Columbia River

wow… would be kewl to fish out there someday….. you say fall is the best time out there? so strange that Eyes are treated like rough fish there….

How is navigation out there on the river? Are there a lot of hazards to be aware of? I see a lot of big fish are caught there yearly. Definately looks like a trip to do.

~~~~~Alkfish

The river is well marked just like the Mississippi, red and green cans and land markers. The biggest difference is there isn’t any back waters to speak of, the river is down in a gorge / valley most of the way through Oregon. LOTS of ROCKS, very little mud bottom.

Wind is a big factor, that is why we pulled off the other day. 4′ to 6′ rollers that are going upstream about 16- 20 feet part. Makes the bait presentation suffer a bit.

If you head west email me for info

dan

Out west in Oregon land where the walleyes grow bigger and nobody fishes for them….

No offense, but why fish for walleyes in the same river that giant white sturgeon live? A 12 pound walleye would be a good bait for one of those things, they get up to 30 feet long and weigh a ton (literally). sturgeon over several hundred pounds and 8 feet long are commonly caught in the Columbia from what I hear.

So how long does a fish like that drag the boat around without getting tired? I just read in this months issue of North American Fisherman that they are having problems out west with the restoration of the white sturgeon. It seems the fish aren’t spawning and the DNR thinks it’s because of the dams that have been constructed. I don’t know if sturgeon suffer any post-traumatic-deaths or not but my question in light of that article is why would we chase a fish for sport that might be on it’s way off the planet?

The thrill of a fish that size makes me grin with eager fantasy and would love to have a story like that in the memory banks. But for many of the walleye lovers, the chase for walleye is all the thrill they’re looking for.

Example: My father LOVES crappies and sunnies. For whatever reason, he doesn’t much thrill at the suggestion of larger fish, except jumbo perch, bass, or walleye. We can be on a prime big fish lake and he’ll get all giddy and say, “I hope the crappies are biting!” HUH????? Maybe it’s the “kid” in me looking for a bigger thrill, but I don’t understand why you’d go to “a monster’s home” and go bobbin’ for panfish? Don’t get me wrong……………it’s all about spending time with the guy (cuz he’s my best friend and I love ’em to pieces!) but I think it just comes down to what “fishing is” in his eyes vs. mine.

EVERYBODY dreams of fishing their favorite species without a crowd and/or competition so on that note, Oregon looks pretty good if walleye is your gig. CC, good luck on the monster hunts and keep us posted!

Sturgeon are fun but tend to be little challenge after you learn the holes. I have caught several sturgeon each year pulling worm harrnesses for walleye. Quite a surprise to have a six foot + sturgeon become airborne right in front of the boat! With the slot limit 42″- 60″ and the Quota of fish reached on each pool within 60 days each year, it becomes a catch and release program. fun but the challenges inherent in chasing the elusive eyes still have my full attention, the rest are incidental..

dan

out west where walleyes are predators not game fish…

interesting….

what other kew fishing oppurtunites are you guys “hiding” out west…..?? sounds like a pretty diverse fishery?

Is there still a bounty on squaw fish out there?

They are now called Pike Minnows and the first hundred are worth $4 each, next hundred $5 and then on to $6 each either at 300 or 400 fish. The top dollar winner last year recieved $45,000.00 for fishin! Several folks in the $15 -$20 K range.

I caught a dandy trolling the other day. They hit hard and then give up the fight.

dan