Mouth of Clackamas

[BassMan]

Navigator. My wife and I had the same problem yesterday at mission sp (by wheatland ferry) There were smallies everywhere!!!! There were also smolts of some kind flipping about in the current. I could see the fish chaseing the smolts just under the surface but only caught 3 in about 3 hours!! Tried everything from rapalas, jigs, dropshot's, and small topwater stuff??? The only thing we caught them on was a kastmaster??? I have seen this happen @ Mary s Young as well just below the clack. The water almost boils with smallies but they dont want to hit anything I have. These are definatly smallies!

Good luck

[ 09-15-2002, 04:13 PM: Message edited by: BassMan ]

[fishin_guy]

I fished around mildrum bar thursday swa the same thing hapen so I swiched to a smoke and black sassy shad with a spiner atached on a 1\4 ounce jig head and jig retrived it with good results caught alot but nothing of any size. :smile:

[Navigator]

I have been dumbfounded by some fish I have seen working the lower Clackamas at the mouth. The most activity I saw was at high tide (just beginning to drop) and at first light. I have seen what I think were smallmouth's - one came completely out of the water and by the profile and color looked like a smallie. The other I only saw the tail. Most are rises - distinct splats from a healthy sized fish. Insect activity is a fairly good size mayfly - dark like a blue dun and a grey looking caddis. I have cast nymphs and woolly buggers (when the sun was up and the surface activity ceased) and small caddis/dries thinking it can't be all that difficult to get these fish to take. What are these fish? (These are definite rises, not rolls from jacks). Anyway, I am confused. The fish were there at first light at low tide - but not nearly in as great numbers.

Anyway, if these are smallmouths and they are that selective or leader shy, they got my respect.

[ 09-15-2002, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Navigator ]

[BigFish]

3" slug-go, the smallies can not resist and you can cast them pretty good on a spining rod.

[bassfishingnw]

What color of Slugo 3". :whazzup:

I have great spring success with the black w/gold fleck in the 3" :cheers:

[BassMan]

Gonna get me some more slug-o's! I had good luck this weekend with a suspending rapala (looked like a rainbow trout) and also topwater!! man I love topwater!!

[BigFish]

I don't think color is the big thing, it's the size and action, just something that is close to "match the hatch". Any thing in a smoke/pepper, alewife, I like the salt & pepper.

[Paddlefish]

I think Bassman may have been accidentally "matching the hatch" by fishing that Kastmaster with all those smolts in the vicinity.

I remember some awfully bassy stories from a couple Septembers past, behind the island opposite the Yamhill mouth. The successful formula was reported to be "anything silver."

[BassMan]

Paddlefish, I was back down there today and I started off fishing the silver kastmaster and whamO fish on. My wife and I killed them , fish on about every 2-3 casts. Anything small and silver is the key. Oh the smoke sassy shad is another killer.

jb

[foxer]

Bassman - I live in Sherwood and would like to get my wife into some fish. Whereabouts were you fishing and is there bank access? I wouldnt normally ask about the "secret" spots, but if I can get the wife into fishing (catching) I have a better chance at getting that new boat!!

[BassMan]

Foxer, well I have a boat so most of the time we motor up the river to the places that dont have good bank access and fish there. I was on the Willamette(sp?) today near wheatland ferry , They are doing construction on the ferry right now so there is no one around and the fishing is great there right now. Hooked around 10 smallmouth 1 largemouth and a squafish too! There is alot of good areas with bank access near west linn / lake Oswego. One of my favorite places is george rogers park in lake Oswego. And just up river on HWY 47 is mary S young park which has good bank access too.

Hope this helps a bit if not drop me an e-mail and Ill give you some more info

jb

[casteal]

This time of year the Shad fry show up. I have used Fin-S in a matching color to advantage at times. Then there is those times when nothing works.
Look up next time you go out at night. Why should they eat in the day.

Jim

[wildlife fishing]

You may also want to look into trowing a stick bait. I have had great luck with them this past couple of weeks. More big fish than small.
During a guide trip last week we boated several 3's and larger.

Booking trips for Oct bass, should be some ausum fishing.

Wildlife

[Whopper Stopper]

I'm going to take my #3 Daughter out this afternoon. I plan on launching my little boat at Willamette Park and puttering upstream. Are the Smallies holding close to the bank or in deeper water? does anyone do any good at the mouth of the Tualatin? I'll report back. :grin:

[wildlife fishing]

Wopper stopper,
Try deeper water areas close to shore, look for the bolders. I have been catching alot of fish shallow in the AM and deeper areas during the day.
Check out around cedar oaks and little lower.
Lets see a picture of your #3 with a nice one.

Wildlife fishing

[Whopper Stopper]

Hey Brother Wildlife Fishing, We took your advise and found a few fish that needed educating. I don't have a three pounder for Abby to show you but I do have a 1 1/2 pounder! http://www.ifish.net/uploads/232214268.bmp

:cheers:
Thanks for the help!!!!!

Jay and Abby

[ 09-26-2002, 02:31 PM: Message edited by: Whopper Stopper ]

[Wannabe]

Cooooooooooool!!
<)))><