willamette through spfld eugene

[JeannaJigs]

I don't doubt it. Those things will scare even the hungriest most aggressive of fish away.

 

[Bfishin]

JeanaJigs, sounds like you do pretty well bank fishin for Salmon on the Mac. I know the Steelhead holes and how to target them on the Mac, but not much success for the Nooks. I've hit up Greenwood and another deep hole before Gwood, but never got into 'em. You just basically want to find the deep holes and get your bait to the bottom or what? You ever catch 'em in the riffles/fast water. Just lookin for a little advice.

 

[JeannaJigs]

I do well enough on the bank. I've never caught them in fast water, but that's not to say that they aren't there. Generally speaking the 'nooks are pretty lazy. You'll do well for steelhead in the riffles with jigs and spoons. I've been tying some jigs, waiting a couple weeks and then will try using them up there, i think they're gonna produce. Greenwood is a money hole, really. Have you ever been up there when the old guy Bob is fishing? That guy is a machine. He's lived there like 20 years, and is fully loaded with all kinds of information about that hole, and everytime I've been up there when he is, he's gotten a fish. He's the old guy that owns the beat up drift boat anchored above the hole. Watch him and learn. There's a few really good holes above greenwood, but there's a lot of bush whacking involved, but worth it. Also, some private property areas up there have good holes. Ask the owners, they usually let you fish if you keep it clean. But yeah, just look for the deep slots and you'll do well if they're in there. Just cover as much water as you can, I can't emphasize that enough, if you're not having any luck, move to another hole. Change up colors, change up bait, try jigs, spoons, spinners. Throw everything at 'em.

 

[Bfishin]

I do well enough on the bank. I've never caught them in fast water, but that's not to say that they aren't there. Generally speaking the 'nooks are pretty lazy. You'll do well for steelhead in the riffles with jigs and spoons. I've been tying some jigs, waiting a couple weeks and then will try using them up there, i think they're gonna produce. Greenwood is a money hole, really. Have you ever been up there when the old guy Bob is fishing? That guy is a machine. He's lived there like 20 years, and is fully loaded with all kinds of information about that hole, and everytime I've been up there when he is, he's gotten a fish. He's the old guy that owns the beat up drift boat anchored above the hole. Watch him and learn. There's a few really good holes above greenwood, but there's a lot of bush whacking involved, but worth it. Also, some private property areas up there have good holes. Ask the owners, they usually let you fish if you keep it clean. But yeah, just look for the deep slots and you'll do well if they're in there. Just cover as much water as you can, I can't emphasize that enough, if you're not having any luck, move to another hole. Change up colors, change up bait, try jigs, spoons, spinners. Throw everything at 'em.

I haven't ran into Bob yet, but I'll keep an eye out. I figured Greenwood was pretty money cuz i've seen 'em caught there. I guess i just need to be a little more patient. You need a lot of lead to get down to the bottom of that hole tho huh? I put a 3oz weight on yesterday with some yarn and that garbage roe from Vida, but nothin. I tried getting one of my heavy spoons down there, but wasn't nearly heavy enough. I was bumping the bottom pretty well when I casted clear over to the other bank where it's a little shallower. Thanks for the info. I'll be up there quite a bit this summer. Finally gettin in on my buddy's float trip on the Willy tomorrow! Hope that goes well. Thanks again

 

[JeannaJigs]

I haven't ran into Bob yet, but I'll keep an eye out. I figured Greenwood was pretty money cuz i've seen 'em caught there. I guess i just need to be a little more patient. You need a lot of lead to get down to the bottom of that hole tho huh? I put a 3oz weight on yesterday with some yarn and that garbage roe from Vida, but nothin. I tried getting one of my heavy spoons down there, but wasn't nearly heavy enough. I was bumping the bottom pretty well when I casted clear over to the other bank where it's a little shallower. Thanks for the info. I'll be up there quite a bit this summer. Finally gettin in on my buddy's float trip on the Willy tomorrow! Hope that goes well. Thanks again

The opposite bank, at that tailout is killer, in the slack water behind the rocks, but not really fishable from the ramp side. If you can get across, do it. get a cheap little raft if you have to, fish the water behind the rocks, on that seam where the slack water meets the rapids. Great spot for steelhead and chinook. The thing about the greenwood hole is that it's a back eddy with an upwelling current, meaning you're fighting two directional currents, which requires a considerable amount of weight. I use 3.75-4 inches of 1/4 lead attached to my line with surgical tubing, seems to do the trick to get it down there just enough, but not snag everytime. It's a tackle grabber though, there's big logs in there, so no matter what you do you're going to lose gear. Also, ditch that garbage from vida lol, you'd be better running a corkie with yarn and some shrimp oil (inexpensive and effective). Also, the Mac is a morning and late evening show mostly. You can get into fish anytime, but the 'nooks don't like the sun and hunker down, and I've only caught 'em in the morning or the last 45 minutes of daylight. Not to say you can't though, but 90% of the fish I've got into have been between 5:00-7:00 AM. It's brutal to be alive that early, but it gets the job done. I'm itchin' to go, I think I'm going to give it a try up there thursday

 

[Bfishin]

The opposite bank, at that tailout is killer, in the slack water behind the rocks, but not really fishable from the ramp side. If you can get across, do it. get a cheap little raft if you have to, fish the water behind the rocks, on that seam where the slack water meets the rapids. Great spot for steelhead and chinook. The thing about the greenwood hole is that it's a back eddy with an upwelling current, meaning you're fighting two directional currents, which requires a considerable amount of weight. I use 3.75-4 inches of 1/4 lead attached to my line with surgical tubing, seems to do the trick to get it down there just enough, but not snag everytime. It's a tackle grabber though, there's big logs in there, so no matter what you do you're going to lose gear. Also, ditch that garbage from vida lol, you'd be better running a corkie with yarn and some shrimp oil (inexpensive and effective). Also, the Mac is a morning and late evening show mostly. You can get into fish anytime, but the 'nooks don't like the sun and hunker down, and I've only caught 'em in the morning or the last 45 minutes of daylight. Not to say you can't though, but 90% of the fish I've got into have been between 5:00-7:00 AM. It's brutal to be alive that early, but it gets the job done. I'm itchin' to go, I think I'm going to give it a try up there thursday

I know what you mean about the current. Thanks for the advice. I know exactly what seam you're talking about. I even tried that exact same amount of weight without the tubing tho. But like you said I shoulda hit it Really early or real late. I was there at a crappy fishing time. Not to mention literally 15-20 trout fisherman. Thursday's a good day to head up, less pressure. Good luck

 

[JeannaJigs]

Lots of trout fisherman there for some reason, though it doesn't seem to be very productive for trout, I've never actually seen any caught. The last time I was up there, I was ran out of the place by a family with screaming children, it was ridiculous. They were throwing rocks right into the hole I was fishing, and a few of the kids actually jumped in the river, GREAT PARENTING! Let your small kids jump into the 40 degree water that is running higher than it has this time of year in the last 10 years. I think it's great to get your kids out there and introduced to fishing, but that's not the way to go about it. That's what I get for fishing midday lol. Lesson learned, 5 am or else. Thursday though I was just informed I have to work until noon, so I think i'm going to go out around 2 and do some recon for some new steelhead water, and then fish the late evening. Or I might just wake up at 4, fish from 5-7:45 and then drive out to Veneta. That's a lotta driving early in the morning though. We shall see.

 

[Chedster]

Pulled that a few times this year, fish the Alsea from 5-8am then run back to classes till 1pm then back to the river till evening! How I afforded the gas I do not know

 

[Bfishin]

Caught a Steelhead on the willamette above Jasper today. Got her on a shrimp and diver. One other takedown and that was it. Oh ya, a couple nice trout too.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Pulled that a few times this year, fish the Alsea from 5-8am then run back to classes till 1pm then back to the river till evening! How I afforded the gas I do not know

I was up at 4 am with the intention of getting my gear together...and then went back to sleep lol, decided I couldn't afford the gas to go up twice, so I'm going this evening...but during the winter I did it quite a bit, of course the siuslaw is only 20 minutes from where I work...so it was a bit easier.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Caught a Steelhead on the willamette above Jasper today. Got her on a shrimp and diver. One other takedown and that was it. Oh ya, a couple nice trout too.

Good job! I'm working on tying up some new steelhead jigs, and then probably in 2 weeks I'll be testing 'em. I don't fish that high up usually...but a friend of mine lives up at jasper so I might for the first time in 5+ years fish up there.

 

[GoDucks1]

Caught a Steelhead on the willamette above Jasper today. Got her on a shrimp and diver. One other takedown and that was it. Oh ya, a couple nice trout too.

What's a diver?

Thanks

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

Looks like a little plastic airplane that pulls down against the current to take your bait that you run behind it on leader down to different depths depending on how far you let it out behind the boat, or what size of diver it is

 

[GoDucks1]

Thanks Sasquatch. So nothing to concern yourself with if you're drift fishing, I assume?

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

Use them out of boats, drift boats or power boats and back troll with the current.

 

[JeannaJigs]

I use hookless hot shots as divers, seems to work.

Nothin' to worry about from the bank though, unless you're in a good position of a bend or outcropping...or running a side planer.

Side planers tend to be more of a headache than they are worth, but are good to keep in your arsenal reserves.

 

[Bfishin]

I use hookless hot shots as divers, seems to work.

Nothin' to worry about from the bank though, unless you're in a good position of a bend or outcropping...or running a side planer.

Side planers tend to be more of a headache than they are worth, but are good to keep in your arsenal reserves.

That's basically what we were using; hookless plugs as a diver. I got a lucky seat in the boat. Not much work to do, but fight the fish to the boat when you have an experienced river guide.
I've never done the float and jig deal. I'll bet you nail 'em though. Seems like an effective method. I've been throwing a lot of spoons/spinners cuz I like the fight when they hit those, but not much luck. I got a QUESTION though...Does water speed and depth determine whether to use a spoon vs. a spinner? Say you have the same weighted lure, same color, what prompts you to choose one over the other? I'm trying to master the hardware!:lol:

 

[JeannaJigs]

That's basically what we were using; hookless plugs as a diver. I got a lucky seat in the boat. Not much work to do, but fight the fish to the boat when you have an experienced river guide.
I've never done the float and jig deal. I'll bet you nail 'em though. Seems like an effective method. I've been throwing a lot of spoons/spinners cuz I like the fight when they hit those, but not much luck. I got a QUESTION though...Does water speed and depth determine whether to use a spoon vs. a spinner? Say you have the same weighted lure, same color, what prompts you to choose one over the other? I'm trying to master the hardware!:lol:

Never turn down a lucky seat! You should seriously consider the "float and jig deal". It's my most productive method, especially during the summer when the water is nice and clear. As far as spoons vs. spinners, I myself don't use either very often, usually it's when i'm bored, at the end of the day, but not ready to go home yet, i think eh, i'll tie up a quick spoon or spinner. I run spoons in slightly slower water than spinners, but I don't think there's much of a rule regarding their use other than they depend heavily on what the water temp is and it's clarity. Spoons have a much more erratic action, so fast water in my opinion seems like it would make it difficult-ish for the fish to grab onto it, whereas a spinner would glide effortlessly suspended...but i'm not a master of the hardware in that department...If a person had time, they could go over to lake creek this summer and find about $70 of spinners and spoons i sacrificed to the river gods this winter.

so my conclusion is that you get a float and some jigs. lol

 

[Bfishin]

Never turn down a lucky seat! You should seriously consider the "float and jig deal". It's my most productive method, especially during the summer when the water is nice and clear. As far as spoons vs. spinners, I myself don't use either very often, usually it's when i'm bored, at the end of the day, but not ready to go home yet, i think eh, i'll tie up a quick spoon or spinner. I run spoons in slightly slower water than spinners, but I don't think there's much of a rule regarding their use other than they depend heavily on what the water temp is and it's clarity. Spoons have a much more erratic action, so fast water in my opinion seems like it would make it difficult-ish for the fish to grab onto it, whereas a spinner would glide effortlessly suspended...but i'm not a master of the hardware in that department...If a person had time, they could go over to lake creek this summer and find about $70 of spinners and spoons i sacrificed to the river gods this winter.

so my conclusion is that you get a float and some jigs. lol

That's funny cuz I think a lot of people throw hardware when everything else is slow. I'll be drifting all day with no luck, then just tie up a spinner cuz I'm bored. lol. I need to get the rigging down for the jig set up. I watched the Steelhead Stalkers vid on how to rig it. I just didn't retain it. Need to watch it again. Isn't it just bobber stop, bobber, sinker, bead, swivel, leader, jig. BTW I've seen a 40 pounder(Salmon obviously) come out of Lake Creek. I'm gonna hit that up this Fall.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Bobber stop, bead, bobber, inline weight or slip weight, swivel unless you used an inline, leader, some split shot, and jig. Good luck