80,000 coho, what a joke!

Fishhead · 10-29-2001, 10:56 AM

Eagle Creek fish hatchery is supposed to have roughly 10,000 fish in the trap now. So where are the rest of this historic run?? I fished with a friend on the stretch below Eagle Fern park and below the fish ladder on sunday and saw some dark spawned out fish but nothing that looked like a keeper. So, lets say there are another 10,000 to 20,000 fish on the way? Where are they? The water level looked great and we were getting a good drift but NO fish. The Clackamas closes on wednesday for coho, even though those fish are hatchery fish. Did we go to the wrong place or are they still seeing bright fish coming into Eagle Creek??????? [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] ........Fishhead Vic

FishinMission · 10-29-2001, 03:42 PM

Gregg...Yeah...I caught that article too. I think the nets got the bulk of the Clack run myself. Or...they'll hit the river after it's closed.

Would be interesting to see the "Cumulative Count", huh?? That info's gotta be out there somewhere tho.

Chris Nordling · 10-29-2001, 07:29 PM

Fishhead,

I fished last Tuesday close to the mouth and I reported that I saw LOADS ( 5-6,000) go by my feet that day. About 30-70 of new to old. I agree with the net hunch tho, lot of fish missing from all kinds of places. Maybe we'll get a surprise push of fish, and they'll re-open the clack. You know the hatchery workers don't want the chore of dealing with 60,000 excess fish. The creek stays open thru November, but who wants those old boots then? Much rather catch chinook or fresh steelies at the coast.
Darrell said Gerald got one Saturday and one the Trask just before dark yesterday. I thought you would be at PC with them on Sunday.

Chris [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

~ Team U.S.A. ~

Fishhead · 10-29-2001, 09:41 PM

Chris, Robin and I got a late start and decided to try close to home. Gerald called me sunday night to report that the only fish he got was at dusk on sunday. Fished all day only to get one right at dark. Snagged maybe????? [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] Thats only his second nook this fall. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] They dont tell me where they are going so I dont try to guess. I'll give it a go next weekend. By the way whos eggs was Gerald using? Last fish he got was on mine!!! Mooching eggs off Darrell I suppose. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] You and I should get together and slam some slabs sometime. Keep in touch. Later...........Fishhead Vic

Chris Nordling · 10-29-2001, 09:57 PM

Fishhead,

Yea, Gerald rode his back the whole way there I'm sure. Everything from hookfiles to eggs. Oh well, we've all been there at one time or another. I guess they went to a zipper spot on Saturday and Gerald got one and Darrell lost one. Both in good shape.
I don't think late starts mattered, we got our fish at 9 and 1030, but that was fishing the bay on incoming. We'll hook it up some time this fall. We always seem to run into each other down there.

Good luck and tight lines,

Chris [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Hookset · 10-29-2001, 11:42 PM

Speaking of coho, did you see the article in last weeks Thursday Oregonian about the 50,000 coho gill netted from the Columbia in ONE week? That was the previous weeks total, must be Oct. 13 - 20th or there abouts. The article mentioned silvers are still entering the Columbia from the ocean. Who knows , maybe some more fish are coming, but this is late for silvers.

Or, the fish were netted out of the Columbia before they arrived at Eagle creek? Those 50,000 have to come from somewhere. Anyone have the total gill net catch to date?

Gregg

[ 10-29-2001: Message edited by: Hookset ]

Mrdorkfish · 10-30-2001, 09:23 PM

Hello !! Go to Lady Island [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Did i say that? Very reliable source says lice infested COHO ! Go before it's over....I'll be out there Thursday..Friday....Saturday...Sunday...Say hi to me..i'll be the one trolling faster than you (tip) sport'n Ifish stickers [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Good luck !

Mrdorkfish

Chris Nordling · 10-30-2001, 10:26 PM

And where might Lady Island be, out of curiousity ? Nearest boat launch ?

Thanks,
Chris [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

~ Team U.S.A. ~

FISHRUS · 10-31-2001, 05:57 AM

I wannnnnnnnnna go. Can I,Mrdorkfish????

Smily · 10-31-2001, 07:17 AM

Me too. I wanna go too Mr Dorkfish. Oh can I please, Can I, Can I? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

When is the season over with in the Columbia? [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Smily [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

birdsnest · 10-31-2001, 07:36 AM

Mrdorkfish,

Why did you have to go and tell me this. Now I'm second guessing my planned trip to the Nehalem this Saturday. Would you share what the lure of choice is at Lady Island? Thanks for the information.

birdsnest

THE REEL HEY_YALL · 10-31-2001, 03:06 PM

ya know I didn't want to say anything about some of the rivers up this way and their silver run, but this post kinda makes a person wonder.........

Funny how folks who are paid by state tax dollars to deliver us fish.....funny how those same fish go up against commercial gillnetters.

If you release the fish later in the year as smolt, you could move the bulk of the run to a later date (like mentioned above that the river might be closed by the time they show).

Theoretically, commercial guys would be the ones who benefit. The power companies, the state, and the commercial guys all pass around the same doobie, but you didn't hear that from me. Aren't some commercial fishing guys in power down in Oregon over some of these kinds of issues?

like I said, kinda makes a guy wonder. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

birdhunter · 10-31-2001, 03:22 PM

Interesting observations redneck, but the reason they're closing the rivers is to protect the returning native coho. This year is a late year for the Clack, but all those hatchery fish go up Eagle Creek where we have another month to fish for them. Not that they aren't a little dark. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

You are right on about the commmercials/power company having say over our fish. Is it any coincidence that the chair for the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission also worked for PGE hydropower? What about another commission member (Jeff Feldner) who is a commercial fisherman! The list goes on and on, but if you look close you'll see that almost all of our commissoners have very close ties to the logging, ranching, hydro or commerical industires.

Hmmmmmm. Can you say "conflict of interests"?

Don't take my word for it. Check it out. Commissioners

And yes I know it needs to be updated, but what do you expect from the ODFW website?

[ 10-31-2001: Message edited by: birdhunter ]

Mrdorkfish · 10-31-2001, 07:31 PM

I'm sorry guy..and gals...My son came down with Salmonitis....So i have to treat him tomorrow....Fresh cool air is the best medicine.
birdsnest FWF1 , The lure of choice for me has been a wiggle wart i'll call it a green tiger,clear bill... with an orange stripe up the belly....Lady island is straight across from Chinook Landing in Troutdale. Please go above the green bouy before you cross.

Mrdorkfish

Mrdorkfish · 11-01-2001, 01:57 PM

Very slow out at Lady Island today....We fished from 9:00 till 1:30 .....I told my son not to reel up...we would leave when the barge across the river passed us.....we hooked with a nice 9lb buck about 2 minutes later. :grin:

Mrdorkfish

Fishhead · 11-02-2001, 01:34 AM

That island happens to be right across the river from where I work. I keep an eye out to see if there any boats working that end of the island. I cant tell if they are getting any, its too far for binoculars. With your report MDF it sounds like fun if you can get them to bite. Good luck....Fishhead Vic :grin: