First 2010 Springer confirmed!

All other AOTY competitors should spend the month February Springer fishing.  That way when they really do show you'll be to burnt out to fish for them.

I started Feb 10 last year and didn't quit until the last day in April. I probably won't ever fish around PDX again. That pretty much ruined it for me, and trolling in general (SO BORING!). I'm not so into the getto/combat/pb/seal lion war zone around here. I'd rather go to the coast for salmon...or anywhere for that matter, if I even go salmon fishing.

Last year one day i fished between i-5 & i-205 with 648 other boats. Literally. There's a million jack asses, and about 6 fish. I would go up or down, but avoid PDX if possible. The M channel isn't bad, but the columbia is a zoo.

In my past experience, it's not worth putting in the effort until April. I might do 1 day for PDX springers this year.....after AK, it's all pretty much a let down.

Man don't give up.. there are lots of fish out there.  There are a lot of boats and I am one of the million PB jack asses (hard to fish 3 rods and a 76 yr old out of a yak ) but the yak will work just as well as the PB'rs in several locations.  Learn how to roll herring and you will catch fish.   Troll downriver, spin a good weenie and don't fish weekends and you will be filleting springer in no time. 

It's not that I've given up, I just prefer to allocate my efforts to a more serene environment.

If I am going to spend all day trying to paddle 1/2kts in circles, it better be a nice place to hang out! I don't feel the itch to spend all my waking hours chasing chinook anymore, so if I'm going to do it, it will be somewhere besides pdx.

I spend a few thousand hours a year kayaking on the columbia and willamette for work, so I'm a bit burnt on spending my free time in the same spot.

On top of that, I know what numbers cross the dam and the fish per boat average and it's low.

If it were the only place to catch a chinook, I'd fish it again, but there are much more enjoyable spots for me.