Fishing the Clackamette

[Not Skunk'd Agin]

Hi all, this is my first post (newbie), and just wanted to pick brains. I've been fishing the Clackamas/Willamette for the past few weeks. Primarily with 12# test, 6-8# leader that I run about 4 feet out with a spin/glo and enough weight to stay down (2-3 ozs). Putting cured sand shrimp on the hook. I've yet to get more than one bump, which I missed.

Any ideas, am I on the right track? Haven't had anyone to ask since my dad passed away, and d--ned if I haven't caught a steelie or salmon since. I can slay the bass, but could use a tip or two here! Thank you all in advance!!

[Steelin Steel]

I usually bank fish the willamete, when I don't have enough money for gas, and when I was younger and didn't own a car. I did best by using a two and half foot leader(maybe three foot) and just putting on a spin glow with a corkie behind it. No bait what so ever. But I did use around 20-25 pound line for my leaders. For weights, you usually need 4-6oz's. Well hope that works, and welcome to ifish!
lancethefisher

[IFISH4U]

Yup, first pick yourself a good spot, somewhere you might be if you were a fish, or just where other people you have seen caught fish.

Build a good rod holder, if dont already have one. Go ahead and stick with your 12 pound test on the mainline and go up little to ten on the leader.

It sounds like your plunking so go ahead and get a three way swivel, tie your mainline to the top eyelet of the swivel, your leader to one of the other eyelets, then on the other you are going to use a dropper, I like about 10 or 12 inches, this dropper line should be eight pound test, lighter then your mainline and leader, tie your sinker on next, if using pyramid sinkers put a snap swivel on the end of the dropper line and snap weight on also you can do this with round ball weights, if you are using tear drops, tie them directly to line.

As far as rigging goes i would depending on condition, but this is pretty versatile so itll probably work. First start with two #1 or #1/0 hooks, tie a double hook snell knot, with about an inch and a half between the hooks.The leader should be about four or five feet no shorter, not much longer. After hooks are tied slide a bead down to hooks, then slide #8 or #10 pink pearl spinglo with the white wings down to bead, the bead will make the spinglo spin well and protect your knot, also instead of the spinglo if you can find a birdie drifter or glow go in same color try that.

The important part is the bait, i like to use live sandshrimp, but cured will work. The key is to rig them on your hook so that when you put the finished product in the water to look at it, only your spinglo should be spinning not your whole bait and everything, it should be very smooth and looking tasty. I dont know If i can explain it, but Ill try. First hold the sandshrimp tailfirst, curl about a quarter of the tail underneath the other part of the tail, then stick your top hook, the one closest to your swivel square through both pieces of the tail, so it hangs on, then turn bottom hook upside down, put through chest cavity and make it come out between its tentacles or mouth area, kind of like texas riggin a plastic worm for bass, except leave the hook exsposed. Itll take a little practice, but this will make it hang straight.

Then the next important thing is casting, whenever casting watch to make sure it doesnt tangle in mid air, a underhand lob is often better than a hard overhand cast, itll keep you bait looking better to, then just let it rest in a good spot, and wait, keep a tight line.

Also eggs will work too, put them on the top hook, using your bottom as a stinger.

Hope that helps.

P.S. If in the right spot, experiment with side planer and plug, side planer comes with instructions, sometimes will outish plunking in a good plunking hole. Nice thing is it`ll go in a rod holder and all you have to do once out there is wait or work it around the hole.

[ampersat]

A couple of years ago, FWF1 did a great piece on plunking at Meldrum. It's well worth the time to search the archives for it. There have also been some other good contributions over the years on plunking at The Bar.

For starters, you'll need to bump up to 20# or heavier which will probably mean a meatier rod too. This will add to the lead requirement to keep it where you want it. A double drop rig with a spin-n-glo and corkie on one and maybe just a cured prawn on the other wouldn't be a bad way to go. If you're hunting steelies, fish in close to the bank. If it's springers you're after, longer casts are required.

Hope this helps.

[David Johnson]

...Or you could move up river where the odds are much greater of getting a fish.

For sure you will want to run heavier line and leader. Forget the side planer in that area too. Too many people and the fish that are caught are usaully withing ten or fifteen feet of shore, even springers. The water is usually fairly dirty so look to use some bright colored rigs like a "Willamette Special". In that area if there aren't people fishing it's probably not a good spot to fish. Go see Gary @ Great American Tackle in Clackamas and he can get you all fixed up for fishing that area.

Eggs will just get picked off by chubs in that area.

But again, the odds of catching fish are much higher moving up river to smaller waters. Statistics say so. The smaller the river the better your chances at putting your gear infront of fish.

[ 02-20-2004, 06:51 AM: Message edited by: David Johnson ]

[Not Skunk'd Agin]

Thanks to all, I'm still searching the archives so thanks for the thread leads!

I was talking about fishing from a boat, and the reason I was plunking was it seemed to be what everyone who was getting hits had in the water.

I'm kinda stunned about the size line and leader suggested!! Not that I question the wisdom, I just wouldn't have thought to go that high.


To prevent twistups, I've been using my salmon-spreader like a three way swivel, and only running the one leader off of it. Good idea? It seems to have saved me some gear, but....

Thanks also for the idea of "tasty" presentation...I wouldn't have wanted to hit my lures, so I went out and bought a threader to practice with.

I'll go back to my homework, and thanks again. This place is awesome!