No trolling for the summer fish?

trollin4trout · 07-21-2003, 10:17 PM

I'm just a rookie salmon fisherman, I just caught my first springer ever this year at the head of the channel(only took 30 hours !), but I wonder why nobody trolls for the summer run you all are talking about catching with spinners and Alvins? Does the flasher and herring rig not work at all?
I can troll for hours, but sit me in one spot for a half hour and I'm ready to go home :depressed:

And while I'm wondering...........how does everyone end up in one small area to anchor up? I understand that the fish tend to use certain slots over and over but surely there must be fish all over the river? Could it be that just the sheer numbers of people in one spot makes it appear that fish can be caught there, because someone out of the whole bunch will eventually catch one?. What if the same number/concentration of boats were to converge on a normally unused area?
If someone quickly hooked a fish would everyopne now consider this a hot spot and all converge THERE next time?

Now you can see why I troll for trout- I just can't comprehend these fish! :depressed:

David Johnson · 07-21-2003, 11:35 PM

The summers aren't milling around like head of the channel springers are.

These steelhead have a long ways to go so they are on a mission. People do troll for them at the mouths of mid Columbia tribs after the water temp rises. When this happens the fish will hold up at the river mouths to take advantage of the cool water plumes.

They do some milling around on the lower Columbia trib mouths durring flood tide but once it ebbs and the current picks up the fish start moving.

To address your second thought, they are all over and if a huge group of boats decided to ancor up in a new spot they would have a new "hot spot" to some extent. But there are always some spots better than others.

Lastly, steelhead aren't much for herring, they're more of a shrimp and squid eating fish in the ocean. They like flatfish and spinners though.

[ 07-22-2003, 12:35 AM: Message edited by: David Johnson ]

David Johnson · 07-23-2003, 01:36 PM

Maybe he was but when I heard "summer run" I just thought of steelhead.

Although the same would pertain to both.

SureSet · 07-23-2003, 02:25 PM

I couldn't tell you why a herring wouldn't work, probably water temp and how driven the fish are to get where they need to go. Seldom if ever do you find a CR fall fish with anything in it's gut, springers are a different story.

I can tell you if you really like trolling and you can't stand to sit for hours on end, go anchor up for a couple hours on the end of the outgoing and then troll your Spinner, Alvin, Clancy, Kwicky, whatever, on the incoming. Many a summer and fall fish are caught by those trolling when all the others have given up due to the lack of current. They also seem to be much more spread out on the river than springers.

SureSet

trollin4trout · 07-23-2003, 06:15 PM

Sorry, I confused the issue by only saying "summer run". I did mean the summer chinook that people are talking about catching with spinners, Alvins, etc. But, hey- I got info for two kinds of fish with one question- can't beat that!

SureSet: Okay so if I'm trolling do I need to stay real close to the bottom like the anchored/lures are being fished or are they near the surface also like springers?

Thanks, I already know 99% more now than when I started asking these newbie questions!

Tanner · 07-23-2003, 11:48 PM

Dave,
I think he was referring to summer chinook. I have been wondering the same thing myself.

SureSet · 07-24-2003, 06:49 AM

I stay near the bottom, I haven't tried suspended lures for those fish. A springer technique may work for early summer fish runing 10-25', but for fall fish that are running 35-50' I'd think you'd have to get it down in their vicinity. Experiment, you might find them off the bottom during still water.

SureSet

FastAction · 07-24-2003, 07:39 AM

Just wait will Sept and troll wiggler's or Warts.. the rumors are silvers love them trolled fast! And thats a fall fish!