Any info on Sandy river Fall Chinook

[MoJet Driver]

Shannon,

Most of the action has been in the Columbia at the mouth. There's only about 8" of water where the Sandy dumps in and I haven't seen any V wakes headed upriver yet. They may be moving at night. I would expect that the Sandy will start picking up in a couple of weeks. Most of the Chinook that head up the Sandy are Tules and I don't know many folks that think too highly of them. They get dark fast. Now the silvers on the other hand could be a different story...

By the way, welcome to the BB that's in the know.

MJD

[fishon]

Are the spring chinook that go up the sandy tules to or only the fall ones? Is the water really that shallow where is enters the columbia?

Only the fall chinook are tules, and they are inferior eating; actually non-eating for most accept to smoke the rare semi-bright ones. They can swim up thru 8" of water easily if they feel the urge to get up river to stage for spawning. I don't know at what point in the tide, which affects the Col. & lower tributaries on up to Bonneville Dam, the 8" estimate was. Seems like it could get deeper than that at high tide, even at summer low levels. But rain is needed to bring in good numbers of fish, which will include cohos that are good to eat. - The spring chinooks aren't tule stock and are great eating! - RT

[fishon]

Why are tules so bad what makes them different than other chinook?

[Shannon]

Hello from Eastern Oregon. How was the opener on the Sandy for Fall Chinook? Did any one see any fish?

Thanks fellas,

Shannon

[Mrdorkfish]

From what i have heard Tules are a old strain of Fall Chinook that enter the Sandy and are white meat fish and not to tasty, I wouldn't be too worried about hooking one....all the years of fishing on that lower river hooked alot and haven't had to deal with one or heard of one caught. As for the Coho, #4 blue vigrax or bud spinners either under the the Troutdale bridge or the Raiload bridge......Hang on tight...they are supposed to be bigger this year ! Good Luck !!

Dorkfish

[wiser]

The Tule stock of chinook salmon enter many of the Columbia tribs. They are much more mature when they arrive in the Columbia because they don't have far to travel. The meat is generally considered not to be table quality however some of those fish do enter the system in better condition. All salmon begin deteriating when they enter fresh water. They are really dying from the inside out. Egg or milt production drains all their fat reserves turning the meat a light color.
The Sandy does get some bright chinook returning. Those fish generally start returning in the middle of September but I did see one bright Chinook caught and retained at Oxbow Park yesterday. There are also quite a few steelhead, that are still in pretty good shape, hanging out in the lower Sandy.