Nice job. Way to rebound from being a “Moron”😜. Catching is catching and sure the bigger fish pull harder but catching bunches of small fish is very fun also. Heck I’d rather catch 15 little ones than one or two good ones. Now if we are talking 6 lbs fish I’d fish all week for just one of them. I’m still looking for that 7 lbs smallmouth. As always enjoy your reports

M

 

I agree @BillsFishingHole . Every day of fishing is enjoyable in its own way, you just have to be open to it. Catching a bunch of small fish is fun, unless you spend the day unhappy that you aren't catching big ones.

 

@BillsFishingHole did you get out this weekend?

 

A half mile up river directly behind your head in the first picture is a really cool slot between the island and mainland. You should check it out sometime. Go up and around back into the main river. It's a special little place I've always loved.

 

I agree! I did not fish there last trip but I have caught some nice ones from that side channel.

 

@rollcast I got out the weekend before last for a few hours out of crow butte. The plan was to run down and stop at a place loaded with Perch and watch the live scope while my buddy fished for them. Plan got a little side tract as we stoped on a rock pile and fished for a few hours for bass we got 15-20 on mostly flukes. Decided to head down and play with the live scope and the perch but the river was rolling slightly and didn’t want to make the trip. Biggest bass was 2.75. Fun on the flukes some soft bites and a couple rip the rod bites. They were really aggressive. Wind blew most of the this weekend. I put the boat in at Richland yesterday evening to run the new depth finder. It appears I sat the transducer a little high. Lost bottom at 20 mph. Need to correct that. Turned the live scope on in the marina and took a little look(have not used the live scope much at all). I need a lot of education on that thing.

M

 

I think livescope looks so cool. We're you using it on the rockpile with the flukes? Were you watching the fish react to your fluke?

 

Deleted. Double post

 

@rollcast

I was not using it for the bass. I need to figure it out and understand what it does and how to interpret it.

im thinking I want to learn it or play with it where I already have a decent idea of what’s there. The river and current make it more difficult to understand. At least I thin so. With that thought I want as much of a controlled environment as possible.

I did install a new main depth finder and took it out to see if I had done it correctly. I had not. But while I was out I played with it in the boat basin.
it was very interesting. I could see 1/8 oz Ned rig very well. Surprising how many fish (I think small fish) look at a bait. They come out of nowhere, bottom up over and down. I had no bitters but tons of really close looks. I Don’t think they were very big their image shin on the screen most of the time rivaled the ned rig in size.
Today I readjust the transducer and made another test run. I think I have it. I did put the live scope back and messed with it again this time with a crapie jig. I could see it at time really well and other time nothing. And again lost of looking fish. Did see a school of fish go by. Depth finder picked them up live scope picked them up they went toward a dock where a guy was fishing he got 2 8 inch or so largemouth. A few minutes I got one on the crappie jig. But I did not see the jig at that time it was out of the line of the live scope.
It’s going to be a great tool for fisherman I. So many different ways. But it is not a automatic you will catch fish because you have one

I do think if you use one enough I will help you understand the fishes behavior more.

there is a reason or two some tournament bass guys want them banned. They must work for the guys that are expert with there inits

M

 

I hit the Willamette out of Willamette park in West Linn on Saturday. I was not there hoping to catch a coho like most of the folks, I just wanted a laid back, calm, no wind-fighting day of fishing The Willamette delivered on that and even gave me a bonus, my first upper Willamette river walleye!!

The bulk of the fishing on the day was typical for the Willamette (at least for me). Lots of bass, but most all were dinks. My "big" fish for the day was a 1lb 10oz bass and I probably only a handful of the 27 bass I caught were over a pound. Most of the bass that I caught came out of 15-25' of water and were caught on a drop shot. The Ned rig was second best.

I also caught at least one fish on a wobblehead, spy bait and jack hammer stealth blade. Even though it was a perfect morning for it I did not get so much as a sniff on topwater. I did see some surface activity but they weren't buying what I was selling.

Now for the exciting part of the day, my first upper Willamette walleye! That thing was just total luck. I was fishing a drop shot in about 20-24' of water and had missed a decent fish that came off after a brief hookup. I was reeling my drop shot back up to check it and the walleye must have followed it up from the bottom. It grabbed my bait right at the kayak, you can see it happen on the video! No skill involved in catching that fish.

I was still super excited. I had just seen someone else catch one in another youtube video and a guy said that at the kayak tournament on the upper Willamette that there were 5 walleye caught during the day. I was surprised at hearing about that but I guess it was foreshadowing for Saturday. The little walleye I caught put up a pretty spirited fight and really made my day.

Overall the day was just what I was hoping for. The water was like glass i the morning and then when it started getting hot in the afternoon there was a pleasant breeze. Much more relaxing than fishing in the wind tunnel known as the gorge. The fishing was easy, the fish were mostly small but it was a perfect day in its own way.

I am not sure where the bigger fish are hiding in the Willamette right now I can only tell you where they weren't I did end the day fishing one of my favorite ways though. I decided as I headed back to the ramp that I would toss my stealth blade around and through the weedbeds. I got 3 bites doing that in pretty short order, maybe I should have spent more time on that earlier. I did try fishing shallow off and on during the day but not around the weedbeds.

Well, anyway, that trip was really refreshing. I might have to squeeze some more trips in on the Willamette in the future - especially when I am feeling beat up by the Columbia. Anyway, here are some pics and video from the day.

Rollcast.
It is a pleasure reading your reports along with the photo’s and video.
Your attention to detail is so helpful.
i am glad you are staying after them, after some set backs you have had.
I believe you don’t/can’t fish from a boat? If I‘m wrong there and you do want to fish for salmon*at times send me a PM.
Be well.
Larry

 

did not let me finish
*mostly troll the Willamette
Troll or anchor CR

 

Beautiful walleye!

 

Thanks @Larry K for the offer. I just prefer to be out in my kayak. I am too much of a control freak to not be in charge

Thanks @bluegigi it was not very big but was still an exciting fish for me.

 

No worries at all. I get it. Keep enjoying your outing and making posts.

 

@rollcast

hey you getting out this weekend?

Sunday is a possibility for me. I’m just short on fishing buddy’s this week and still have 2 fingers taped up. Also haven’t checked wind.
M

 

@rollcast

hey you getting out this weekend?

Sunday is a possibility for me. I’m just short on fishing buddy’s this week and still have 2 fingers taped up. Also haven’t checked wind.
M

@BillsFishingHole as long as the wind looks good and I feel well enough in the morning my plan is to fish tomorrow. Wind looks pretty nice on the apps I check but I will wait for thegorgeismygym forecast for final confirmation.