Your breaking my heart!

CP Inlet Isle · 02-14-2002, 09:43 AM

Ok guys, what do I do. The posts for the last month on the Kelly point fishery have been great. I've been listening, and we are heading down to give it a go.Now, I fire up the thread and the reports are scratchy. What gives?Hey, I know sturgeon fishing is hit and miss, and a person has to look around and try different spots.We are hours away, work a lot of weekends and have to plan these things in advance,(does anyone feel sorry for me yet?)I wish I could live closer like you Oregonians and be able to head out on a whim for a couple hours, but I can't. I envy you. But until Boeing builds a plant down there I'm out of luck.So, my question is , when you locals head out this weekend for the illusive diamondsides, where would you go?The Willamete, Kelley point, the fishery?....I don't expect anyones secret spots, just in general would be appreciated. Thanks a million.Chris .

Pilar · 02-14-2002, 10:01 AM

Easy brother! Come on down and fish at the point. I think some of the people you see reporting spotty results are not finding the spots to fish.

Also there are a few using frozen bait. While I realize that the fresh bait may be hard to come by it just works better. When the Columbia is full of feed the gators just seem to be a bit finicky.

Bottom line is sturgeon fishing is like real estate, Location, Location, Location.

If you come down pay attention and find the boat where everyone is on their feet cranking a reel. Those guys know something that the others don't.

Time your visit to coincide with the ebb tide. Start fishing at the high slack and until low slack. If you pay attention and move from the dead spots to more active ones you will get bit.

This time of year, you should not sit on a no bite situation for more than 1/2 hour. No bite means wrong spot. It may seem like a beating to keep moving around but it is worth it when all the po's buckle at once when you find the hole.

Pitch Pocket · 02-14-2002, 10:04 AM

It's my experience that no matter where you go, there are sturgeon. The concentrations are from below the Cowlitz up to the Portland harbor and up the Willamette. I've anchored up next to a dozen boats, caught 15 fish and everyone else got blanked. It matters how you fish more than where. You need to move if you don't have a decent bite, but when you find em, you still have to present your bait properly to maximize your effort.

The fish are there. Pick your spot, any spot, put in your time and hope for success. There will be alot of folks at Kelly Point this weekend whether it is good or bad. 10% of them will say it's good (if they speak up), and 90% will say it sucks. You should do just fine if you are in the 10%. Good luck!

Game Chaser · 02-14-2002, 01:48 PM

Pilar, I bought some smelt at Safeway today and it has a pretty good aroma to it. Not completly turned but darn close. Think it will still be any good for tomorrow's fishing? Thats about the freshest I could find in my area.

GC

Pilar · 02-14-2002, 01:56 PM

OK, I prefer in this order....

Freshest - Just drove from the Cowlitz, got a bucketful

Fresher - Bought some at the fish counter, not froze yet

Fresh - Got some I dipped last week in freezer bags

Last chance - Last years, vacuum sealed and froze ..

Oops - Went to the bait store and paid how much?

Stz ll · 02-14-2002, 04:17 PM

Pilar, I know fresh bait is usually better. However our last 2 or 3 trips out we were using bait which was dipped this year but had been frozen. We only were able to make one trip foe smelt early at the begining of the run. However the 2 0r 3 times we used the frozen bait we were anchored next to people who were using fresh bait bought at the store. We out fished all of them brought more fish to the boat and had all of the keepers.

Pete

Tacklebuster · 02-14-2002, 04:38 PM

CP Inlet Isle,
Chin up bro, you'll do just fine. My advice to you is forget about Kelley Point. There is a kill zone off the tip of the point but if your not in the zone, your not in the fish. If you are not very familiar with the spot, you will end up spending your day watching 4 boats or so hooking up while you sit and get nothing. Head up river and fish off the cranes or work the Washington side across from the cranes. The fish are moving around, you just have to find them. Go there with the intention of moving around and you will be just fine. Do not sit for more than 20 minutes without a bite. Like Pilar said... Location, Location. It's all about the real estate

fish_on · 02-14-2002, 11:11 PM

Watch your sonar, look for them leing near the bottom, it's hard to pick up the ones on the bottom but if their suspeded more than a few inches you should see them. Pilar, when you say fresh bait it that this years frozen or freshly dipped and not froze?

CP Inlet Isle · 02-15-2002, 07:49 AM

Hey, thanks a lot for the info you guys.Pilar, I've got fresh frozen and that's the best I can do.Tacklebuster thanks, this will be our first trip to the area and any bit of help....We'll do some moving around and trying different gear. Hoping we can get by with salmon gear.We're bringing the 9'ers loaded with 25lb Trilene big game and 80lb tuf line bumpers.We will have heavier gear in case current and depth warrant it.Sure like my new ugly stick custom rated to 50 with the glass tip. Super sensitive, lots of backbone.Well, maybe we'll see some fellow i-fishers on the water. We will be in a black 19ft. thunder jet with some stupid hats on. Good fishing. Chris

Pilar · 02-15-2002, 08:45 AM

CP, thats the spirit! I might be out there 1st thing too. No one wants to run up the gorge tomorrow so I'll fish instead.

There are several areas to fish in the vicinity of the Willamette mouth. I fish the point when I can because it concentrates the fish into a predictable area. Easy pickens in other words.

The other places are up by Hayden Island and clear up by the power lines. On the opposite (Wa.) shore there is a green bouy and the slot just north of that is productive.

Just below the Willamette mouth you'll see boats all along Sauvie's island. I rarely fish here and so maybe somebody else can talk about it.

To find the other holes I'll give you some things to line up on.

T-6 - Go to the container docks right at the end of Hayden Island. At the downstream end you'll see a '2700' stenciled on the dock. Start there and go towards the barges moored on the Washington side. Watch the sonar for the drop off. Once you find it double back and put the boat at the top of the hill.

Green buoy - On the Washington side almost at the end of Hayden Island is a green Nav. bouy that marks the channel. Anchor near it and just north of it by 100'. That whole corner is good with fast water and fish moving through.

Power line - Between Oregon shore (T-6) and Hayden Island follow the slough upstream. Anchor mid channel under the first set of power lines you go under. This spot can be slow but kicks out huge fish. Don't look for the same shaker rodeo here that you get at the point. Any fish you get will probably be a keeper.

End of the Island - It's been a few years since I fished here but the trick is to find the drop off and get upstream of it. The good thing is there is always current here. This is the area all around and downstream of the Dolphin the barges and tugs use.

Downstream - You can run down about 5 to 6 miles from the mouth of the Willamette and fish along Collins beach at Sauvie Island. Look for the drop to 50 feet and get on the edge of it. BTW the cold weather discourages the nudists. Later in the spring all bets are off.

This years frozen will work. What can I say, I like the chain reaction fishing trip. Bait and then bigger quarry.

Salmon rods work best for the class of fish we find at KP. Sometimes big daddy comes a calling, then you just have to cut loose and chase him down. The sensitivity of a light rod will really pay off in light current and with slack biting fish. Mono has alot of stretch and that will protect the light rod. Or use the tuff and deal with no stretch and light drag settings.

The meat stick rods work too but miss the subtle bites.

[ 02-15-2002, 10:14 AM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

fish_on · 02-15-2002, 04:02 PM

I am going to head for the gorge, the reports of late have not been good for KP. ODFW shows the gorge has had good action. Hope the wind behaves it's self.
Weather sites have the winds pretty low in the gorge, hope to see some of you there.

[ 02-15-2002, 05:13 PM: Message edited by: fish_on ]