Spring Chinook

Phish_on · 04-07-2002, 02:26 PM

I will never catch one.

Saw one keeper in 2 hours at the L.O. bridge this morning. and 3 during a late morning bite at the end of Rocky Island (is that the right name? - next island down from Cedar Island)

I caught a bass. At least, I was bass fishing when I caught it.

Matt H. · 04-07-2002, 03:22 PM

Hang in there man... just a bit longer. Few more days and you are going to have more chinook on your pole than you will know what to do with

. And for more psychic predictions.. you will catch it on a chartruse spotted qwickfish while you are eating your apple.

Think positive, and enjoy the experience of fishing for being out in nature, and not just trying to catch fish.

Matt

ampersat · 04-07-2002, 05:57 PM

sorry guys but i've got to vent.

SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT CATCHING FISH!!! last year, i put in my time and then some. full day on the weekend, if not both days, and at least one trip after work per week, for months. how many times did i punch my tag? TWICE!! yeah, i released a few natives, but two lousy fish was all i could come home with.

nature's great and all but sometimes i really just want to wonk a big fish on the head, take it home and eat it. if all i cared about was 'being out in nature' i wouldn't have spent all the money i've spent on fishing gear.

sorry if i've offended anyone with this rant. we now return you to your regularly scheduled post.

BONES · 04-07-2002, 06:11 PM

Fished pretty hard this weekend in the O.C. area and finally got that skunk off my back! One on Saturday, and two in the box today, with one nate released, two fish lost and one missed takedown.

Looks like the luck pendulum has started to swing. One of the ones lost broke off, and about a hour later a guy three boats over caught it, with our gear still in its mouth. Pretty cool

Johnny Mac · 04-07-2002, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ampersat:
sorry guys but i've got to vent.

SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT CATCHING FISH!!! last year, i put in my time and then some. full day on the weekend, if not both days, and at least one trip after work per week, for months. how many times did i punch my tag? TWICE!! yeah, i released a few natives, but two lousy fish was all i could come home with.

nature's great and all but sometimes i really just want to wonk a big fish on the head, take it home and eat it. if all i cared about was 'being out in nature' i wouldn't have spent all the money i've spent on fishing gear.

sorry if i've offended anyone with this rant. we now return you to your regularly scheduled post.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">:grin: AMEN!! I hear you man. Thats right about where I'm at too! Funny post. I thought I was the only one. ha ha.

Deepslayer · 04-07-2002, 07:22 PM

Fishing is great! :smile: Catching is better!

Catching and eating is the best!!! :smile:

,Ed

fish_on · 04-07-2002, 07:42 PM

I hear ya man, I have taken 5 days of vacation this week and all I have to show for it is 2 natives. I fished from Cathlamett to OC and almost all places in between. I had my dad here an Zip zero nada, I hate this skunk I have this week. Good news is 2 keepers last month.

Navigator · 04-07-2002, 10:07 PM

Hey, wait a minute. For those of us who don't catch fish - we got to justify our existence and expenses somehow. (Always good to be out, peace of mind, nature, .... yahtee yahtee yahtee).

I probably have a gizillion hours into Spring Chinook fishing. I have never even hooked one. The first trillion were spent learning how to hit the water with the weight. Now, I am trying to keep at least 3' between my spin 'n glo and my weight. My next aspiration will be to keep at least 3' between my weight and spin 'n glow WHILE it is in the water ..... And then, while it is in the water after I cast out.

What keeps me going? It is the great outdoors. The crusty old fart that says f*****ng this and that. That social experience we all need to have when we cross that same persons line. (That's when you find out their vocabulary doubles by saying f*****ng and your name). (They know your name because you are stupid enough to tell them your name as if they would care. You tell them your name because you want them to know you are out fishing, by golly!. You would be just as well off if you put a "kick me" sign on your back. Fortunately, it's fishing because the majority of people don't kick you when your first cast catches five lines, your second cast only three and your third cast none (because everyone else is retying

)" Most people politely let you know that the objective it is called fishing, not tangling, for a reason.

And there is nothing like catching your lip with an Owner treble while spitting on your knot as you tie it because you want everyone to know you are a good fisherman because you spit on your knots - but you do loose that effect when you have a treble hook dangling from your mouth. Why would someone do that to themselves if it were not about fishing?

And then, being outdoors breeds confidence. Self-esteem. Because the catching doesn't. Catch what? I catch hell for be out fishing all the time. I catch a cold. I catch other peoples line (oh, we covered that already). I catch the fishing report. I think it is a conspiracy - nobody has ever really caught a fish. You are all just holograms - figments of my imagination planted by tackle dealers. It is Luhr Jensen's version of the Truman Show - you are all actors so I will buy fishing tackle. I have never seen a store sell catching tackle. What's with that. If it was about catching, they would sell catching tackle wouldn't they. No dealer in their right mind would sell catching tackle - they would go out of business.

So, it's all about fishing for a lot of us. The economy depends on it to be so. We are the few who really can relate to that poor skier on ABC's Wild World of Sports (the agony of defeat). Every morning, we head out, another $50 worth of spin 'n glows, weights, sand shrimp, spreaders, beads - everything we saw catch fish when we got skunked our last time out - only to return home to find out it was the #2 tiger green w/ mylar wings, white stretchy thread, no beads and Ainse (not shrimp) oil stupid. We learn that railroad spikes will hold on the bottom for everyone EXCEPT you. We experience that spring chinook will commit suicide on your neighbors rod FOREVER while as soon as you even see a bump on your line - forgeddaboutit!

We repeat this scenario week after week, year after year, - I am into my second decade. Because it is all about fishing! So, count your blessings if you really have caught one of these things. As far as I am concerned, it has to be about fishing. Otherwise, I am a dolt! And it is going to stay that way .......... until I catch something

.

[ 04-07-2002, 11:14 PM: Message edited by: Navigator ]

HiTekRdNek · 04-07-2002, 11:25 PM

I know the feeling of not catching fish, as many do. But, the feeling of that chinook pulling on the other end is what brings us all back to the water to try again. As far as good advice to anyone that wants to catch a fish is mask your human scent.
wash your hands with no-scent soap then myself I put shrimp oil prawn scent or even a live sandshrimp and mush it in my hands and cover any scent there might be. I do this before i ever touch any of my terminal gear. I also wash with the no-scent soap 10' or so of my main line and all of my terminal gear. This is even more important for those who smoke. Try it you will get more fish.

metalhead madness · 04-08-2002, 01:14 AM

need a fish call a guide. we have some great ones out there. Yea i know it'll cost you about the same money as your boat payment, and thats why you bought the thing in the first place, but reducing your learning curve and probably getting into fish is money well spent. I know of aleast on good guide on here that still has a few seats left. Good luck and stay positive it'll come. :grin:

Fishing freak · 04-08-2002, 05:55 AM

Spent saturday under the Sellwood bridge. I took out an older friend who had never fished
for salmon in a river. I hooked his up gear and put his prawn on the spinner and he caught to hatchery fish(nice fish,20 and 24lbs). My self and the other friend in my boat who fish constantly did not have one take down :depressed: Go figure!

dogrobber · 04-08-2002, 08:16 AM

Phish_on,
Here I thought I was the only fishing, non catching guy around! I,ve been "putting in my time" for sooooooo long. It is good to hear I,m not qite so alone. I think I have around 50 Hours so far this year. NOT EVEN A BUMP. Maybe we should start an Ifish-Nocatch club where you strive to become a non-member. I did notice however you said TWO keepers last month? Was I mistaken. Maybe our club should have a big red "L" for learner as they do for drivers in the UK

TundraIII · 04-08-2002, 09:14 AM

Step 1: A seat on a boat

Step 2: Willamete River

Step 3: Prawns/Herring (in that order)

Forget about the spinners and Kwikfish. Saw a lot of fish caught this weekend and not one was on hardware.

Phish_on · 04-08-2002, 09:36 AM

The one fish @ the RR bridge was on a blue K-14.

I was wondering ... after I reach the 100,000th hour and actually get a bite, will I then be enlightened and able to catch more, or do I have to contribute ANOTHER 100,000 ?

It sure looks like fun, that's why I keep going out. I'm going to avoid Sundays, though ... geeeeez

As for boat payments - HA HA HA (guess you haven't seen my boat!) I've been noticing that with all these Duckworth super-vee motion north river $$$$$$$$$ boats, who is catching the fish - - dudes in little 10' cartop boats with about 6" of freeboard ! OK, I saw a $$$$$$ boat catch one yesterday ...

the apple, OK, I'll remember that

choppers · 04-08-2002, 10:44 AM

Woowee, I agree with ampersat... it's nice to bring home fish and even nicer to eat fresh fish. Something is really wrong with the moon and stars when your lady ask to buy fish.. I say "honey I had one on and lost it at the bank" she doesn't even say a word and simply uses that shy lost puppy dog look. Not much to do but lower my head and walk away before she says something about my spending and new truck canopy and then lets not get her started on hunting or duck hunting or leaving for a week to kill an elk that runs on private property and it's not bad enough that the elk is sticking his tounge at me. It's all funny in hind sight but being the hunter and not the buyer makes a world of diffrence.

oh, just incase you thought i was buyer.. last year 45 fish brought home double tag and harvest card works great.... two elks in ten years not bad either..... :smile: :smile: :smile:

STGRule · 04-08-2002, 08:04 PM

Navigator: I fish all warm weather. I haven't caught a spring chinook since I was a kid (more than 2 decades ago). I fish spring chinook on and on off by the number of years, not the number of times a year. Because of work, I have usually spent many hours on the river, in all the bad weather, by-catching spring chinook and watching them swim away. It was hard for dear husband to talk me into sitting in the rain and catching fish and not getting paid for it. I'm the quintessential fair-weather fisher. All the shad, crappie, steelhead, and coho I want. Just not the spring chinook. BUT, nice weather this year has led me to be into my third trip of 1-4 hours this year. I keep telling them it has to be the 45-50 pounder so I can win the rod. Always check to make sure I have the Ifish hat.

Stoyjun Princess · 04-08-2002, 08:24 PM

Well guys we went out of New Port last Saturday. Wow, what a day. The ocean was flat and the fish were biting. We all limited out on Black Bass and Ling cod. But the shocker was, Moby caught 3 big Chinook on the bottom fishing set up. We were not even fishing for Chinook. Then My husband hooked into a big chinook and it snaped the line after a bit. That was the best fishing we all have had in a long time. :grin: I think we are going back this Saturday and try it again.

OldRedSled · 04-08-2002, 08:57 PM

navigator i am with you. I, you see,...have a jinxed boat. I bought it for 1500 dollars and have spent about 50thousand on making it work. Well that HUnk of S**t hates fish. I cant catch anything in that boat. I partically live in that dam thing, i go to all the hot spots, study the dam counts, the guides, mimic what other people are doing, NOTHING. Springers hate me, the laught at my megear attempts to catch them. Steelhead actually chase me trying to kick my but for insulting them by trying to catch them in that cursed boat. I can catch the occasional Coho BUT only at the mouth of the Kilckitat.
NAvigator it's not a conspiricay those who catch fish ARE ROBOTS, they Hate actual human fisherman and the Fish are on the take.

ORS

HOGTIDE · 04-08-2002, 09:23 PM

Sometimes I Think our fishing expectations are 'scewed' by the reports we hear, versus the realities we see and experience. You listen to reports from full time guides, retirees, dudes that are too rich to have to work and dudes that don't work...and don't mind being poor. These guys camp in boat ramp parking lots, have anchor spots held for them and invest a good chunk of their waking hours and income into coming up with a "good report".

Meanwhile you have been at work or with your family doing the normal duties. It will be a big deal if you can get out for one full day of fish chasin' over the weekend. You hear their super reports and have the same expectations for yourself..but your 6 hours just ain't gonna produce, when compared to the 60 hours the spin doctors have put in. If you did one tenth as well, you would be doing fine. So relax,be easy on yourself and enjoy the opportunity to get out. It will happen...what's hard to accept is just that you can't 'make' it happen on an ordinary workin' stiffs schedule.

I've played the springer-in-da-river game for about 30 years now and quite frankly, it's not really 'hot' fishin' in most cases. You just have to be tenacious. Last year I put so many springers in the boat by the end of February, you'd call me a liar if I told you the number. Didn't do anything too special...just caught fish. This year, I was all excited to put one in the boat and miss a couple others on Saturday...not doin' anything different then last year. It's just 'springer fishin' and it's usually slow.

Good Fishin'

HOG

Cohodependent · 04-08-2002, 11:58 PM

As much as I hate to offend any one I have to say that I caught my first springer on Sunday. The best part is it was the only time I have been out this year. Thanks again Tundra! We tried herring and K-14's but the thing that worked was a single red prawn. Had a great day. We saw a lot of fish caught and they were almost all of them on prawns. There was one guy who caught one on a herring, he found it in the dumpster at the launch. We spent the day trolling and ended up with 1 fish each.

crabbait · 04-09-2002, 08:34 AM

Hogtide - TOO much truth for one post, man. :grin:

Take it easy on these guys. Some of them have lives and just thought they would take a little time and catch a fish!

Guys, speaking as someone who has spent about 20 hours at it this year without a take-down, try something different. If you have been up at the crack-a to get that spot in the hog line and it isn't working, scout out somewhere else (fished a beach away from the crowds last Sat, two boats 200yds below and one boat 200yds above me, both caught fish).

Kwikies not working? Try a Spin'n glo then slide your Kwik down the line to a swivel and bead two feet above the Spin'n glo. Use a spinner. Build spinners in the boat and try that. Build a spinner with corkies. If the tide is running out well enough run a herring over a spin'n glo.

The point is you will be fishing not just watching paint dry with the same old Kwikfish that is supposed to work and the same old wrap you put on at dawn.

Still won't catch anything but the day goes faster! :grin: :grin: :grin:

[ 04-09-2002, 09:36 AM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

Tilla · 04-09-2002, 09:52 AM

I agree with you Crabbait on the try somewhere a little different. I watched dozens and dozens of boats troll Herring on the 10-20' deep flats all morning with marginal success and watch one boat work the outside slope 20-40' and hook 4 in 4 passes. :shocked: So we picked up anchor and followed the line and Bango :grin: . We hook up!
Later we tie up in a overflow hogline, you know where there is no room in the hot spot,the line for losers, we are in water 10' deeper than I would normally try and Bango :grin: . We hook up again! Time to break out of the same old pattern for me.

Navigator · 04-09-2002, 10:33 PM

Pilar, okay, I will take the bait. I am out there to catch a fish like everyone else. But, I enjoy the fishing. If I only enjoyed the catching, then I would not be having much fun most of the time. I just get a kick out of those lamenting they didn't get a fish this week or month, or worse yet, all they got was a native - when I have never caught one. I am not trying to take away anything from anyone. I guess I was just venting that I have never caught one.

And I do enjoy everyone's company even the crusty old fart's. That is why I go out there.

For some of us, the intimidation does make us feel self-conscious. But in reality that is our problem, not the person that does not want to see their fishing (err, catching) screwed up. Ifish has helped me with one thing - to not apologize for being myself out there and to not be intimidated. And I have learned that people recognize quickly when you are trying your best and even the crustiness of them all respond with encouragement even though their vocabulary still kind of leaves you guessing.

[ 04-09-2002, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: Navigator ]

garyk · 04-09-2002, 11:19 PM

Hey Navigator! Thanks for that post. That is without a doubt the funniest post I've ever read on this board.

As another springer under-achiever I really appreciate your viewpoint.

But, hey, if those fish were biting you, you wouldn't be having the time to polish your writing skills that you showed off in that post.

Makes me think I better find something productive to do with my time that's spent in that 10,000 hours or so between bites.

Pilar · 04-09-2002, 11:56 PM

Nice shpeil you got there Navigator .. . but what do you really think?

Tinman · 04-10-2002, 04:21 PM

It's all about boat size. A guy in a kayak is thrilled to nail a springer, and everybody considers him a hero. On the other end of the spectrum, a guy in a brand-new 24 footer (with a staggering monthly payment) feels lousy if he "only" catches one fish. Go out there in a small and/or crappy boat, and have a ball with the two or three fish you might catch each season.