Recommendations for mid-March

[Alkasazi]

my son's going to be in town for spring breach in mid-March. Does anyone have recommendations for fishing around then? Preferably in the Gorge or close to Portland. We did a bit of bass fishing last summer in a couple spots on the Columbia, and would like to get him out some more.

Thanks!
Brian

[bsteves]

Hmm, mid-March...

I've found this like to have lots of info, but I haven't lived here long enough to judge how good it is...
http://www.nwfish.com/fishing_trips.htm

Basically I think we're looking at...
-Stocked trout in local lakes
-Bass and Walleye should start becoming active
-Sturgeon
-Steelhead
-Springers (spring run Chinook)

I'll keep posting ideas about what I'm thinking about fishing for.  Of course none of my ideas are based on personal experience yet so you get what you pay for.

Brian

[Alkasazi]

thanks, I'll check these out. Let me know where you end up fishing. He'll be here the 14-22, and I'm off work, so we'll have some time to get out.

Brian

[Pisco Sicko]

That's primetime for big walleye, late for steelhead, early for bass and salmon. Check the Bonneville Dam fish counts for a better idea on the steelhead and salmon.

[bsteves]

Hey Brian,

I'd be up for trying for walleye in your neck of the woods when your son is in town.  I can even get time of work pretty easily if you're thinking mid-week.  Any ideas about potential areas to fish up there?

Ideally, we'd want to find good bottom structure, manageable current, and a day with little or no wind.

Here's a post from IFish about winter walleye..
http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=182175

In particular one poster had the following to say...

I have been fishing below The Dalles, I put in at the boat launch and then go down river to Tower Island. If there is no wind it is easy to jig the shelf above the island and between the island and the Washington shore. If there is a little wind it is easier to jig the sand bottom below the island. If the wind is too strong for good boat control, you can bottom walk the sand bottom. I haven't made it down to fish the Oregon side of the 58 buoy on the next corner yet this year, but I probably will this weekend.

The rock shelf and troughs below The Dalles Bridge will pick your pocket, however there is good walleye fishing there at times, and I will often head up there to fish if I get blown off of Tower Island, 58, and Rowena. The deeper hole below the bridge up close to the rocks that the bridge is on and to the North of the one lone rock knob is where I catch most of my walleye. The wind that comes up the gorge to tower island blows out over Dallesport and often misses the stretch from the launch up to the dam.

If you are into steelhead, you can tie on a jig and bobber or bait and bobber and pull the boat up under the bridge and side drift this area. I have seen a number of steelhead caught here since the first of the year.

Do any of these places ring a bell?

Brian

[Alkasazi]

Sweet! I'm off work that whole week, so most days should be good for us. Wind out here is always the trick, but sometimes you can find wind-free pockets. I'll poke around on spots. I haven't fished up by The Dalles, but I'll see what I can find out. Here's the NOAA map for the area:

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18532.shtml

Not familiar with Tower Island, although I see a spot on the map that is likely it. Rowena's across from Lyle & the mouth of the Klickitat.

[bsteves]

Thanks for the map link.
I think I see Tower Island as well.

If you're more familiar with kayaking closer to where you live (Hood River?), then I'm sure we can find something there as well, esp. with that chart to guide us.  I have a fishfinder on my kayak so we should be able to key in on areas that look fishy once where on the water.

Brian

[Alkasazi]

I live in Stevenson, and work in Hood River. I know plenty of good paddling spots, but not always sure what makes a good fishing spot, so I'm pretty open to checking things out. I hit the two local fishermen I know for ideas, but their fly-fishing bias showed a bit:

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Hook a worm on to your hook and watch your bobber for a dunk. Then take another drink of your beer and when you run out of beer, ask one of the other redneck baitfisherman nearby for another.
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[polepole]

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Hook a worm on to your hook and watch your bobber for a dunk. Then take another drink of your beer and when you run out of beer, ask one of the other redneck baitfisherman nearby for another.
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Yes, but what kind of beer were they recommending?   

-Allen

[bsteves]

I'm going to go with the following article as a guide..
http://www.wogameandfish.com/fishing/walleyes-fishing/wo_aa065503a/

As early as late February or early March, the larger fish begin deep-water staging in anticipation of spawn activity. At this time, they may be found on the steep breaking edges of shoreline flats, along the edges of protruding rocks or submerged reefs, and as much as 30 to 50 feet deep, but never in the main current flow. Spawning areas include sandy/gravelly mouths of streams, broad gravel flats on outer bends in the river, or the long, tapering slopes of literally hundreds of islands or connecting underwater ridges.

"But don't limit yourself to just these hotspots," he noted. "On down-river, be sure to work the many islands and underwater humps. Best to use a depth locator to find the areas where the break-line drops into deeper water. Bigger fish tend to hang out on those edges. And if you remember, the Corps opened all the dams a few years back, and actually washed big walleyes all the way to Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. So, it's kind of tough to say where the best fishing is gonna be. But give me half a chance, I'll be somewhere between the line from Hood River, Oregon/White Salmon, Washington and the John Day Dam way upstream.

"Best advice I could give anyone hoping to fish the river would be to pick up a contour map that shows the reefs and all the water depths. Then, depending on the season, work the deepest water earliest in the year, moving to the shorelines and drifting with leadhead jigs until water settles down some. Later, you can get into trolling with minnow plugs and my favorite, a spinner and worm set-up. And don't forget: When the weather breaks and it starts warming up, it is one of the best times to be out there. For me, the night bite is the right bite!"

We'll figure it out.

Brian

[Alkasazi]

Pete's recommendation would probably be Fat Tire. I say go with whatever's handy and/or on sale.

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Hook a worm on to your hook and watch your bobber for a dunk. Then take another drink of your beer and when you run out of beer, ask one of the other redneck baitfisherman nearby for another.
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Yes, but what kind of beer were they recommending?   

-Allen

[coosbayyaker]

Sweet! I'm off work that whole week, so most days should be good for us. Wind out here is always the trick, but sometimes you can find wind-free pockets. I'll poke around on spots. I haven't fished up by The Dalles, but I'll see what I can find out. Here's the NOAA map for the area:

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18532.shtml

Not familiar with Tower Island, although I see a spot on the map that is likely it. Rowena's across from Lyle & the mouth of the Klickitat.

Thats an awesome link..I never saw those online before, guess i was looking in the wrong place.

[[WR]]

Yes, but what kind of beer were they recommending?   

-Allen
[/quote]
Steelhead IPA maybe?? just found about  it today while reading salmon and steelhead journal...local microbrew based in northern california on the mad river [ brewery is on the banks of it] www.madriverbrewing.com

article sez " you'll also find the company's Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Steelhead Scotch Porter, and it's Steelhead Extra Stout quite pleasing. yes, we speak from experience."

personally am not too fond of IPA's in general, but regular ales, porters and stouts, oh hello sweet heart!

[[WR]]

Hook a worm on to your hook and watch your bobber for a dunk. Then take another drink of your beer and when you run out of beer, ask one of the other redneck baitfisherman nearby for another.
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GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRR...snobs..no wonder fly fishers are getting a black eye these days..

[coosbayyaker]

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Hook a worm on to your hook and watch your bobber for a dunk. Then take another drink of your beer and when you run out of beer, ask one of the other redneck baitfisherman nearby for another.
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Redneck...Hell, i use lers and spanners all the time..Hain't been no techi q i never did try..