Ship Channel Fishing

scrod · 08-29-2001, 08:27 PM

Do I hear this right? People are planting in the ditch? The only deep and cool water upstream is in the ship channels at this point and people are anchoring there? Is this true or are they trolling? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

Johnny Mac · 08-29-2001, 08:39 PM

some buddies and I tried it (anchoring, shhhh) outside of Claskanie on our second day of getting skunked, but it didnt seem to matter much. We got skunked that day too. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] Lots of fish on the finder, none ticked off enough to bite though.

WaterDog · 08-30-2001, 06:36 AM

Why anyone would anchor in the channel is beyond me. [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] There are lots of places where the river is 40-50 feet deep that is NOTin the channel. All your asking for is trouble. But hey it aint my boat or my life........ [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Johnny Mac · 08-30-2001, 01:39 PM

Or your situation either. We found a spot where you could see traffic from a mile in either direction. It was safer than bank fishing.

WaterDog · 08-30-2001, 02:25 PM

Yeah, I know, your situation is different. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] Never mind the fact the rule reads "No vessel shall impede the passage of a vessel constrained to the channel"....

I know we've beat this to death in pervious posts. It's not safe or smart.

Have a nice day [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Johnny Mac · 08-30-2001, 02:34 PM

And since you have never bent a rule in your life, I'm an unsafe idiot? Great, thanks for your two cents. Have a nice day yourself. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Lipripper · 08-30-2001, 05:42 PM

For those who understand--no explanation needed. For those who don't understand--no explanation possible

invader · 08-30-2001, 06:12 PM

ok must it be 40 feet deep to catch salmon?? or is it just the water is cooler??.........john

Johnny Mac · 08-30-2001, 06:26 PM

Just real quick...

I DO understand, no explanation is required. If I'm on another persons boat and he wants to peek deep in the lane, I dont give a rip as long as I'm not in danger. Now I didnt come to this fantastic site to have condescending judgements passed on me from folks who dont even know me from Adam, I came to talk fish. I dont mind going toe to toe with somebody who's bored and wants to pick and pry, but I'd sure rather not. The fishing community is generally a great group of folks, and I'm happy to have found this place, but please, lay off the judgements...geez.

nuff said.

boater · 08-30-2001, 08:26 PM

all i can say is [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

WaterDog · 08-30-2001, 08:43 PM

Wow, the new kinder and gentler boater. You have changed. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Salmonator · 08-30-2001, 09:08 PM

Now does the rule state that you cannot anchor in the channel EVER? Or simply move well before you are impeding anybody? It seems I have fished the channel a million times in areas where I have tons of visibility and have never had a problem (ok except for the day that a massive tug snuck up on us at kelly point and gave us all fair warning to move due to a ship about to leave dock). Almost joined team brown pants that day...

boater · 08-30-2001, 09:09 PM

waterdog, i have nothing to say about this, he already said it in his 3rd post, i quote "i`m an unsafe idiot", he said it i didnt lol.

WaterDog · 08-30-2001, 09:20 PM

Sal,
The rule is out on the boaters handbook. It doesnt say "ever". I believe the Coast Guard could write you a ticket along with a monatary "reward" although they rarely do. I did a search and there are a few threads on this very subject.

boater, you crack me up.

brshooter · 08-30-2001, 09:20 PM

On Monday, we were fishing downstream from St. Helens. Had one large ship come upriver and blow his horn once from about a mile away. No one was even close to the channel or his path. About an hour later, the sheriff's boat was there forcing the boats on the channel side of each hogline to move.

Pete · 08-31-2001, 09:56 AM

Curious about what is permitted, I called the Coast Guard Commander in Portland for clarification. He told me it is "illegal to anchor in the shipping channel". However, it is frequently unclear what the lateral limits of the channel are. The center lines of the channels are marked by range markers. How far the channel extends to the sides is subject to interpretation by the local enforcement agency. I guess what that means is: Don't anchor in the center of the channel. Don't anchor where you might reasonably expect commercial traffic to travel. If a uniformed person asks you to move, do it.

Jennie@ifish · 08-31-2001, 12:13 PM

Interesting.
I spoke with the Commander in Astoria, and he said it is "illegal to impede a vessel".
It is highly unsafe to anchor in a shipping channel.
People just don't realize how fast ships are travelling and that they CAN NOT stop quickly.
It is my policy to stick with fishing OUT of the channel. I've seen boats cut the channel corners quite widely, even going a bit out of the channel, so be safe, and stay the heck outa there!
Plus, can you imagine having anchor problems? Sucking up the rope in the pump or??? Anything can happen.

Jen

Johnny Mac · 08-31-2001, 12:23 PM

Well then. With a mile on either side, it sounds like it is neither illegal, outside the rules, or as radically unsafe as you judgemental characters (waterdog, lipripper, boater) claim it to be. Boater, your a real peach. Real cute. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Thanks for doin that research Jen. I agree there is some risk involved, just have to plan three steps ahead and not go into blindly if somebody wants to do it. Personally, I think there is plenty of good water outside the lanes to fish, but again, if its my buddies boat and he wants to give it a crack, I dont have a problem with it.

Jellyhead · 08-31-2001, 12:44 PM

There's plenty of water to fish over 40' feet deep and not in the channel if you know where to look....First hint--Columbia river cruising atlas. Start looking for deep soundings then check around them with your depthfinder. People always assume that you have to fish with the crowd or hog lines. This time of year, if you're not at a tributary mouth you don't need to be in a hog line.

Ever notice how one or two boats in a line catch all the fish? That's cause they're in the slot. Slots run the length of the river, not across the river. Find slots, find fish. You don't need to be in the channel to do it.

Aaron

Hoosier Daddy · 08-31-2001, 01:17 PM

touchy touchy. Somebody came here looking for trouble.

WaterDog · 08-31-2001, 02:07 PM

If your fine with it, I'm fine with it.

If I was on someone elses boat and they anchored in the channel, I wound recommend against it and if they anchored there anyway, I would not fish on that boat again. But thats me. Tell the guy that drowned during the springer season below bonny because he thought he was going to get run over by a barge after they sucked up thier sea anchor in the pump and had no power and no place go. Just aint worth it.

Lets move on and fish.

Johnny Mac · 08-31-2001, 02:08 PM

[img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] I thought I was pretty clear that I did NOT come here for that reason. You guys are a trip. lol.

Salmonator · 08-31-2001, 07:09 PM

Waterdog, I wouldn't wish something like that on anybody (not even Boater [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]) but if the guy was paying attention to his surroundings, he would have had enough time to ROW out of the way of the barge. Did he have no oars or kicker motor or even a knife handy to cut a sucked up rope? If not, I don't think he had any business being anywhere on the river, let alone the shipping channel.

08-31-2001, 07:55 PM