High Water Willie Sturgeon

I'd like to get out after sturgeon in the next week or so. I've never fished sturgeon from my kayak on the Willie. Is it reasonable to target sturgeon with the high flows we are having or does that generally turn off the bite or make anchoring too difficult. I've got a fair amount of practice anchoring in the Columbia so I am used to anchoring in 70'+ water with a strong current.

I was thinking either Meldrum Bar, George Rogers, or Elk Rock? Any advice on which you would target and why?

Thanks!

The highest flow I've anchored in, and would rather not repeat, was around 80kcfs. They're showing 120k plus right now. Plus all the crap (trees, bodies, etc) in the water could make things a bit hazardous.

Also, with things moving so high, you'll probably need 20oz of lead, if not more, to keep on bottom. 

Trees, BODIES, etc??!!

Walking the dog at Sellwood last night I saw multiple trees per minute and several gnarly root balls coming down. I'm itching to get out too but too sketchy for me...

I fish for sturgies a lot and those conditions never = fun

The bodies also compete for your bait.  It slows the bite down since the fish are stuffed.

The bodies also compete for your bait.  It slows the bite down since the fish are stuffed.

should add a certain sweetness to the flesh though

I'm really looking forward to getting out there again.  We had a great time during the dino keeper tournament last fall.  Not happening anytime soon though, with the recent and forecast storms blowing through.

Trees, BODIES, etc??!!

Ya, never fun to be this guy:  Fisherman finds body floating in Willamette River.  Not fun being the body, either...   

-Sam

Walking the dog at Sellwood last night I saw multiple trees per minute and several gnarly root balls coming down. I'm itching to get out too but too sketchy for me...

Says the man who threw a Sturgeon tournament in exactly those conditions...   

-Spot-

 Had to be done!

Think about it as a giant video game. The player has to avoid logs, root balls and zombies while catching fish at the same time. As the player gains experience points, the game increases the water flow...

I think we should call it: Sturgeonfest:  Logs, balls and zombies.

Wobbler

If you launch your kayak at the Swan Island Boat Ramp and paddle out into the basin, there is no current ever. There will be nothing to avoid except there may be a tug or two moving through. There may or may be tons of sturgeon there. I have caught them way back toward the boat ramp, out in front of the Coast Guard station, back in the dry-dock areas and out at the seam where the current meets the slack-water. Often there are a plethora of larger than normal sturgeon in the basin. It is a little different anchoring and fishing without current for sturgeon, but when the river is blown out like it currently is, Swan Island is a great alternative.
Here is a thread from a different forum about a day I shared with a couple of other yak fisherman at Swan Island back in Nov (if you really want to waste some time):
http://www.oregonfishingforum.com/showthread.php/29231-6-1-2-foot-sturgeon-on-the-Willy

If you launch your kayak at the Swan Island Boat Ramp and paddle out into the basin, there is no current ever. There will be nothing to avoid except there may be a tug or two moving through. There may or may be tons of sturgeon there. I have caught them way back toward the boat ramp, out in front of the Coast Guard station, back in the dry-dock areas and out at the seam where the current meets the slack-water. Often there are a plethora of larger than normal sturgeon in the basin. It is a little different anchoring and fishing without current for sturgeon, but when the river is blown out like it currently is, Swan Island is a great alternative.
Here is a thread from a different forum about a day I shared with a couple of other yak fisherman at Swan Island back in Nov (if you really want to waste some time):
http://www.oregonfishingforum.com/showthread.php/29231-6-1-2-foot-sturgeon-on-the-Willy

That is a great idea. If I don't go fishing soon my wife is going to kill me. 

If you launch your kayak at the Swan Island Boat Ramp and paddle out into the basin, there is no current ever. There will be nothing to avoid except there may be a tug or two moving through. There may or may be tons of sturgeon there. I have caught them way back toward the boat ramp, out in front of the Coast Guard station, back in the dry-dock areas and out at the seam where the current meets the slack-water. Often there are a plethora of larger than normal sturgeon in the basin. It is a little different anchoring and fishing without current for sturgeon, but when the river is blown out like it currently is, Swan Island is a great alternative.
Here is a thread from a different forum about a day I shared with a couple of other yak fisherman at Swan Island back in Nov (if you really want to waste some time):
http://www.oregonfishingforum.com/showthread.php/29231-6-1-2-foot-sturgeon-on-the-Willy

That is a great idea. If I don't go fishing soon my wife is going to kill me.

Thanks for the great info. Casteal , myself and a friend of mine fished the Swan Island Basin today.  It was a an awesome day. One of those 25+ hook and landed days. We started off the day wondering the upper end by the boat dock with out much luck. Moved north to the dry docks and landed a few.
We watched a PB just slaying them at the end of one of the dry docks and decided to find our own spot. Well we did, the hole was 65 ft deep and filled with sturgeon. For about two hours we hauled in one after another. It was epic.

Wobbler

A couple nice keeper sized fish there.