Santiam River at Sweethome

Norski · 03-04-2004, 06:52 AM

We were over there 2 weeks ago and stoped in at Bi-Mart and chated with 2 lads working the sporting good counter and asked how was the fishing around here.
I have never fish the Santiam, and they said it one of the best rivers to fish in Oregon,
Some place by the dam, drift fish, bober and eggs ect.
Has anyone out there in Ifish land ever fished it, and if so, any input would be nice.

Thanks RIVER-RAT.

Salmonator · 03-04-2004, 06:58 AM

In the summer when the steelies are really running it's elbow to elbow if that's the experience you're looking for. There is no winter run of hatchery fish and really nothing to speak of as far as natives. Better action on winter natives over on the north fork but less bank access... Joe

SPAZZ · 03-04-2004, 07:10 AM

I grew up there in Lebanon and have fished that place they are talking about. We use to have an aswesome run of steelies and springers. Just below the dam at the line you have about 200 yards of very fishable water. Eggs, sand shrip and corkies are the bait of choice. Just follow Hwy 20 into town then take river road and follow it to the dam. it's only about 4 miles out. Good luck. Brian

Salmon Stryker · 03-04-2004, 07:14 AM

The guy's were lying at Bi mart. There are no fish in the Santiams except for the occasional *********. Definately don't go there in June-October. To many drunken recreationalists. Swimmers, kyakers, rafters and the like. No fish either :grin:

Check out Bill Sandersons reports on this site. If you do a search on his name you should find what you are looking for. :smile:

Salmonator · 03-04-2004, 07:19 AM

Is there a Bi-Mart in SH??

fishinpoor · 03-04-2004, 07:39 AM

SALMONATOR,the bm is in lebanon,the dam they were referring to is also in lebanon,that can be a hot spot for springers,real snaggy though,also right below waterloo is a good springer spot,elbow to elbow is a pretty fair statement at times,the summer run of steel can be awesome,the hatchery re-runs alot of fish and double-digit days are common,if your in the know :grin:

Salmonator · 03-04-2004, 07:42 AM

I suppose I should just ignore the topic then?

:grin:

Silver Willie · 03-04-2004, 08:44 AM

The Bimart fella was jerking your chain. There are a few fish these days but, not worth the fishing pressure to get them. The North Santiam is the better choice and not far away.

GOT2FISH · 03-04-2004, 09:16 AM

Nope the south is better theres no fish in the north

Bark-Glue · 03-04-2004, 09:57 AM

South Santiam river is very productive for Summer Steelies and Springers for the first five miles below the dam. Allot a pressure from the banks.

North Santiam is very productive but you need to watch the water temp on this river. This is your key to succes for the North river. Springers can be productive but you need a boat to cover the key hole along the North.
Watch the river from Mehama to Jefferson, this section is very good fishing, but has allot, allot of log jams and channels that have dead-ends. This section has taken more than half dozen or more drift boats last year. I run this river allot and have had great success from Packsaddle to Jefferson and bagged more fish on this river than the Wilson. If you have a boat then your in prime positions to fill your tag.

willierower · 03-04-2004, 10:10 AM

The truth about the South Santiam.
The river is a cull, Bank access is limited. and where there is access you will find way too many people to make it enjoyable to fish. Lebanon Dam is a zoo! Its virtueally impossible to fish it anymore since every inbred in the state started fishing it with bobbers. Waterloo is worse. Now that someone decided to put in a nice ramp below the falls irts only going to get worse. Whoever decided to build that ramp needs to be shot! Now you will have 15 boats in a holse that shouldnt have any. Now there are going to lots of conflicts between the bank maggot snaggers and the clueless boaters.

Now get above Waterloo falls, There is a takeout above the falls in the park where the ODFW dumps recycled Summer Steelhead. Dont bother fishing there. But if you want some good entertainment, grab a video cam and head up there and watch. I garuntee you ribs will hurt from laughing so hard! Im not making this up!

Now get up by Sweethome where you can access the river again. Just before you get to Sweet Home there is a place you can fish. This place is freaking scary! Dont walk down the wrong trail or you could end up a missing person. The guys who "fish?" there are real dandies. Lets see, There tackle box consists of. I Bottle cheap whiskey, 4 packs of cheap smokes, an 1/8th of meth, 3 cheap jigs and 1 float. Im not making this up either.

Now you get up by Foster Dam. Now it really gets interesting. We will start at the deadline. This place bone head territory. Its the same guys up there year in and year out. This is where all the self proclaimed 'Steelhead experts" fish. I cant fish there or I will go to prison for murder.

Now we get to Wiley Creek. Another great spot to fish

Here is the routine there. 10' leader #14 Corky #4 hook. and a hookset at the end of every cast. You must be very mobile to fish there, If you hook a fish you have to take it 100 yards down the river to land it!

The walk back up and tell everyone the fissh swallowed you corky. :shocked:

Now for boating the river. Dont even bother bringing your boat. You wont need it. Just jump from one boat to another to get down the river. The boaters there are the most courtious freindly bunch of guys around! They never low hole you! The will never drop an anchor on your plugs. They will never anchor directly across from you and cast over your line.

I am not making any of this up. This is the South Santiam in a Nutshell. I rarely fish it anymore due to what Ive mentioned above. I think the river needs more people on it! Thge more the merrier :grin: Until the blood starts flowing.

Wet_Willy · 03-04-2004, 10:50 AM

That was both entertaining and pretty darned accurate. Gonna miss ya if you move to AK! :grin:
Bill

[ 03-04-2004, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: Wet_Willy ]

GOT2FISH · 03-04-2004, 10:55 AM

WOW how do you realy feel. I think that was kinda BRUTAL

[ 03-04-2004, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: GOT2FISH ]

willierower · 03-04-2004, 12:14 PM

Wet_Willy..
I take you have fished the South Santiam a few times. What I said is pretty much the way it is on that river.

GOT2FISH,

If you have a hard time believing what I typed out, Just make a run up there some Saturday in June. You will leave the river shaking your head in disgust. And its only going to get worse. It does every year. I fished the S. Santiam 4 time last year, That was 4 times too many!

GOT2FISH · 03-04-2004, 12:25 PM

I understand but what can you do. It gets worse every year every were, with out a boat I get stuck with it every year. Maybe they should have a class you would have to attend like the hunter safty course, but that probably wouldnt work either.

SKP · 03-04-2004, 12:30 PM

Wow, willierower has it almost right. This river gets intense pressure for the amount of fish it puts out. Fishing can be good for steelhead.

This is good sarcasm, but he's right. However, I've hooked many steelhead at Wiley Creek with a 6 foot leader, small corkie, and size 1 or 2 hook. When the water is low and clear, leader size must be increased, and line size decreased. I've seen many fish hooked there in the throat, in the roof of the mouth, in the tongue, and all the non snagging areas of the fish. Last time I fished there, there was no snagging going on, maybe times have changed, it's been a few years. How do you snag a fish with such a small hook? Flossing? No way. Flossing I would imagine hooks fish on the outside of the corner of the mouth. Fish hooked at Wiley Creek are legal fish, hooked legally, at least when I've been there watching and fishing.

However, wow, it does get crowded, bring your own rock! There are plenty of fishing spots downstream, all the fish have to go through to get there. Try McDowell Creek area - way less pressure.

SKP

Boedy · 03-04-2004, 12:40 PM

Go mid week and early in the season. Bobber fishing at the dam can be real fun but I stay away it on the weekends for sure.

FishBowl · 03-04-2004, 12:55 PM

Now Paul come on you can't really mean what you say about the South, no wait maybe you do!! It is a zoo and yes it is getting worse all the time, but I for one help pay for those fish with my taxes and all the money I spend on my fishing licence so I will make my mandatory few trips and try not to let the less polite people bother me. I give respect and expect the same in return when on the river, it is all about being out there with the wife and kids when I get a chance to take them, yes I have been low holed and also been drift fishing a hole when someone drops anchor right in front of you and lets out their diver and bait rig and proceeds to pop open a cold one :shocked:

[img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]
But not many are like that and I WILL say something to those few who are like this. But if you are wanting to run plugs or diver and bait through a hole I am driftfishing just ask first and I will likely say go for it, if you are rude and just do it and not even acknowledge I am there we will have a problem. I will be in a 20' red koffler driftboat so say hi and come on Paul why do you got to be like that????????????? :grin:

Tim

P.S. Paul I probably won't miss ya if you move to Alaska, at least not until I want to go fishing with ya up there.

[ 03-04-2004, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: Crambone ]

fishinpoor · 03-04-2004, 01:18 PM

WOW,willierower,i had no idea it had gotten that bad,i have witnessed most of what you said at one time or another,i used to fish it week days when i was in albany,i always avoided wiley creek because of the crowd of "liners" thats too bad,that river can boot out some good fish numbers.shame to see a good fishery go so far down hill,i feel for you guys that live there and won't fish it because of the idiots

Thillman · 03-04-2004, 01:42 PM

I agree with willierower, the santiam is a real piece. I don't even bother going anymore. Drunk meth head idiots seem to love this spot and don't take too kindly to unfamiliar faces. Its too bad, the river gets a few fish and could be a nice spot to fish. My advice is to go somewhere else, anywhere just not the santiam.

Twitchs_Tackle · 03-04-2004, 03:12 PM

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] Willierower! You pretty much hit the nail on the (meth) head with that one.

Although you did forget the guys last year that would cruise to the river on riding lawn mowers beacuse their licences had been taken for DUII.

I had a guy threaten to go get his gun last year (in the dark, I couldn't see who he was or how many 'buddies' he had with him) because I was in "his" hole. I also watched a guy spray paint his name on the bank after another guy made the snide remark 'I don't see your name on it' in reference to a piece of bank access.

That place is great for entertainment, but I don'e leave home without my video camera anynmore. I got a few people snagging by waterloo last year.

Have fun in AK... :grin:

Phishin Phool · 03-04-2004, 05:33 PM

I still like my secret spinner hole on the south. Boats can't hardly get to it and most of the bankies are just upriver bobber and eggin it.

--PP

skein · 03-04-2004, 05:33 PM

Man, I guess I didn't know I was such a jerk to even think about fishing my hometown river.

You'll like it when you get to Alaska and get to fish the Kenai. Quiet, pristine, endless solitude. :grin:

Yep, I used to live there too.

Skein

stick flicker · 03-04-2004, 05:52 PM

Come on you guys it not that bad?

Snapset · 03-04-2004, 05:57 PM

I fish all of those places mentioned, and I have seen an occasional incident like those mentioned. IMHO, that type of behavior is definitely in the minority. There are a lot of honest, friendly, stand-up people out there too. I am a friend of one of those jiggers at the PV bridge hole. He is kinda rough around the edges, but he is a legitmate fisherman, and a nice guy to boot.

K sled · 03-05-2004, 03:38 AM

I lived in Sweet Home for 24 years.
If you drift the river,put in below Foster Dam. It has a nice ramp.The next ramp is at the west end of town.If you turn right as you enter town,the ramp is under the bridge.
Drift is about 3-4 miles long.
There used to be a take out behind Morse Bro. gravel about half way down, but I don't know if it's still open.
They still have a great run of summer Steelhead.I don't know about Salmon run anymore.
Use corkies,eggs and flatfish.Cast out with red and gold,or silver and red,1/2oz Steelies.Let them roll along on the bottom.

Silver Eagle · 03-05-2004, 05:18 AM

River Rat had a friend drift last week hooked 5 and released 5, but was a nice day and had a good time. He put in at Foster Dam and came out at Pleasent Valley Bridge. Lots of luck.....Ray

Silver Eagle · 03-05-2004, 05:21 AM

River Rat one more thing the boys at Bi Mart are great have been looking for a Buzz Ramsey Air IM7 Halibut rod, 30 to 80 they found one for me and now I'm setting up another rod for the flatties, I think the tip and feel is going to be real good. Again Lots of luck on the South if you decide to drift....Ray

SouthSantiamSlayer · 03-05-2004, 05:44 PM

I have lived in Lebanon my whole life and have fished the South Santiam for 4 years. I have witnessed almost everything you guys have said. But, there are also a few really nice people that fish there too. I've fished almost every spot on the river and there can be some real freaks (guys on meth and who knows what else.) Especially in the middle of summer at Wiley Creek. I think it's ammuzing to watch the guys on the bank get in arguments and fights with the guys in the boats. People will wait for drift boats to go by just so they can cast on them and cuss them out! But I'm only 18 years old and I've never got in a fight with anyone. As long as your nice to everyone they're usually nice too. I've made friends with alot of the guys so if I ever do have problems with someone they back me up. I just go to fish and have a good time.
In fact last spring I went up to sweet home, took 3 casts and hooked into a big chinook. It had to of been at least 35 lbs. I was fightin' it for a few minutes then a guy came running up the river to help me net it. I got it right up to the net then it turned and started it's long journey downstream. Then the guy says, "You ready to get wet." Remember this was spring and the water was high and cold! So being an idiot I said yes. He went out in the water with me, around some bushes, with water over our heads, bobbing off the bottom, chasing that fish. The whole time the fish was ripping drag. I lost my hat, he lost his wading shoe, and the fish went down below Wiley creek and spooled me! We ended up soaking wet, freezing, his waders were full of water as were mine. I thought that was really nice of the guy to risk his life for me to get that fish. As for the guys in Bi-Mart, I'm friends with one of them, he can be full of some tall tales,

but he's a good guy and tells the truth at least half the time. :grin:

-SSS

[ 03-05-2004, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: SouthSantiamSlayer ]

Phishin Phool · 03-05-2004, 06:00 PM

I've fished probably every hole on the south that everybody else also fishes. I've never had or seen a confrontation between boaters and bankies. And especially at waterloo from the old timers and the young bucks who fish it all the time all I've gotten was come over and fish here next to us we'll show you how to fish this hole.
I've heard stories of guns being pulled and whatnot. Not to say it doesn't happen just that I've never witnessed it.
If I ever do I'll never go back to that area no matter how good the fishing is. I fish because I love to be out on the water enjoying life and the enjoying people who love the same things I do.
That's all I have to say about that.

--PP

BentMetal · 03-05-2004, 06:14 PM

I grew up in Sweet Home, and have been living in Albany and Corvallis since I graduated from high school. . . Still fish it and do pretty good for hooking fish nowadays, mostly as a beginner steelheader. I don't fish in the big crowded portions of the holes, and still get off by myself pretty well in the bank spots mentioned above. Plus, I use a 2' leader or so, catch fish drifting. I also been using spoons, usually the only guy running one from the bank, and do just as well.

SPAZZ · 03-05-2004, 07:31 PM

I guess I havent been back home in a while. 10 Years :grin: is it possible that things have changed? :shocked: I am guessing so.

FishSniffer · 03-07-2004, 12:11 PM

I fish the S. Santiam all the time and avoid confrontations by avoiding the meatholes and meatheads. This Spring could prove to be a little different as I'm about to get a drift boat and expect to run between the Foster and Pleasant Valley ramps. The South can be lots of fun, especially if you avoid Wiley Creek up to the Deadline, Waterloo Falls and the Lebanon Dam. There are plenty of other places to fish in between.

Greg