marina and campsite for springers

pijondon · 02-02-2004, 06:32 PM

I am looking for a campsite with or near a boat launch somewhere from about cathlamet to woodland. The only one I know is port of kalama, but I haven't fished that water in many years. I also haven't fished spring chinook from a boat before so this is all a learning experience. Its always exciting to try something new. I do have average experience fishing astoria and the ocean and most of the river for bass and walleye. I have been taking notes following all the threads on spring chinook techniques and I am confident that if someone points me in the right general direction I will be able to figure things out. The thought has also crossed my mind of hiring a guide for my first time out, maybe save myself a few weekends of experimentation. So any reccommendations are welcome. My boat is an 18 ft smokercraft and my tow rig is a custom van so I pretty much need a paved ramp. Other than that I am open to any suggestions. I am planning a road trip in a couple weeks just to familiarize myself with the area and locate important landmarks, tackle shops, bait dealers, etc. Thanks in advance, this board has been very helpful already.

skybuster · 02-02-2004, 06:42 PM

If you are already familiar with Kalama I would reccomend that area. You shouldn't have any problem finding springers or other fisherman around there.

pijondon · 02-02-2004, 07:58 PM

My experience in the kalama area was fishing the backwater and sloughs for bass, upstream into the multinolma channel and down to coal creek. Its been at least 10 years. I remember the ramp at port of kalama as being extremely steep and I think all they had open off season was a parking area. There were some campgrounds on the kalama river. I don't know if they are still there. That would be my easiest option as I have been there before. The more I think about it, the more I am leaning towards hiring a guide for my first trip. In the last bass tournament I fished there, one of the contestants stuck his boat on a sand bar several miles down river and was parked there for most of the day before the tide finally floated him off. A bad day of fishing better than a good day at work? Most of the time.

corkyking · 02-02-2004, 08:09 PM

Cathlamet has a good launch and there is camping nearby - I'm sure that there is a Cathlamet website.

King Fisher · 02-03-2004, 06:37 AM

Try Camp Kalama, it's right off the north kalama exit. It's pretty close to a couple boat ramps and is semi private most of the time.( unless full)

love2fish · 02-03-2004, 06:45 AM

There's a campground between Longview and Cathlamet (on Hwy 4) called County Line Park. Its right on the Columbia. There are ramps either at Cathlamet or Longview. I've never used the one in Longview, but the one in Cathlamet is nice.

love2fish

Salmon Stryker · 02-03-2004, 07:11 AM

If you are just going for a night or two you might consider packing a tent in your boat (or sleeping on your boat)and find a nice secluded area along the river to camp. Some of my best memories come from these "roughing it" type of trips.

Can't wait for springers...I'm going to take my kids springer camping this year below wheatland somewhere.

Silver Hilton · 02-03-2004, 07:56 AM

I camp in the Kalama River Campground, and use the Port of Kalama ramp. It is definitely steep, but has plenty of parking, and good docks. There is plenty of good fishing out of there.

The campground at Camp Kalama is fine, but there is a good bit of freeway noise. Further upriver is another campground, which is much smaller, much quieter, but not as nicely appointed.

I believe that there is an RV park right at the end of the port of Kalama parking lot, have never checked them out.

There is a campground at the Fishery, at Bonneville, which I do NOT recommend. It's a lovely place, with nice sites, but the train tracks are 50 feet away, and there are trains every 15 minutes all night long. The crossing into the Fishery is unsignaled, so each of those trains blows their whistle as they come buy. Not a recipe for undisturbed sleep.

Out of the Port of Kalama, there are good springer spots straight across the river, downstream about a mile in front of the mouth of the Kalama River, and 6 miles downstream in front of the mouth of the Cowlitz. These are not secret - you'll see the boats. I'll be one of them, feel free to pull up and anchor. I tend to fish at the top of the Cowlitz pack, with Lured In below me somewhere. I figure I have to give him a shot at the fish first, or he gets grumpy...

Lured In · 02-03-2004, 08:59 AM

SH...aren't you getting a little old to be camping before a fishing trip? :shocked:

No wonder you can't make it the extra half mile downstream to the 'good stuff'. :tongue:

Pijondon...there's lots of good advice here and you can make it a worth while weekend being in the Kalama area. The real question is when are planning on coming down for this trip? It should be great in the late March time frame (depending on run timing) and should continue into early April. Keep in mind the regs may go haywire in early April, so have a contingency plan for sturgeon or steelhead.

Hiring a guide may be helpful (escpecially if you want to catch fish on your first trip out). The flip side is most folks can help you get into fish if you are a 'do it yourself' kind of guy.

If you use a guide, book now! As I hear it can be tough once the run starts.

Also you might think about coming down for a 'trial run' at least once before your big trip. If nothing else it will give you a chance to see the area and learn the techniques. Also, there are some good Columbia River maps(topo) available that will keep you off the sandbars and show you some potential new spots to try.

Good luck.

pijondon · 02-03-2004, 09:28 AM

Wow, thanks so much for the advice. I do like trains , but not while I am sleeping. I might be too excited the first time out though to sleep anyway. One of the things I enjoyed very much while fishing the gorge and upriver was the constant railroad show on both sides of the river. Ok, launching at Kalama and staying at the campground near the freeway sounds pretty workable. In a couple weeks I will take the misses' on a road trip and check the area out. I will also drive to Cathlamet and see what that area has to offer. Would I go upstream or downstream from cathlamet? I get pretty antsy sitting in an anchored boat waiting so does the kalama or cathlamet areas apply to trolling also. I just feel like I am accomplishing more when I keep moving. I am planning to fish most weekends the season is open depending of course on the boss and the need for overtime. Catching fish is more important than working most of the time. One day I will give up working for a living. It just really gets in the way of things I want to do.

Lured In · 02-03-2004, 09:48 AM

As a general guideline, most people anchor up for the outgoing and troll the incoming. The turns(high/low slack) can produce for both techniques depending on what the current does.

There are a ton of areas to both anchor and troll in the area. Depending on how mobile you want to be, you can also launch at different locations to cover new water. Depending on how much power and the size of your boat, running from Cathlamet down to St. Helens might be a bit much. Launching at Kalama I will fish within 10 miles in either direction.

slabhunter · 02-03-2004, 10:00 AM

Head downstream out of Cathlamet to head toward the main river. Then you can head upstream. You can troll on the flood tide but most anchor on the ebb. The amount of current usualy dictates when the bite occurs, but fish move through there with every tide. Good luck!

pijondon · 02-03-2004, 02:41 PM

I am wondering if it makes any difference early in the season to be lower in the river say from cathlamet to astoria and then kalama area and upstream as the season progresses. I guess the question is do springers hole up under the right conditions or do they just shoot through. My boat is 18 ft with a 115 yamaha so running several miles isn't a problem. Mostly depends on the weather.

slabhunter · 02-03-2004, 02:46 PM

They blast right through with the tide. However, more come on the next one.

Silver Hilton · 02-03-2004, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lured In:
SH...aren't you getting a little old to be camping before a fishing trip? :shocked: No wonder you can't make it the extra half mile downstream to the 'good stuff'. :tongue:

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Yup, and on those rainy nights, I don't make it past the motel.

As to making it down that last half mile, I stay upriver of you so you and the guides in the main line have a chance at a fish or two. It's just another example of my all around great guy nature.

You just fish down there. I gots me a little spot that is working just fine. And because I'm upriver, you all never have any idea of how fine that is. Mwa-hah-hah-ha-ha-ha!

Perfect Drift · 02-03-2004, 04:35 PM

Several other camp areas -
- a really nice campground right on the Columbia. About 3 miles north of the mouth of the Lewis River. Sandy beach, RV sites, 3 miles to the launch at the Lewis.
- camp area right at the mouth of the Lewis
- State ramp just up from the mouth of the Kalama, in the Kalama.