SI 12/31 West Side

Swamp Puppy · 12-30-2005, 11:29 AM

anyone going? i hear that the water is so high that a boat is required on most blinds and the ODFW personnel are actually thinking about making it a requirement out there.

can anyone confirm/debunk that???

I figure i'll take a shot at it..drag the 14' sneak boat out for a row.

DukAddict · 12-30-2005, 11:31 AM

Ed if you can get your sneak boat out there you should have a good day. Let me know how it goes. Good luck

Brett Neffendorf

WidgeonWacker · 12-30-2005, 11:37 AM

Is the westside hunting on sunday. I thought tomorrow was the hunt day not sunday. Can anyone confirm on this???

danger · 12-30-2005, 11:39 AM

Isn't the 31st tomorrow...Saturday.

cwh · 12-30-2005, 11:41 AM

Yes, tomorrow (12/31) is the hunt day.

WidgeonWacker · 12-30-2005, 11:44 AM

My bad got ahead of myself on that one

billc_sbio · 12-30-2005, 11:47 AM

I was just talking with a friend who hunts on a private, floating blind, out on Sturgeon Lake.

He said his buddy was out there this morning and it's 10' deep under their blind (that they can often WADE out to) and still coming UP!

They used a boat to get to the blind yesterday and left it tied up in ~1 foot of water when done.

Today they almost couldn't reach it because of the water's depth! :shocked:

He said the water had gone up close to 6' from yesterday!

Don't quote ME as saying that, I'm just passing it along.

I've got the charger topping off the battery on my big boat right now! :grin:

This is the water I love to hunt out there!

DukAddict · 12-30-2005, 12:46 PM

They are hunting saturday and sunday this week then take 2 days off and it starts up again this next tuesday.

Brett Neffendorf

Swamp Puppy · 12-30-2005, 01:50 PM

yup..they are hunting both days.

WidgeonWacker · 12-30-2005, 02:21 PM

Does that mean I could hunt the westside on Sunday. I was going to hunt the north unit because I thought it would be closed.

Can anyone comment on this. I would much rather hunt the westside unit I know that area much better. Any input would be great.

Thanks WW

DukAddict · 12-30-2005, 02:31 PM

YES, you can hunt the westside on sunday. Good luck guys I'll be working FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE hahaha.

Brett Neffendorf

WidgeonWacker · 12-30-2005, 02:33 PM

Sweet now its on. Me the boys and the dog gonna put a hurt on those quackers. (hopefully). Thanks for the help dukaddict, maybe sometime we can hunt the island together sometime

billc_sbio · 12-30-2005, 02:43 PM

I haven't been looking at the dates in the Regs that much for the 1st (I have to work that day

), but assuming it IS open, then surely you can go!

Generally speaking, IF you get a "decent" draw (and because of the high water, there's likely to be more good producing spots now that things have "changed"...and shortly you won't even recognize most of the areas of the westside, unless you've seen them flooded pretty well before).

Most likely there will be some shifts in what areas/locations are "good".

But, like the North Unit, it's going to be more of a boat hunters show than what you've seen in awhile.

Things can be very DIFFERENT out there, depending on the water level!

For example, I've hunted the Eastside (Malarky Unit) by putting in on the Westside launch ramp at Steelman...motoring from Steelman to Mud Lake and and over the top of what's normally the fishing pier at Big Eddy on the Gilbert (through the cut near ML#10) and to a good spot at Malarky. The entire area was one big LAKE!

When the water's up like that, NOTHING looks "the same" to what you're used to. :shocked:

If you're curious, look at this pic!

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...1023tnCaXurkxC

This is Lil hunting with me and we're in the tree TOPS at Malarky! If you fall in, there's NO LAND to stand on for miles! :shocked:

I imagine it might take a hunt day or two for the "good areas" to become apparent to those who haven't hunted those conditions before.

billc_sbio · 12-30-2005, 03:44 PM

To further illustrate how "different" things CAN be out there...one time I showed up, my small Sportcanoe on the roof rack and OB and Lab and gear in the back...

There are only about 7-8 rigs in front of me and I don't see ANY with any boats!

The Check Station guy comes walking back. He knocks on my window and says, "You won't be able to do much hunting UNLESS you have a boat."

Then he looks up and see my boat, and says, "Oh, you're o.k., looks like you're going to be the ONLY one out there hunting today!"

They didn't even bother with the chips, just start checking guys through.

I get up to the window and just about EVERYTHING is up on the wall, except a few Steelmans.

The guys says, "Where do you want to go?" I say, "What's good? Somewhere out on Hollman Point?"

They say, "Here, here's HP#4, but you can go ANYWHERE out there. You're the ONLY one! Be careful because if something happens, there's nobody to come out and get you!"

So I head out, get to Parking Lot #1-1/2 and there are all these guys standing around in their waders with their guns, looking up at the sky...it's still DARK! :grin:

I get about 150 yards past PL 1-1/2 and there's a torrent of WATER pouring OVER the road and into the low lying area between PL#1-1/2 & PL#2. It's the Multnomah Channel coming OVER the road and into the island! :shocked:

I drive REAL slowly and watch the height of the water and fortunately it doesn't quite come up to the door on my truck.

I get to PL#2 and THINK ABOUT WHAT THE TIDE'S GOING TO DO.

I'd checked the Tide Chart and knew that High Tide's going to be at 11 a.m., SO that means that the water's going to be even HIGHER!

I turn around and go BACK towards PL#1-1/2...no reason to get stranded further down the road!

I take the boat off the rig just above where the water's coming across and go park my rig in PL#1-1/2. I get Dancer (my 1 yr. Lab) and head back for the boat.

We head out in the darkness and go out to the Gilbert River, through the cut near ML#10, and I go out and go back into the Hollman Point area. We set up...good thing I have 30' lines on my decoys, I was using about all of it!

Hunting wasn't as good as I'd hoped for, but I think we got about 5 VERY SURPRISED Mallards! There really weren't that many ducks around that particular day, but they were ALL MINE!

I had launched my boat about 150 yards from the Parking Lot. When I got back, I motored the boat to within 25 yards of my truck!

That was a lesson in what "might have" happened IF I'd parked in PL#2! The water NEVER got any lower as it was still coming up, Low Tide or not!

The guys who were standing around out at PL#1-1/2 probably only hung around for a half hour or so...

I've seen SIMILAR things happen out on Johnson Unit on the Eastside.

Guys get all excited, "Got a Johnson Res!". The water's waaay up and they get out there...often can't even get TO their cut! Water's up over the top of your chest waders, and you're still 1/2 mile from WHERE you want to be!

So, IF this water gets to anywhere like the two flood years '96 & '97, for those of you who weren't able to enjoy that, this may be an interesting experience!