Multnomah Channel question

Going to try to fish for walleye tomorrow and was wondering where is a good place to launch at.
Also if anyone wants to join in the fun they are more then welcome. Not sure the exact time as of yet
but will be sometime in the morning. May need to buy a parking pass for Sauvie island if I have to launch from there.

Thanks

I just did this a while back. I launched from the Gilbert River ramp. You'll need to buy a pass at the little convenient store you pass after going onto the island or at Reeder's RV Park. Not sure what time they open in the morning. I got a nice one on a brass/green/chartreuse worm harness just below Coon Island. Good luck!

I just started fishing for walleye, but I launch at Sauvie Island Boat Ramp. No pass or fee to launch there. I tried in my kayak once but have been doing pretty good from my friend's boat. Right now the fishing is real good. I got this 26" right downstream of that boat launch last Sunday. If my hands weren't messed up, I'd be back at it in my kayak, but I'll probably be out there tomorrow.
If you spend enough time ticking the bottom, you will be rewarded.

Nice fish and a big smile good job minnowmagnet

You can purchase Sauvie Island parking passes wherever you buy fishing licenses. They are in the state computer system.

You can drive down the Channel side of the Island and beach launch @ 1/4 mi above Coon Isl.

Did you have any luck?

Sorry for not replying sooner. I launched at  Sauvie Island Boat Ramp and spent 4 hours trolling with a
worm harness. Didn't get any walleye but I did get one catfish. Not sure if I was doing it right. It was the first
time that I had used a worm harness. I bought some bottom bouncer weights and didn't get the size I needed
to keep it on the bottom when trolling up river. I might try it again next weekend.
Thanks for all the info guys and if you have any more ideas on how to catch them please let me know.
Someone told me to try Maglips. Not sure on color or size yet.

Thanks again all.

Bummer you didn't get any. Here a couple hints I figured out from my own experiences.

I found that a 3 oz walker was perfect for downstream trolling but like you I had problems with it performing well on the uphill troll. What I did was pay out a little more line and then trolled upstream at an angle and that allowed the walker to bounce along the bottom. Zig-zagging back and forth is a good idea any ways.

I've also heard Maglip 3.5 work well. Anything with green apparently. Not sure how they troll these for walleye but they must use a dropper or something.

Sorry for not replying sooner. I launched at  Sauvie Island Boat Ramp and spent 4 hours trolling with a
worm harness. Didn't get any walleye but I did get one catfish. Not sure if I was doing it right. It was the first
time that I had used a worm harness. I bought some bottom bouncer weights and didn't get the size I needed
to keep it on the bottom when trolling up river. I might try it again next weekend.
Thanks for all the info guys and if you have any more ideas on how to catch them please let me know.
Someone told me to try Maglips. Not sure on color or size yet.

Thanks again all.

We did well again in the pb on Sunday, with the biggest walleye being 25". Like I said, I am new to walleye fishing but have found that the 3oz bottom walker was about right for downstream trolling right now in the channel. It takes more lead for the upstream troll and you cover so little ground that way. For this reason, we have all but abandoned the upstream troll for these fish. If you don't have the right bottom walker, you can just rig up a 6" to 1' dropper and achieve the same effect. Honestly, we have been doing just as well with droppers as with proper bottom walkers. I haven't tried pulling a plug yet because the worm harnesses have been paying dividends.
Even on the good days, we sometimes go two hours without a bite, so it isn't for the impatient. Hope to be out there in my kayak next weekend. Good luck!

The flows in the Multnomah Channel are actually stronger than you think especially low in the exchange. Hence the advantage of trolling upstream. I had the energy to power upstream at 4 mph a couple times from the yak but no way I could do it all day.

Hey Minnow mag,  You keep saying Sauvie Island boat ramp.  I'm curious, there's two boat ramps.  One is called old ferry landing it's fairly close to the bridge, off of Sauvie Is. Rd.  Then there is the Gilbert River ramp (downstream), which is as far from the bridge as you can drive on the island.  Which one are you putting in at.  I fish the MC quite a bit for SMB.  I've always thought most of the walleye fishing happened between coon island and Scappoose bay.  PS get a parking permit.  I'm surprised you haven't gotten a ticket yet.  They really enforce that on the island.

Hey Minnow mag,  You keep saying Sauvie Island boat ramp.  I'm curious, there's two boat ramps.  One is called old ferry landing it's fairly close to the bridge, off of Sauvie Is. Rd.  Then there is the Gilbert River ramp (downstream), which is as far from the bridge as you can drive on the island.  Which one are you putting in at.  I fish the MC quite a bit for SMB.  I've always thought most of the walleye fishing happened between coon island and Scappoose bay.  PS get a parking permit.  I'm surprised you haven't gotten a ticket yet.  They really enforce that on the island.

The ramp I have been using is the one closer to the bridge, not Gilbert River. I know a lot of walleye folks use the latter. The one closer to the bridge is not technically in the wildlife area, so no permit required. In addition, there is no launch fee and it is less driving. Having found walleye in this part, I have been reluctant to drive further. I would gladly pay for a permit if one was required.
Perhaps I stand to be corrected, but this is the ramp I have used for years. I have a great sturgeon spot right there.

I like that ramp too.  I'm going to be down there tonight testing my new sonar and twitching soft plastics for small mouths.  It will be a miracle if the ff works.  It didn't feel like the transducer got a very good bond when I epoxied it inside the hull.