The new normal? (no fish?)

[homerhomer]

Just did a float on the Sandy from Oxbow to Dabney last week. The water wasn't perfect but pretty good at 11'. The weather was pretty nice, foggy in the morning and it burned off around noon. As expected there was about 7-8 other boats going down at the same time as us. It's about prime time for these fish.

I felt pretty confident in hooking up using a couple proven techniques. I noticed other fishermen tossing spinners and another boat talking about bobber-dogging beads. My buddy noticed somebody with sand-shrimp too. We should have bought them, we joked.

The end result after fishing 8hrs, nothing. Not even a bite. All throughout the day I would friendly ask other boaters "any luck?" and they all said the same thing, "nope".

In not expecting to always catch, because that's fishing. But it seems like for the last 5 years the Sandy has been bad for winter steelhead. I keep thinking it's going to bounce back.
At the end of the day, I had a great float but fishing on the Sandy is in pretty poor shape.

I've heard the reasons why it's bad.
- Sea Lions
- Cormets
- Wild Fish Society lawsuit
- Warming oceans
- Ugly people, I'm pretty sure it this one

Is it known that the Sandy is a broken fishery? I'm I the only one that thinks this?

Not trying to be overly negative. Actually hoping to hear some good news is there any out there.

Thanks

 

[Fishpdx]

I've fished it this Monday, only saw 2 fish caught by the same person bank fishing, no one on boats had any bites or fish either , seems like there's no fish

 

[Diehard]

Always better than a day sitting on the couch fish hard so at the end of the day when you come up empty handed there are no regrets all the fisherys are terrible and all the rivers are heavily pressured on top of that the river is running very cold spend more time in good holes it take some enticing to get them going my two cents good luck

 

[cchinook]

I've heard the reasons why it's bad.

You forgot the the absolute incompetence of hatchery operations at Cedar Creek.

 

[Diehard]

Care to enlighten me on the incompetence part if your comment I understood there are reduced steelhead production is there something more I missed thanks in advance

 

[cchinook]

Care to enlighten me on the incompetence part if your comment I understood there are reduced steelhead production is there something more I missed thanks in advance

When it comes to hatchery production O.D.F.W. has decided to let the N.F.S. run everything . O.D.F.W. is only interested in raising lots of pellet heads. As an example , a few weeks ago a friend of mine called the Cedar Creek hatchery and wanted to know what the winter steelhead count was for last year . They told him that he was just spoiled from the big runs of the past and then hung up. Wow. An attitude adjustment is in order.

 

[Diehard]

Thank you for your response that's terrible maybe more than an attitude adjustment is in order unfortunately if you were able to fish the river 10 yrs ago ya you would be spoiled compared to now hopefully things turn around for the future of these fisherys sure is a bummer to watch things collapse this way

 

[Blue Tarheel]

I am sorry about the experiences you have had with ODFW. After moving here from Texas 4 years ago, I wanted to start fishing for salmon. Used a guide for three trips for Chinook the first two years and then decided to go after steelhead. I contacted ODFW for assistance. Long story, but the Tillamook biologist Robert Bradley was extremely helpful (and patient - imagine the questions a bass fisherman will ask about catching steelhead in coastal rivers). I also corresponded with Ben Walczak the biologist in the Clackamas office. He also was very helpful and even gave me his cell number in order to get more specific. Last week I bank fished at Oxbow one morning. Caught and released one and had a beautiful one to my feet when she broke the line with one more roll. They are present and I wish each of you had the pleasant experiences with ODFW I have had. Also went to the hatchery on the NF Nehalem. Very helpful there, also. Even retrieved a spinner I had hung up in a tree near the fish ladder.

 

[homerhomer]

The Sandy is a broken steelhead fishery. My buddy and I floated again from Oxbow and no fish. Once again, I saw like 6 boats and 12 bank fishermen and nobody had anything.

I gave up and went to the Coast and caught one and lost two.

 

[Fishpdx]

The Sandy is a broken steelhead fishery. My buddy and I floated again from Oxbow and no fish. Once again, I saw like 6 boats and 12 bank fishermen and nobody had anything.

I gave up and went to the Coast and caught one and lost two.

Every time I fish the sandy I get skunked, and everyone else I see same , won't matter if ur on boat or bank , seems like there's no fish in the river or they just don't bite .