Weekend reports

04-01-2002, 04:35 PM

Fished Saturday on the Willamette. We fished hard from O.C. to the Rail Rd. bridge, to Milwaukie, to Sellwood, and to the Hawthorne bridge. Nothing for us and only saw 2 caught all day. I did get a nice sunburn for my efforts! Anybody do any good? Where,how,when,what depth,herring,prawns, hardware? We tried it all :depressed:

Fool

fish_on · 04-01-2002, 04:51 PM

Fished Sellwood on Saturday and got nothing, saw a few caught but was far from hot. Fished the Fishery on Sunday, wind was blowing early so we went to Rooster Rock where it was nice, and had a good day catching sturgeon. While at the fishery I saw a picture of some Saturday success. A family of 10 had limited out with a nice mess of fish. I was kind of saddened by seeing one family with that many fish. Made me think, how many of those sturgeon are going to be wasted? 10 legal sturgeon is a lot of meat, if their not vacuum packed I wonder how long they'll last before there thrown out. I think it is the responsibility of the guide they were with to put a stop to the keeping when it gets obvious they have more fish than they can use. :depressed:

Am I wrong to feel this way?

Terry H · 04-01-2002, 05:37 PM

We fished the M. channel and may have found a pocket. We only had 6 boats in the area , we got 1in the boat , saw 3 others, about 6mi from the mouth. :tongue:

BottomFeeder · 04-01-2002, 06:20 PM

fish_on,

I agree, when in the hell are they going to do with meat from ten sturgeon? Choke on it hopefully. On a different note, I have been working on my second keeper for the year and not doing too well in the St. Helens area, I would like to move upriver. It's like it just turned off. Do you know if Troutdale is a good better for keeper fish? How about the view point? Any help would be appreciated

Thanks,

Brian

Joe Schwab · 04-01-2002, 08:00 PM

I'll play the devil's advocate on this one. So ten people limit on Sturgeon? Did all ten have tags? Were they all adults, or living at home kids? Did they all pay guide fees to go out? Maybe it was their one and only trip of the year.
I hear people on this board constantly bragging about their limits of fish. I'm not sure what the problem is here. If a family of ten puts up ten fish and a family of two puts up four, who is causing greater impact and has more likelihood of wasting fish? I don't think either one is since the limit per person is ten per year per person. Maybe the yearly bag limit should be reduced. In my best years I don't think I could ever eat ten sturgeon by myself and would not want to for that matter.
I have seen larger limits of salmon come off Buoy 10 and Tillamook Bay out of one boat.
Just trying to get a feel for the situation here.
Is a guide required by some ethical standard to set lower limts than OFDW?
I realize Sturgeon is a more finite resource than hatchery Salmon.
Just asking some questions. Any other opinions out there? :whazzup:

fish_on · 04-01-2002, 08:12 PM

Looking at the picture everyone in the family looked like they were living at home. As far as salmon goes, keep everything your are alowed to keep. The hatchery fish will never be allowed to spawn, so kill all that are legal. Sturgeon are a diffrent story, it takes too long for them to become of age to reproduce for people to always kill their limit. I don't think guides are supposed to be held to a "ethical standard to set lower limts than OFDW" but if they want to keep that fishery open for years to come and if we want to keep the sturgeon fishery open for years to come, some common sense should prevale. The fun of sturgeon comes in the catching, they are a hearty enough fish that you can take all the pictures you want and still release the fish alive. If the fish are all going to be used, and I have no way of saying they won't, they I have no poroblem with them taking them. 10 keepers is alot of meat to eat, I hope they knew how to clean them or I hope the guides help out with that.

Rubber Robin · 04-01-2002, 08:16 PM

Fished Oregon City on Saturday. We released one native (15lbs approx)around 9am. Did not touch another fish all day. We saw about 6 fish caught.

We were using bait wrapped Quikfish. (Silver & chartreuse).

Went out again on Sunday afternoon. Did not see any fish caught in the Oregon City area although I guess there was a bite in the A.M.

Salmonator · 04-01-2002, 08:38 PM

Capn said it right. They were within the law, and don't assume that any of that meat will be wasted unless you see it happen. I know my family of 5 could put away 10 sturgeon no problem. And yes I have a vacuum packer and take very good care of the meat we bring home. You have to give the ODFW SOME credit for putting up the quota numbers and taking care of our fishery. I'm sure they figured in the occasional family of 10 taking home a limit. Since they were with a guide I doubt they have their own boat and fish sturgeon much themselves. Like the good Cap'n said, maybe it was their only trip of the year. Maybe their first trip ever. I just hope that guide didn't include filleting in the cost! OUCH, my back is sore just thinking about it...

ssteelheadsteve · 04-01-2002, 08:44 PM

Concerning a 10 fish kill by one guide.What guide has a boat capable of carrying 10 people ? Lets name some names here.Did he make 2 trips to get 10 fish ? Was the boat and Guide Licensed to carry 10 passengers ? No doubt the person in question has paid his/hers dues.I sure don't see many people releasing keepers.Do You ?

IMHO
I would like to see the sturgeon limit go to 5 a year with a minimum size of 50 inches.The puny amount of meat on a 42" sturg is not worth the effort to catch it.In the old days(like 20 years ago) a 42 incher had some meat but the sturgeon we catch now a very skiny.
If you really want to help the fishery use your cell phone when you see a violation.Most commonly you all see the same boats out day after day for sturgeon.Catching fish.How long do you think the fishery can stand the current pressure put on it by the poachers ? Call the cops. What have you to lose ? I know response times are poor and so is the attitude by many enforcement personnel but it's the only system we have at this time so use it.The first to find the fish are the guides.Next the sports followed by the bio's and lastly the cops.There are a few gamies who will get out of the truck and work.Give em a chance.Call the cops when you see a violator.Fish Hogs kill the Fishing.

Snapshot · 04-01-2002, 08:49 PM

jett'in, I was out on Saturday and did not see anything caught. Fished from I 205 area down below Meldrin bar. Just caught a lot of sun and enjoyed being out. The water seemed a little off color and about 1:30 I saw Bait of Eggs Blasting his way downstream causing havoc for those of us that were dozing in the sun. Thought I saw a banana peeling fly from his boat as he zoomed by. Pulled anchor and couldn't catch him.
Bait of Eggs, bananas and no fish. What more can I say? [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

Salmonator · 04-01-2002, 08:50 PM

ssteelhead steve, I like the 5 fish limit. The 50" size is a little overboard I think though. There are plenty of real fat 42" fish in the estuary but something a little longer has much more girth, like say 44 or 46". After a year or two there should be plenty of fish that size since all the previously legal size keepers will be released, with the exception of poachers.

crabbait · 04-01-2002, 09:36 PM

Fished Sand Island Saturday. 100 boats, 70 counted in 9 - 10 hog lines. Saw three caught one released, heard of another 7. All on Kfish I believe. Left before tide change (all outgoing).

Pretty slow.

Ramstrong · 04-02-2002, 01:45 PM

fish_on Just a reminder of the new sturgeon regs, Sunday and Monday are now closed. Good thing you didn't tether anything I hear the fines really sting.

Sturgeon: Retention of sturgeon is prohibited in the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam, including Youngs Bay, every Sunday and Monday during Sunday, March 3, 2002 through Monday, May 13, 2002.

From Thursday, July 25, 2002 through Monday, Sept. 30, 2002, retention of sturgeon is prohibited every day.

fish_on · 04-02-2002, 02:47 PM

Ram-thanks for the reminder, I knew it was closed to retention we were just there to C&R.

FishinMission · 04-02-2002, 06:34 PM

Jan, Hawgcatcher, Gizmo, and myself fished the area that's been producing for us Saturday. Had slowed dramatically, but at about 3:30, I got a nice 20 lb. keeper between Milwaukie and the Sellwood Bridge on herring.

A friend also hooked and landed two keepers on one rod right in front of the Oak Grove boat ramp about 9:15 or so Saturday a.m. One on a prawn, the other on a herring.

Sunday was WAY slow.

Mark