Clackamas River

[Jojo]

OK. I am a native Coos River trout fisherman and never really expanded my fishing skills past the worm and hook [some lures here and there] method. I now live right on the Clackamas and want to partake in some of those bigger fish. I have tried fishing at McIver [Chinook teasing me all day], Carver [nothing but a few trout jumping on my lures] and at Riverside park.

I don't have anything other than a zodiac-like rubber raft with no motor, so I have only been bank fishing. I have tried all the gear suggested [floating, bouncing] and all the bait [worms, shrimp, eggs]. Nothing but a few takes [most likely some trout nibbling].

Any suggestions? Am I fishing the wrong areas? Wrong time of year?

Your help is greatly appreciate [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[ 08-05-2001: Message edited by: stacybre ]

[ampersat]

wrong time of year.

me personally, i'm waiting for the coho to come in. these days, i'm trout fishing; get enough of those little boogers and you can fill up a smoker. the clack is pretty dead these days. i fished up at mciver a few weeks ago; saw plenty of fish rolling but no biters. a buddy of mine told me that when they start rolling, the water has gotten too warm for them to bite (anyone, please chime in on this point).

you're fishing all the right places. there are just so few fish in right now and the bite is off because of the timing and water temp, in my opinion. wait until september when the coho start coming in, then shortly thereafter fall chinook. only a month or so later, the winter steelhead will start showing up.

[David Johnson]

Wrong time of year. Try coho next month. It is closed for trout (keeping them any way) nor is it stocked with any trout.

Also, there are no fall chinook. There once was a run of tules that was introduced by the state but that was discontinued years ago. Tewhre may be a remneant run of them but there not pretty.

There are summer runs and there should be a good amount since they are now all planted in the lower river instead of above Estacada. They will be in the fastest water they can find but since there are high water temps, lower oxygen, and throngs of rafters and swimmers chances are probably low. First thing in the morning would be your best bet casting small, darker spinners or a bobber and jig.

A friend of mine that I grew up with used to catch them fly fishing on the swing with a floating line (like on the Deschutes) just above Carver in rifles at first light durring August.