Sunday at the mouth of the Clack

[Hogmaster]

Quite a crowd this morning and I have noticed a few boats dropping out.

Lotsa bankies at Black Point too.

Here is a shot taken at 10:30 AM from the back yard.



Maybe some of the actual fishers can update this for accuracy. but while the Willy is still mighty muddy, some of those pilot fish seem to be hanging in the cleaner water of the Clack...

[fishchaser]

Wish I was there and not here. No vehicle to drive the boat to the water. What a shame.

[River Ranger]

Thanks for the pic Hogmaster.Nice view you have there.
R.R.

[ZaQ]

Someone say dropping out? Hogbaster, why arn't you down there with them?

[FISHNAKED]

Fished from about daylight till about 1:00 pm, three fish two high finners and 1 keeper picked up by a back bouncer in the ancher ropes. I can't see my boat in the pic as I was on the gladstone side.

[ZaQ]

He was back bouncing in the anchor ropes? Is that kinda crap common there? [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

[BUGLEMAN]

Thats nothing. Just wait till the shad fishermen show up.

[ZaQ]

Dustin............................. :blush:

[Hogmaster]

FISHNAKED -

It is always deceiving from my camera angle as to how many boats are really out there. I guess I must have looked out at the right times this morning to catch some of the action.

ZAQ -

All work and no play makes Gary a dull boy. :depressed:

Had to work from home today and live vicariously through the window. Talk about a Pavlov response!

Believe it or not, back bouncing through anchor ropes (above) can be very effective. The fish actually start lying in behind the anchors because of the current break that can form when the anchors are all set in roughly the same spot.

The trick, of course, is to first yard a hooked fish up out of the anchor lines then around them. I am sure that there are lots of stories about idjits that didn't gain control and mess up lines and/or come down sideways through them. So I won't defend the method, other than to say, it can work.

Do everyone a favor. Do not try this unless you really know what you are doing though. Hooks in anchor lines are not appreciated, fish in anchor lines are poor form, and boats in anchor lines are not only really really aggravating they are also downright unsafe. The best thing you will get is a reputation.

I have seen fistfights [img]graemlins/icon_argue.gif[/img] and outboard impeller squirt gun fights :shocked: over the anchor versus troll issue on both sides of the anchored boats there.

Can't we all just get along?

[Smj]

He He...That spot right there in that picture is one of the most violent spots on the Willamette system!

I don't know if it's still the same but, the "lake line" used to move down to that spot when the W. was dirty. And BOY let me tell you those lake line guys, at that time , owned that water. We used to see people in that front line deny other boaters, that they didnt know, access to an open spot in line. And when the lead throwing/fist fighting really started was when a couple of boats would start hovering over the boily water, fishing on top of the guys lines from the blacktop.

Zaq, You think that sounds crazy, you ought to check out that whole strech of river from the mouth of the Clack up to the wall in OC toward the end of April. People anchored, with guys running their kickers positioned right on top of the anchored boats baits. Insanity!

There's just too much good trolling water down stream for me to mess with that area for springers. However I do frequent that area while the zoo is there for bass.

Smj

Keep those pics coming Hogmaster!

[Tacklebuster]

What in the heck makes people want to fish in a violent environment like that anyway. Fistfights, backbouncing through anchor ropes, trolling on top of anchored boats, trying to deny access to a boat just because they don't know them [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

I wish I had more patience than I do but I don't. The whole springer fishery is a down right disgrace if that's the kind of crap others have to put up with.

I have had lead thrown at my boat one time. At the end of the day the person that did the throwing wished he never decided to hit the water that day. I won't say what happened due to the fact that two wrongs don't make a right but I will say he probably won't be hucking lead at anyone again.

Let's do everyone a favor this spring and try a little more respect and a lot less hostility. Nobody owns any part of the river so please don't fool yourself in thinking you do. Respect what people are doing around you and if you find yourself in Rome, do what the Romans do.

I honestly don't know why I bother anymore with those stupid springers when ocean salmon is just right around the bend.

[Hoosier Daddy]

What I want to know is when does the webcam in your window go in!?!

[5-Cents]

Too much water and too little time for that mess [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

[Hogmaster]

Hoosier -

I tried it, but in the morning there was just too much glare and so the screen was blank. Also, it is pretty far away, so the boats look really small. That shot is with a 3X zoom on the digital camera.

I do have a wireless lan though, so I may do some "live" updates this spring from my laptop while out back in the boat.

Yes, smj, there can be far too much ruckus out there. But it certainly isn't everyone nor is it all the time. The "one bad apple" principle has to apply, but when one shows up it is time to move to another area.

It is definitely not an area to be in if you are subject to short fusing. Tolerance and understanding can go a long way to still enjoying a day.

Sometimes people get upset for valid reasons. It is how they explain why someone is annoying them that tends to lead to either education and understanding (and perhaps a change in fishing tactics) or beligerence and defiance leading (sometimes) to confrontation.

For the most part, people are civil in this area. I hate to see it have this reputation of nothing but a bunch of jerks being there. It is crowded.

But nevermind. There are no fish there anyway. Everyone should stay away! :grin:

[Hogmaster]

Yes, ZAQ got it right. I mistakenly called the area on the far side of the boats Black Point. I meant, of course, "Black Top" which is technically known as Dahl Park and is accessed by driving into Meldrum Bar Park and turning left at the end of the soccer/softball fields.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of debris that accumulated at the bottom of Clackamette park after this lest high water.

If you look carefully, you will see the Clackamas water, even in this non-high res shot, looks quite a bit greener than the muddy Willamette.

The hog lines that form there will be up higher as the water drops more...

But ZAQ, you mean there was an elk behind the camera? :grin: :grin: :grin:

[Blue Tip Spinner]

Hogmaster- you live right above the garbage hole. i have been told recently that there are new pilings in the hole now and someone is building a boat dock in there. is that true?

[David Johnson]

Sure, the fights and all that nagative stuff can and does happen some times but for the most part it can be pretty fun fishing out there. The same people fish there all the time and you get to know them and the fishing can be worth it.

Some of the worst stuff happens on weekends when there are plenty of people that end up being "educated" :blush:

I do have a disclamer-

I've been fishing here since I was 12, I know a lot of people and in hte last few years I haven't been there on a Saturday too much.

[David Johnson]

For some people Oregon City should be a "Don't try this as home kids"

[Hogmaster]

Blue Tip -

Actually, I live below the Garbage Hole, right at the tip of the island, which you can see on the left side of the shot that was posted.

As far as the Garbage Hole, no, there aren't new pilings except to the extent that one of my upstream neighbors is putting in a new dock that had been permitted. It shouldn't really affect fishing in that area though as they are close to shore on the West Linn side where the iver is catfishy right there anyway...

I do see back bouncers and anchor guys floating sideways downstream from the Garbage Hole as they are fighting fish during the spring run. Man is it tough to go to work when you see that!

DJ - So you are a card carrying OC boy??? :grin:

[k9jeff]

I have not salmon fished there in a long time due to the crowds and some attitudes. I do shad fish there and have never had a problem. Most of the shad fishers are out there with kids having fun and hooting and hollering teaching kids basics, which is a ball.
Last year I was fishing the sellwood area and it was slow and sunny, so I took a boat ride to OC to see what was going on and it was bumper to bumper up there. I don't mind crowds, but I was given the finger three times while manuvering though the anchored boats. I was hardly moving and there was plenty of room. Just reminded me why I dont go there at the peak of salmon season.

[FishinMission]

[ 02-09-2004, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: FishinMission ]

[ANDYCOHO]

Some of the worst I ever saw in fisherman was in that "Hog Line".

I got up early on a Wednesday morning and anchored up there after seeing some good action there the previous morning.

Soon after daylight, some other boats anchored up next to me. The Hog line soon filled up and a boat to the inside of me told me that in 10 minutes when his friend shows up, that I'm going to leave. I swore I misunderstood him and asked what he ment by that. He simply replied that in 10 minutes I was moving.

Sure enough within 15 minutes a boat motored up below me and the inside boat said that it was time for me to leave. As the boat continued to motor up below me the inside boater sat on the bow of his boat and cleated his anchor rope to the side so he bumbed into me. He again told me that it was time for me to leave. I told him that I wasn't done fishing. He then grabbed my anchor rope and said that he would cut it if I didn't leave.

So I pulled anchor and headed for the ramp. Very, very disgusted with the human race. I could have done a lot of things that day, I was even armed. But I still feel good about my dicision today.

Originally posted by FishinMission:

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">:grin:

[fishing is life]

Andy Coho, that sounds bad. I am sorry there are people out there like that. Next time pretend to dial up up the OSP and say would you like to tell them? Write there boat numbers down too. I think it is time for an ifish possey.

[ANDYCOHO]

Unfortunately this was pre-cell phone era...

[hookem]

I have been fishin that area 3 times a week in the spring the last 3 years and never have seen any problems........not any. I anchor in the lines. Sometimes I know a couple of people, but often I just cosey up and drop my anchor no questions asked, smile, say hi, talk about fishin.
Now sometimes someone will mess things up by not knowin the system, but most people in the line try to help, if for nothing else but to have something to do to breck up the bordom, it can be slooooooooow out there fishin!

[Tacklebuster]

AndyCoho- You made a great decision that day. I wish I would have been more level headed that day when that pile of puke hit my boat(almost my wife) with an eight ounce ball of lead. That incident cost me a little grief but I was overall pleased with the end result, even if it did cost me a little money.

It's amazing that experience you had to deal with didn't make you loose faith in the human spirit. It's really amazing just how low us humans can sink sometimes :whazzup:

You guys can have all that, I can't wait for those ocean Silvers It's amazing how nice and helpful people are when your out in the salt compared to those you sometimes find kegged up in a line waiting for springers. I guess I just don't get it

[ 02-10-2004, 12:04 AM: Message edited by: Tacklebuster ]

[SKP]

Help me figure exactly where those boats are. I've been to the mouth of the Clack many times, but can't picture the parking lot in the background, where is that?

SKP

[ZaQ]

To the right of the boats is Clackamette park. Their bows are pointed up the Clack. And behind the camera is some wierd creature....... :tongue:

[SKP]

OK, so that's the point of land at the mouth of the Clack. It just looks different for some reason from a picture standpoint. :blush:

SKP

[silver bullet on my line]

Looks like a great time, wish i was there!

[Smj]

OK...That line in the picture would have what you might call a "Shift Change" when the W. cleared up.

Could have been around the same time Andycoho had his experience, only the W. was cleaner. A buddy and I pulled in to that front line at the mouth, next to a home customized 15' or so Smoker Craft. The guy had built window frames and gunnels with storage out of oak, it was a beautiful job he did on the work. The guy had taken an open Smoker and put in floorboards, consoles and winshield.

The guy and who we figured must have been his girfriend ended up being real nice. They were so nice that the guy proceded to show my buddy the proper way to rig a prawn. This was WAY back in the first two or three years that prawns started getting popular on the Willamette. Man, I can still see him leaning way over so we could see every wrap he was doing, with his gal friend chatting technique all the time.

I'll never forget that guy and (Pretty good lookin' at that) gal that were so nice to us that day, this is also the year of the fist fights and lead throwing.

You can still see that custom Smoker fishing with a couple of older guys in it around the mouth of the Clack in the spring, and out of Chinook landing in the fall.

I don't know what become of the helpful guy, but I have seen the gal from time to time over the years, never got her name at that time.

I got the gals name a few years ago when she fished near us at the mouth of the Sandy, found out it was JULIE...Julies Guide Service!

Smj

[freespool]

SMJ,I've fished around Julie for the past 3yrs. What a class act she is,always curtious to others and very polite. Oh by the way,she can put the hurt on the fish as well.

salmon hugger

[orsturgeon]

Andy Coho, I am proud of you. My face got red just reading these posts.

I too grew up fishing the blacktop. Back when I started in the late 70s a newcomer would get help from almost everyone. On weekends everyones family would come down and barby. If you did not have anything that was ok - you still got to eat. Everyone knew each other. Tons of fun. You just had to learn in in the frog water. Back then 50 rods on the point less than 12 inches apart was the norm.

Not too many bad fights either. No one was packing at that time. BUT there is no way in hell that I am taking my wife and kids down there. After I moved away for a few years and came back and found out how downhill that place has gone, I do not think that is good place for kids. Everyone has a gun and that sucks.

So I bought a Boulton and the only fishing that I do at OC now is shadzooking with my family and friends.

Sure do miss the old blacktop and all the good people that I met there. Jeez you got me all nostalgic.

[Sled Dog]

Hogmaster... Your upstream next door neighbor has a picture of a spike elk in your backyard. I saw both the elk and the picture, ask them if they still have it.. If I remember right it was in the early 90's. Also used to be a ton of pheasants over the bank of your place. So sometimes there is more to look at than the hoglines :smile:

[kayakfisher]

Andy Choho's experience, and things like that, are one of the reasons I tend to stick to salmon in the Columbia, and the ocean...less likely to get crowded by people who get out of control...esp since my kids are always with me when I go out.

About ten years ago I went to Bagby Hot Srings on the upper Clack River...for some hiking and hot springing. At one of the newer tubs a young punk was sitting in this huge tank by himself...although I had no interest in that tank, he had a gun sitting on the side, as a waring I suppose, and commented that he had a party coming up in an hour...so I spent 30 mins with the kids in the creak, and a different hot tank (one of the old hollowed out logs) and then left...never bothered going back, and also never bothered giving another dime to Friends of Bagby, which I supported for years.

Anyway...I don't generally enjoy the crowds all that much anyway, so I have found the ocean to be a reprieve from the events that Andy related.

thanks for the good posts guys...and gals.

M.

[Norski]

This has been going on for some time the fighting and such, even 20 years ago when we fished from 5:30am untell we hade to go to work, than after work we went back and fished untell dark 30.
Mr Tolman may remember when the old woodsled we fished out of, was ramed by a good old boy from Oregon city, did'nt know the guy but Dick & Richard remembered his boat numbers, the guy did about 700.00 damage to the sled, so the next week we went out, shure enough there was this guy telling everone he and the Oregon city boys own this spot.
When we came in to the dock there was his boat, I see nothing, hear nothing, tell nothing, but the next day I heard that his boat sank at the dock as someone shot 6 holes through it.
Like I said I don't know who did it but some people got TIGHT over this persons actions.
Yes even my Dad and I saw some things that we could not belive going on and it sounds like it steal going on.
I can remember the seal floating down river with a arrow through it's head, everone who saw it said on less seal to deal with.

[kayakfisher]

In my experience, as a father especially, when someone in the area is acting in a very uncivilized fashion I find it is best to leave, after getting boat or car numbers recorded, perhaps a description or a photo, and file a complaint. I does not make my life or my kids life any better to start challenging some whacko...so I back off and let someone with a chip on his shoulder have his way.

I will never get involved in a fight unless the cause is to protect my family and their safety...and there is no other way.

Cool heads usually don't have to resort to conflict... I know the majority of the folks on this site already believe that to be the case. Besides, this is supposed to be recreation, not combat!!

This site is really a boon to the reputation of ethical fisherpersons...thanks again Jennie!

M.