Clackamas @ Riverside/Summer STEEL

[FishSchooler]

Plunking is worthless? I wasted a bunch o money? It doesn't work? The peeps at fisherman's said that plunking is the best way out in the columbia, I dunno about the clack, but the columbia. I went to tanner creek by bonneville for a hour, saw lots of peeps plunking with spin n glows... I saw 4 fish out of the water in a short time, then none once the sun got up really high and hot. They were all plunkin with spin n glows. 2 people next to me just had the spin n glows, no prawns or eggs. They both got a really nice steelie. One of em hooked a huge one, but it got away. The other was a really prettyful native, kinda small, but leaped really high, it was almost cute, besides the slime, but it was heart warming. So the only good way for the clack is to drift fish with eggs or sand shrimp or sometin? So I just use a three way swiv, one fork with the hook and one with a 3/4 ounce or some splitshot for weight?

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

No method of fishing is worthless, if anything you fish to relax, de-stress, or take care of whatever ailes you...Plunking has been really effective on the columbia, I'm pretty sure primarily because of the way the river bed is shaped, and the way the water flows, could be wrong... I bet if properly executed, a natural drift of eggs would have killed. I wasn't there, so i don't know if people were bobber fishing, drifting, throwin sponns/spinners, ya know. Spin n glos entice different fish, than a lopey drift of bait. Spin n Glos attract the fish to strike out of territorial defense, not the urge to destroy other eggs, making it easier for their own offspring to prevail. Anyhoo, just different methods of presentation, although i believe that getting the fish to bite at eggs drifting results in more hook ups, than plunking, and getting a quick strike at the spins. I could be full of smoke, but it is just what i have observed. And, you also can never waste money on fishing gear!:lol:

 

[FishSchooler]

Theres a fish hatchery at riverside? Which hatchery is that?!

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

No there is not a hatchery at Riverside Park...There are hatcheries at Eagle Fern, on Eagle creek, and I know there is one at McIver Park too. Dunno if there are any others, but I kinda doubt it, as those two hatcheries could cover most of the Clackamas River themselves...

 

[FishSchooler]

But... I saw on the online maps, there are some unnatural ponds, square, for of em together, then a building right next to them. It isn't quite in the park, but it is right outside. It looks kinda small, but It looks just like a hatchery.

Anyhoo (quote you), I might go to the clack on thursday the 24th. If I dont, then the following weekend. My dad, said that he has magical powers, that if he says something and dances like in the sun dance, a fish will bite. Weird thing is, at Tanner creek, my dad was like, you have to do the sun dance or something, like huya huya huya huya huya huya huya, then the person next to me shouted, fish on! He got in a beautiful little native. So fishing is gonna be embarrasin when my dads here. :lol:
I'm gonna use my baitcaster, dads gonna use my other steelie set that is made by inspinity and shakespear. Gotta teach him how to not just reel until the fish is in with the weak 10 pound test made by stren. If we go, we wake up at 5:30-6:00, wet the line at 6:15-6:30, then fish till 10:30 or 11. You just looked at my post at 10:29 amoeba!

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Clackamas River Water owns the property to the east of the park, that you said looks like a hatchery...I don't know what exactly they do there, but no hatchery, just water treatment or something. The best spot in that park is the section of water right at the first bend in the river, and on Google Earth, you see two concrete piers in the water before the turn up river, those also provide cover to the fish in that section of water. Try those two places. If the bite is on that is where you will hook up.

 

[FishSchooler]

MMkkk... Aint it funny seeing me read your mind? :lol:
Are ya planning to go thursday? If you are, I might or might not see ya there. I'll just secretly load up the suv, and sleep in there. Wait for my dad to come out.:lol:

 

[FishSchooler]

I got some blue foxes, a size 3 and 1, 3 for steelies, maybe some salmon, and the 1 for all the other good stuff! I also got some trilene 10 lb test smooth casting stuff, and some good barrel swivs all from fred meyers! CHEAP FISHING STUFF!!! The blue foxes were 1 dollar cheaper than you would find at joes! Just not as a big of a selection.

 

[FishSchooler]

Fish from the piers or by the piers? Cause on google maps, I think I see the piers, but they are submerged in water....
How did you hike through the trees? Is the trail obvious or is it a kinda mow down the bushes walk? :lol:
Im headin there on saturday, the 2nd and Ill report if I catch, which I hope I do. Im hikin to ArcticAmoeba's little secret fishing spot

 

[FishSchooler]

Really really weird...

Really really weird...

The fishing was fun, but no fish were to be seen, besides the tiny baitfish in the shallows. Went the the big eddie/bend and got a line in at around 7:15. I was drift fishing with salmon eggs. A 25 lb main tied to a barrel swiv with the tag long, for some split shot. The leader was about 18 inches long, with a black/silver spin n glow with a mosquito hook on the end. I kept on getting these little pulls, then release, pull, then I reel in and my egg blob is gone! I lost a LOT more because of these little nudges, I didn't know if they were just bumpin into rocks or a steelie nibbled it. There was a guy campin there and he caught 2 the day before on a little corky with some green stuff. I lost sooooooo many eggs and they kept on turning white and gooy and all that was left after 2 or 3 casts was the membrane on the outside of the egg. I think I had atleast 2-4 bites, but not sure. How do I catch these shy steelies?

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

If your rod tip goes down slower than it pops back up it is a rock bounce/snag, but if if snaps down faster than it comes back up, more than likely it was a bite. Is that understandable eunough??? I hope the explanation was good. Eggs only last so long, but that is why I buy a quart or more at a time, because the membrane of the skein is really delicate, and they do fall apart on the bottom. Store bought prawns are really tough, no cure needed either. The first steel always seems to take forever...

 

[FishSchooler]

I didn't really see anything in the tip, just a little flex, but I felt a pull then release in an instant in the rod.

I noticed that that corner, there is a little bit where you have to wade cause it is 2 feet deep. So I waded out, then I saw a current seem, cause this little bar I was standing on created a big eddie, like osmo said that it did. The shallows/faster water was on my left and the big swirl/current break was on my right. I found out that drift fishing with baitcasters is very hard, casting light weights and all. Should I be driftin from the shallows/faster water to the current break? Or driftin just in the fast water?

If prawns are tough, I might have to buy a bit of em, but they dont have to be cured? All the ones I see peeps usin are cured.

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Don't worry about curing cheap prawns. a lot of younger guides, it seems like have taken up the practice, because it is productive. I have tipped jigs with them and out fished others on the Cowlitz from the bank, granted I was with my dad, but he's old, and he swears un-cooked 2" prawns are Steelhead crack. Curing takes away the U.V. anyways. Fish seem to go wild for U.V. attractors, and spoons, so they thought why not, just throw 'em raw. As they are in the sea. Makes sense right? Steelhead generally are wrung out of what some call "flats," or shallower water, with a seam out towards the middle of the river. Cast right on the seam, and you will eventually hook up on the Clack. Yes driftin with a light weight setup is very hard, but at least you have some higher quality gear. I have some dated stuff,still high quality, just really old... but I make it work, most of the time. Make sure you have your reel set up properly, the littlest adjustments on my older Abu 6001 make the night and day difference it sounds like your after. Practice makes perfect.

 

[FishSchooler]

Where would I buy raw, uncured prawns, or you mean just buy them at any regular grocery store?? Do I need to soak em in salt water or plain salt to harden them?

So the steelhead are in the seam... The seam starts when the current hits the bar where I stood, then it forked outwards, not directly down stream. So it started on the side I stood on, and ended on the other. Should I take a spinning reel cause I can cast much further with less weight, then cast it upstream, let it flow into the seam, then feed line letting it continue in the seam? I think Ill use the baitcaster for plunking at the corner, then the spinning for driftin. So I can just leave the baitcaster sit there and wait while Im doin somethin besides sittin and eatin and drinkin stuff. Right?
I also want to try driftin with a bobber and a pink worm with my 3rd spinnin reel cause you can extend the drift with a bobber when you feed line. Any tips for that?

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

When I refer to a seam, I am talking about a literal divide between faster flowing water, and the rest of the river. "Seams" tend to run parellel to the bank, or fairly close to it. The best place I can tell you where real good seam is, is right upriver from the two concrete piers in the water. There are actually two seams, that converge at the small ripples before the concrete. I also fish in the eddy, and just below it, most of my hookups for steelhead are in those two spots. As far as prawns go, if I were to go and buy some more raw prawns right now, I would not cook them, as that takes away the natural U.V. Sometimes I let them hang out in a tub of granular rock salt, not the fat chunks, but not table salt either... Pick a size in between. It does tend to stiffen them up. Yes most grocery stores sell them, go to the seafood section and ask someone behind the counter for raw prawns, a lot of the time I have to order it, but I think they actually fish better than cured prawns, given certain conditions, like heavy bait pressure, and really bright days.

 

[FishSchooler]

I have two weeks off in a week cause moms taking a break, so then I can fish more.

So the shallows is the fast water, then when all of a sudden it hits the bar and slows down and goes deep, whats that if its not a seam? I dont think I know what seam your talking about at the bend... The only distinct current break is when the water hits the bar and forks outwards, like the picture below... I didn't notice any fast water parallel. :think:
The two piers are in SLOW SLOW SLOW water... Do I still drift fish with the rig I pmed you about? Or a bobber-bait or jig rig and cast it right by the pier thing? :think:
Whats U.V. in a prawn? I know its not ultra violet... :lol::lol:
My mom is telling me that the clackamas has no fish cause I didn't catch anything the first time, and that plunking is bettter cause she saw 4 out of 20 people plunking caught something at tanner creek... And she says that riverside is bad cause theres no people and you have to walk. isn't it better when your alone?

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

I have not been out to Riverside in about 2 weeks, so I know the water is getting lower, and slower, but yes the seam is just simply where slower water touches faster water. Your diagram shows at least 1 good seam where you were talkin about across from the "bar". The U.V. in prawns I refer to is not ultra violet light being emmitted from the bait, it is the natural reflective surfaces, and muscles, that transmits the U.V. naturally through the water. I would throw everything you have at every spot in that river. It is what I do most of the time. Sorry to say, but your mother is wrong about there being no fish in the Clackamas. My friends went out this morning and nailed 10 fish, and kept 1 for dinner from the bank on private property. Also you are not fishing the Columbia, so you need to change your rigging, as plunking is almost worthless right now where you are fishing.(Not good plunking waters) If there was nobody at Riverside, then you got lucky, real lucky. I would hike 10 miles to fish if I knew it would be decent, and right now the Clackamas is good fishin waters, so just be glad you get a little exercise on top of relaxin with the river. I'm headed out to meet a guy I do bids for, and I will swing by Riverside, and really get a good look at what the river is lookin like. Remember your first Steelhead always takes full committment, and more patience than most people know what to do with. If you keep pounding the waters, you will get used to your setups, and you will eventually start hooking fish.

 

[FishSchooler]

The water is actually pretty high, its been raining lately! Havent you noticed? Its global warming going negative, kinda! :dance::dance::think::think: Really weird weather. There was no one, even by the boat ramps and the beach, but there was that guy campin caught 2 day before, and another guy... He was usin I dunno what, something with lots of red juice and he just was fishin, he dont know what hes gonna catch... :think::think:
I know that moms wrong, I just told her its trial and error, when you go the first, analyze the river, when you go second, catch and destroy! :dance:
Ill pm you when we go again, tanner creek or riverside.
Its hard writing with a pen in paint! :lol:
Can you take a picture or draw a diagram of your drift rig please? ray:

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

I have been out of the state for work the past 8 days, got back Sunday at 1 A.M. so I have not noticed the rain, or been to the river lately. If there is exposed land, like you depict in your diagram right at the first turn in the river, it is fairly low, not anything to write home about, but right where it should be this time of year, give or take.

The rig on the left are my hand-tied, single egg-looped Eagle Claw(I think?? Recently switched to VMC's.) in a size 1. The leader is 10lb. Sufix Siege The rig on the left is a commercially produced mooching set-up or side drifter, on smaller Mustad hooks, and a Red and Yellow striped corkie in between. On some 10lb. UG copycat mono. I get these from a friend for free, so don't go buy moochers and side drifters, just learn the egg loop and tie 'em up yourself.
Next up are the drift floats, or slip bobbers. The top drift float is smaller than most people use out there by at least a half ounce. The top is a Danielson rated at 3/4 of an ounce...All my friend bought these at Fishermans, thinking when I said go small, this was real small. They are compared to others...I don't know how you would catch a fish with this log in the water? And they(Friends Danielson slip bobber on top.) are 3 times smaller than everyone at the Dam Hole! The bottom is Beau Mac's version in a 1/8 ounce size. I have them in smaller versions, but they don't show up well on the camera. It is the largest size drift float I use.

 

[FishSchooler]

For the rig with the duel drifters, do you need bait on em if you have the corkie on it? Also, are corkies just beads that are bouyant? I know how to tie an egg loop, and the pimped out egg loop (tandem) and Ima try the corky, just I dont know if I can buy them soon enough before teh next trip. Whats your weight system like? Oh yeah, Im a little confused on hook size... Should I stay with a smaller hook or larger hook?
I can cast fine with my caster with 1 ounce+, but teh light weight is troubling, With the little knob under the drag tight, I can cast without a nest forming, but I can only cast 5-13 feet, with is loosened, I cast a little further, but the line keeps comin loose on the spool even if I do thumb it, should I thumb it harder?