and hunting news, ifish, watching and asking people, seminars and hard knocks how to catch salmon and steelhead in rivers. Ifish has been a part of the learning curve - just a part.

[ 06-15-2003, 12:46 AM: Message edited by: BUGLEMAN ]

[Firedog]

If I see a post about a hotspot, I might be on that river somewhere but no where near that particular spot usually, depends on the river. Columbia or willamette maybe. Sandy or a small river probally not.

I don't think IFISH is a huge culprit in the overcrowding of some holes, I think it is word of mouth. Have you seen what a few cell phone calls from the river can do? I have, been on the river on a hot day and see a few guys make calls. Next day there are double the boats of the day before, same thing repeats the following day and double the boats again. Doesn't take long for big crowds to be fishing an area.

I cringe at times when I see reports of particular rivers. But that is the person who posted the info's right. While I may not like the fact that they did it. I just move on to another river if the crowd gets to bad or stay away from the crowded area's. I do my share of combat fishing, Tanner Creek in the fall, Bonneville in the spring. I love having a river to myself just as much as the next guy but it just isn't going to happen all the time. I don't fish weekends at all and have been amazed at some of the weekday crods in the last few years. Adjust your spots to what is presented to you.

[Jignfloat]

I work with a guy who grew up with one of the prominent guides of Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. When any of the "several" of us at work who fish, ask this person how this particular guide is doing.....he says..."here, I'll call him and ask!!"....most of us have met this guide, some even have fished with him. He is quite liberal with his information. PLUS!!....this guy we work with is not the only guy who grew up with this guide. So....needless to say, we can all be sure fishing info of the minute, hour, day, gets around very fast. Fish are where you find them....find them, and hence, you most likely start to catch them. Alot of great advice here, but not alot to realy put your finger on. Russ

[happybrew]

Actually, there are times where I read iFish and decide not to go somewhere, either because it has been slow, or because it appears that everybody and their brother is there. The best source of good fishing spots that I have found is driving around and looking, with a copy of the fishing regs in my hand. Also, I've looked up obscure articles on the ODFW website to find a good spot to flyfish for native steelhead where there are no hatchery fish, and the water is likely to be by-passed by most fishermen, but good numbers of fish. I like my solitude. The quality of your trip is directly affected by the effort you put into planning, and the most important part of planning is deciding where to go. Ifish is only one of numerous sources of data and information.

happybrew

[foxer]

I always appreciate a fishing report, especially when I dont get out fishing that often. It may make my decision on where to go easier, but if anybody thinks that there are still some "zipper" spots on any of the PDX area rivers you gotta be kidding. I appreciate UG giving info on his hot steelie spot last year. I didnt fish it, but i appreciated it none the less. I can think of a few "hot" spots. Cedar creek, rivermill, dog creek, barton, bonnie luhr. Hope that didnt get anyones shorts in a bind

[Tanner]

We are the World, We are the Children..............

[ 06-17-2003, 04:10 PM: Message edited by: Tanner ]

[barnettm]

The zipperlip growth phenomonon follows the exponential growth law found in cell division and other processes. You tell two people, they in turn each tell two people, and pretty soon 3 billion people know about it. The growth rate of an exponential curve is truly amazing.

[Fishalot]

But it is nice to be the guy that is fishing the different spots often enough to be there when the fish first start to come in good :shocked: .
I have found that if a person is willing to use the open times in there days to fish a little here or there, or even the same spot all the time fish will be caught more often. The hot spot is not always the hot spot when you get there.
There are also a few papers and magazians that post the hot spots. I have asked people on the river if they know about i fish and most don't.


Fishalot

[Jignfloat]

Over the years, a somewhat long competition has ran its course between a few friends and a couple cousins. Near as I can tell, who ever happens to be able to spend the most time fishing, seems to be the one who catches the most fish. Theres plenty of imformation/how toos'....plenty of river to fish.....its just a matter of going and fishing.
Ya wont know if ya dont go !!
Russ

[FSH4EVR]

I read the Cedar Creek post and find it hilarious that anyone would think that pathetic scenario is, or has been a secret for over 25 years. I think Ifish would be doing everyone a favor to post results on a daily basis and keep those types of "fishermen" all located in that spot.
I appreciate the feedback and the clues I read here.

[AtWorkALot]

For me, the "hot spot" posts may as well say "don't fish here." I might fish the same river, but never with the mobs.

[reeldick]

I moved to Portland in 1988. The crowded "Hot Spots" are the same now as they were then. It is fun to try new spots, though. Never bothered until recently to fish along Government Island. It does get crowded but I don't think it is anyone's secret spot by the number of boats out there.
Maybe the zipperlips have found spots that the fish have just recently started to congregate at and have never been used by previous runs of fish.

[Lured In]

******...I assume that is a 'group' hug!?! :laugh: :laugh: :grin:

I personally I have never gone out of my way to fish an area on a hot report. I have; however, gone to new areas or tried new methods with other ifishers that have invited me.

If you have been around long enough, you arleady know where they are and approximately when the fish will show. You may also know, the best tides, weather/water conditions to fish. If you know this stuff already, all a report does is tell you the fish were there that day or are on the increase. (Verifying what you already knew was going to happen.)

Here is a Columbia fishing report for the next 4 months.

Starting NOW, go summer chinook fishing. They are there and the numbers should stay pretty fishable through mid July. Frenchman's, Gov't Island, Chinook Landing, Camas, Reed Isl, and below the dam should all produce in water ranging from 10-30+ feet. Use spinners, alvins and kwickfish on a 2-4 foot dropper. Generally best bites take place during the outgoing tide (yes even above Camas), specifically during the bottom half of the outgoing.

Summer steelie numbers are picking up and should be getting really good by the second week of July through the middle of August. Use spinners, hot shots, wiggle warts or small kwikfish/flatfish in 8-20+ feet of water with a 2-4 foot dropper. Certain areas will produce both steelhead and chinook. Again the outgoing tide will generally produce better.

Fall run chinook: It opens August 1st. Go to the estuary or fish the lower river, Longview down the first 1-3 weeks for Chinook and then move upriver. Last year the Chinook powered through the lower river and great catches were going on by the end of the 2nd week of August as far up as Camas.

Coho: Opens August 1st inside B10. Generally most are caught in the estuary in mid to late August. Once in the mainstem Columbia, they generally seem to get lockjaw until the show up in the spawning rivers around mid September. They are fishable until late October and sometimes November on certain rivers.

The spots are the same every year, the methods are similar every year. The timing of the fish in catchable numbers is the only thing that changes. Those that fish hard and often are usually the ones who know first/best when the fish show in their favorite spot. I don't have that luxury so I play the numbers game. Go where the fish are most likely to be and fish with what you know works.

For those that post reports, thank you. When I post one, it is rarely a revelation, it probably does little more than confirm what most already know.

For newbies, the best bet is to go fishing. graemlins/idea.gif Being ont the water is the only way to learn. The heavily fished areas are easy to find. Many are within eyesight of the popular launch ramps. Ask around (private messages and email work well here on ifish). If you have a boat, offer to take a knowledgable ifisher with you. There are lots of bank bound ifishers who know more about fishing the Columbia from a boat than I do and I own one. :wink: If you don't have a boat, make a concerted effort to get to know some other ifishers who do. Offer to pay for gas/bait/food and see if you can catch a ride. If you are psychotic, you may want to consider another option. :grin:

If fishing at any of the above spots that I mentioned, during the time frame that I mentioned, gets crowded this year, you can blame me. You can also blame me that have been crowded for as long as many can remember. :grin:

[husker]

Lured in u da man!! LOL, now why did u go and tell all that good info? And thats the bottom line folks, the columbia is a big river. All fish going to the dam, have to swim it. Most will follow a trail but not all. Good luck!!

:cheers:

maybe even share a tip or 2.....my tip is i try give an open seat when possble.