Columbia questions

Dangerous_Dave · 04-08-2002, 08:16 AM

I have a couple questions about the hoglines. I'm in the military and have been fortunate enough to have been stationed in the area or at least not too far from this area and have been fishing on and off for 10 years on the Columbia river. I have good friends in Kelso and make trips down there numerous times a year. We almost always troll. Fishing spots are normally the mouth of the Cowlitz, mouth of Kalama and down around Cathlamet. The guys I fish with just either don't like anchoring up or I don't know what. I've done it a few times, but have never done well.
When you are using a Kwikfish, do you normally sardine wrap it? Do you use any lead? If you use lead, what kind of spreader bar do you use, or how do you rig it.
After reading all the post about people crowding in to others secret spots and asking boats to move, I'm a little wary of asking these questions, but would truly like a little help. Thanks in advance.

dogrobber · 04-08-2002, 08:47 AM

Dangerous_Dave
Howdy, I took basic with a rifle co. from Port Orchard. Now then, I can sure talk about fishin, catching I,d have to leave to someone else. I usually fish alone, so when I anchor I need some room to maneuver especially on the pick up. I have a 35lb anchor & it takes a minute or two to get all the junk aboard. Because of this I DO NOT release from the anchor. If I get a fish on ( I don't want to play bumper boats or ram into wing dams) I also do not like Hog Lines, some people are wierd, if you know them and have anchored with them before OK.
You can use a spreader, threeway swivel etc. I use a 2' lead drop line.
Capt. Hook tells me the leader line is the same length as your pole (fishing)

crabbait · 04-08-2002, 09:27 AM

Do a search for Kwikfish and you can spend the rest of the day becoming an expert. Same with Hoglines. Its all in here.

rags · 04-08-2002, 09:27 AM

Dangerous Dave,
I liked to anchor up when the tide is going out in about 10-15 of water. At low tide you would be fishing in about 7-10 feet. Use a spreader with a dropper line of 18-24 inches with 1-2oz. of lead. I like my leader to be around 5-6 feet. K-14 or 15 wrapped Kwikfish with Sardines. Tie up to a wingdam around Cathlamet. Make sure when your rod goes down you wait to set the hook!

Jooky · 04-08-2002, 10:12 AM

well i dont know what these other guys are smoking but i sure it all works. As for me i like to keep my stuff off the bottom of the columbia river as salmon do not like sand. So i use a 3-5 foot dropper and a leader length of about 3 feet. Also watch your fish finder, places on the river the fish will swim way off the bottom and then i stick on a 12 ounce weight and pull out that many feet of line..kinda like a down rigger. See fish at 8 foot down..pull out 9 feet of line. Use plenty of anchor rope and i use a anchor or about 20 lbs with no chain. weight of the anchor depends on the size of your boat. Also find as much current as possible as salmon are less likly to swim around your stuff in strong current. So i like a 8 ounce current. as for pumping out I like to go back as little as possible. the farther out you pump your stuff the less angle you get between your spinner and wieght...so your spinner is acually closer to the bottom. i guess my line is no less than 45 degrees. I have been seeing alot of poeple using a 3 ounce weight when i am using a 8 ounce. takes them sooo long for them to get out there. dont know who taught them this just wish they didnt. As for what i use its spinners spinners spinners. cant tell ya how many times a see people tie a herring on and toss it out not even looking at it thinking they are fishing. As for quickfish DONT use them if you are anywhere near another achored boat. those damn things work ..work too well. they swim way side to side and pick up everyones line and make a huge mess. so be carefull.

whatever happened to the days of tight hog lines where you could jump accross the boats to talk to a friend :smile:

fishchaser · 04-08-2002, 10:41 AM

I fish alone quite a bit of the time. I don't have any problem fishing kwik fish either.

Jooky have you ever tuned your kwik fish? You need to tune kwik fish when they come out of the package. If the kwik fish is leaning to the right turn the eyelet one the lure to the right. If it is leaning left turn the eyelet left. You can tune these to do what ever you like it to do.

Yes I have to have time to pull my anchor but most of the people in a hog line will understand and as long as you PULL YOUR ANCHOR and not have an ancor puller do the job you will be OK. The key is be ready to drop your anchor overboard BEFORE you get into the line, not as you are getting into the line.

The other thing to do is to enter the hog line from below, not above the line. You will get all hung up if you enter above. If you come from below you will see where everyone else is anchored, where their lines are and you will see if there is room for you in the line. make sure you are ready to anchor down, come up from below the line and just drive straight into the sight in which you want to fish and when you get above the line about 50 yards, than you drop that anchor and slide back down into place. It's not hard, if you know what to do.

powerstrokincowboy · 04-08-2002, 05:54 PM

You guys say to use a "spreader." What is a spreader? I have only used a 3-way swivel to a drop line and weight, or a diver. Is there a better method for the river? And is a ball weight preferred over a pyramid weight? And how many ounces is typically needed?

Thanks ahead of time for the info! [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

Dangerous_Dave · 04-09-2002, 05:49 AM

Thanks to all for the posts. All were very informative...I'll check out the internet and do some reading on the Kwikfish..Think my buddies and I will be fishing in Cathlamet tomorrow morning...Fished up here in the salt Sunday (Marine area 10 and 11), 3 shakers and 1 legal :shocked: ..fished 7 hours yesterday and nothing to show for it but empty Raineer Cans

and a sunburnt face [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] . I'll put some of your suggestions to work tomorrow...Might see some of you on the water. I have a 15' Slyvan with a Yamaha 25 4-stroke :grin: ..My friends new boat is a Smokercraft Tracer with the same motor...Thanks again...Fish-On!

WaterDog · 04-09-2002, 06:04 AM

Powerstroke, a speader is like a 3-way swivle but its made of wire and its obviously lager. Go to Joes, Fishermans, or any decent tackle store and you'll find them.

Jooky, kwikfish should not run sideways. Listen to fishchaser. :smile:

Last year at Cathlamet, 12 feet of depth right as the tide started running out was best for us.

Good luck.

crabbait · 04-09-2002, 08:53 AM

Dave - I didn't mean search the internet, I meant search this site. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

Go to the top of the page where it says "Post New Topic - Post a Poll - Post Reply". Right under "Post a Poll" you will see "search" in small letters. Click that. You can now access all the posts on the topic you are interested in.

Give it a whirl.

[ 04-09-2002, 09:55 AM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

powerstrokincowboy · 04-09-2002, 09:23 AM

Thanks WD, I will go pick some up. See you on the river!

Jooky · 04-09-2002, 11:20 PM

i dont even own a kwikfish. I only use spinners.
its all the other @#$% that anchor next to me and tangle my stuff up. Tell them to tune em
but you are wrong they do go all over, with the boils and river rocks on the bottom of the river those things go crazy. and once they grab hold of a line they side plan over and into a huge circle getting more lines.
trust me i have many years of cussing people that tangle my lines all up

then again with the idiots that anchor nowadays i guess its ok. nobody but the old timers makes a tight hog line anymore. everyone is 15 feet off of the next boat and all staggered all over the river..no wonder they quit commercial traffic on the middle willamette..what a nightmare. looks like shad fishing

OldRedSled · 04-10-2002, 09:44 AM

Does any one Fish that hole right below where the Sandy dumps into the Columbia? (i actually think there are 2 areas 1 below and 1 above) I fished that lower hole allot last year for Coho and did good there, but I was out there yesterday and saw a boat anchored up above that hole like you would if you were fishing for Coho. I wonder if the springers come up and siff around in that little hole? and one know, or at least know what i am talking about??
ORS