Cathedral Park Fishing

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psguardian
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Does anyone have any fishing info on the waters from shore & the fishing dock at Cathedral park? Species in the area, gear & methods that work well, baits or flies suggested?

I am pretty thoroughly swamped this month, but I need to get out. The boy is in school now so the girl & I get some quality time on the water.
I have decided this week I will explore something in my backyard.
 
The docks at Cathedral are posted "No Fishing", so I wouldn't advise fishing from them. Seems silly, but that's the rule. Not a lot of great bank access right there.

As far as resident species - you're looking at bass, carp, catfish, sturgeon, and panfish mostly.

Typical techniques used for the various species should work just fine there. For bass, toss crank baits, soft plastics, or spinner baits around the structure and cover within casting distance, and there's quite a bunch of it around there. For carp, catfish, and sturgeon - bait fished on a three-way set up or sliding sinker setup will work. I'd opt for a heavy, abrasion resistant main line (braid would be my first choice) with a lighter mono leader. Hard to go wrong with crappie or perch fillets for cats and sturgeon. Bread balls, corn, or dough balls for carp. Or make boilies (ask Drew for a recipe)
 
No fishing from the dock that's only good for launching one man boats & fishing? Is that true of both docks? That is a jacked up rule, ok then. I noticed on google maps a lot of pile-on type posts sticking out of the water for most of the shore line, I don't have any good main line, just the mono that was on our poles when given to us. Looks like the only option would be directly under the bridge then...

~psguardian
 
Does anyone know if the 'no fishing' signs are for just the northern most boat launch dock, or for both the boat launch & the southern most pedestrian dock?

Does anyone fish there or am I wasting my time?

~psguardian
 
I don't know but my guess is its both docks. However if your fishing with kiddo and you make every effort to stay out of the way for the boaters. My guess is you'll be fine. In the other hand if you go up to sovies island you'll find areas that might be more worth your time and a bit Easter fishing with the kiddo. You can pluck some bait for card or gaters as pointed out. Or just use a bobber and worm to get into something. Just have fun what ever you do. ;)
 
O and if you don't know how old that line is or how/where it was stored. Go to fishermans or Dick's or some place and get em re-spooled. It'll only cost 3 or 4 bucks each and its well worth it. With out it you mat just lose anything you hook. Plus you can may get more advise there as to what you may need. Maybe I read it wrong but sounded as if your just getting started. Hope you get the kid into a fish.
 
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You read between the lines well. I have a new fly rod stater kit (cortland 5/6wt), a 6.5' or 7' med spin rod/reel, a 6' med/light spin rod/reel, & a 2' zebco button caster.

Fly rig is serviceable, zebco is cheesy line, spin reels likely have 2yr old line of 8-12lb test mono. We have relatives with boats so salmon/steele head are possible on the spin rigs (though I'm not sure the 6' would survive). The zebco i'm not sure is worth spooling?

Sauvie is looking better & better, was trying to avoid paying to park but doesn't look like that's going to happen.

~psguardian
 
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What about Kelly Point Park? I don't think you have to pay to park there, and there's lots of shore to fish from. It's not too far from St. Johns. Sauvie does have the benefit of having easier water, and a lot of it. If nothing else, you could fish off the wall in down town Portland at Waterfront park. I've fished right upstream from where the Portland Spirit docks to take on passengers - done well with bullheads and bass around there. It's not exactly quiet and peaceful though.

If you're hitting Cathedral Park in the middle of the day on a week day, you can honestly probably not worry about the "No Fishing" signs - I have only seen a portland cop down there once during the week days - and I doubt PPD would bother you about it. Can't say that I've ever seen anyone else down there besides boat launchers and park goers.
 
Well looks like i'm grounded, wife has pneumonia...

~psguardian
 
I fish all the time from the dock south of the bridge. I don't think anyone would mess with you fishing from the docks at the ramp, but there's no need as the other dock is much better for fishing and people fish there all the time. I see one particular guy there every time I go, who says he tries to make it there every day.

I've caught perch, smallies, bluegill, pikeminnow, yellow bellies, sunfish... a clam (on a worm) ... :lol: I've never caught anything there on anything but worms. Keep it just off the bottom though, or the crayfish will clean your hook...
 
Thanks for that info, do you know about how deep it is? Wondering if a bobber would be good, or just a longer line for the weight then the hook.
 
It depends on the tide, but it's about 10' on the inside and a bit deeper on the outside. I'll cruise by there next time I launch at Cathedral park and check with the finder. A bobber works fine, especially on the inside, but I like finding the bottom, cranking it up a little, and resting my rod in the top of the chain link fence. It's especially fun watching a little perch or whatever double over my super lightweight rod...
 
I went there for an hour or so today, at low tide... I've never seen the water so low there. I caught a little sunfish on a worm, and had lots of other hook-cleaning bites. There's a swamped boat on the end of the dock, which has been there for a few days now. I bet there are lots of fish hiding around it, used to its cover by now. Bummer about the boat, potentially good news about the fish...
 
...another Cathedral park report:

I fished for about an hour 'til dark this evening and could barely drink my beer from all the bites, and I'm not exaggerating. I'd put a piece of worm on my hook, set it just above the bottom, and a fish would bite before I could even put my rod in the fence. I probably caught 30 perch (all little guys), one blue gill, and a couple pound smallie. The bass swallowed my hook so I switched to a crappie jig with a bit of worm on... same bite. I could tell when the work was gone if the bites stopped for more than a minute. I tried crappie nibbles in the last ten minutes, with poor results. Nothing beats the nightcrawler...

A couple were there fishing and also hammering the perch, and brought one small sturgeon in.
 
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Wowza! Was that off the south dock?
 
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Yeah. The boat ramp dock isn't really hospitable for fishing, whereas the other dock is. Watch out for cables and stuff off the outside, especially right at the elbow in the dock. It's really easy to get snagged up there, which is why I like just hanging the worm straight down and just off the bottom. Depending on the weather, I may go for an hour or two after work today.
 
Nice! Once the wife is better i'll have to treadle the kids down there. I think my daughter will enjoy that.
 
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