Rivers Long Tom River Fishing Reports

[PK Yi]

Got some action going on the Long Tom river last weekend. We caught some nice bass, and even lost a lot of big ones that I didn't put in the video. A fish pulled my rod into the water, but my friend managed to hook the line and we recovered it. Lucky on that one.

 

[bass]

Great video again Sammy! Glad you got your rod back!

 

[Billamicasr]

The Bassing looks like a pile of fun; good video.
I've seen the Long Tom in two places one out Hwy 126 and the other near Fern Ridge where I once did some early spring Crappie fishing (I think it was the Long Tom).
I'm wondering if there are any put-ins and take-outs to float a pontoon, kayak or float tube. It appear by looking at the river with Google Earth there are piles of timber and low water areas.
Are there any places to float fish?

 

[GaryP1958]

Gives new meaning to go play on the freeway!

 

[sapo]

Nice video. Lol those bullheads can withstand anything, they are very durable fish.

 

[coyo7e]

Heh, I spent days and hundreds of miles' worth of gas trying to figure out where to get a hook in the water along the long tom (best I could find was near Noti, nice spot to hang out for an afternoon below highway 126, take the turn before the noti exit and then immediately stop and pull in to the right when you see that little bridge ahead,) and never really found anything more promising than what I coulda found if I lived in JC and had a bicycle.

Super rad save on that pole as well! My brother dumped a canoe full of rods and gear on a lake once and managed to scissor three rods and a tackle box between his legs, was the only save I've seen on that level LOL!

edit: below the fern ridge dam I've seen schools of thousands of bullhead so yeah, they're in there.

 

[PK Yi]

you can probably launch a float tube at the hubbard bridge. but there is easier access in monroe by the bridge where you can drive along the bank. but there's a dam there so you must fish upstream, which is just as good.

 

[coyo7e]

How edible are the fish you get outta there? I heard some horror stories about that water's quality, despite you and your buddy talking about fillets and such.

 

[PK Yi]

I dare not try it, I don't want to grow a third eye. that water just looks nasty, to me. I did kept a bass from the long tom about 10 years ago, but after 6 months of it being in the freezer, I decided to cook it for my roommate. but my friend does want to keep some crappies some day if we get into a mess of them.

 

[coyo7e]

I've always hated the taste of bass, possibly due to a lack of knowledge of how to bleed them, but also because I always catch the monsters in just gross water I wouldn't swim in.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I was hoping to get some info thats more recent and specific. I've fished the river immediately 'below' Fern Ridge(the north side), in addition I've fished up near the dam/old water mill in Monroe. Warm water fish bass, crappie, bullheads. Access is the big issue with fishing the Long Tom. Very few public access points and most are severely overgrown with blackberries/poison oak and very steep drops down into the water.

I want to float from below Fern Ridge up to the dam in Monroe, in a 10' porta-boat and hopefully access more fishable zones. I've studied google maps as much as possible and I don't see any spillways or dams during that run. I believe I've found spots I can successfully drop the boat into and remove from the water, both places not easy but hopefully manageable.

Does anyone have any more knowledge of this section of the river.

Thanks
Chris

 

[troutdude]

The stretch from below the Fern Ridge dam, downstream to the racemill/breakdam in Monroe, is indeed mostly private land. And you're quite right about tons of poison oak. Ergo I've never fished that stretch. I've fished many spots on that river. But never above the Monroe dam. So I can't really help answer your questions. But I would definitely urge you to wear a PFD; and don't do it alone in ice cold water.

If you wind up doing it, let us know how it went. And I'd love to see some pics, of that stretch. I've never seen any pics, of that area. Ever. And I fished it as early as '65.

 

[C_Run]

Last year I scouted as many roads as I could down that way that crossed the Long Tom looking for a place to drop in a kayak.
With all the current and blackberries, I was not confident I could get back to a starting point. Maybe a tougher person could do it. I'll bet it's fishy, though. Check out PK Yi's old video.

Bass fishing on the Long Tom

 

[troutdude]

I'll bet it's fishy, though.

Bass fishing on the Long Tom

I'd bet that it's loaded with fish too; as no one that I've ever talked to has fished that stretch. So any fish in there are largely unmolested. Should make for many daily limits!

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Last year I scouted as many roads as I could down that way that crossed the Long Tom looking for a place to drop in a kayak.
With all the current and blackberries, I was not confident I could get back to a starting point. Maybe a tougher person could do it. I'll bet it's fishy, though. Check out PK Yi's old video.

Bass fishing on the Long Tom

I've seen that video, thanks. Do you know where that wooden bridge is he's fishing near? I don't recognize it, so I'd guess it's north of Monroe.

You fish out this way much? I live out this direction and try to fish any body of water I can find out here.

I have convinced a shuttle driver for this weekend, so hopefully I can check it out and report back after Sunday. Depends on rain and what it does to water levels in the river. That launch by Kirk Ponds is sketchy, at best!

-Chris

 

[troutdude]

I'm pretty sure that is the Hubbard Rd. bridge. Which, I believe, is currently impassable. But you can park in front of the blockade on the Hwy. 99 side.

Edit: on the other side of 99, at that bridge, is Dawson Road.

The only other lower river bridges (South of Monroe) are at Stow Pit Road (upstream / south) from Hubbard. And at Old River Rd. before it empties into the Willy.

@PKYi Maybe PK will chime in, and narrow it down.

P.S. You've got me wanting to look for bank access, this spring! My dad, and I, used to have private bank access just above the Hubbard Street bridge. Got lots of Crappie, just like the slabs in PK's vide, back in the day! I'll ask for permission first, before fishing any private land.

 

[C_Run]

Nope, I have not fished there at all yet, just curious because I drive through there off and on. If you go, please give a report.

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

These are the trout I hooked this last 2 months in my back yard on the long tom river by noti. Im Curious about the yellow spots on some of them? Hah every fish I caught there this year was between 7" and 14"... But the spots have all but died hardly seen any activity for weeks in any of the fishing holes on my property

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

Some more..

 

[rogerdodger]

looks like a nice mixture of rainbows and coastal cutthroats, at this time of year, probably moving through your holes to spawning grounds. I'm hoping they all swam off strongly to make lots of baby trout...cheers, roger